The Need—3000 Bibleless Nations

The Biblical Definition Of a Nation

Any group of people who have a common Lineage, who speak a distinct Language, who have common Laws (written or oral) and who live in a prescribed area of Land, are a Nation in the sight of God. This definition of a Nation is derived from the biblical account of the nation of Israel. Israel became a Nation after the development of an extensive Lineage (descendants of Abraham), a distinct Language (Hebrew), a set of Laws (Mosaic) and finally entered the Land (Promised to Abraham by God).

Listed below are some Bibleless Nations. There are at least 3000 Bibleless nations in the world who number over 380 million people. Many more have a small part of the Bible, but most Bibles are poorly translated and contain doctrinal error. Please choose one of these nations for your church to adopt for prayer. Pray for them, as a church, until they have missionaries who translate, at least, a New Testament in their language and plant New Testament Baptist churches among them. Please let us know which Bibleless Nation your church chooses so that duplication of effort can be avoided. We will note your choice on this page. Please send us the name of the Bibleless Nation you choose.

Unreached, Bibleless Nations

Pray for the 8,000 Kumwenu people in Cote D'Ivoire, Africa.
The Kumwenus live in Comoe Province, about half way between Kampti and Banfora, in southwest near Cote D'Ivoire border. They have no Scripture. They are Muslims.

Pray for the 402,600 Tibetan Drukpa of Bhutan.
In the eastern Himalayan Mountains, an unreached people need to hear this message of peace and salvation. In Bhutan, land of the thunder lizard, the Drukpa people live in spiritual darkness. The Drukpa are an influential group making up roughly 60 percent of the estimated 671,000 people in Bhutan. They are very devoted to Tibetan Buddhism.

Pray for the 300,000 Bella people of Burkina Faso.
Closely tied to the Tuareg peoples, yet distinct in language and dress, many Bella are nomadic shepherds. These people work hard at farming and manual labor. Needing fertilizer for their crops, they often make agreements with Fulani (Fulbe) herdsmen to trade pasture for the manure left by the animals. The number of Bella in 1980 was estimated at 300,000, since nomads are difficult to count. Moving around also makes them difficult to evangelize, though some missionaries report the Bella are quite receptive to Christianity.

Pray for the 600 Gbadogo people of Burkina Faso.
The Gbadogo people are just a speck on the globe—nine tiny villages totaling about 600 people. Yet, God formed each person intricately, lovingly, and purposefully in a mother's womb. Jesus paid for the sin of each one when He died on the cross. Thus, the Lord sees the worth of the Gbadogo people. The Gbadogo are a people without hope and purpose.

Pray for the 113,500 Jula (Dioula) people in Burkina Faso, Africa.
Aamong the Jula people in southwestern Burkina Faso, the men's tasks are to weave, fight, and study Islam while the women spin, cook, and tend to the children. Both men and women engage in trade. Their name means "itinerant trader," and they are well known as merchants. The Jula believe in clan loyalty, honesty, and obedience. Like many tribes in West Africa, men can have multiple wives. The Jula are 99 percent Muslim. Thirty thousand of these live in Burkina Faso.

Pray for 8,000 Komono People of Burkina Faso.
The 8,000 Komono people belong to three tribes in Burkina Faso, a country of 82 unreached groups in West Africa. This totally Muslim group was converted in the 1930's by a prophet from Guinea. They pride themselves in having one God and His laws, unlike other tribes, but well-concealed fetishism remains. The younger generation shows less interest in Islam, though in general this group resists change and relies on group decisions.

Pray for 83,000 Malinke people in Burkina Faso.
In Burkina Faso, the Malinke people number about 83,000, although there are many others in other parts of West Africa. Like Musa, most of them blend animism with Islam. Portions of Scriptures are available in their language but unfortunately very few can read.

