One UPG Reaching Another!

M___ M___ and his family

In the remote village of H____, in the Indian State of Jharkhand, M___ M___ was in trouble. His beloved wife suffered from epilepsy and he was desperate for her to be healed. M___ is Santal, from an Unreached People Group of 8.3 million that has been greatly impacted by ER’s Jharkhand School of Evangelism (SOE) and its graduates who have been working among them for several years.

M___ had already left his Animist religion and converted to Hinduism, but that change merely added to his sorrows. His worship of the many gods and goddesses was only empty ritual. Eventually, M___ met a Christian pastor sponsored by ER’s partner ministry in Jharkhand and a graduate of the Jharkhand SOE, who prayed over his wife, and she was instantly healed! They accepted Jesus right away, and M___ M___ dedicated his life to serving Christ.

M___ (center) leads evening evangelistic meeting

M___ was trained in the Jharkhand School of Evangelism, and felt called to the mission field in Eastern Jharkhand state. This is a vastly unreached region with over 120 villages where the gospel has never been preached! Nearly 100,000 people live in the region. 60% are Hindu, 20% are animist, and 20% are Muslim. Alcoholism and illiteracy are among the many scourges of the people that make evangelism difficult and discouraging.

A Nai family in Eastern Jharkhand

M___ is engaging these unreached people. At least six tribes designated “Least Reached” by the Joshua Project are among them, including the Nai.  Read more about the Nai UPG on the Joshua Project website at: http://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/17745/IN.  

This is M___’s strategy for ministry which he learned in SOE training: first he chooses a receptive village, surveys it, develops bridges of friendship with the people, and preaches the gospel in evening meetings. With those who show interest and willingness, he starts a discipleship series called New Life. Then, with those who have come to Christ, he plants a church in an unreached region. Presently M___ has surveyed 15 villages. His plan is to baptize 15 families in the next year, and within five years about 100 families.

M___’s testimony contains a riveting detail. ER's strategy of reaching M____’s people (the Santal) has resulted in sending a converted Santal as a missionary to the Nai. One member of a UPG is now reaching out to another! Evangelism Resources, through its project to engage Unreached People Groups through Schools of Evangelism, has the potential to repeat M___’s story hundreds of times.

ER is asking for prayer for M____ M____. Please pray with them in these requests:

•       Pray for him to complete 60 Gospel evening meetings in 20 villages in 2014.
•       Ask God to help him find a place to rent to use as a base of operations.
•       Pray for Chandmuni Kisku to remain healthy, with no recurrence of epilepsy.  

Learn more about ER's Unreached People Group project 

on our website at: our UPG page.

Learn more about M___'s School of Evangelism training 

on our website at: our School of Evangelism page.

Miracles Among the Miri

 U___ lingered on the edge of the crowd. Curiosity had drawn him to the Christian baptism service. He had never before heard the gospel of Jesus, but he felt his heart strangely warmed. Five people were immersed in the water, and each seemed to come up with great joy. The evangelist then asked, “Is there anyone else who desires to receive Christ and be baptized?”  Suddenly, U____ knew that he did. His new life began that day in 1996 when he strode forward, accepted Christ, received baptism, and became a servant of the one true God.

These humble beginnings were the start of a move of God among the Miri, U_____'s tribe. The Miri remain unreached, 0% evangelical Christians among them, according to surveys. U_____ and those early Miri believers faced fierce persecution from Hindu family, friends, and neighbors. However, God has ways of overcoming opposition!

U_____ received a menacing threat from one man—cease his efforts to convert Hindus to Christianity, or else face death. He was given an ultimatum of fifteen days.  But within those fifteen days the antagonist got drunk and was killed in a motorcycle accident. As one might expect, U_____ reported that persecution diminished somewhat following that event.

One of U___'s cousins had spent more than $3,000 on doctors seeking a remedy for his illness. This was a fortune for a Miri tribesman, most of whom are poor farmers. Five others suffered from the same malady.  As a last resort, U____ was called upon to pray to his God, and all were healed, placed their faith in Christ and were baptized!

U___ attended the ER School of Evangelism in the state of Assam, graduating in 2007. Other Miri tribesmen have also studied there, and through their efforts they have begun planting house churches.  Together they have evangelized twenty villages. Forty-seven people have accepted Christ and been baptized! Four house churches have been planted among the Miri, with an average attendance of 12 each. God is on the move, calling the Miri to repentance and salvation.

U____ needs help to accomplish his mission to win the Miri. One little church has been built, and it is too small now, praise God, to house the congregation! Funds are needed for a larger building, and for a motorcycle for U_____ to use as he travels from village to village as one of the leaders of this burgeoning work.

