Your support is reaching the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh! Our team recently shared the story of S who explained how the Treasure changed her life.

S has been living in the refugee camps for the last 5 years. It was difficult to leave her home in Myanmar. She said, “We were very happy and well in my country but at the end of 2017 the Burmese government and their monks started torturing the Muslims in our village. They were killing innocent people in the village, setting fires, and looting our belongings. They were burning village after village. People started leaving the country and we followed. On the way to Bangladesh we had a hard time without food and drinking water. I saw many people die on the way but me and my family made it to Bangladesh after a 5 day journey through the jungle, swamp and finally we crossed the Naf river to Bangladesh. Now I am a refugee living in another country to which we don’t belong.”

S shared that they were living a hopeless life in the refugee camp until someone handed her a device called the Treasure. She said, “As soon as I listened to the Treasure, I found peace in my mind and I called my neighbors and soon we formed a friendship listening group. Since then I myself and many others decided to follow Jesus in secret but many came to know that we are not following our traditional religion. Now we have two groups of people listening to the gospel and teaching each other.”

Thank you for helping us bring the hope of the Gospel! This is such a beautiful story of how a single Treasure has brought many to know Christ. S asked that we pray for their safety and protection inside the camp. Please join us in lifting up these secret believers!

Your support is making an impact in spreading the good news to ALL Nations!

Matthew 28:18 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations”

God is in the refining business! Because of his love for us, he will reveal himself through adversity and trials. The most famous scripture that speaks of this process is found in Hebrews 12. If you've ever wondered what God’s perspective is on refining us through difficulties, consider verse 11. 

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

Hebrews 12:11

Often that process takes time, but ultimately it represents God turning up the heat because he loves us! Other times, that heat manifests itself immediately through his supernatural power. All because of his love!

I witnessed this supernatural power first hand while I was visiting a brick kiln in Pakistan. I looked into the eyes of 100 slaves who were being abused, beaten, chained, and sexually assaulted, all because of one owner and his corrupted perspective of power. He treated these precious people worse than animals and shockingly walked through life with a clear conscience. He had never met God and had never heard the gospel message. When our team arrived at his kiln, the God who described the refining fire in Hebrews 12:11 made his presence known! 

As we shared the gospel, this brutal owner felt his entire body “catch on fire”. When we spoke with him after, he was panicked and confused as he described a physical heat that had come over his body. He ran away from us and sought counsel from local witch doctors, convinced we had placed some kind of curse on him! As you can imagine, the witch doctors provided no relief and he remained in this condition - feeling the refining fire of a loving God. 

He called and asked us to return several days later. We sat in his office and explained the fire he was feeling was not caused by our team, but by a loving God who had let him feel this fire to gain his attention. He listened intently while counting the cost. For this influential Muslim leader to receive Christ, it would mean a life of sacrifice and persecution, including separation from friends and family. The cost was great, too great for him to decide immediately. So, our team followed up with him for several weeks and the Holy Spirit softened his hard heart.

The man on fire, who recently had a cancer diagnosis, was healed and the fire relented………when he said YES to Jesus!

Now this owner is a new creation in Christ. He is on a path of discipleship, listening to the Treasure and meeting with Christian leaders. He now knows Jesus because our team was sent to a place where His name was still unknown. He knows Jesus because people were brave enough to go into a hostile environment and risk physical threats and acts of retaliation. He knows Jesus because of God’s infinite love!

In March, I returned from a visit working with our teams on the ground in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Friend, there is no way to quantify the carnage happening to the church in Afghanistan right now. Virtually every Afghan refugee has a story of an immediate family member being killed by the Taliban. Tales of utter brutality were the norm - not the exception - all for following Jesus! Imagine being grateful that your husband was killed by a bullet and not a “slow death”, as the Taliban is known to do, watching your daughter stoned to death for her faith, or being restrained while your wife and daughters are beheaded because they had identification on them showing they were a Christian when their bus was stopped by the Taliban. 