Pray for the 28,000 Tagba Senufo People of Burkina Faso.
"Why are you here?" Tieba asked the two white women who came to live in his village. The chief had put Tieba in charge of helping the missionaries. The women told him, "We came to talk about God." Tieba had heard of Isa (Jesus) as a great prophet. He eagerly listened to the women's Bible stories in French, and retold them in Senufo to his people. Within a year, Tieba became convinced that the God who commanded all of nature was more powerful than the many spirits his people feared. He committed his life to Jesus in 1983, the first Tagba Senufo believer in southwestern Burkina Faso. He was so excited about his experience with God's love that he zealously passed it on in his own village, then in neighboring villages. Ignoring threats of witchcraft and family opposition, a small group of believers came together. When the white women left, Tieba pleaded without success for other Bible teachers to come to the 28,000 Tagba Senufo people.

Pray for the Western Cham of Cambodia.
The Western Cham (or Khmer Islam) live near Cambodia's major cities, including Phnom Penh, and along the Mekong River. They speak Western Cham, a Malayo-Polynesian language that uses an old Devanagari script—the alphabet in which many modern Indian languages are written. In 1975, more than 250,000 Muslim Cham lived in Cambodia. With the rise of the Khmer Rouge regime, however, their population was decimated. Although two mission agencies are now working among the Western Cham of Cambodia, progress has been slow. There is still a need for the Bible to be translated into the native language of the Cham.

Pray for the 810,000 Amdo people of China.
Adopted for prayer by Memorial Baptist Church, Dilltown, PA
"We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord," is inscribed on a church bell gathering dust for more than 250 years in the basement of a Tibetan Buddhist monastery. The only reminder of the first church planted in Tibet (now part of China) since Buddhist monks destroyed the church and killed the 40 Amdo believers. The darkness continues for 810 thousand Amdo in the provinces of Sichuan, Gansu, and Qinghai. Riding superior horses and heavily armed, the wild Amdo have struck fear into the hearts of outsiders for centuries. Because of this, and the hostile mountains where they live, few have ever gone to the Amdo people with the gospel.

Pray for the Hani people of China.
(HANHI, HAW) 180,000 in Myanmar (1994); 500,000 in China; 30,000 in Laos (1994); 37,000 in Viet Nam (1993); 747,000 in all countries. North Shan State. Also in Viet Nam. None in Thailand. Language type: Tibeto-Burman, Burmese-Lolo, Lolo, Southern, Akha, Hani, Ha-Ya. Distinct from the Ho of India, which is Munda. Hani ethnic group: Pudu (Putu). An officially recognized minority nationality in China.

Pray for the 147,000 Kalmyk Oirat people of China.
The Oirats are known for their love of fine horses and horse racing. Most children learn to ride at an early age. Of the 147,000 Kalmyk-Oirat people, some are farmers while others are nomads who are still raising horses, cattle, camels, goats, and sheep. These people have a short life expectancy because of a limited water supply, poor hygiene, inadequate diet, and a high consumption of alcohol. Some Oirats continue the Tibetan practice of leaving their dead out in the fields to be eaten by wild animals. They believe this practice helps the soul to be released from the body. Others bury their dead in community graveyards. Stones believed to be inhabited by local spirits serve as a site for performing various rituals. Although the New Testament is available in their language, less than one percent are Christian.

Pray for the Khampa people of China.
The one and a half million Khampa are ordinary people who are struggling to survive in the cold, barren mountains of eastern Tibet. Long known as fierce fighters and skilled horsemen, the Khampas were once nomads, but now they raise grain or cattle in the fertile valleys. They speak one of the six main Kham dialects.

Pray for the 140,000 Ladakhi people of India and China.
Approximately 140 thousand Ladakhi people live high in the Himalayan Mountains located on both sides of the India-Tibet border. Villages are small and scattered. The Ladakhi are described as a beautiful people with smiling, gentle eyes. Death is intensely frightening to them. Many follow the traditional wind burial ceremony. In this ceremony they suspend the corpse of the deceased in a remote area where ravens eat the flesh. They believe the birds carry the spirit of the deceased away so the demons cannot get it.

Pray for the 31,000 Men-pa people of Tibet.
Most Men-pa farm the fertile southern foothills of the Himalayas of Tibet. Others are craftsmen who plait elegant bamboo and rattan items and design silver ornaments. They are a hospitable people whose men and woman have equal status. Past evangelization attempts among this intriguing nation have failed.

