We plan to be in the capital of Chad for about a month while we work on obtaining long term visas. So, we have already gotten to know the missionary community a bit and, having been here a week, feel like we know what our lives will look like for the next month while living in N’Djamena. When we get to Abeche, things will probably be quite a bit different because our housing will be more kid-friendly.
Sunday, we alternate places to go to church: on the SIL compound or at the home of a couple who works for the State Department (Sunday will be our first time to go to this home). At the SIL compound, we meet with other evangelical missionaries in the capital. Isaac stays with us during the song time and then his age is dismissed to a shady tree for Sunday School. Judah takes his nap on Josh or me and then I take him to play on a mat with other toddlers underneath another shade tree. I try to have a meal prepared before church so we can eat as soon as we get home.
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, Christine, a local believer, comes to help me with the housekeeping chores. I realized today that I for sure could not make it without a house helper, and Christine is great. She brought produce from the market around 9am. I cleaned the produce (soak it all in water and add a little bit of bleach for several minutes), worked on lunch, prepped diapers for her to wash, helped Josh figure out how to save our meat in our Yeti cooler (since our power is limited, the fridge/freezer is not able to fully do it’s job), in addition to taking care of the boys with Josh. While I did those tasks, Christine washed our clothes and Judah’s cloth diapers by hand, which saved me basically an afternoon of work so that I could be with the boys.
In the mornings, we like to take a family walk if we can before it gets too hot. Then we play on the back porch, which is the coolest place in the house in the morning. Our compound has no place for the boys to run around, so we are trying to be creative – taking walks, visitng other missionary compounds to play, going to the grocery store, etc. Sometimes Josh has errands to run, like working on visas or finding internet, etc. So, I stay home with the boys and then we have lunch together as a family. After rest time/nap time in the afternoon, we either go for a walk in the neighborhood, go visit friends who live here in the capital, or, hopefully soon, visit one of the nice hotels for a swim.
Tuesday afternoons, several missionary ladies meet for Bible study, so I attended my first one yesterday. It was nice to visit and pray with other women in the same place I am. I was encouraged by how settled they all seemed, whether they have been here a year or 15 years. While I attend the study, Josh plays with the boys on the SIL compound where there is a trampoline and a playground and lots of space to run and play.
When we arrived almost a week ago, I couldn’t see past the next day. Now as we are settling into a routine here, I still can’t see much past tomorrow, but I feel a lot more confident about functioning here as a family. God has been good to us. This is one more waiting place until we get to what we can hopefully call “home” for a while, but in this in-between time, we are thanking God for His faithfulness to us and His provision for all of our needs in such a new place!
When we set out on this “adventure” to take the gospel to the unreached, Josh and I knew we couldn’t not go. We felt compelled to go, but I didn’t feel quite as compelled to leave what had become comfortable to me. My life over the last 4 ½ years as we have worked towards moving our family overseas started out as a lot of little “no’s,” each one slowly, in God’s grace and time, replaced by one big “Yes.” As we prepare to leave, I want to share this part of my story with you, not to highlight my great faith, because as you will soon see, being a missionary doesn’t make me immune to the common struggles of faith. Instead, I want to shine light on God’s faithfulness to me and my family even in times when I was not faithfully loving and trusting Him.
We started by praying for different “priority” people groups – those who were the focus of our sending organization. They were mostly located in Sudan and Chad. “Lord,” I prayed, “I am willing to go where you want, but I cannot go to Chad or Sudan. That is TOO hard. Too rough of an environment. I can’t do it.” (Are you laughing yet?!) Over time, we realized that our heart was burdened for those with the least access to the gospel, and we could not deny that this is where they were located. What choice was left but to say, “Yes” to Sudan and Chad?
Then, I became a mother. “Lord,” I said for the first seven months of Isaac’s life, “I cannot do this!” Motherhood was a hard transition for me, showing me a lot of selfishness and impatience and weakness in myself. I couldn’t imagine being responsible for my children in as hard a place as Sudan or Chad. Over time, and with a little more sleep, God showed me that He would be my strength and encouraged me as I met other families living and thriving with young children in hard places. Through God’s patience and grace towards me, this “no” became a “yes.”