In 2013 Evangelism Resources published the names of fifteen unreached people groups (UPGs), one of them being the Miri, and encouraged people to “adopt” them. Those who adopt a UPG are challenged to pray and give financially, if God directs, to support evangelism efforts among that people group. Only one person thus far has adopted the Miri—more people are needed to pray! U__ and his fellow SOE graduates are counting on us to support their efforts. They know, as we do, that it is God who sends laborers into whitened harvest fields, and He has commanded us to pray for them (Luke 10:2).

Is the Holy Spirit prompting you to join the Miri prayer team? Send an e-mail to Evangelism Resources at: eroffice@qx.net.  We will be happy to add your name to the team, send you materials to help you pray with wisdom, and report to you the advances of the gospel among the Miri and other UPGs.

And a Little Child Shall Lead Them

Abigail and me at my office desk

 Abigail’s luminous eyes scanned my bulletin board, eagerly seeking just the right choice. I said a silent prayer that she would be drawn to the photos of the little girls, but that request was not answered. “That one,” she said, with certainty.  “I want that one.”

Abigail is five years old, the only daughter of dear friends of mine. The family recently visited us from North Carolina and they stopped by my office at Evangelism Resources to learn more about our mission. I explained several aspects of ministry, but immediately upon entering my office, Abigail was entranced by the photos of Unreached People Groups (UPGs).

I took her into my lap, showed her my computer monitor, and began telling her that there were many, many people who had never heard about Jesus—they did not even know His name! She had been wiggling, but suddenly her little body was still. She was thinking about that news.

The flyer that caught Abigail's eye...

Abigail has had the benefit of being born into a godly home. She has been in church since she was a baby, and probably does not remember a time when she did not know about Jesus. “Who will tell them?” she asked, and my eyes started filling with tears. Even though she was young, this child knew how to get to the heart of a matter.

I told her how brave friends of mine were working hard to tell others about Jesus, in spite of the fact that other people might hurt them for doing so. As I told her in the simplest terms possible, it was clear to me that the concept is truly very simple: someone must go.  I told her that in my thinking the best way was to train someone like them, from their own country, and then send them with the gospel.

Evangelism Resources has launched a plan to adopt 15 UPGs for prayer and intentional evangelism. I have made flyers with information about the different groups, where they live, and which of our Schools of Evangelism is trying to reach them. These are the flyers on my bulletin board that Abigail was scrutinizing, and there was only one group I truly did not want this five-year-old to choose—the Devadasi. I simply hoped to avoid any awkward conversation with her to explain their plight, given into sexual slavery as temple prostitutes.

Abigail makes her choice

But Abigail would not be deterred.  She was choosing the Devadasi and I bowed to her will. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was also bowing to the will of God. Again I pulled her into my lap, and tried to tell her about them. I know my voice quavered as I stammered to find the right words for her innocent ears. Finally I said, “As little girls, these women are given to work in the Hindu temples as slaves.”  I dared go no further, and my explanation seemed to satisfy her.

Later that night, Abigail’s mother, Heather, was putting her to bed and they said evening prayers together. Heather returned to us, looking a little shaken. When she was able to explain what had happened, she said, “Abigail just prayed for the Devadasi, and you’ll never guess what she asked.” “She asked that God would save the Devadasi, and make it so they would not have to do the work they do.” 

The room fell silent as we considered the thought that a five-year-old could pray such a Spirit-led prayer. The Word of God says that unless we become as little children we will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 18:2-4).  One child-like quality I saw demonstrated that night was the capacity of a child to open her heart to the Spirit of God and pray for the lost, whether she understands all the details or not.

Just yesterday I got a text message from Heather. While praying for the Devadasi, Abigail stopped abruptly and said, “Mommy, someday I might just have to go to the Devadasi and tell them they need to obey God’s laws.”  Out of the mouth of babes…  Obviously, as she prays, God is stirring Abigail’s heart for missions.

Evangelism Resources is still recruiting prayer warriors for Unreached People Groups such as the Devadasi. If you’d like to join the prayer team, which now includes little Abigail and her parents, please send me an e-mail at: eroffice@qx.net.  I’ll be happy to sign you up!

Coordinator of Communications
(name withheld)

Seeking the Sikh

Some call the State of Punjab the “wild west” of India. At least part of that reputation comes from the ancient conquest of northern India by Babur and the rise of the Sikh religion in the early 1600s. Known to be a fierce and proud people, Sikh through the centuries have endured great turmoil and conquest by many invading armies.

 The British designated the Mazhabi as a “martial race,” deeming them naturally warlike and aggressive in battle. They lauded the Sikh qualities of courage, loyalty, physical strength, resilience and orderliness. Sikh warriors were known to fight tenaciously and devise clever military strategies.

The Sikh religion emphasizes the equality of all people, and they reject discrimination based on caste, greed and gender.  Sikhism is monotheistic, and adherents believe that all religions are equally valid and capable of bringing enlightenment to their followers.