Pray for the 50,000 Mosuo people of China.
Perhaps the most liberated women in the history of the world are among the 50,000 Mosuo people who live in the land where the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces come together. For centuries Mosuo women ruled. All property was transferred from mother to the youngest daughter and children inherited their mother's surname. Fathers and husbands were not recognized because the Mosuo did not practice conventional marriage and no one was ever certain who the father was. But today things are changing. The Mosuo were part of a large-scale migration from the Tibetan highlands over 1,000 years ago. They settled beside a beautiful and extremely isolated lake in China at almost 9,000 feet above sea level.

Pray for the Tu People of Qinghai, China.
They number 191,624 people (1990 census). There are no Christians among these people who live in Qinghai & Gansu provinces. The majority of Tu live in the Huzhu Tu Autonomous County, 45km from Xining city.Religion : Lamaism (Tibetan Buddhism)Language : Altaic, Mongolian, Eastern, Mongour; The Tu in Datong County, Qinghai, now speak Chinese exclusively.Dialects : 14 In 1979 a Tu script based on the Roman alphabet was created. It soon became popular amongst the Tu and is taught in local schools. A massive 70,000 entry Tu-Chinese vocabulary dictionary was published in 1988, and now the Tu even have a bi- monthly magazine in their own language.

Pray for the 12,000 Yugar people of China.
The Yugar people herd sheep and cattle in the green-carpeted pastures of Gansu Province's Qilian Mountains. For generations this area that is inhabited by Yugar people, but since the completion of the Lanzhou to Urumqu railway line in 1963, the 12,000 Yugar have had exposure to modern ways.

Pray for the 16 million Zhuang people of China.
The Zhuang are the world's largest minority group without Scripture in their own language. Most Zhuangs practice polytheism, but those who migrate to the cities tend to become atheists.

Pray for the 140,000 Ladakhi people of India.
Death is frightening to the 140,000 Ladakhi people who live high in the Himalayan Mountains. About half of them are Muslim and the other half follow Tibetan Buddhism, where the funeral practices described above come from. Some hues of Hinduism are mixed into both religions. Though some of their practices are morbid and grisly, they are described as a beautiful people with smiling gentle eyes. They welcome the visitors' help, but they are resistant to the Christian gospel.

Pray for the 23,000 Lalung people of India.
The Lalung people live in northeastern India and are divided into two subdivisions: those that live in the hills, and those that live in the plains. Those living in the hills speak Bodo and Lalung, and those living in the plains speak only Bodo. The Lalung have a desire to become more educated and employed in government jobs, but their poverty has restricted them from achieving this goal.

Both Lalung groups are mainly farmers. Rice, meat, fish, or eggs are the staple foods. Fowl and pork are considered delicacies. Beer drinking is essential to their social life, especially in religious ceremonies. Education concerning the harmful effects of beer has helped slow down its consumption. The women are excellent weavers and weave most of the clothes her family wears. The traditional dress consists of a long, wrap-around cloth called a legnti that is sown with a shirt. The elderly men wear turbans.

Houses are built on raised columns with bamboo walls, and thatched roofing. Thankfully, their villages can be reached by well-built roads. The Lalungs social grouping is made up of clans. The clans do intermingle and cooperate together, but each has their own place of worship and altar for that clan's god. Who do they worship? The Lalung are poly demonist, meaning they worship many demons. But they have a supreme god called pha, which means father. Their religion is also mixed with Buddhism and Hinduism.

There are currently 66 Lalung believers in India. Life is difficult with just a hand full of believers and especially when they do not have the Bible in their language. There is one missionary group working amongst the Lalung, but the work load is great. Just the task of translating the Scriptures will take many years. Pray that the spiritual oppression among the Lalung will be overcome and the Lord will bring forth a triumphant Lalung church for the glory of His name!

Pray for the 3,500 Garhwali people of India.
Over 3,500 Garhwali live mainly in Uttar Pradesh, but some also live in Jammu and Kashmir. They are found in the Himalayan Mountains and hillsides. The Garhwali people are subsistence farmers, growing crops on beautifully terraced fields. Most are very poor. A deeply religious people, they worship hundreds of gods and goddesses.