But, Josh had a good job. We were comfortable. I enjoyed our house, our comfortable furniture, our king size bed. (I still miss those things!) I didn’t want to give them up. But at some point in all the preparations, God convicted me that even Jesus, the One whom I claimed to follow, had no place to lay his head. How could I be as prideful and self-centered as to think I deserved these comforts when my Lord gave up Heaven, life and comfort for sinners like me! Am I his follower now? If so, I must be willing to give up a few earthly comforts for His name sake. Convicted again. The no turned into a yes.
Fast forward to our time in France. I spent the first five months of our time there struggling through how I was going to be a mother and a missionary. I, along with other missionary moms at our school, found that I was struggling against the desire to stay comfortable and avoid the unknowns of life in Africa. I finally agreed that I was willing to live joyfully in Chad, but only in the capital. There was a need there anyways: someone needed to welcome the new teams coming to the country and I think I am a pretty hospitable person! Josh’s mentor did not encourage this idea and instead, he was pushing for us to consider moving out to where the “lost” are. “Easy for him to say!” – was my response. “Doesn’t he realize how hard it would be to go out there with no teammates?!” Josh decided to take a trip out to the eastern part of the country, and two sweet ladies from Texas came to encourage me and help me the week while he was gone. For me, it was a testimony to the Lord’s love and care for me even in the small things. For Josh, he got a clearer vision of the need in eastern Chad and came back with just the confidence I needed to ensure we could in fact live as a family even in such a remote “black hole” as eastern Chad. He met families with young children in the town who were doing well, and I began to have a peace and even excitement about moving there with purpose. In God’s providence, around the time Josh left for his trip, we met two other families at our school in France who are going to the exact same town as us. Over the next 6 months, we were able to cultivate those relationships and our children became good friends. We look back in thankfulness for the ways God showed us He is with us, and we forward with anticipation to what God has in store.
So, I have learned a lesson over the past few years of preparation: never tell God no! Or, if you do, don’t be surprised if He eventually leads you where you were too afraid to go. And, in the process, He will turn your “no” into a willful, voluntary “yes” for His glory and the furthering of His kingdom. I wish I could say that I have learned this lesson. I wish I could predict that from now on my answer will always be “yes” to the Lord. There will certainly be more challenges that lie ahead, and based on my track record, I am likely to have a few more battles with what God calls me to do in the future. However, I know that He will give me the grace needed to follow Him, all the while patiently and faithfully loving me, proving that He is the provider and sustainer of my life and the One who has called our family to the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5). May all our little answers add up to one life that says “Yes” to the Lord and may He be glorified even in our weakness.
We are approaching the end of our whirlwind trip to the States and we have less than two weeks before we will be moving to Chad. We’ve spent hours packing and repacking (and sometimes repacking). We’ve driven over 3,000 miles to visit family, friends and supporters. We’ve spent hours in doctors offices getting checkups, shots, prescription refills, and Judah even had a cavity filled (I know, already!?). We’ve seen God’s faithfulness demonstrated over and over again, and we finish our time here with heavy hearts but also high hopes. Emotions are all over the map as we say goodbyes, make final preparations, and collapse at the end of the day in prayer that God would help our children adjust well and that our marriage would thrive despite the immense pressures of daily life in Chad.
I am overwhelmed by an acute sense of my weaknesses and limitations. I’m not competent to complete this task. I like to sleep in a house cooled to about 68-70 degrees, not lay there sweating under a mosquito net hoping for a drop into the 80s. I love Mexican food. I prefer thick green grass to rocks and dirt. I’m not even that good at sharing my faith. Sometimes I struggle for the right words; sometimes I am too self-absorbed to even notice the needs and opportunities around me. I sweat. A lot. Am I crazy?
Maybe, but one thing that’s settled in my mind is that there’s nothing else I’d rather do than move to Africa to bring the Great News to those who certainly could use some. Millions in Chad exist among ethnic groups with NO ONE to preach to them the most amazing message in the history of the universe. And with my eternity secure in the hands of the One who spoke the world into existence, what do I have to lose? A little comfort? This illusion we call “safety”? If we believe in the absolute Sovereignty of God, then we must also believe that the American suburbanite is no safer than the missionary in the most dangerous field. What did the Apostle Paul mean by “filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions” in Colossians 1?
