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Dare to Dream

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Faustino, an Indian from the Tlapaneco tribe located in the mountains of Guerrero, Mexico, had lived outside his village among the Spanish-speaking people for several years. God in His goodness saved this young man, and he attended a Bible institute. During this time, Brother Don Fraser, the founder of the Bearing Precious Seed ministry, challenged the Mexican students to reach those who have never heard the message of salvation in Christ. God gave Faustino a burden for his family and his people and a desire to take the Gospel to them. A young missionary, George Anderson, who was especially interested in reaching tribal people, was invited to go with him. Pastor Paul Henderson, an excellent photographer from Bowie, Texas, was asked to join the group to capture on film the entrance of the Gospel into this remote Indian village. Faustino and the Americans were very well received into the village, along with the message they brought.

George not only made this initial trip, but he also went back on a more permanent basis to minister to these people. He tried to teach them God’s Word in Spanish, but their understanding of this language was very limited. Their language and culture was Tlapaneco. Brother Anderson had graduated from a prominent Baptist college that taught him many helpful things.  None of his courses, however, included how to learn a language. He, like any other moderately intelligent person, could sit in a classroom and be taught Spanish; but he didn’t know how to learn a language.  Of course, these Indian people had no language school, no teachers, and no books. Two things became apparent to this missionary: 1) Spanish was not going to work, and 2) his Bible school and language school had not taught him how to learn a language, let alone a culture.

George thought that surely there must be other Baptist schools that teach missionaries the necessary language learning skills. He inquired and found there were none. Jesus commanded us to take His Gospel to “every creature” and preach “not where Christ was named,” but in practice we Baptists had only been taking the Gospel to the creatures that had language schools. Brother Anderson did learn that there are some non-Baptist groups that train their missionaries to learn languages and cultures.

A plan began to form in his mind, and George dared to dream. He dreamed of a school that could teach Baptist missionaries how to learn languages, especially those without language schools (probably 5,000 languages).  He stepped outside Baptist circles and went to the New Tribes Mission training for two years. With their blessing, he took what they taught him and began the Baptist Bible Translators Institute in September 1973, in the Sunday school classrooms of his home church in Fort Worth, Texas. That church no longer exists, but the missionary training program he began does.

My wife, Mary, and I were in that first class, along with two other families. In 1974, the school moved to Bowie, Texas, where it continues today. The invaluable preparation that we received at BBTI was a great help to us, as it has been to many graduates over these thirty-two years. It was a difficult decision in 1999 when we were requested to leave our work in Mexico and return to BBTI to lead the school into the next century. However, the same dream that George Anderson had lived in our hearts too; and we felt the call of God to return.

I’m sure George believed that pastors by the hundreds would send their missionaries to be trained at BBTI and that one day there would be a need for BBTI training camps around the United States and even in foreign countries. Surely everyone would get on board! That, unfortunately, has not happened to the extent that George envisioned. Nevertheless, over the years some pastors have sent their missionaries to BBTI; and the specialized preparation has been a great help to them. We continue to inform God’s servants of what is available to them. We declare without apology that no Baptist missionary should go to the foreign field and attempt to learn a new language and culture without the type of training that we offer. It makes absolutely no sense to us that anyone would attempt to do the most important work in the world without the best possible preparation.

Over the last thirty-two years this specialized training has undergone some changes. A few courses have been eliminated, and others have been added.  The program has been made shorter but more intensive. Still, the basic goal remains the same: train the missionary to learn any language and culture in the world—and learn it very well. We encourage you to visit our website and/or request a free catalog and CD presentation. You will understand better how each course helps the missionary in some definite way. We invite you to share our dream of well-trained missionaries, and to work with us to make this dream a reality.

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Steve and Margie Schnell with Stevie, Elecia, Ariana, Nathanael & Jadon Contact them now during their time of furlough at: schnell-family@hotmail.com.