Pray for the 10,700 Saryara people of India.
The Saryara are skilled in the arts, especially in painting. Urban areas are home to nearly one-third of the 10,670 Saryara living in Jammu and Kashmir. Though only 15 percent are literate, many speak Hindi and Urdu as well as their own Dogri language. Their staple diet is wheat and rice, often served with alcoholic drinks. Most Saryara are wage laborers or small business operators, and few of them own land.

Pray for the 1,200 Sherdukpen people of India.
As an isolated people who live 5,000 to 6,000 feet above sea level, the 1,200 Sherdukpens, know nothing but cold weather. From their homes in Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India, they have very little contact with the rest of the world.

Pray for the 66,000 Bhadrawahi people of India.
So many have still not heard the Word of God in Jammu and Kashmir, India. For example, among the 66,000 Bhadrawahi, only about 11 percent have even heard the good news and less than one in 1,000 are Christians. There are no Christian materials in their language; no Scriptures, no JESUS Film, and no Christian radio broadcasts.

Pray for the 355,100 Gujjar people of India.
The 355,100 Gujjar people probably have a historical connection with the Huns of Central Asia. An uneducated people, they have no written language and no art beyond songs and simple tribal patterns into which they weave their clothes. Known and trusted for their honesty, hard work, and gentle nature, these simple nomadic herdsmen are often cheated in the marketplaces of Kashmir.

Pray for 87,300 Chameali Pahari people of India.
The Chameali Pahari people live in Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir. They are a poor, hardworking, honest people who farm most of the year. They live on a simple diet of milk, lentils, vegetables, fruit, and occasionally meat. During the four months of winter, they live on stored food from the summer crops.

Pray for the 205,000 Gayo People of Indonesia.
With a population of 205,000, the Gayo people live on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia . Indonesia is a group of islands north of Australia . Their language is Gayo with two distinct dialects, Gayo Lut and Gayo Luwes. The Gayo do not have a written language. Folk tales and oral stories are passed down in the form of poetry. An art form in the Gayo culture is saman. Saman is a mixture of movements, poetry, and singing. This tradition is used for entertainment, educational and informational purposes.

The Gayo are close neighbors to the radical Islamic Aceh people. In the past, the Aceh conquered the Gayo region and made the Gayo slaves. Through resistance, many Gayo were killed. Thankfully the Dutch intervened and helped the Gayo set up an economy and become more modern. The main source of income for the Gayo people is farming, with the main crop being coffee. Fishing and gathering forest products are other sources of income. They are also very skilled with their hands, making beautiful ceramics, weaving mats and cloths, and doing embroidery work.

The Gayo's house is an umah, made from palm thatch and wood. Typically, several related families live together. The Gayo do marry outside their own families, but close within their region. This way the woman's family can continue to look after her. Polygamy is rare, but allowed.

The Gayo people are Muslim, but unlike their strict neighbors. They have little understanding and conviction about this religion they call their own. Most Gayo still believe in good and bad spirits. They worship spirits, ancestors, and saints. Saints are holy men that may be dead or alive.

Although the Gayo people have been modernized they still lack good medical workers. There is a very low understanding of health matters. The Gayo also need educational and agricultural personnel. But most importantly, they need to be reached with the gospel or our All-Sufficient Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Perhaps their lack of understanding and conviction in Islam will allow an open door for the gospel. The Gayo people need God's word in their language.

Pray for the 154,000 Rawas of Indonesia.
In the southern Sumatra Province of Indonesia the Rawas live in small cities or villages along the Rawas and Pupit Rivers . Their home along the river allows production of many exotic and unusual fruits like mangoes, pineapples, duku (a small white fruit), langsat (small yellow fruit), and rambutan (hairy fruit). Raising livestock and fishing supplies the necessary meat for their diet. The Rawas are self-sufficient in producing their food supply and their economic system is based on rubber plantations.

Wooden houses on high stilts are built close together to show unity and close relationships. Dancing is an important art form for the Rawas. Traditional dances are the Tari Riring (plate dance) and the Tari Pisau (knife dance). The young people are encouraged to participate in dancing, singing, and martial arts.

