Nigeria (MNN) — A first-of-its-kind report was just released looking at ethnic and religious violence in Northern Nigeria. The Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa examined incidents of extreme violence in the region between October 2019 and September 2023.
Stories of Impact
From Impossible Places
The Somali people are known to be more than 99% Muslim. Their population represents over 25 million individuals spread across 24 different countries, primarily concentrated in Somalia and the Horn of Africa at large.
The Somali people are known to be more than 99% Muslim. Their population represents over 25 million individuals spread across 24 different countries, primarily concentrated in Somalia and the Horn of Africa at large.
Ministry work in highly Islamic areas is dangerous. Believers can quickly face persecution and ultimately risk losing their lives for their faith. Many brave brothers and sisters in Christ willingly take that risk to share the Good News of the Gospel through the Treasure.
One courageous sister (pictured on right) ministering among the Somali people shared her story with us. As a child, she was hungry for truth and received a New Testament from a friend. She decided to follow Jesus and because of this endured much persecution at the hands of her Muslim family, even to the point of hospitalization. When she was in the hospital, the friend who gifted her the Bible asked her mother for permission to pray for her. God healed her instantly. She shared it was “because God had an agenda with me.”
She has endured much persecution in her life but this beloved sister is valiant in her efforts of making disciples of Christ. As an adult she was the very first Christian in her village. Before her connection with Unknown Nations she used to pluck out pages of her Bible for the people she was sharing with to borrow and trade. Now she thanks God for the Treasure audio Bibles and how greatly they multiply her ministry efforts.
She now has 45 Somali women that she is actively discipling and sharing the Treasures with. Many of them are still Muslims, but are coming to her for advice and for prayer. God has been working through her powerfully with miraculous healings and answers to these prayers. Please join us in praying for this sister and the women she has been discipling.
Thank you for sharing the hope of Jesus!
Matthew 28:18 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations”
Since our inception in December 1994, God has powerfully used numerous circumstances and relationships to grow our ministry. Our massive vision, to reach the hundreds of millions of people without access to the gospel, has required every one of these divine interactions. To complete this task, all of us will need to find our role and actively participate!
Since our inception in December 1994, God has powerfully used numerous circumstances and relationships to grow our ministry. Our massive vision, to reach the hundreds of millions of people without access to the gospel, has required every one of these divine interactions. To complete this task, all of us will need to find our role and actively participate!
Among the many ‘miracle connections’ we've made over the years, we uniquely depend upon one category to carry out the mission. These relationships are imperative to our success and give direction to our vision. More specifically, the indigenous leaders that we partner with at Unknown Nations. With over 30 key leaders, and their networks totaling over 1,000 indigenous missionaries, this group truly represents Unknown Nations!
"Always Everywhere"
We had a ministry partner recently share with us that they love how we’re “always everywhere.” Our ministry is not dependent upon our U.S. team traveling to different countries to do mission work. Through our network of indigenous leaders, there are individuals who are daily serving the Lord and passionately work to reach their own people.
Our indigenous partners distribute Treasures, set up listening groups, plant churches, and identify strategic humanitarian projects that will pave the way for the gospel to be shared. I love all of our indigenous networks and am passionate to see them multiply. The key to fulfilling the Great Commission is leaders who will disciple future disciplemakers. Consider 2 Timothy 2:2 which models 4 generations of multiplication!
Breaking Bread
Our international team of indigenous leaders are part of our family. We place a high value on spending time with these brothers and sisters in Christ. Breaking bread with them. Meeting their family. Learning their culture. Praying with them. And, doing field ministry together. All of these touchpoints build our relationships and strengthen our ability to ultimately see the name of Jesus become ‘known’ in the darkest of places of the world.
Please be praying for a series of trips to link our U.S. leadership team with our international Team!
Earlier this year, our team had the privilege of visiting some of the tremendous leaders we have in Africa. But in the next few months, we’ll be traveling to Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Indonesia and Pakistan. Each of these trips are intentionally Asia focused as the largest majority of unreached people in the world actually live in Asia. In fact, 86 of the 100 largest unreached people groups are in the continent of Asia. Thankfully, the Lord has helped us develop a very robust network across all of Asia, ready to take the Good News where it has never been.
Thank you for praying for our ongoing work.
This past monsoon season has devastated the country of Pakistan. One of the people groups who were affected was the Marwari people. They are considered a frontier people group with virtually no followers of Christ and no known movements to introduce these people to Jesus.