One day, a woman and her adult son walked more than 20 kilometers to see our team. They had heard we might be near them and wanted to meet. They, like so many others, had lost family members because of their faith. Yet they asked for more Treasures, in Dari, so they could share the Word of God with others in their community and their country. They begged me: 

“Please, our country is lost without Jesus. We don’t know Jesus. Please send us more Treasures so we can share with others about Jesus. Even if we die doing so, it will be worth it because we are all lost without him. They don’t know!” 

In that brief moment I asked myself, would I have that same response? I knew we could not turn our backs on them. See friends, in Afghanistan, there is no such thing as a lukewarm Christian. They are on fire for the Gospel of Jesus, and they have to be because the cost can literally be their lives. In Afghanistan, a country of 40 million people, only 0.02% are Christians. 

69 of 71 different people groups have never had access to Jesus. No Bible. No Missionary. No Pastor. Jesus is not known there. Jesus says in Matthew 16:24-25, “let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me… and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it.” That is a real life and death situation in Afghanistan. We must stand with our brothers and sisters in Christ to make Jesus known there. 

At that moment, when that woman and adult son turned to me, imploring me to send more Treasures so that their countrymen could be saved, they pressed something into my hand. It was the equivalent of $10 of American money that had been collected over the course of a month from the underground church in Afghanistan. That was literally and figuratively the widow’s mite. 

In Afghanistan, the cost to follow Jesus can literally be your life. The next day, through our team, we learned the woman had been captured for sharing her faith. This precious woman was now in the hands of someone who had the ability to rape her, punish her, stone her, kill her. Yet, the story doesn’t end there. Using her words and her Treasure, the woman talked to her captor about Jesus. For more than six hours, as he imprisoned her, she testified about her God. 

After six hours, her captor came to know Jesus and released her. Praise Jesus! To God be the Glory! 

In the Harvest, 

Greg Kelley, CEO

Greetings from Ethiopia! Just last month we received an update from our Indigenous Leader following a Treasure distribution near the border of Kenya. This outreach happened among an Ethiopian people group that predominantly resides in the southern desert regions of the country. As semi-nomadic pastoralists, they often struggle with the adverse effects of drought, famine, and inter-tribal conflicts.

Despite the challenges they face, these people cherish a strong sense of belonging within their community. This includes religion, as the vast majority of these people identify as Muslims. They also hold tightly to their traditional beliefs which include witchcraft and the worship of creation.

Our leader excitedly shared, “175 people gave their lives to Christ from Muslim areas and are ready to be baptized. We provided all community members and their family leaders with audio Bibles through our missionaries in this region. The heart touching recordings on the Treasure are full of life changing messages!

I hope today or tomorrow we will receive the recent audio Bibles you sent. Give glory to Jesus. May God bless you for sending all these Treasures to Ethiopia.”

Shortly after this update was shared, we received a second mission activity report with these beautiful water baptism photos. Because these new brothers and sisters are making a public declaration of their faith in this sensitive Islamic area, our leaders asked that we blur all faces for their protection.

Please join us in praying for these believers as they bring their new faith back into their communities. Pray for soft hearts and open doors as the gospel message continues to spread powerfully among the least reached of Ethiopia!

Your support is making an impact in spreading the good news to ALL Nations!

Matthew 28:18 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations”

So many countries in Africa have suffered tragic moments over the last 125 years. Despite such difficulties, the gospel has grown exponentially in Africa during that same time. In 1900, there were only 9 million Christians in all of Africa. Fast forward 100 years, now more than 380 million believers fill this beautiful continent that is three times the size of the United States! Praise the Lord for the spiritual growth.

But as tragedy continues, there is still more work to be done.

Our hearts break over the physical carnage that seems to shred this land like one tsunami after another. The most recent example is Sudan. New fighting erupted in April that has plunged the country to the brink of a civil war. In less than one month, more than 500 people have already been killed as two separate military factions battle for control of this North African land.