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
It seems to me that Paul is saying that through his own suffering he testifies to the One who suffered for us, proclaiming His greatness by Paul’s willingness to joyfully endure suffering for the sake of the church and those who would be added to it. Oh that we would view danger, risk, and suffering in the same way Paul did!
So here we go – by faith in the one who is made strong in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:8-10).
In the words of John Patton:
Among many who sought to deter me, was one dear old Christian gentleman, whose crowning argument always was, “The cannibals! you will be eaten by cannibals!” At last I replied, “Mr. Dickson, you are advanced in years now, and your own prospect is soon to be laid in the grave, there to be eaten by worms; I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving and honoring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by cannibals or by worms.
soli Deo gloria
I was leaving church today, chasing after my two boys who were heading to the car. Josh had left earlier to catch his flight to Colorado where he is spending a week learning about solar power and other practical skills for our life in Chad.
As I neared the door of the church, a lady appeared seemingly out of nowhere. “Are you the family who is moving to Chad?” she asked. “Yes ma’am,” I replied, and quickly excused myself to pull Isaac back in the door before he ran into the parking lot alone. The lady continued with tears filling her eyes and the sweetest expression on her face. “I have something for you. I am visiting here today and heard your story, how you are raising money for a vehicle.” She opened my hand and started to place something in it. “I don’t know how much this is worth,” she continued, “but I want you to have it.” I was at a loss for words and slightly confused. I couldn’t yet feel what she was placing in my hand until several moments later. It was a ring. I thanked her profusely and asked her if she would please give me her contact information so I could thank her properly. She declined, then turned and walked away with a smile on her face, but tears still in her eyes.
After I got the boys to the car, I took a look at the 14 carat gold ring. It has seven diamonds around the top. I couldn’t believe it. Like this lady, I have no idea the monetary value of the ring, but surely there is an added sentimental value as well. I imagine, as with most pieces of jewelry, there is some story attached to this ring. It’s a mystery to me what it might be, and I guess it doesn’t matter that much. But this lady’s generosity today served as a beautiful lesson and challenge to me.
The challenge is this: how easily and joyfully this lady parted with a seemingly treasured possession. She knows how to hold earthly things loosely and store treasures in Heaven. Sometimes people think that Josh and I have learned this lesson, since we’ve given up our home and many of our possessions in order to move to Africa, but it doesn’t mean it’s been easy for us to give them all up. We still miss our comfy furniture, our dog, our screened-patio and nice yard, etc. etc. Sometimes I have been less than joyful in the process of “giving up” my possessions for this move. This woman’s actions today challenge me to be willing to joyfully part with those possessions to which my heart might be most attached.
Next, I can’t help but feel blessed as I think of my encounter with this woman. God reminds me that He loves me and He is the provider of all our needs. Many people wonder how we can go to the mission field by raising our own support. “I couldn’t do it if I had to raise my own support,” many have said. In response, I say it has been an immense joy and blessing to share in this ministry personally with many of you! We have been so encouraged to know that other people and families are sacrificing in different ways so that the gospel of Jesus may go forth to dark, unreached places. It reminds us that we are not doing this alone and it is not “our” work. It is the Lord’s work and He allows us all to play different parts. We couldn’t do this, take the gospel to those who have not heard, if it weren’t for people like you who are “holding the ropes” for us through prayer, encouragement, and financial support.
I thank the Lord, tonight, for the sometimes strange and mysterious ways in which He works in order to remind us of His goodness and faithfulness.
(a picture of the ring will come asap!)
When we first arrived in France, I wrote about the struggle I had with Isaac and Judah’s transition to another country and especially to full-time nursery care while I was in class. Lots of tears were shed, and questions were asked of whether or not it was the right decision to keep them in nursery. Was it worth it? After much prayer and discussion with others here, God convicted me of a lack of faith in His goodness for even my precious children. I love them so much, but God reminded me that He created them and He loves them even more than me. Surely, He would provide for them, comfort them, and take care of them. I was convicted that if God has called Josh and me to this life, then He has called our entire family to this life. And, just as He is able to sustain us during the times of goodbyes and transition, He is strong enough, wise enough, and loving enough to sustain my boys as well.