This past monsoon season has devastated the country of Pakistan. One of the people groups who were affected was the Marwari people. They are considered a frontier people group with virtually no followers of Christ and no known movements to introduce these people to Jesus.
Humanitarian outreach is one of our main mission strategies at Unknown Nations. Through offering clean water solutions, medical aid, and disaster relief, we empower our indigenous leaders to become the hands and feet of Jesus. In crisis situations, like the deadly flooding taking place in Pakistan, our partners can share the love and compassion of Christ to those who are hurting.
At the end of September, our partner’s team visited a camp of the Marwari people and invited them to join a prayer meeting. After the meeting wrapped, they hosted a free medical camp where doctors were able to provide check-ups and prescribe free medications for the flood victims.
Praise God, a few minutes after our team started worshiping all the people joined our team. After worshiping the Lord, I got a chance to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with all those who attended. I am so excited to share with you that 13 brothers and sisters gave their lives to Jesus Christ and accepted Him as their Lord, King, and Savior. - UN Partner
Through these ministry opportunities, our partners are able to leave a message of hope and healing. Our partners strategically distribute audio Bibles, sharing the treasure of God’s Word with those who need it most.
Thank you for sharing the hope of Jesus!
Matthew 28:18 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations”
We have been working in Indonesia for more than 10 years, declaring the Good News of Jesus Christ among the hundreds of islands that hold the highest population of Muslims anywhere in the world. There are 240 people groups in this country, roughly 190 million people, who have yet to hear the gospel message for the first time. Almost all are Muslim … except for those living on the island of Bali. This island is 90% Hindu, almost completely unreached! But God is moving among this precious community and we could not wait to share this story with you.
We have been working in Indonesia for more than 10 years, declaring the Good News of Jesus Christ among the hundreds of islands that hold the highest population of Muslims anywhere in the world. There are 240 people groups in this country, roughly 190 million people, who have yet to hear the gospel message for the first time. Almost all are Muslim … except for those living on the island of Bali. This island is 90% Hindu, almost completely unreached! But God is moving among this precious community and we could not wait to share this story with you.
Embracing The Good News
Mr. K and his wife were the first people to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior among the 1,000 families in their local community. One of our local indigenous leaders gave them an audio Bible and they were absolutely consumed by the messages, listening for hours at a time. Realizing the truth in what they were hearing, they embraced the Good News despite any potential persecution that would come.
Their neighbors immediately noticed a change as they refused to participate in the daily Hindu rituals. They gave up their idols and began to pray for family and friends. Their countenance dramatically changed as they learned to follow Christ and share this salvation message with friends and family.
As they grew spiritually, they realized one final act of obedience and surrender would be required. The physical idols and temple on their property would need to be destroyed. These reminders of the past were holding them back, yet their destruction would make them vulnerable to the wrath of the entire community.
Finding courage in their new faith, they picked up their hammers.
As each blow hit these statues, Mr. K and his wife were completely free! Free in Jesus! Free to share his Good News message! Free to listen to the Treasure and share it with others!
The Philippines is home to over 7,000 islands off the coast of Vietnam. Our partner is very well connected and has reported working with roughly 100 key leaders in different tribal groups throughout the country. Through our Treasure Ministry, he distributes Treasure and Messenger audio Bibles as well as micro SD cards among the island nations. In his latest update, we see the full circle affect of audio Bibles being sown in a tribal community without previous access to the gospel message.
The Philippines is home to over 7,000 islands off the coast of Vietnam. Our partner is very well connected and has reported working with roughly 100 key leaders in different tribal groups throughout the country. Through our Treasure Ministry, he distributes Treasure and Messenger audio Bibles as well as micro SD cards among the island nations. In his latest update, we see the full circle affect of audio Bibles being sown in a tribal community without previous access to the gospel message.
We distributed 50 Treasure audio Bibles to a Higaonon tribe in the Bukidnon province. This tribal community received their first Treasures a few years ago as I was scouting the place and was impressed to sow a few among tribal villagers. Beyond our knowledge, the Lord was working behind the scenes. Someone was used to nurture the seeds they had received. Years have passed and now they have a church. They have regular worship services on Sunday through the leadership of my pastor friend who coordinated our recent Treasure distribution. Thank you very much for your partnership in our mission works in reaching the Unreached. - UN Partner
Your support is making an impact in spreading the good news to ALL Nations!