We came to Cambodia in 1998 and are involved in Church planting, Bible teaching and translation. Our dream has been seeing indigenous churches established that could and would carry on the work of evangelizing. We planned to start in the provincial capital of Kampot. Beginning in the major urban centers seemed like the best plan. While we believed strongly in indigenous principles, to labor all these years and still see nothing significant in Kampot city left us tempted at times to try and buy land, buildings, or give financial aid. God never allowed us the freedom to go down that road, but rather God had us wait for Him to work in the hearts of the Khmer.

Responsiveness seemed to be in the countryside where we have seen a few small, fragile churches started. Aside from the areas we were working in, other small assemblies that were not the result of our labors would come and ask to study the Bible with us. They too were from rural villages, and they were like sheep without a shepherd. We invited them to study with us, taking care how we taught. We tried from the very beginning to instill love and wonder for the Word of God so that they could feed themselves. They would say, “You give food for the spirit instead of food for the flesh.” Since we did not give handouts or aid, some met with us only a few times. We did not forget that God’s Word never returns to Him void and that it accomplishes what He wills, but we wondered if there would be much fruit from the time spent teaching all these groups.

At first we did not see what God was doing. Little by little He was opening the eyes of a few small churches. Some were churches we saw planted and some were from the areas that only received teaching. When a Cambodian society of Christians tried to threaten, bribe and cajole all Khmer Churches into joining under their banner, these few dirt- poor village preachers opened their Bibles to show  why they would not and could not compromise.

These little churches are small and far from perfect, and it is still early to tell for sure, but it appears we have the beginnings of a few indigenous churches. They are taking what they have been taught and are teaching it to others. They are learning to trust God and to serve Him through personal sacrifice, without thought of compensation.

The way has not always been easy. Many times we felt like throwing in the towel, but the never-changing Word of God always pointed the way ahead. We don’t know if the churches mentioned in this report will be there a year from now. That is how fragile things are. This is a Buddhist country and is a territory still held firmly by the enemy. The thing we need most is prayer— fervent prayer of the righteous. Pray for these churches and for us, that we will all be strong in the Lord and learn to walk with Him by faith.

Fall 2006

 

 

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Food for the Spirit

February 11, 2019 No Comments
Steve and Margie Schnell with Stevie, Elecia, Ariana, Nathanael & Jadon Contact them now during their time of furlough at: schnell-family@hotmail.com.

We came to Cambodia in 1998 and are involved in Church planting, Bible teaching and translation. Our dream has been seeing indigenous churches established that could and would carry on the work of evangelizing. We planned to start in the provincial capital of Kampot. Beginning in the major urban centers seemed like the best plan. While we believed strongly in indigenous principles, to labor all these years and still see nothing significant in Kampot city left us tempted at times to try and buy land, buildings, or give financial aid. God never allowed us the freedom to go down that road, but rather God had us wait for Him to work in the hearts of the Khmer.

Responsiveness seemed to be in the countryside where we have seen a few small, fragile churches started. Aside from the areas we were working in, other small assemblies that were not the result of our labors would come and ask to study the Bible with us. They too were from rural villages, and they were like sheep without a shepherd. We invited them to study with us, taking care how we taught. We tried from the very beginning to instill love and wonder for the Word of God so that they could feed themselves. They would say, “You give food for the spirit instead of food for the flesh.” Since we did not give handouts or aid, some met with us only a few times. We did not forget that God’s Word never returns to Him void and that it accomplishes what He wills, but we wondered if there would be much fruit from the time spent teaching all these groups.

At first we did not see what God was doing. Little by little He was opening the eyes of a few small churches. Some were churches we saw planted and some were from the areas that only received teaching. When a Cambodian society of Christians tried to threaten, bribe and cajole all Khmer Churches into joining under their banner, these few dirt- poor village preachers opened their Bibles to show  why they would not and could not compromise.

These little churches are small and far from perfect, and it is still early to tell for sure, but it appears we have the beginnings of a few indigenous churches. They are taking what they have been taught and are teaching it to others. They are learning to trust God and to serve Him through personal sacrifice, without thought of compensation.