Sudan’s primarily Arab community is no stranger to civil war. From 1983-2005, more than 1.5 million people lost their lives in another unnecessary bloodbath within this poor African country. We pray this current conflict does not gain further traction, but international funding pouring into both sides of the battle suggests a long, drawn out campaign.

These are the kind of unexpected global humanitarian crises that occur with way too much frequency. Natural disasters can happen anywhere. Yet over the last fifty years, the unfortunate reality of war is that it often occurs in locations that are already difficult to reach with the gospel.

In Sudan, less than 1% of the 46 million residents are followers of Jesus!  

Here’s the good news. Our partners in neighboring Chad and South Sudan are ready to respond now!

We received a beautiful video from our partner showing a group of women circling around a Treasure with their arms stretched out over the audio Bible in passionate prayer. Here’s what our Indigenous Leader shared:

These women are praying and giving thanks that they have an audio Bible. They remember the day when they would take the Holy Bible in their hands and cry to the Lord because they wanted to read God’s Words. But today they received a Treasure and thanked God by prayer and song.

Here at Unknown Nations, we are laser focused on reaching places where the gospel has never been. Our team is working on the front lines and they are taking new ground for the Kingdom. With over 25 years of experience, we’ve learned that most individuals living in our area of focus are oral learners. This means that they are either illiterate or come from a storytelling culture, preferring to learn in a non-literate way.

Just this month, we’ve received countless testimonies from our indigenous leaders. They are witnessing the power of hearing God’s Word in one’s heart language and the opportunities this brings for exponential growth.

One testimony came from an elderly woman who was praying to God for many days for an audio Bible because she didn’t know how to read. She asked God, “How should I hear your Word every day?” Finally, her prayers were answered when she received a Treasure through our network. She shared, “The Word of God in this audio Bible refreshes me and gives me spiritual strength...I am so happy now!” Your support is making an impact in spreading the good news to ALL Nations!

The Yadav are one of the largest civilizations in history! More than 99% of this group follow the Hindu caste system and are idol worshipers. While they are considered a socially backward caste group, they have high political sway as most people vote for their caste rather than good governance. Many Yadav are laborers and their work consists of milking cows and raising cattle. Because of their herdsmen background, they claim to be connected to the god Krishna. 

The Yadav embrace India’s commitment to Hindu elitism. As such, other minority religions such as Christianity are heavily persecuted within their ranks. Impacting the Yadav is a key to reaching all of India due to their strong presence.

"The Yadav are open towards the gospel and many are coming to Christ. They have the ability to become a transforming agent in their communities because of their authority and sheer population numbers. May God lead them to make the environment Gospel friendly. We need more training and more evangelists from this people group... My biggest desire for the Yadav people is to have more leaders."

- Unknown Nations Indigenous Leader in India

Please pray for Yadav Christians to rise up and share Christ with their neighbors. (Matt. 9:37-38; Isa. 52:7)

Modern day slavery still exists in Pakistan. Over 14,500 brick kilns in this country oppress over 4.5 million slaves. Most are owned by Muslims. The slaves live trapped, earning less than they need to repay their debt. Generations pass and their debt grows as families endlessly try to escape the indebtedness of their parents, grandparents, and beyond. 

Workdays in the brickyards typically begin at 4am. Slaves work six days a week, 12-14 hours a day. If they can’t meet their daily goal of 1,200 bricks, they often don’t get any food or water. This is a desperate community without any hope. As the second largest Muslim country in the world, access to Jesus in Pakistan, especially in these brick kilns, is virtually non-existent without you. 

"Slavery in the brick kilns works like a big business. The owners are very influential and they are very dangerous... These slaves [who have become believers] are not only touching the lives of their owners, but their lives have been transformed as well... When these slaves pray together, God moves in a massive way. We are witnessing miracles and wonders of God in these brick factories."