The Rawas, like 80 percent of Indonesians, are Muslim. They obediently perform religious fasts and celebrate Muslim holidays. They also hold religious meals for remembering the deceased 7 days, 40 days, and 1,000 days after a death. If only the Rawas knew about eternal life after death offered to us through the Lord Jesus Christ! But currently, they have no missionaries working among them and there is no Bible in the Rawas language.

Pray for the 122,000 Lao Phuan of Laos.
Laos is a small country located south of China. The government of Laos is intent on the complete elimination of any Christian presence in the country. In a country where Christianity is not accepted, Laos has primarily turned to Buddism. The Lao Phuan is one of the many unreached peopled groups in Laos . Over half of the Lao Phuan claim Buddism as their primary religion and the remainder of this people group cling to their ethnic religions such as folk animism, in which they worship spirits and objects.

Living in fertile green valleys and making use of irrigation and terraces, the Lao Phuan's lives consist primarily of wet-rice farming. The women often end up giving themselves and their children to prostitution for money. These precious women and children need to find the hope, love, and acceptance that only the Lord provides. As the economy improves, many farmers have found jobs as merchants, businessmen, and skilled workers.

The Lao Phuan's villages are organized like a kingdom. Each village is controlled by a prince to whom the people pay taxes. A village headmen and elders act as a court system. Within the villages, the people live in sturdy, paneled houses that are raised off the ground. They have plank floors and tile roofs. The lower class lives in a bamboo house with a thatched roof.

You could describe the Lao Phuan as hard-working, honest, and peaceable. Their marriages are harmonious and patriarchal in structure. There is no division of work in the marriage. Both men and women plow, fish, cook, tend babies, clean house, and wash clothes. Their social life is centered around "merit-making" ceremonies, ordinations of monks, marriages, and housewarmings. An annual rite of the "ceremony of the rice packet" is performed to honor the spirits.

Since the 13 th century, the Lao Phuan have experienced cycles of warfare and resettlement which has caused continual social problems. The restriction of Christianity and social unrest give the Lao Phuan little hope or answers for life's questions. They must hear God's Word someway, but currently have no scriptures or Christian broadcasts in their own language, and no missionaries working among them. Begin praying now that the Lao Phuan people will receive the Word of God in their own language and will find physical, emotional and most importantly, spiritual healing through the gospel.

Pray for the 245,300 Banjarese of Malaysia.
On the northern tip of the island of Borneo is the small country of Malaysia . There are 137 languages spoken in Malaysia , and out of these, only 52 have some portion of Scripture. One of these languages is Banjar, spoken by the Banjarese, who were long ago controlled by a ruler who followed Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. Today, 99.9 percent of the Banjarese are Muslim with traces of Hinduism and Buddhism. All Muslim holidays are observed. One of the Hindu traditions that lingers is the belief in "spirits of the soil." This is closely linked to dependence on medicine men. The Banjarese are trapped in these false religions.

They are friendly people. Originally known as seafarers and traders, they are now farmers and fishermen. They have an excellent port center for coconuts, rubber, cocoa, and oil palm, and there is even a small airport and road network. Lunch is the most important meal of the day and is usually rice and fish. The Banjarese build thatched-roofed houses on four to eight feet high stilts. The wealthy have houses with plank floors and tile roofs.

When the Dutch were colonizing Indonesia , they tried to reach the Banjorese with the gospel , but the influence of the Muslims converted them to Islam. It is considered illegal to proselytize a Muslim in Malaysia, but many are induced into becoming Muslim. If a Banjorese became a Christian,he would be extreme persecution. Malaysia is the 47th most persecuted country in the world. There is no Bible in the Banjorese language. They are in desperate need of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Pray for the Amuzgo People (Santa Maria Ipalapa) of Mexico.
Amuzgo is a language which is spoken in Southern Mexico. There is a definite need for Bible translation to be done in this language. The Amuzgo people themselves have taken the initiative to request that the Scriptures be translated into their own language. Although there are some of the Amuzgo people who speak both Spanish and the Amuzgo language, most of day to day village and home life is communicated in the Amuzgo language. The Amuzgo people numbered over 1,800 people in a 1983 census. They live in Oaxaca (Wahaka) State in southern Mexico about 8 to 10 miles northeast of the town of San Pedro Amuzgos. The Amuzgo language is also spoken in five locations around the town of Santa Maria Ipalapa. The Amuzgo Santa Maria Ipalapa language is not intelligible with other Amuzgo language groups in Mexico. Amuzgo is a tonal language. The area where the Amuzgo people live is a savanna with scrub, gallery forest and mountain slopes at an altitude of 2,000 to 3,000 feet above sea level.