The way has not always been easy. Many times we felt like throwing in the towel, but the never-changing Word of God always pointed the way ahead. We don’t know if the churches mentioned in this report will be there a year from now. That is how fragile things are. This is a Buddhist country and is a territory still held firmly by the enemy. The thing we need most is prayer— fervent prayer of the righteous. Pray for these churches and for us, that we will all be strong in the Lord and learn to walk with Him by faith.

Fall 2006

 

 

“Apostle of Turkestan”

February 6, 2019 No Comments
George Hunter (1861-1946)

“Nothing was to enter into his life unpenetrated by its central enthusiasm—Preaching the Gospel of Christ.”

Such was George Hunter. He knew his God and nothing anyone could say or do shook his testimony or moved him from his one statement: “I am here solely to preach Christ crucified.”

Known as the “Lonely Warrior,” George Hunter lost many of those dear to him, including his mother, the woman he loved, and his best friend and coworker. As a young man he had a strong desire to be a missionary, and although he was rejected by the China Inland Mission after his first offer of service, he did not give up. He applied a second time and was accepted.

He arrived in China in 1889 and possessed an irresistible instinct to visit lands where he found no foundations laid by another man. Realizing that the only way to reach the traveling tradesman and nomadic peoples would be to become like them and to travel with them, he journeyed across the Gobi Desert. He was recognized as a man who, having received an inward call, could not be restrained from answering it. He became known as the “Scotsman of the Gobi,” preaching everywhere he went and spreading the Gospel in both oral and written form.

During a missionary conference, he noted sadly that “too much of the Conference was concerned with those parts of China which are largely evangelized, while vast fields outside this sphere were not very much referred to.” He noted that God’s open doors are frequently overlooked, and only when the opportunity has passed do mission authorities appeal for prayer and for ventures of faith to enter closed lands. He realized the urgency of entering the open door while it remained open and of buying up the opportunities rather than just talking about them.

George Hunter was passionate about preaching Christ to men and women who had never heard His name. Realizing the urgency of getting the Scriptures into the hands of every tribe in Central Asia, he translated Scripture portions, as well as a number of other books, into several of the nomadic languages and spent the majority of forty years traveling over rough terrain to get God’s Word into the hands of people. His life of pioneering with Good News for everyone was a daily thrill, for his was the privilege of leaving behind the Book which is God’s message of reconciliation to man.

Eventually known as the “Apostle of Turkestan,” George Hunter was said to be always on duty; the results of his wide-sowing of the seed of life are immeasurable. He was a true Christian, for he was Christ obsessed. Imagine the impact that could be made if more such people might be found in the missionary force where too few are prepared to pay the cost involved, and some even resent the fact that such a price should be required of them.

Quotations: George Hunter: Apostle of Turkestan by Mildred Cable

 

My People

January 30, 2019 No Comments
Mike & Becky Patterson

Mike Patterson was born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1948. He felt his calling into the ministry in 1964 and his call to the mission field of Mexico in 1974. Brother Mike and his wife, Becky, have been serving together as missionaries in Mexico for forty-four years. (That doesn’t count the thirteen years that Becky spent growing up in Mexico and Costa Rica as the daughter of missionary Dr. Ralph McCoy.) Besides the work of church building and directing a children’s home, Mike has preached in many conferences in which more than four thousand people made full-time commitments to the ministry. He served as president and director and is now president emeritus of Mount Abarim Baptist Mission International which reaches into twenty countries. God has used these servants to truly impact the world.

When they began their ministry in Mexico, Mike and Becky held church services in their small living room. This church grew to be one of the largest and most influential Baptist churches in Mexico today, Mount Abarim Baptist Church. Mike chronicled his life stories of mission work in Mexico and published them in his book, My People. One heart-touching story is “Breaking Rocks.”

Mike watched as his friend, Rafael, continually swung a sledgehammer at a massive boulder. The purpose was to break the rock so that they could use the smaller pieces in a building project. The boulder did not crack under the pounding, but Rafael kept his pace steady. Then, all at once, the boulder burst into smaller, usable portions. Although nothing could be seen on the outside of the boulder, Rafael knew that he would soon crystallize the center. After the center was crystallized, the boulder could be crushed by a single blow of a twelve pound sledgehammer.