- Unknown Nations Director of Pakistan

Please pray for encouragement and safety for the believers trapped in this endless cycle of slavery. (Psa. 34:7-9)

I stood at the edge of the bed with his arms clutched around my leg. He begged me not to leave and to protect his family from the living hell they were enduring. He would be beaten again that evening and feared that his daughters would be sold as sex slaves. Tears raced down his cheeks in complete desperation – “Please help me!”

That was my experience a couple weeks ago in a brick kiln in Pakistan. Hundreds of thousands of slaves live in these types of conditions. It’s one of the most desperate situations that I’ve come across in my 25 year tenure at Unknown Nations. Regrettably, all of these precious people are asking us the same question. “Will you help me?”

In the midst of the confusion and chaos of the moment, the Holy Spirit led me to a response. I called upon our leaders to give me a Treasure and I was prompted by the Lord to play the third chapter of John. This slave who had never learned to read was fixated on this device – hearing the powerful words of the gospel.

These words pierce the heart and bring transformation and peace to the inner chambers of our broken lives. This slave and his family are cherished in the eyes of Jesus! There is nothing physical that I could have done in that moment to deliver what was received. No earthly solution! But God can meet both needs.

This family was freed from chains spiritually first and then physically when they were freed by the owner later that evening.

Our goal in these brick kilns is to see that kind of supernatural transformation begin with each of the Muslim owners and their managers. Please pray for these leaders who are increasingly seeing their slaves eagerly come to Christ and live in freedom that can not be denied. Our teams are reaching new kilns every week as the Word of God sets these captives free.

One owner recently has heard the gospel clearly. He has felt “fire” for weeks and is having dreams of Jesus on a white horse calling him to follow him. He is counting the cost and is close to surrendering to the Lord. Our team just gave him a Treasure in the Urdu language which he is listening to now. Let's pray the hard heart continues to soften and ultimately accepts the Lord as he listens to the Word of God.

Greg Kelley, Unknown Nations CEO, recently returned home from a trip to Pakistan. We’ve heard incredible updates of how God is moving amid the heart breaking situations where our indigenous leaders are serving. They visited places of extreme persecution and darkness, without hope or access to the Good News - but God is on the move.

Slave labor has a deep stronghold in the country of Pakistan. Greg met one couple who was bought into slavery over a $300 loan which has now grown to over $3,000. But the main concern for these parents is the safety of their family. Living in these unthinkable conditions has left them helpless and tormented over their children’s future.

This couple (top right) has three daughters. Their oldest, who is only 14, has been taken by the owner of the kiln. It’s very common for young girls and women to be abused as sex slaves. The couple broke down and cried over the thought of their other daughters being taken as well.

Greg spoke with one of the managers who had given his life to Christ but was in the process of selling seven girls ages 13-16. They were virgins and considered very valuable. Now that he’d accepted Christ, the team explained that he couldn’t go through with the sale and ruin their lives. He said that if he didn’t move forward, someone else inevitably would. However, he agreed to stall and our leaders are following up.

In these moments of unfathomable desperation the Treasure is bringing hope. Light is piercing through the darkness and God is showing up in the middle of the mess to share a message of true freedom that can only be found in Christ. While the future is still uncertain, we know our God is faithful and can turn something the devil meant for evil into something good.

Your support is making an impact in spreading the good news to ALL Nations!

Matthew 28:18 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations”

The two year anniversary of the infamous Myanmar military coup came and went this past month. This unlawful regime continues its crackdown upon millions of innocent lives. Now, the UN is saying that 5 million children are in dire need of humanitarian aid due to the conflict.

The carnage taking place is unimaginable and is going largely unnoticed by the global community. It is another example of the worst of both worlds being met by silence. 

Since its independence in 1948, this precious land in Myanmar has experienced decades of repressive military rule and civil war among minority ethnic groups. During that time, millions of people have been displaced, sexually assaulted and subjected to mass killings - in short, textbook genocide. All the while, Myanmar’s delicate economy suffers and hangs on by a thread. The most weak and vulnerable people are victimized over and over again.

The church has a tremendous opportunity to be a light!