God Bless,
Greg Kelley, CEO
Matthew 28:18 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations”
Sometimes we know God is working by the fruit - the testimonies and baptisms of those who come to know Jesus for the first time. Other times, we know God is working when we see the response to the Treasure (audio Bible) from those who feel threatened by it.
Sometimes we know God is working by the fruit - the testimonies and baptisms of those who come to know Jesus for the first time. Other times, we know God is working when we see the response to the Treasure (audio Bible) from those who feel threatened by it.
Recently, we sent some Treasures into an area of Central Africa for our indigenous partner on the ground to distribute in nearby Muslim villages. We cannot disclose the specific area for safety reasons, but this particular people group is 100% Muslim and persecutes Christians regularly. Our partner shared with us the dangers of distributing Treasures there, but also shared of their passion for bringing the gospel to this unreached area.
Shortly thereafter, our indigenous leader sent us an urgent request for prayer for his network of missionaries. He shared a video that was circulating amongst Muslim Imams (leaders) and it featured the Treasure playing. The video warned the Muslim leaders of the impact the Treasure is having in their communities!
The Muslim man speaking in the video warns that the Treasure is “dangerous because it impacts the heart language” of the people.
Our partner shares that the message of the Treasure is impactful because it is in the heart language (native language) of the people and Islam promotes only Arabic.
The video promises that the Muslim community will identify those who are recording “those Christian things” in their language and then warns that those distributing them will be punished, beaten or even killed. He also tells them not to allow their children to attend “those Christian schools” that our partner is setting up.
This area in Central Africa boasts over 2 million people and virtually 100% are Muslim. Seventy percent of them are nomadic without access to the gospel or formal education. One way of gaining access, which education and provide veterinary care for their animals.
Given the open hostility to the Gospel - under literal threat of death - we are working to reach this group through a school on wheels program. A vehicle will be equipped with educational materials to teach the children as well as basic veterinary medicine to provide care for their animals. As herdsmen, their animals are their primary asset and care of them is of utmost concern. The people will also continue to be provided with Treasures in their native language so they can listen as families and groups. We have found that a single Treasure can impact up to 144 people.
Imagine the impact that the Good News can have amongst these people!
Many in this area have grown hostile to the outside world and society because they haven’t received education or aid. This project will help model peace and hope to the people from a young age. They will be able to know Christ through this project as the gospel will be preached.
Please join us in prayer. Our international partner in this area asked us to pray for these needs:
- Pray for his network of missionaries on the ground who are distributing the Treasures - that God will preserve and protect them.
- Pray for the message of salvation and that God will open the hearts of this precious group of people.
- Pray for God to provide, protect, and give wisdom to those serving in this area.
Faithfully,
Greg Kelley CEO
I love our staff at Unknown Nations and know you’d enjoy sitting in on our weekly meetings every Wednesday morning to experience it for yourself. There are about 15 of us when we can all attend. Some join from their remote locations across the country as we share testimonies, pray and discuss future vision together! Some of the unseen participants include over 1,000 indigenous missionaries who daily carry out the vision of Unknown Nations in places like Cambodia, Eritrea and Sri Lanka. The other is YOU!
I love our staff at Unknown Nations and know you’d enjoy sitting in on our weekly meetings every Wednesday morning to experience it for yourself. There are about 15 of us when we can all attend. Some join from their remote locations across the country as we share testimonies, pray and discuss future vision together! Some of the unseen participants include over 1,000 indigenous missionaries who daily carry out the vision of Unknown Nations in places like Cambodia, Eritrea and Sri Lanka. The other is YOU!
A Record Setting Year
It would have been impossible to achieve the record setting number of Treasure distributions over these past 12 months without you! Can you believe that more than 150 Treasures were sent every day over the past year?! That amounts to 21,000 people hearing about Jesus for the first time every single day someplace in the unreached world.
Our tagline – ‘Where no one else has gone’ – is a deep burden among the entire Unknown Nations family. We share the same urgency that Paul sensed when he declared his personal mission statement in Romans 15:20,
My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else.
As we begin another fiscal year at Unknown Nations, we celebrate the lives that have been impacted for eternity while fixing our eyes on the task that remains. You see, Christianity is growing faster in Africa than any other place in the world, yet 15 countries on that continent still have fewer than 1% who know Jesus. This remarkable contrast shows why we must utilize available data to guide our mission investment. I’m very certain that Paul would not have randomly approached the African mission field. He would have discovered where a missionary had been prior to his arrival and literally gone someplace else! Are we prepared to make those difficult decisions?