Sure enough, the boys made friends easily, took good naps in the nursery (better than at home, actually!), now look forward to seeing their friends every day, and are living life fully here in France.
But today, we are looking face-on to another time of transition. This one even bigger than the last. First, we must say goodbye to our beloved friends here in France, who have become like family to us, and especially to Isaac. Then we will spend some time in America, which is no longer “home” for Isaac. (Just ask him!) The time in the States will be a blur of travelling and preparing for our next move. More goodbyes. Then a big flight across the ocean to a country that is different from anything Isaac and Judah have ever seen before. At least France sort of looked like America – paved roads, grocery stores, modern cars, women dressed in Western clothes, etc.
How am I supposed to help my children process all the transition that is upon us? How will Isaac feel when he wakes to the call to prayer, eerily sounding, “Allaaaaah Akbaaar!!” in the still darkness of 4am? How will he feel seeing women with their heads covered? How will it feel to not understand what people are saying to him? How do I explain the poverty? The different foods he will eat? Yes, there are many exciting things to look forward to our move to Africa. Too many to list here. But, in honesty, I can’t pretend that I don’t struggle with a sense of anxiety at moments about what the transition will be like for our family.
Don’t get me wrong, if this year in France has done anything at all for us, it is that we are more confident than ever that we are supposed to go to Chad. The peace that the Lord has given us about our calling has grown exponentially during our time here, and for that we are grateful. It’s funny, though, how the lesson I had to learn at the beginning of my time in France is a lesson I am now having to learn again – in an even greater sense. This time, though, I can look back on how faithful God has been to us this past year!
All the time I spend searching my Bible for comforting verses or online for books, videos, maps, songs, art projects, anything that could help Isaac understand His place in this world and that could prepare Him for such a strange, exciting, challenging adventure can be helpful. However, it can also be my feeble attempts to take the reins and gain some sort of control of the situation – like something I can do will be the secret key to keeping Isaac and Judah from having meltdowns, disobeying, dealing with fear, etc. It can be overwhelming.
Until I remember that same God who sustained us and blessed us with abundant grace during our time in France will do exceedingly abundantly more sustaining and blessing than I could ever imagine as we transition from France to America and ultimately to Chad. So, I confess my unbelief. I am at the end of my time in France asking God many of the same requests I asked Him in those early days: “Give me faith to trust you with my children. Give me peace that they will flourish in a new environment. Give me wisdom to know how to help them process the changes ahead.” Thank you, God that your mercies are never ending and that just as you have always been faithful, you will remain faithful for all time.
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4
“I cry aloud to God, aloud to God and he will hear me. In the day of my trouble, I seek the Lord.” Psalm 77:1-2
“Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his, we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” Psalm 100: 3
“I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121: 1-2
“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from our presence?” Psalm 139:7
Prayers for our ministry:
Open Doors and Boldness in Witness – Pray that God would provide us many opportunities to share the gospel boldly, unashamedly, and with joy to our neighbors in eastern Chad, so that His word may be spread and glorified.
Protection – Pray that we will be protected against the schemes of Satan as we take Light into dark places. Ask God to protect us physically from harm while travelling and from serious illness.
Persons of Peace – Ask God to provide “people of peace” (Luke 10:6) who allow us access into their homes, neighborhoods, and villages in order to reach many people with the gospel. Pray that the life-changing news of the gospel would go beyond just our immediate contacts. Pray that those people would in turn share the stories and truths we tell them to their family, friends, and neighbors so that many have to opportunity to hear and respond to the message of the gospel.
God’s Guidance – Pray for God to give us immeasurable wisdom and discernment as we make decisions, both large and small. From knowing who might be truly seeking Christ to who may only be seeking the material benefits we can offer to which people group and villages on which to focus our time and energy. Pray that God will provide us words that communicate effectively in the culture and language(s) in which we will be ministering.
Language Acquisition – As you know, we spent close to a year learning French in order to conduct governmental business in Chad. Next, we need to learn Chadian Arabic, the trade language of most of the population. Down the road, we will also focus on a tribal language in order to share the gospel with people in their “heart language.” It takes a lot of time, energy, and dedication to learn a language and we recognize that it is the grace of God who has blessed us with minds to be able to put together the pieces of the language puzzle. Pray that God would give us clear minds and good memories as we have much farther to go in the realm of language learning!