Pray for the Dolpo people of Nepal.
The Dolpo people take their name from their homeland, which became part of Nepal 200 years ago. Dolpo has been overlooked and isolated for centuries because of its bleak geography and high mountains, some of which are as high as 14,000 feet. Life for the Dolpo people is very hard and they have been resistant to the influence of outsiders until recently. Two groups of ethnic Tibetans make up Dolpo's sparse population: the Rungba, valley farmers, and the nomadic yak herders of the drok, or high pastures. The yak herders leave their mountain homes each summer to trade their goods for salt in Tibet, and then for grain and beans in Nepal.

Pray for the 13,000 Helambu Sherpas of Nepal.
Tourism is the main source of income for the 13,000 Helambu Sherpa people of Kathmandu, Nepal. Most homes along the trail have been converted into lodges for weary trekkers. Women act as landladies, shop keepers or cooks. The men also cook, clean and keep the visitors happy. Their staple food is jhamba and the main drink is raksi, a brandy made from wheat. Although tourism in Kathmandu has brought in Western influences such as an awareness of Christianity, there are only 13 known believers among the Helambu Sherpas. No mission agencies are working among them and no translation of God's Word is in their dialect.

Pray for the 26,000 Loba people of Nepal.
The Tibetan word Manthang means "Plain of Aspiration." But the 26,000 Loba people who live in this desolate area have little to hope for. Because of the fierce winds that sweep down off the Himalayan Mountains, the homes are built close together with no windows. Feudalism is more or less extinct in most of Nepal, but it is alive and well in the Mustang district where the Loba live. The Loba remain one of the most isolated people of the world. Their religion consists of two Buddhist sects, the Kargyupa and the Sakyapa.

Pray for the 1,330 Nyinba people of Nepal.
Like other animistic Tibetan Buddhists, the 1,330 Nyinba have rituals to ward off evil spirits. All four villages of this people group has a household of lamas whose ancestors all performed the duties of lamas. One of their rituals, modeled after Tibetan Buddhism, is a simple liturgy to exorcise evil spirits. Nyinba also practice some rituals of their Hindu neighbors. Each village also includes hereditary animistic priests known as dangri who are involved with local deities and cults. Nyinba people believe their village founders are powerful ancestors who protect them and to whom they can make their appeals.

Pray for the Vahudate and Aukedate People of West Irian (New Guinea).
"Indonesian officials discovered two previously unknown groups of people in the Mamberamo River area of Irian Jaya. The Vahudate group has 20 families. The Aukedate group has 33 families. Both groups communicate with each other by sign language.

Pray for the Bedouin Arabs of Saudi Arabia.
The Bedouin Arabs live primitively in tents, with no permanent houses. Half of the tent is for the women, children, cooking utensils, and storage. The other half is for the men and is used for entertaining around the fireplace. The women do most of the work, while the men socialize and make plans for the group.

Animals are key to the Bedouins lifestyle. Camels are used as the main source of transportation, while sheep and goats are bought and sold. Milk from camels and goats is made into yogurt and butter. Meat is only served on special occasions, and daily meals are made of milk, yogurt, and rice. When available, they have dates for dessert.

Since 99.9 percent claim Islam as their religion, it is central to their lives. To preserve their Islam beliefs they must marry within their own group. Islam is a religion of works based on five specifics:
1. A Muslim must affirm there is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet.
2. He must pray five times a day facing Mecca.
3. He must give alms generously.
4. He must fast during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim year.
5. He must try to make at least one pilgrimage to Mecca.