The Gospel Is The Only Solution
Our local leader in the Horn of Africa recently told us of his encounter with a military general in the war torn country of South Sudan. This place has been devastated by civil war and conflict for over 25 years. Their infrastructure is destroyed. It is very difficult to raise leaders and disciple the next generation. When more than 2 million people lose their lives and countless more are displaced, it puts a premium on creative discipleship efforts. The leader told our partner that the “only solution for the crises in his country is the Word of God.” He explained how many of his soldiers have been listening to the Treasures and that thousands of additional units were urgently needed!
We embrace these environments and opportunities because we agree that the only solution is a radical change of heart! For people living in the unreached world, chaos, uncertainty, and despair are the common themes. We refuse to allow those conditions to remain and are determined to get thousands of Treasures into their precious hands. Together we will become the generation to fulfill the Great Commission.
As we passionately follow Jesus’ last four words to the “Ends of the Earth” (Acts 1:8) we’re being strategic about ministry focus and resources. India is roughly one-third the size of the United States and has the second largest global population with 1.4 billion people. In terms of strategy, India houses 41% of the world’s unreached population and has 4 times more unreached people groups than any other country in the world (Joshua Project stats). Unknown Nations partners with four indigenous leaders in India. This update recently came in about a man we’ll call “Ajay” (pictured on the right).
As we passionately follow Jesus’ last four words to the “Ends of the Earth” (Acts 1:8) we’re being strategic about ministry focus and resources. India is roughly one-third the size of the United States and has the second largest global population with 1.4 billion people. In terms of strategy, India houses 41% of the world’s unreached population and has 4 times more unreached people groups than any other country in the world (Joshua Project stats). Unknown Nations partners with four indigenous leaders in India. This update recently came in about a man we’ll call “Ajay” (pictured on the right).
Ajay found Isa (Jesus in Urdu Language) by hearing the message from an audio Bible and led four of his friends to Isa Masih (Jesus Christ). Ajay comes from a village where Unknown Nations put in a well last September, providing drinking water to 60 families. He comes to the house church regularly, and has the desire to serve God, by sharing the Gospel with the villagers. - UN Partner
Our leaders are keenly aware that some of the greatest barriers hindering the Gospel are physical hardships within unreached communities. Through humanitarian outreach, like drilling a well in Ajay’s village, opportunities are created to share the gospel message through the Treasure.
Thank you for sharing the hope of Jesus!
God Bless,
Greg Kelley, CEO
If you’re like me, there are usually multiple Bibles nearby. I could easily get out of my chair and go pick one up. I’ve never had to think about what I would do if accessing God’s word meant more than walking a few feet to find the version I wanted. Even if I couldn’t find a Bible, I could open up my Bible app, turn on the TV or YouTube and hear someone preaching the Gospel.
If you’re like me, there are usually multiple Bibles nearby. I could easily get out of my chair and go pick one up. I’ve never had to think about what I would do if accessing God’s word meant more than walking a few feet to find the version I wanted. Even if I couldn’t find a Bible, I could open up my Bible app, turn on the TV or YouTube and hear someone preaching the Gospel.
What if you couldn’t do any of these things?
What if you had heard the gospel, felt God’s love, had given your life to Him, and wanted to learn more. You wanted to share the love of Christ with others, but all you knew was what you were told when you first came to Jesus. Then … how far would you walk?
I found the answer to this question a few months ago in a desert valley.
I’m so honored and humbled to have recently joined the Unknown Nations team. I’ve had the privilege of knowing Unknown Nations’ CEO, Greg Kelley, for almost 20 years and have grown to love the ministry as well. However, it wasn’t until a recent trip to Kenya that I truly gained a deeper understanding of what the ministry is all about.
In Kenya, I met some of the amazing indigenous leaders that are the heart and soul of Unknown Nations. I met John, a “third-generation disciple-maker.” He’s a member of the Pokot people, pastors a local church, and is training the next generation of leaders to take the gospel to unreached people in a nearby valley. I will never forget what he shared with us, he got tears in his eyes and said, “Other people [in a neighboring valley] ... they are without Christ. There is no need of us staying here when there are people dying without Christ there. No, we have to reach them. That's what's compelling me to go."