Brother Mike said that his work in Mexico was a lot like Rafael’s. “Much of the time we swing our hammer with little to show for it but a thud and little puff of dust.”

We Christians witness to non-believers and hope that we are getting through to them so that they can spend eternity in Heaven with God. Time and time again, nothing seems to change. Once again we talk to them, and they begin understanding a little. Then once more, and finally a breakthrough occurs; a lost soul comes to Christ. The question is: “Have you been letting God use you as his hammer to crystallize the souls of the lost?”

Mike’s book, My People, is available on Amazon and other outlets and would be a great devotional book for your family or church. As you read these short stories you will laugh and cry. And you will thank God that people like Mike and Becky go to the mission field.

Fall 2018

Without a Bible

January 23, 2019 No Comments

The Bible has led the best-seller list since its release. Someone has always wanted it and has, at times, been willing to pay a very dear price for it. It is said that a hand-written copy of the Wycliffe Bible cost the equivalent of a year’s labor! Can you imagine anyone spending $60,000 for a Bible today? Throughout the world, people without a Bible vastly outnumber those who have it. You may have three or four Bibles! There may be more Bibles in your house than in some entire cities!

There are multitudes who have not even a verse of the Bible simply because no one has ever translated it into their language. The number of speakers may be ten thousand or ten million, but nobody quotes John 3:16 in it! Languages have diversified since the tower of Babel until today they number 7,100. No one has paid the price—admittedly a high price every time—to put God’s Word into approximately 4,000, or 56%, of these tongues. Someone must translate it for them. Why have the hundreds of thousands of gospel-preaching churches in the world not produced 4,000 Bible translators to accomplish this task? Perhaps these churches have never been informed of the need or challenged to meet it. Oh, but this ignorance and lack of concern could not possibly exist in the fundamental, Bible-believing, missionary-minded churches of America, could it? Let’s find out. With your pastor’s permission, take a survey of church members and ask how many languages are spoken today and how many of these languages have at least some part of the Bible. Ask how often they pray for laborers for the unreached, Bibleless people groups of the world. To further test your church’s concern level for Bibleless people groups, check to see how many of your missionaries are in some way involved in Bible translation or what percentage of the mission budget goes to Bible translation. To further prove the pathetic priority level given to Bible translation in our circles, contact every fundamental Baptist college you know and ask them if they have courses in linguistics and Bible translation. Either we change the way we do missions, or 56% of the world’s language groups will live and die without the Bible and the salvation it offers.

Another category of Bibleless people are those with languages that have small portions of scripture and a work in progress. Workers involved in the translation know that such a thing as a Bible exists, but the group, as a whole, knows nothing of it. The people do not, for the most part, have God’s Word, but they have hope of getting it. Unfortunately, (in our opinion) most of this work in progress is being done by people translating from the Critical Text using a method known as dynamic equivalence. The result is usually a paraphrase more like the Living Bible than a formal translation such as our Authorized Version. Let’s pray that more works will be established by Bible-believing missionary/translators using the correct text and method and an adequate number of trained native helpers.

Some languages have a well-translated Bible, perhaps translated two hundred years ago. However, it is not in use and is probably out of print. The language may have changed so drastically that the grammar, vocabulary, and orthography would not be recognized or accepted by its speakers today. The people may not even know of its existence. These are also Bibleless people. However, they are not completely hopeless. Someone could learn this language in its modern form, and using this antiquated Bible as a basis, produce a good, usable revision. Not everyone can endure the hardships of pioneer Bible translation work, but surely someone could handle a project such as this. Can the Lord find ten righteous people out of ten thousand Independent Baptist churches to go after ten such languages?