Statistics show that 22 percent have heard the gospel, with only less than one percent accepting it. Pray that God will strengthen and protect this small group of believers. This leaves 78 percent who have never heard the gospel. Pray that God will raise up someone to reach the Bedouin Arabs and that the Lord will soften their hearts to outsiders so that they may receive the gospel.

Pray for the 1,500,000 Beja people of Sudan.
The 1,500,000 Beja (pronounced BEE-zhuh) people of Sudan have been nicknamed "Fuzzy Wuzzies," by Rudyard Kipling in a poem he wrote about them in the late 1800s because of their huge crowns of frizzy hair. The Beja have been pastoral nomads, living in the desert between the Red Sea and the Nile River for more than 4,000 years. In the 6th century they were Christians. In the 13th century they accepted Islam.

Pray for the 744,000 Fur people of Sudan.
The mountain-dwelling Fur people live near the highest volcano in the area, Jebel Marra. This volcano supplies stone for buildings and a rich soil for the Furs' terraced fields along the slopes. There they grow dill, chilies, potatoes, sesame seeds, and bulrush millet. Husbands and wives each have their own plots of land on which to grow crops for personal use. In this sense each Fur tribesman is a separate economic unit.

Pray for the 127,000 Fulani people in Sudan.
The 127,000 Muslim Fulani in Sudan are nomadic herdsmen who are constantly traveling from pasture to pasture looking for better grazing land.

Pray for the 100,000 Zaghawa people of Sudan.
Life is hard for the over 100,000 Zaghawa in Sudan. Living mainly in grassy plateaus their territory is surrounded by the desert, and during times of drought life can be very uncertain.

Pray the 30,000 Burun people of Sudan.
The nearly 30,000 Burun people live in or around the Upper Nile Valley. Most are shepherds or farmers but they also engage in hunting, fishing, and food gathering. Each hillside village is independent with its own headman who receives extreme respect and allegiance from the villagers. Most men of the village have up to four wives, each wife with her children living in their own thatched hut.

Pray for the 195,000 Daju people of Sudan.
The 195,000 Daju of Sudan have a reputation of being warlike. Even the French and British colonial administrators were aware of this trait and they knew better than to provoke them unnecessarily.

Pray for the 45,000 Midob people of Sudan.
The 45,000 Midob are semi-nomadic shepherds who herd sheep and goats, but also keep some donkeys, camels, and cattle. To supplement their diet they also grow some sorghum, millet, and vegetables. The Midob are 100 percent Muslim.

Pray for the animistic Didinga people of Sudan.
It took political turmoil to wake up the Didinga, and in 1963, they found themselves taking refuge in neighboring Uganda. The suffering they experienced actually worked for their good. In Uganda they learned about farming. They decided that education was a good thing, so they sent their children to school for the first time. When they returned to Sudan, they rebuilt their homes. They began to increase the size of their cattle herds and implemented large-scale farming. Dairy farming became part of their economy. As their standard of living has increased, so has their population. By the year 2000, it is expected their population will increase to over 100,000.

Pray for the Southern Tai of Thailand.
In a land of military upheaval, the Southern Tai are extremely polite, respectful, and hospitable. Their children are taught to respect their elders and be self-reliant. Families are the core to society. The immediate family lives together, and a young married couple may live with the wife's family until they can establish their own home. The Southern Tai's live by wet-rice farming and cattle breeding. Most live in sturdy, wood-paneled homes with tile roofs, though some do still live in thatched-roofed houses with dirt floors. In rural areas, hepatitis and malaria are severe problems.

Religious life centers on Buddha. The Buddhist believers strive to eliminate suffering and gain merit in their present lives and seek nirvana, a place of perfect peace. Merit can be gained through feeding monks, and donating to and worshipping at the temples. They believe each man should enter the monastery for three months to study Buddhism. This people group has no Scriptures and no Christian literature or broadcasts in their language. Less than one percent is Christian, and very few have heard the gospel. Pray that missionaries will go, translate the Bible, and share the good news.