Together we visited a site where Unknown Nations will soon be drilling a well … a life changing event for people who walk for hours every day to get water. It is also a strategic location to bring together local tribes. We prayed and dedicated the site and Greg challenged John, and a few other local believers, to continue sharing not only the water that would come from the well to satisfy an earthly thirst, but also the living water of Jesus that would give eternal life.
That’s when I found the answer to my question.
When we opened our eyes after praying we noticed some young women had joined our group, one carrying a baby. The local leader talked to them and learned that they had walked from the other side of the hills, that were miles away, because they heard that there MIGHT be someone there who could give them God’s Word. Thankfully our team had come prepared to distribute audio Bibles. I can still see the joy that spread across the face of a young mother as she held this new treasure in her hands and started listening to the Bible in her own language.
Now she can grow in her faith. Now she can share the good news with others in her village. Now we are one step closer to seeing the fulfillment of Jesus’ last words to take His word “to the ends of the earth.
One of our partners has called the Treasure a Footless Missionary. These recent stories from the Rohingya refugee camp have proven that to be true!
This camp is one of the largest in the world and is home to over one million refugees, nearly all adhering to a radical Islamic belief system. Through a series of events, two Treasures have found their way to the farthest ends of the camp and are now making an eternal impact.
One of our partners has called the Treasure a Footless Missionary. These recent stories from the Rohingya refugee camp have proven that to be true!
This camp is one of the largest in the world and is home to over one million refugees, nearly all adhering to a radical Islamic belief system. Through a series of events, two Treasures have found their way to the farthest ends of the camp and are now making an eternal impact.
One Treasure made it’s way into the hands of some Muslim women who gathered around and listened to the audio Bible. A passerby observed their group and challenged them, he asked what they were listening to and why. The women became nervous, and to avoid trouble, found a more private location in a dark room (cover photo). They couldn’t stop listening and needed to know more about what was being spoken.
A second Treasure was given to a Muslim man who was invited to join a Bible study group at our Shiloh Training Center. This man has taken his Treasure to another end of the camp and has now started three listening groups!
Our partner visits the refugee camp on a bi-weekly basis to meet up with these groups and answer their many questions. Although these new listeners have yet to officially accept Christ, many are very hungry to know more! As new leaders are raised up inside the camp, our efforts will be multiplied as disciples become disciple makers.
Thank you for sharing the hope of Jesus!
God Bless,
Greg Kelley, CEO
Our partner shared with us a story about a woman who encountered a Treasure audio Bible at her friend’s house. She heard the Treasure teaching the Word of God and singing beautiful Christian songs in Turkana (her native language). She fell in love with the audio Bible and wanted one of her own.
Our partner shared with us a story about a woman who encountered a Treasure audio Bible at her friend’s house. She heard the Treasure teaching the Word of God and singing beautiful Christian songs in Turkana (her native language). She fell in love with the audio Bible and wanted one of her own.
Someone told this woman about a lady and man who would come to the village and give out Treasures. Out of her determination, she learned which vehicle our partner was driving and started timing the car to find out when they would visit.
One day, as they drove into the village, this woman appeared out of nowhere to meet our partner. When they started asking her questions to figure out who she was and what she needed, the woman answered, “I don’t have money problems. I don’t have food problems. I need a Treasure.” She then shared her story and her strong desire to have her own audio Bible.
Our partner told us, “People are coming from all over to ask for [the] Treasure.” As a general rule, leaders are identified and given Treasures first - village chiefs, pastors, teachers - those who will have the capacity to maximize impact and gather people together to listen and learn.
When our partners saw this woman’s hunger for the truth, they found a way to give her a Treasure of her very own. This is such a precious gift of immense value to a heart that is searching after the Word of God. Please pray with us that this woman will be raised up as a great leader in her community!
Thank you for sharing the hope of Jesus!
God Bless,
Greg Kelley, CEO
Have you seen the news coming out of Nigeria these past few months? Reports of Christian villages being attacked, kidnappings, and gruesome murders fill the headlines! How is this possible in the most populated Christian country in Africa? As a follower of Jesus, we need to understand and determine what we can do to help.
Have you seen the news coming out of Nigeria these past few months? Reports of Christian villages being attacked, kidnappings, and gruesome murders fill the headlines! How is this possible in the most populated Christian country in Africa? As a follower of Jesus, we need to understand and determine what we can do to help.