There is another very large group of people living and dying without the Bible, but they do not have to. Their languages have the Scriptures, but they don’t. Many of them don’t know what a Bible is or understand why they need one. There is likely no where to buy a Bible, even if they could afford it. Theoretically, there is hope for these people; practically, they are not much better off than the native who speaks an unwritten language with no Scripture. If, however, someone would pass by their houses, distributing Scriptures, they would no longer be Bibleless. Around 1970, God began raising up local church Bible publishing ministries. Missionary representatives raise funds from churches to purchase paper and equipment to print Scripture portions. Missionary printers put God’s Word on the paper—whole Bibles, New Testaments, or John-Romans booklets. If the ministry has sophisticated equipment, it binds, trims, and boxes these portions. Otherwise, this work is done by volunteers. The cost of supplies is great, as is the cost of shipping the Scriptures to the foreign field. On the field, there must be a like-minded man who is willing to receive and distribute them. The portions are free, and most people, even many Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Communists, Catholics, etc., would gladly receive a Scripture portion. These portions must be smuggled into some places, but the honorable ministry of Bible smuggling has been practiced for centuries. (It would be wonderful if there were someone in every place to teach these scriptures; hundreds of thousands of workers are needed.) Local church Bible publishing is a wonderful ministry in which many churches can cooperate. Unfortunately, this work is being done in a very small number of languages. With enough men and money, this could change.

Yes, most of the 7.5 billion souls on this planet are living and dying without the written Word of God, and it is not God’s will (1 Timothy 2:4)! The question is whether you and I are personally doing something about it. Could you live among a remote tribe in Indonesia, learn the language, reduce it to writing, and then get a Bible translation work in progress? Could you learn a new language and then guide a group of workers in revising an archaic Bible? Could you put your time and resources into a local church Bible ministry and raise funds for paper or join a group that is distributing Scripture portions on the streets of a foreign country? Wouldn’t you like to go to Heaven knowing that you put the world’s most precious treasure in the hands of a Bibleless soul?

Sacrifice the Dream

October 24, 2018 No Comments

What are you going to be when you grow up? Do you remember being asked that question as a child? (If you are forty and still being asked that, you might have a problem!) A child dreams of becoming a hero: cowboy, fireman, doctor, nurse, sports superstar, astronaut, etc. His dream changes often; as he moves into adolescence, the dream becomes more serious. The young person may even begin to prepare to make the dream a reality. This is certainly not a bad thing. We encourage young people to study and work hard to follow their dream, to become something and someone useful to society.

If the young person is a Christian, he may conclude that his desire (dream) comes from God and is God’s will for him. He may even proclaim, “This is what God has called me to do.” After all, he is going to use his honorable profession to provide for his family, to help others, and to support the work of God. He may even give to send out missionaries.

Some of us can’t help but question if God would call so many to be doctors, lawyers, truck drivers, builders, oilfield roughnecks, computer programmers, car salesmen, pastors, police officers, and a hundred other things, but call very, very few to preach Christ beyond our borders. As the world population expands, our missionary force shrinks. That God would not call enough missionaries seems strange. The dreams of his children are being realized, but the desire of the heathen for a better life now and for Heaven when they die is not being realized. The problem must be with God’s people, not with God. It may be that most of God’s people are not listening for a call or expecting one. Would they even recognize it if it came? Perhaps some have been given a distorted view of the call. They see it as some supernatural, spine-tingling, irresistible, overwhelming, emotional experience that irrevocably propels a special, super-spiritual Christian to the regions beyond. Since it doesn’t happen to them, they conclude that God has not called them to be missionaries. They may honestly believe they have good reason to stay home.

A common attitude seems to be, “Lord, if you want me to go, make me.” Why not rather, “Lord, if you don’t want me to go, please stop me.”? It could be that God simply is not going to show His will to a Christian who is unwilling to sacrifice his personal desires and do His will. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. God shows us His will after the sacrifice and transformation. Our thinking is backward; we want to know His will first so we can decide if we will surrender to it or not.

The time has come for young people (and some not so young) to lay their dream on an altar and go to the mission field for the glory of God and the salvation of the lost! What dream or desire is too wonderful to sacrifice for Jesus? What goal could possibly compare to preaching Christ to those who have never heard His name and the joy of seeing them one day in Heaven? What profession could compare to translating the first Bible in a Bibleless language?

