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Bibleless Nations

Bibleless Nations

The Palaung people of Myanmar are divided into three groups, each of which has its own language. These three languages are all thriving; they are spoken in the home and markets by speakers of all ages.  The Palaung live in the mountainous northern region where census taking is difficult and results uncertain. The Rumai Palaung number around 157,000; they have no Scriptures. The Shwe Palaung number about 229,000; they have no Scriptures either. The 294,000 Pale Palaung do have a Bible.

The Palaung are agriculturalists. They farm their heavily forested mountain land with the slash and burn method. Tea is grown at high elevations, and rice, fruits, and vegetables are grown at low elevations. Opium poppy is a cash crop.

These unreached people of the 10/40 Window practice both Theravada Buddhism and their traditional animist religion. Theravada Buddhism is known as the Way of the Elders because of its adherence to the Pāli Canon (oldest Buddhist scriptures); it permeates every aspect of life. Animism is the belief that spirits reside in both living and non-living things. The Palaung live in fear of these evil spirits which have power to either help or harm and must be appeased with prayers and sacrifices. Palaung traditional animist religion is syncretized with Buddhist beliefs; altars to the “nat spirits” of their ethnic religion are found at Buddhist temples.

How shall they hear the truth without a preacher? How can a preacher preach effectively without a Bible?

Spring 2017

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An estimated four to five million Luri people live in the Zagros Mountains in the southwestern provinces of Iran.  Making up about 7% of Iran’s population, these ancient nomads are believed to be indigenous to the area, descended from ancient Persians. History reports that Luri ancestors were the Elamites and Kassites, dating back to 3000 B.C.  It was the Kassite dynasty that defeated ancient Babylonia and dominated Mesopotamia for 576 years.  Could this be the fall of the Babylonian empire under Nebuchadnezzar?

The Luri are divided into Northern and Southern provinces with southern tribes speaking “Laki,” a form of Kurdish, and northern tribes speaking “Luri,”  the closest living language to Old Persian. Neither language has the Bible. Men are often bilingual; while the women, restricted to their tribal lands, often speak only their tribal language. The literacy rate is very low with only 48% of the Luri reading and writing.

The Luri profess Shia Muslim, but practice very individualistic and diverse forms of Islam, including the mystic Iranian religion of Yaresan.  It teaches that man, aware of the outer world but ruled by the inner world, goes through as many as 1,001 reincarnations while his soul seeks perfection.  A famous Yarsani saying is “Men! Do not fear the punishment of death! The death of man is like the dive which the duck makes.” They need to know that an unsaved man or woman dives into hell.  And they need to know the One who can take them to heaven.

Fall 2016

 

The Amazon Basin contains the largest tropical rainforest in the world, covering an area almost the size of the continental United States. Most of the basin lies within Brazil, but it also encompasses parts of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela. It is home to an estimated twenty-six million people, including isolated and even uncontacted tribes. Some have denied the existence of as yet uncontacted tribes, but it has been documented by eye witness reports and by aerial video footage.

These uncontacted tribes are resistant and hostile to anyone approaching them. They and their land are currently threatened by mining companies, oil companies, and armed illegal loggers. Any contact with outsiders poses a threat of introducing a disease that can easily wipe out half the tribe; even the common cold is a real danger. For these reasons, the Brazilian government protects indigenous people and their land from intrusion.

How can these people for whom Christ died be reached with God’s message? And if a way to get to them is found, how can the spread of disease be prevented? Will we give it up as impossible? Or will we ask the God with whom all things are possible to make a way?

Summer 2016

 

 

The 4,127,124 Banjar, Indonesia’s tenth largest ethnic group, makes up 1.7% of the nation’s total population. They live mainly in Southern Kalimantan. There are also over a million Banjar in Malaysia.

The Banjarese language reflects the influence of the Dayaks, the Javanese, and the Malay peoples from whom the Banjar descended. This is a very active language; many of its speakers lack fluency in Indonesian. The script is Arabic.

This people has been dominated by Buddhist, Hindu, and Islamic kingdoms in turn. They have retained Islam which dominates their lives; 99.9% are Muslim. However, some Buddhist and Hindu beliefs and customs still exist.

Though friendly, the Banjar withdraw from others, preferring isolation to anything modern. They live in stilt houses along the rivers and coast. The rice grown in the tidal swamp is a staple. The fish, fruit, and vegetables sold by women from their small boats are also important to their diet. Rubber and pepper are export crops.

There are no Banjar scriptures, and no known missionary activity among them. Pray for God to raise up laborers.

Spring 2016

 

The official languages of the Republic of Cameroon are French and English. There are also 286 indigenous languages, one of which is Eton with an estimated 127,000 speakers. The Eton people live in the tropical rain forest of the Centre Region. They are subsistence farmers, using the slash and burn method to plant root crops (such as cassava, yam, and macabo), plantain, and groundnuts. Fishing and hunting supplement their diet. Cacao is a cash crop.

Although 74% of the Eton population is considered Christian, only 4% of that number is evangelical. The other 26% practice ethnic religions which are strongly tied to their cultural traditions. There are some local Cameroon  tribes who claim a Jewish background. Serge Etele, the Eton man pictured on the right, recalls from his childhood that circumcision was practiced and that they did not eat the animals which are forbidden in the Bible.

Children are growing up speaking Eton, but no scripture has been translated for them. Will you ask God to raise up laborers for that endeavor? A grammar of Eton, published by linguist Mark L. O. Van de Velde in 2008, would be of enormous value to anyone willing to undertake this critical task.