Although Sikhism teaches equality, the people live in a Hindu nation, with its caste system, that greatly affects them culturally. Once a mighty empire, many Sikh tribes today live in poverty. Among them are the Mazhabi Sikh of modern-day Punjab. They are considered to be the “lowest of the low” in relation to other people groups, known as an “untouchable” caste. They are denied contact with other people groups and have only limited access to education and resources many Indians take for granted. The government has recognized the Mazhabi as a “scheduled caste,” meaning they are given advantages through India’s program that resembles Affirmative Action. Still, poverty and illiteracy remain rampant among them.

Building upon that foundation, the Schools of Evangelism (SOEs) in Punjab and Haryana are reaching out to the Sikh. The Mazhabi have been adopted as one of ER’s “Unreached People Groups,” and a team, consisting of nine people, is already praying that they will be reached with the love of Jesus Christ.

A recent e-mail from our Punjab/Haryana SOE Director reports progress among the Mazhabi Sikh and two other Sikh tribes, the Jat and the Rai.  Among the Mazhabi, more than 2.6 million strong, students and graduates of the SOE have undertaken evangelism in 75 villages, with 240 accepting Christ! 82 have been baptized, and two Portable Bible Schools have been held to train lay leaders. Eleven Mazhabi have been trained at the SOE, and five of them are now working among these precious people. 24 cell churches are meeting, with an average of 10 people each.

These reports are only from one SOE! We know of at least one more SOE that is engaging the Mazhabi with the gospel. These encouraging numbers underscore the importance of ER’s Unreached People Group emphasis. As God’s people pray, He will continue to open doors for ministry! The Joshua Project website lists the Mazhabi as “unengaged.”  When reports of these efforts of the Punjab and Haryana SOEs are given, their status will change—ER’s partners are engaging the Mazhabi!

Would you like to join the prayer team for an Unreached People Group like the Mazhabi? Perhaps your small group or Sunday School class would join you! Send an e-mail now to eroffice@qx.net. If you would like to see a listing of the fifteen groups being adopted by ER, visit our UPG page on our website at: http://www.erinfo.org/viewNavMenu.do?menuID=130 .

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Blessings on the Batéké

The geography is daunting. The wild Plateau Batéké is criss-crossed by rivers, escarpments, and swamps. Roads are almost non-existent, and those that do exist are often made impassable by weather conditions. Traveling into the Plateau Batéké would be grueling in the best of circumstances; only hardy souls make the effort.

Evangelists at a preaching point on the Batéké

Among them are three intrepid evangelists trained in ER’s School of Evangelism in Kinshasa. Baudouin Finkole, Jaques Leby and Theophile Mpiambula make regular excursions into the Batéké to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. They haul heavy equipment to show the Jesus film in a two-wheel cart. Sometimes they travel by boat up the Congo River, but the rest of the journey is made on foot. The only power they use is the force of their own legs and backs to make the cart bump along rutted, muddy paths more suitable for animals than humans.

Setting up the projection screen

Why do they dare undertake such a journey? The fields are too white to leave them unharvested!  Regular reports of their efforts are received in ER’s Home office. The most recent report, from 2013, narrated seven times they had set up the equipment and shown the film. 1,045 people viewed it, which is an unusual event in such a remote region. 451 prayed to receive Christ, 251 made re-commitments, and 40 were discipled to become lay leaders. Ongoing efforts are taking place to disciple Christian leaders from among the indigenous people, and Portable Bible Schools are a primary method for doing so. 310 were engaged in Bible studies. Their statement of praise?  “Nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).

Along the way, there are opportunities as well for the men to pray and minister with people whose access to medical help is sparse at best. One person was instantly healed from crippling back pain. He then repented of his sins and prayed to receive Christ! The team also prays with people who have witnessed first-hand the power of evil. One family was terrorized nearly every night by demonic forces. Every morning when they awoke there would be blood spattered in the foyer of their home.  The evangelists prayed, the house was cleansed of evil spirits, and the family committed their lives to Jesus. They rejoiced in being set free!

Viewing the Jesus film

This team of three was trained by a man who is no longer able to accompany them. Joseph Mongo, an SOE graduate, has been afflicted with serious physical disabilities, including a heart condition that makes the trip too grueling. In 2012, the team’s return to Kinshasa was seriously delayed beyond when they were expected. Concern and prayers mounted day by day. They finally emerged from the Batéké, reporting that their delay had been caused by Mongo’s illness. Though he cannot go himself, he continues to inspire and motivate others to go, while he continues his impactful ministry in local prisons in Kinshasa.

Years ago, when Willys and Thelma Braun were at the helm of Evangelism Resources, their hearts were burdened for the people of the Batéké. That concern remains the heartbeat of the men trained through their efforts, and there is today a light still shining to reach those precious people with the gospel. Will you pray for these evangelists?  Ask, with us, for the Lord to protect and enable them for the demanding ministry they have undertaken for the sake of the Kingdom.

Learn more about ER ministries on our website: www.erinfo.org