While Nigeria boasts over 100 million Christian believers, they are mostly located in the southern half of the country. Very few Christians live in northern Nigeria where radical groups such as Boko Haram operate freely. Throughout Nigeria, the Muslim majority political system has much influence and control.
This Muslim political system is trained to look the other way when persecutions and atrocities against Christians occur.
The system is weak and complacent, tolerating the appalling behavior of Boko Haram and other radical groups. Recently, a college student was stoned, beaten and burnt to death after being accused of “making a social media post that blasphemed ... Prophet Muhammad.” Muslim leaders have been slow to condemn the attack, an all too familiar reaction, and people are growing frustrated!
Our leaders on the ground tell me that Christians are taking a back seat. For generations, they have avoided involvement in politics and business, leading to a void of influence in those spheres. The minority radical groups have laid siege to the country, creating a highly volatile environment. It’s time for believers everywhere to pray into this situation! The only source of true love and peace in Nigeria is the Gospel.
- Pray for Christians to step into areas of influence in business and politics.
- Pray for protection for Christians, living in the predominant Muslim North, who are vulnerable and continuously being targeted.
- Pray for Christians in the South to have a ‘missionary spirit’ to take the Gospel into the dark corners of Islamic strongholds.
Faithfully,
Greg Kelley CEO
Our Director of Ministry in Bangladesh shared an exciting update with us last week - The Gospel has gone into a completely unreached area of the Hill Tracts, a portion of the country that borders Myanmar and India. With a population of over 163 million people in Bangladesh, it’s estimated that 99% have yet to hear the name of Jesus.
Our Director of Ministry in Bangladesh shared an exciting update with us last week - The Gospel has gone into a completely unreached area of the Hill Tracts, a portion of the country that borders Myanmar and India. With a population of over 163 million people in Bangladesh, it’s estimated that 99% have yet to hear the name of Jesus.
“Our Treasures have reached out to another remote destination in the hills of Bangladesh where over 100 families (est. 500 people) of the Marma Tribe live. Please pray for those who formed listening groups and the many who are already professing that Jesus is Lord of all.”
—Unknown Nations International Partner
We were thrilled to hear that in just this last month four new listening groups have formed! Families and groups of 5-20 villagers are gathering around the Treasure on a daily basis to listen to the Word of God.
For these people, it is their first time ever having access to the gospel. The Good News is truly spreading like wildfire!
Your support is making an impact in spreading the good news to ALL Nations!
I recently returned home from Pakistan after visiting many communities without any form of a gospel witness. In 24 years of ministry, it was one of the most impactful and eye-opening international trips I’ve ever experienced. This is the 2nd most populated Muslim country in the world, having a strong presence of extremism, along with an abundance of Christian persecution. Yet, we met many Muslims who came to Christ simply by listening to the Treasure and Messenger audio Bibles!
I recently returned home from Pakistan after visiting many communities without any form of a gospel witness. In 24 years of ministry, it was one of the most impactful and eye-opening international trips I’ve ever experienced. This is the 2nd most populated Muslim country in the world, having a strong presence of extremism, along with an abundance of Christian persecution. Yet, we met many Muslims who came to Christ simply by listening to the Treasure and Messenger audio Bibles!
We also had the opportunity to visit the refugee camps filled with thousands of Afghans fleeing the horrors of the Taliban.
Rescuing these precious people has required involvement from many people. Brave Pakistani leaders risked their lives to pass rugged terrain, Taliban check points, and newly planted landmines. And they did this all to bring people to freedom!
Meeting these frightened refugees and courageous rescuers was an indescribable privilege.
The part of the trip that shocked me the most was when we met hundreds of modern day slaves. I was naïve to the reality of 4.5 million people living in hellish conditions, treated like animals while being forced to work 13 hours every single day. These are slaves!!
One of the staples of the economy of Pakistan are brick kilns. Some 15,000 cover the landscape in every direction and their labor is made up entirely of these slaves. Muslim business owners prey upon vulnerable people in neighboring communities and seek to cover some kind of medical expense or debt that requires a loan. Once the business owner pays these bills, the individual, and in many cases, the family, become that owner’s slave. Among the hundreds we met, there was only one story of a person who was able to obtain their freedom!