Pray for the Saudi-Hijazi Arabs of United Arab Emirates.
The United Arab Emirates is a country that few people have heard of. It is located on the Saudi Arabia peninsula and is mostly made up of desert and mountains. The Saudi Arabs compose four percent of this country's total population. They live close to the border of Saudi Arabia and speak Hijazi Arabic.

The Saudi Arabs have a difficult existence with few material possessions. Their main belonging is their home, a tent made from goat or animal hair. This tent is divided into two parts by a decorative partition called a gata. As the women do most of the work, the men make plans. Animals are necessary for their existence. Goats and sheep are used for trading. Camels are used for transportation, especially when they raid passing travelers. Their clothing is lightweight, light colored, and loose-fitting, making it suitable for their harsh desert climate.

A profession of faith in Jesus Christ may cost a Saudi Arab his life amongst a culture that is all Muslim. The United Arab Emirates are the 36 th most persecuted country in the world. The Saudi Arabs are Sunni Muslim, which is the strictest sect. Evangelization of this people is challenging, especially since the government does not allow any outreach to the indigenous groups in the country. Non-Muslim expressions are not permitted. Pray that the Lord will soften the hearts of the government officials and that the Saudi Arabs and entire country will be reached with the gospel.

Pray for the Chut (Choot) of Vietnam.
The name Chut actually represents seven small tribes, speaking four distinct languages. The word Chut means "mountain" or "rocky-cliff," and also describes their homes in caves and forests. Just recently, the tribes started to move into houses, but some have already resorted back to their former lifestyle. Everyone works together in the family to provide the daily food. The women are experts at finding edible roots, snails, vegetables, and mushrooms on the forest floor, while the men hunt with poisoned arrow tips. Supplies that cannot be found in their natural environment are often traded for with the Vietnamese.

Because of the Chut's remote location, they are introverted and cling to their distinct customs. Some of these customs are as follows: When a Chut person dies, the body is kept in the house for three days so that people can present offerings to the deceased person's soul. A Chut woman who has just given birth must live with her baby separate from the family, and special rites must be done before she can reenter the family home. All Chut look out for tigers, bears, and snakes; for if they accidentally get bitten by one, they believe they are cursed and will be exiled from the entire village.

The Chut believe in the Creator God, their folksongs are full of Him, yet they are animist, worshiping the creation instead of the Creator. There are no Chut Christians, no Bible in their language, and no one reaching out to them.

Pray for the 148,000 Tai Daeng, Red Tai of Vietnam.
The Tai Daeng, also called the Red Tai, are originally from China; but because of continual pressure by the Chinese, they emigrated south, finding a new home in Vietnam . The Red Tai received their name based on the color of their women's traditional clothing. They are closely related to the White and Black Tai.

The Red Tai are enjoyable people to be around. They are polite, and hospitable. Their children are taught proper behavior, and showing respect for elders is very important in their culture. The children are taught to become independent and self-reliant. Not only is the Red Tai's culture based upon age, but also upon occupation and wealth. The farmers are ranked below a craftsman or merchant. Priests have their own separate group.

The family lives, eats, and works together. Men, women, and children, join together as they plow, fish, cook, clean, and wash. Newly married couples live with the girl's family until they can establish their own home. Rice farming is their main economy and personal dietary staple.

When the Vietnam government switched to socialism, all Tai groups were affected. The change brought more Tai into the working class and opened the door for medical training and hospitals. This has prevented the continuous spread of small pox, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Their language, Tai Daeng, is a tonal language, and unfortunately, a Bible has never been translated for them. Of the Red Tai, 95 percent believe spirits are located in objects; this is called animism. The people seek help through spirits and objects, things that will never truly meet their needs. Isaiah 50:4 says, "For the Lord God will help me...." The Red Tai need to be told of the One who can offer them help here on this earth and hope for all eternity. Many of the Tai also practice ancestor worship. They pray to their ancestors for guidance. These ancestors are often referred to as "guardian" or "locality spirits." If the people desire a good life with blessing, they must try to please the spirits. Pray that God will raise up workers to reach the Red Tai people and translate the Bible into their language.