The 237,000 Xamir are of Cushitic descent and live in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia’s highlands. They are agriculturalists, growing mostly wheat and sorghum.
According to the 1998 census, ninety percent of the Xamir speak their ethnic language, Xamtanga, and fifty-nine percent are monolingual. This is an unengaged people group (no one is reaching them), and there are few, if any known believers. There is a great dearth of Christian resources—no evangelical Christians or churches, no Christian radio broadcasts, no gospel films or recordings, and no Scriptures.
The Xamir still practice their ethnic religion of animism; but because they are officially orthodox Christians, they may be receptive to Christian missionaries. They have a positive attitude towards their language and wish to develop literature in it.
Ask God to open wide this door of opportunity—and ask Him for a Bible translator with enough faith to step through it!
Winter 2009-10