When quotas of making bricks are not achieved, these slaves are punished. Food is withheld, women are sexually abused, children are beaten, and further financial obligation is added to their growing debt. To make matters even worse, most of these slaves have never heard the gospel message!
Our team was able to visit several brick kilns and speak with the slaves. Owners agreed only after we paid for 24-hours of their freedom. As we shared about true freedom, the response was overwhelming!
- One woman who was forced by her owner to have 3 different abortions told us how God gave her the strength to forgive her master. Days earlier she was thinking of ways to kill this man who took her child on 3 occasions. Now, she is free from that bondage!
- Another man had vicious abdominal pain for several months. Bending over to make bricks had become impossible. As he heard the Gospel for the first time, the Lord healed his heart and his stomach simultaneously. He is free from pain and his heart is filled with joy.
- One elderly couple who had been enslaved for 10 years begged for release from their captive. The owner regularly beats them because he finds their production to be unacceptable. They literally begged me for freedom! As much as I wanted to fix their temporary physical situation, I found comfort in knowing they also decided to follow Jesus and would be growing daily by listening to their new tool – the Treasure!
Although being tormented daily, they can find rest and peace in their relationship with Jesus. Our partners on the ground are providing immediate food and medicine for these slaves, while also sharing the message of hope that sets them free!
Together in the Harvest,
Greg Kelley, CEO
Thanks for helping make 2021 the most impactful year in the 27 year history of Unknown Nations! More solar powered audio Bibles, micro sd cards and Jesus Film projectors have been sent in 2021 than any other year. That means millions of people (more than 7 million to be accurate) heard about Christ for the first time in their lives because of what we did together! That truly is amazing but when you realize the condition of the world in which we live, it makes it all the more rewarding.
Thanks for helping make 2021 the most impactful year in the 27 year history of Unknown Nations! More solar powered audio Bibles, micro sd cards and Jesus Film projectors have been sent in 2021 than any other year. That means millions of people (more than 7 million to be accurate) heard about Christ for the first time in their lives because of what we did together! That truly is amazing but when you realize the condition of the world in which we live, it makes it all the more rewarding.
God has called our organization to the hardest areas of the world, places where Jesus is unknown and where hostilities to the gospel are intense. We minister in places like Bangui, Central Africa Republic, where in February 2021, rebel groups laid siege to this capital city and choked off the community (and political leaders) from any outside assistance. Those who attempted to flee were kidnapped or killed. But you and I were there together! We helped the innocent who were displaced with urgently needed humanitarian supplies and most importantly, the precious Word of God. Remarkably, those who were victims were eager to share those Bibles with their attackers!
Other African nations were not spared turmoil. In fact, according to a 2021 index that monitors fragile states, 15 of the top 20 are from the precious African continent. Places like Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia are all on that dreadful list. Several of these countries experienced a military coup to compound matters! Chad, Mali, Guinea and Sudan all went through the horrors of government takeovers in 2021. All of this instability is crushing to new democracies and the cause of unspeakable humanitarian crisis. But friend, you were in all of these places in 2021 proclaiming the goodness of the gospel message.
It is during times of crisis that hearts are most open to the gospel. We have experienced that for over 25 years, which is why we lean in to the places where the circumstances seem the most bleak.
- Places where refugees are struggling for survival in inhumane camps
- Places where war has separated families and destroyed communities
- Places where violent persecution has destroyed churches and imprisoned believers
Over the next several weeks we must go to some specific places…….where no one else has gone. Afghan refugees are flooding into make-shift camps in Pakistan. As winter arrives these precious people who have escaped the horrors of Afghanistan will struggle for survival. They need blankets, daily food rations and most importantly……the Word of God.
We just received a report that over 200 Afghans have received Christ from listening to our audio Bibles!
Rohingya refugees who make up the largest refugee camp in the world are equally struggling in Bangladesh. The Burmese military who unmercifully tormented them in Myanmar have pushed them to a place where no human being was intended to live. These camps are filled with sick families and are preyed upon by gangs seeking to traffick young girls and recruit young men to rebel forces and drug running. Life is difficult and no one is prioritizing them for the sake of the Gospel. The Rohingya and Afghans are people groups that are more than 99% Muslim. Now their hearts are open to the Good News. May we go there with boldness!
Our group of international leaders are overseeing 4 underground churches in these camps. They listen to the Word of God every day and share their faith with other refugees.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free. Luke 4:18
Together in the Harvest,
Greg Kelly, CEO
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