You may say, “I would not feel comfortable in a foreign country.” Well, sacrifice your feelings and your comforts along with your dream! You say, “I don’t know if I could be happy away from family and friends.” There is room on the altar for your happiness, too! Sacrifice your happiness and God might give it back to you. Missionaries are not unhappy, miserable souls that hate the place God has sent them. They become comfortable and enjoy new people, languages, and cultures. Speaking of happiness, Jesus died for all and desires their eternal happiness. Don’t you think all should hear about it?

Perhaps you say, “What if God doesn’t want me on the mission field?” Maybe He doesn’t. But you will never know until your dream is nailed to the cross. God can close the door to keep you from going or show you clearly that He has something else for you at home. Say with Isaiah, “Here am I; send me.” Or with Saul of Tarsus, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” God is still accepting volunteers! “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross,[and sacrifice his dream] and follow me.” The heathen sit in darkness and perish in Hell while we pursue our dreams. Meanwhile, we have a perfectly clear command: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations.”

The missionaries you meet all gave up their dreams. Very few of them dreamed all their life of being a missionary. They don’t go to another place because they have nothing else to do with their life here at home. Anyone who can learn a new language and communicate well in another culture could surely make it big in business or politics. Anyone who can endure the hardships of deputation and the foreign field could succeed in just about any profession. (And earn a lot more money!) The missionary sacrificed his dream; would you sacrifice yours, too?

In time of war, soldiers put their dreams on hold or give them up forever. Brethren, we are in a battle to liberate souls that Satan has taken captive at his will. The call (or command) to arms has gone out. The pagan who trusts Christ couldn’t care less if the messenger was a draftee (called) or a volunteer; he just praises God that someone finally brought him the Gospel! (But, oh that the messenger would have arrived before his mother and father died!)

A man once told Jesus that he would be a disciple, but only after he cared for his aging father and collected the inheritance upon his father death. (Some of that is found between the lines.) Jesus told him, “Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.” We might say it like this: Let the world do what it can do, and you do what the world cannot do–preach the Gospel. In other words, let the world chase its dreams; you sacrifice yours!

Fur of Sudan

October 15, 2018 No Comments

“Avilakoa!” a man cries out to you from beside the dirt path. His long white robe brushes the ground as he stands watching over his cattle. In the distance, you see a village of mud houses and hear the sound of women calling out to each other as they get water and prepare food. This is a village of Fur people and you have just been greeted with a “good morning!”

The Fur people live in the Darfur region of Sudan. They are also located in Egypt and Chad, but the word Darfur means “the homeland of the Fur.” There are 1,164,000 Fur people in Sudan and a total of 1.2 million globally. They are primarily Sunni Muslim. Many men cannot hope to be married unless they have memorized several pages of the Quran, and they are promoted to authority depending on how well they know the Quran.

In recent times, these people have been embroiled in bitter conflicts. Because of drought and desertification, war over resources has arisen between the Arab and indigenous people. In 2003, the Fur people banded together with two other indigenous groups to demand reparation for the oppression they suffered. In response, the government sent a guerilla force to attack the civilian population of these tribes. Hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed and over a million refugees have fled their homeland and sought refuge in Chad and other areas.

Pray for peace in the Fur’s homeland. Also pray they would know the peace that comes from knowing Christ as their Savior.

Summer 2018

Hunza of Pakistan

October 15, 2018 No Comments

Tucked away, high in the northeastern mountains of Pakistan, live the Hunza people. They are also known as the Burusha. These people lived for hundreds of years in complete isolation until a highway was built that brings many tourists to see the beauty of the Himalayan mountains contrasted with the lush, terraced gardens of the Hunza farmers. The Hunza people are renown not only for their beautiful valley but also for their long life span. The average lifespan in Pakistan is sixty-seven years, but in Hunza it is not uncommon to live well over one hundred years! Some people speculate that this amazing life span is influenced by their healthy and active lifestyle as well as the annual two-to-four month juice fast. During these months, they eat nothing and drink only the juice from dried apricots.