We certainly should not respond as the world, plowing endless relief into chaos and turmoil in the absence of a long term goal. We have the only - and best - solution! Myanmar, facing a tragic scenario like so many other places, requires the Good News of Jesus Christ!

The atrocities in Myanmar are a perfect example of how the Body of Christ can make a significant impact in a place that seems hopeless. Unfortunately, Myanmar has a far bigger heart issue than a hunger issue. Making people temporarily more comfortable on their way to eternity is beneath the Body of Christ. Our calling is much higher, which is why the gospel message MUST be the forerunner alongside any strategic humanitarian assistance that is required. That makes Myanmar a country facing the worst of both worlds.

Despite much of the country being an active war zone, our leaders on the ground have never stopped going to the most dangerous spots and doing what the church should be doing. Our leaders are committed to telling the broken communities and villages about the love of Jesus!

Sometimes, the primary fact lost on followers of Jesus is that in the midst of this physical carnage is a country that has a chronic spiritual condition. 83% of the people in the country live within people groups without access to the gospel! 

Because of our faithful men and women (same culture missionaries) on the ground, we are seeing hearts transformed by the power of the gospel. Just recently an outreach took place that impacted approximately 3,000 people. Here is the summary of that encounter:

Among those 3,000 people:

1. 60% of them were completely unreached people and had never heard the name of Jesus. This was their first time hearing the gospel in their whole lives.

2. 98% of them were unbelievers (75% of Buddhists, 15% of Hindus and 10% of Muslims).

3. We distributed 212 Burmese and Mandarin Treasures to key people who could not read or write well. (This was an area near the border with China which requires Mandarin).

After the distribution, more than 200 received Jesus and requested water baptism. 30 new leaders from that outreach are being trained at our training center designed to develop disciple makers! Friends, Myanmar is ripe for the gospel despite it being gripped in chaos and uncertainty.

On February 21, 2021, the country of Myanmar (formerly Burma) was scheduled to endorse the results of their national election from the previous November. The brutal military regime opposed the woman who won in a landslide, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The result was a violent military coup that led to the imprisonment of the legally victorious candidate and destroyed hopes for democratic reforms in this strategic Southeast Asian nation. That occurred two years ago, and today, the residual effects are still having tragic consequences, especially among Christians. 

As atrocities mount, the suffering of the Burmese people has become unimaginable.

Over 1.2 million people are internally displaced because of government oppression. Christians have stood firmly against this brutal regime and are paying the price. The military has attacked many villages and indiscriminately targeted those who oppose their illegal siege of the country. Innocent men, women and children have been imprisoned and killed for standing up for peace. Credible sources estimate more than 34,000 civilian structures, including homes, clinics, schools and churches, have been destroyed during the coup.

Our key relationships in the country shared a recent incident where an entire village was destroyed. It had been the home of Unknown Nations partners and friends sharing the gospel throughout Myanmar. These innocent people have lost everything! We immediately equipped our indigenous leaders who were going into these areas to minister. Many had fled during the attacks, and some were still missing, but the remaining villagers needed urgent assistance to help them survive the winter cold. Our leaders consoled the victims and offered humanitarian assistance alongside Treasures (audio Bibles). 

Now, even the Buddhist leaders in the community are feeling a different kind of love in the midst of despair. They are eager to learn more about Jesus. 

In the past month since mobilization of aid to that village, ten people have received Jesus and are eagerly listening to the audio Bibles. 

The atrocities in Myanmar are a perfect example of how the Body of Christ can make a significant impact in a place that seems hopeless. We choose to go where the environment is hardened and looks the most bleak. That is where Jesus would go! Now it is our opportunity. 

More Burmese leaders have come forward who want to be further discipled, trained and mobilized in the midst of these two challenging years. 

They realize the only hope for their country is the gospel message. Eternal hope! 

Together in the Harvest, 

Greg Kelley, CEO

An underground team member in our indigenous missionary network was distributing audio Bibles in a dangerous location when two robbers stopped him on a motorbike. Both of these robbers had weapons which they pointed at the missionary and ordered him to hand over his phone, cash, and watch or they would shoot him.