Winter 2015-16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many people assume that all people living in the Middle East are Arabic. However, this is not the case. The Azeri Turk people group, located mainly in northern Iran and eastern and western Azerbaijan, are a Turkic-speaking ethnic group. The population of this people group in these two countries is 15.5 million.

They are primarily descendants of the Caucasian Albanian and Iranian people (Persians), who lived in the areas of the Caucasus and northern Iran prior to the invasion of the Turks in the early nineteen hundreds. The Turkic migration of the region helped to form the people group known today as Azeri Turk.

The main religion of the Azeri Turks is Islam (99.9%), and the official language is Azerbaijani South. Al-though their literacy rate is 99.5%, these people have no way of reading the Bible in their own language, because it has not yet been translated.

Loudonville Baptist Temple in Ohio has adopted the Azeri Turk people group. The church’s goal is to one day hand these people a Bible in their own language and see churches started among them. Pray for this church’s endeavor and also that God will prepare the hearts of the Azeri Turks to receive His Word.

Fall 2015

 

Every country in the world has a Deaf population, and they are largely unreached. Many of them have their own culture and a sign language distinct for that country.  Some deaf people live in isolation and loneliness, while others move to cities and form deaf communities.

There are actually two Englands— two English languages and two English cultures that co-exist side by side—the hearing and the Deaf.  Similarly, there are two Germanies, two Frances, two Spains, two Chinas, two Indias, and two Russias.  We are somewhat mindful to go and  reach the first language and culture. But do we ever think about reaching the other, the Deaf? The fact is that they NEVER even cross our minds.

Missionaries to the Deaf must be sent to reach this hidden world that most of us have forgotten. Otherwise, we can only claim to reach the nationals of a country. It is impossible for the Deaf to come to us, to become bilingual and bicultural. It is we who are commanded to go to them.

Summer 2015

 

Photo by Paul Hathaway

The Panxian Nasu (pronounced Pan-sheeun Na-soo) live in southwestern China in the Guizhou, Yunnan, and Guangxi Provinces. Different sources number them anywhere from 290,000 to 383,000. They speak one of six distinct languages of the Yi people group, and there are two separate dialects of that one language. Their origin and culture are also distinct from other Yi.

Over the centuries, the Panxian Nasu have, in some places, almost lost their culture and traditional dress. The woman pictured here is wearing a traditional blue dress with buttons on the right and a black apron with streamers hanging down the front.

Ninety-one percent of the Panxian Nasu practice their ethnic religions. Ancestor worship is predominant, but spirit worship still exists in mountain areas. There is a strong group of 5,000 Christians among the Panxian Nasu who meet in house churches. They are well liked by their neighbors but have not extended themselves into other villages.

There is a great need to preach the Gospel to the Panxian Nasu, and few resources are available. The Scriptures have not been translated into their mother-tongue.

Spring 2015

 

Isolated and sheltered from the rest of the world by the high peaks of the Caucasus Mountains, the Svan people have preserved and carried on their ancient culture for centuries. Eastern Orthodoxy arrived around the sixth century, yet, it quickly meshed together with primal customs such as sun worship, blood feuds, and animal sacrifices. This syncretized culture still runs deep among the people.

Because life became increasingly easier beyond the mountains, and deadly avalanches killed many in the late 1980s, many Svan have moved from their ancient homes and villages to the low lands of Georgia. Yet, they still hold to their deeply rooted heritage. Many return yearly to their villages for feast days and family rituals. Their unique music is experiencing a revival, though their unwritten language is dying. Those who remain in the mountains retain their old ways of living, their spiritual traditions, and their language.

The Svan look to a future of increasing notoriety, tourism, and progress; yet, a future of gospel witness looks dim. Will you pray that God will send laborers to this people?

Winter 2014-15

 

There are an estimated 6,934,000 Yemeni Arabs living in the world today.  These tribal people are scattered throughout 16 different countries, but the majority of them live in Yemen.

Within their social structure are four classes of people: the wealthy, the tribesmen, the merchants and craftsmen, and the slaves.  These classes are very predominant and can be distinguished by the types of clothing worn.

This people group lives in fortress-like villages and elaborately decorated flat-roofed houses.  Social life is very important to Arabs, and they share a daily coffee time by sitting on the floor and drinking from cups without handles.  Their diet consists of wheat bread and porridge made with boiled meat or chicken.

Almost all of the Yemeni Arabs are Muslims and are quite fanatical in practice. There are less than 5,000 known believers in Yemen and no Bible in their language.  Who will reach these precious souls with the Gospel?

You can hear the Yemeni Arab language, Ta’izzi-Adeni, online at:  globalrecordings.net/en/language/6429

Fall 2014

 

For centuries, the Pygmies have been recognized as the oldest inhabitants of the African rainforest.  Throughout the forests of Cameroon, Gabon, and Congo, there lives a group of Pygmies known as the Baka.  Because they are so remote and widespread, there has been no accurate count of their population.

They are the people of the forest, with a vast knowledge of its animals and plants along with its natural medicines and cures. The women build their traditional, dome-shaped forest huts with branches and leaves. Newer, more solid homes are rectangular with mud walls. Baka family ties are very strong, and traditions and history are passed down from one generation to another by word of mouth.

Since the early 1800’s, these people have been claimed to be Catholic, but to this day they practice their traditional animist religions. They have no Scripture in their unwritten language.

Summer 2014