The people of Hunza claim to be descendants of three soldiers in Alexander the Great’s army who were left behind because of sickness. They say that each of these soldiers founded a village and all Hunza people are descendants of one of these three villages. Most Hunzas follow Islam and know nothing of God or the Bible. What use is long life if they do not know of eternal life? Many tourists go to see the beauty of the Hunza valley, but who will take them God’s Word? They smile, but they do not know true joy. They live without hope, knowing nothing of God’s love. Who will go? Someone must reach them before it is too late.

Spring 2018

Larestani of Iran

October 12, 2018 No Comments
Photo Source: Ninara – Flickr Licensed under CC BY 2.0

The Larestani people group of Southwestern Iran has a population of 115,000 Sunni Muslims. The Larestani are surrounded by Shi’ite Muslims, so religious tensions are often very high. The Larestani are farmers and shepherds; but as they are completely dependent on the little rainfall the region receives, are very poor. As a direct result of the difficulty in farming and shepherding, many Larestani have left their homeland and moved to other countries around the world for work.

The Larestani speak Lari, which is closely related to Farsi. However, the languages are different enough that any materials written in Farsi do not adequately relay the gospel message to the hearts of the Larestani. A heart language is an essential part of culture and the language best understood.

There are no scriptural resources in Lari. There are no missionaries working with the Larestani. There is no Christian witness of any kind. Iran is utterly intolerant of and hostile towards all forms of Christian influence, and the Larestani are in complete spiritual darkness. Many believe that the Larestani are of Jewish decent, but the light from the truth of the one true religion has been stamped out by Islam. They are in desperate need of the gospel message.

Please pray that the Lord will send someone to the Larestani with the light of the gospel and break the satanic stronghold.

Winter 2017-18

Lembak of Indonesia

October 12, 2018 No Comments

The Lembak, or Cul (population 231,000), live primarily on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia.  They are  farmers whose main crop is rice, though some do farm and sell coffee and rubber. Families are close-knit; two family members accompany anyone leaving Sumatra to receive further training or work experience. When they finish their training, all three family members return.

They call themselves “Sindang Kelingi” or “Lembak Sindang Merdeka” which means “free.” This is ironic as the Lembak people are largely Muslim, a religion very different from their traditional animistic ethnic religion. They are still in bondage to sin and are plagued with demonic activity. The Lembak people call on shamans to heal sickness and cast out demons. Sadly, these people have embraced a false religion that offers no real freedom from spiritual darkness.

These hard-working people need the freedom that comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ. However, there is no Bible translation of any kind. There are no missionaries to teach what the Bible says about the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the only One who can truly deliver them from their sin and end the demonic possession and oppression that plagues them. Please pray for the Lord of Harvest to send missionaries to the Lembak people and  to break the bonds of Islam and animism, allowing them to hear the gospel. Ask God to prepare the Lembaks’ hearts to receive the truth.

Fall 2017

 

Moor

October 8, 2018 No Comments

The Moor (world-wide population  4,235,100) are originally from North Africa. They are proud of their Arabic ancestry and retain its Islamic influence which varies between the terrorist Quidari and the more peaceful Jajani. Their language is Hassaniya Arabic. They have no Scripture or known missionaries.

In 711 AD, the Moor invaded and conquered Spain. They contributed so much knowledge during their several hundred year reign that    Europe made great strides in education and the sciences.  The Moor were driven from Spain during the Inquisition and scattered throughout North Africa and Europe. Today, they have no land of their own but live in eleven different countries.

There are four class divisions within a Moor community: upper class black, upper class white, lower class black, and lower class white. These   classes have nothing to do with color or race.  The  lower classes are simply poor and under slavery to the upper classes. However, if a lower class marries into an upper class, the lower class is raised to the higher status.

Traditionally, Moors are nomadic and live in rectangular tents made of woven wool. Depending on where they live, Moors are also farmers, tradesmen, or traders.

Please pray for someone to preach Christ to the Moor. Pray that they will be receptive. Also pray that those receiving Christ will have the boldness to share Him with others.

Winter 2016-17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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