He handed over the requested items along with his bag that was holding the Treasure audio Bibles. When one of the robbers looked inside the bag they found the Treasures and accidentally hit the power button on one of the devices.

Surprisingly, the Treasure started playing loudly from 1 Corinthians chapter
6. The robber was trying to turn it off but the sound kept getting louder and louder. In their frustration they were going to toss the audio bible away when they heard 1 Corinthians 6:10 start playing, “Nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.”

The robber looked at the missionary and said, “What is the Kingdom of God? What does it mean that thieves can’t enter? Who is speaking from this audio device?”

The missionary answered their questions as the robbers continued to ask more about God and His kingdom. After two hours of conversation on the side of the road, both robbers received Jesus as their personal savior!

They took the missionary to their home where they prepared a feast for him and gathered more from their tribe so they could hear about Jesus and His kingdom too. What a miraculous testimony, nothing is impossible with God! Your support is making an impact in spreading the good news to ALL Nations!

Your support is making an impact in spreading the good news to ALL Nations!

Matthew 28:18 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations”

The 100% Muslim Rohingya people have been pushed out of Myanmar (a Buddhist country) into Bangladesh. The UN described the atrocities inflicted upon the Rohingya as “textbook examples of genocide and ethnic cleansing.”

Today, there are about 1 million Rohingya living in Bangladesh. Myanmar does not allow them to return and Bangladesh tolerates them as long as they remain confined within massive refugee camps. These precious people are sprawled in ghettos and tent cities in an area of Bangladesh called Cox’s Bazar. In a short period of time, it has become the world’s largest refugee camp. The Rohingya people face a tragic humanitarian crisis and more importantly, have never been exposed to the gospel.

"When I first went to the camp people were coming in by the hundreds every day. Even today, there are still not enough shelters. These people are living in hazardous conditions with a quarter mile line for good drinking water. Young people are getting involved with drugs and smuggling without any opportunities for an education or jobs. There’s still a lot of opportunity to help these people."

- Unknown Nations Director of Bangladesh

Please pray for healing and comfort for the trauma they’ve experienced in losing their homeland. (Lam. 3:21-23)

India is a country that stands alone in so many ways as it relates to the Great Commission. They have a greater concentration of unreached people than any country in the world…and it’s not even close. Christianity has always been a minority religion despite significant mission efforts over the centuries. This is amazing, considering that Thomas, the disciple of Jesus, first brought the gospel there over 2,000 years ago!

During the 20th century, while much of Sub-Saharan Africa was exploding with the gospel, India has been largely unresponsive to the Good News. Followers of Jesus in Malawi started at 2% in 1900 and grew to 77% by the end of the century! Kenya went from .2% all the way to 79%. And, the massive country of Congo went from less than 2% all the way to 95%!! Africa’s response during this time was thanks to incredible investments, prayers and sacrifice.

Over that same time period, 1900-2000, India’s population started at 2% Christian and ended at 2%. This resistance toward the gospel still continues today.

As Christians, we need to understand the challenges and find ways to prayerfully be a part of seeing this country reached with the Good News. We are absolutely confident that India will one day call upon the name of Jesus in historic proportions! 

The first thing we must realize is that inside of India resides 2,135 people groups that do not have access to the gospel. They are unreached. That is more than the next 6 countries combined! This country also has 460,000 villages that do not have any kind of Christian presence. This land must become a priority for the Body of Christ. We must find the current situation unacceptable on our watch of stewarding the Great Commission.

Because of this, we have developed a network of four indigenous leaders across the country, three of them are in the north where Christianity is almost non-existent. In this area we heard of a Hindu man who received Jesus by listening to the Treasure. In his enthusiasm he declared “your God speaks my language!” He said he would share the gospel through the solar powered audio bible with 2,000 people in the next few months! This is the kind of determined approach it will take to reach all of India…the greatest holdout to the greatest story ever told.