Financial Needs – Pray that God would continue to use his Church to faithfully support our ministry financially so that we can stay on the field, doing His work.
Teammates – Ask God to provide like-minded teammates, both singles and families, who can work alongside us with a common vision. Pray for us to have wisdom as we choose teammates.
Pray that God would use our ministry to mobilize many others into missions.
Prayers for our personal and family needs:
Health – Living in Africa will undoubtedly include a share of sickness. Pray that we will be joyful under these trials when they come, that we can trust God’s goodness even when we feel horrible, and that God will keep us healthy and free from any serious illnesses that would prevent us from continuing in the ministry in Chad.
Children – Pray for our boys to recognize their need for a Savior, to be an effective witness to their friends in Chad, for God to show Himself faithful to them despite the constant transitions and goodbyes their life will hold, and for us as their parents to be loving, patient, and wise as we homeschool and seek to raise them to fear the Lord.
Marriage – Ask God to draw us closer to one another, to love and respect each other. Pray for God to use our marriage to point many in Chad to the relationship Christ has with His Bride, the Church.
Refreshment/Relationship with God -Pray that we will guard our time in prayer and the Word, making it a priority and knowing that it is our lifeline to thriving in ministry and life. Pray that God will provide opportunities for us to spend time with other believers and that He will provide times of peace and relaxation to refresh us.
Relationships with family in America – saying goodbye to our loved ones is never easy. Pray for us to maintain close relationships with relatives and that God would comfort our grieving hearts (and our parents).
Relationships with our supporters –Pray for us to know how to communicate effectively to you what God is doing in Chad, what the needs are, how you can be involved. Thank God for your part in this ministry! We pray that your heart will be encouraged and challenged as you walk this road with us.
Some helpful resources on praying for missionaries:
https://www.wycliffe.org/prayer/why-pray-details/how-to-pray-for-missionaries
http://www.encompassworldpartners.org/prayer-news/30-ways-to-pray-for-missionaries
A few things we’ve learned in France –
- Don’t judge the cheese by the way it smells. Josh has tried many French cheeses, and while many smelled awful, once the molded rind is cut off, the cheese tastes nothing like it smells.
- How to be sick “well” – we have had numerous stomach viruses, colds, fevers, etc. and see it as great preparation for Africa. How to be joyful and keep a servant’s heart when you are dog sick is not easy, but has been a huge lesson for us this year!
- Enjoy the French bakeries while you have them. Chocolate bread. Fresh, warm baguettes. Fruit tarts. Éclairs. We can’t even pretend we are suffering here!
- Always watch where you are stepping – most people don’t clean up the sidewalks after their dog leaves “gifts.” In fact, Paris spends millions of dollars each year on “motocrottes” – motorcycles that suck up the doggy gifts at the end of each day. You can’t make this stuff up!
- Go ahead and get used to the weird business hours. Doctors take walk-ins from 8:30am till around noon. Then they break for a long afternoon rest and don’t open back up for appointments until 5:30pm. Grocery stores open around 8:30 and some will close for a few hours in the afternoon. The bigger ones are opened all day. A few are open on Sunday, but only in the morning. As you can see, we had a lot to memorize when we first moved here!
- Central heat isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. We enjoyed our first winter of no central heat. We have radiators that are heated by warm water and do a great job of keeping the apartment warm. We realized just how stuffy central heat in the States can feel and how much it dries out our sinuses. It feels a little old fashioned to use radiators, but we truly prefer it!
- Don’t say “bonjour” or even smile to people on the street. Being from the South, we have a hard time with this “rule.” It is ok to look or stare at people when you are passing them, but if you say “bonjour” they mostly just look at you unless they have lived away from France for a while. Even smiling at them seems awkward, because they rarely smile back. We truly cannot imagine how difficult ministry must be here. Going to Africa seems like a piece of cake – everyone greets you and wants to know why you are there. It is an open door to share about Jesus! Here, things are much different!
- Always be dressed as if you will be receiving visitors. We live in community here on campus and many times a day people are knocking on our door asking to borrow milk or sugar or asking Josh if he wants to play soccer, or if our kids can come play with some other kids. This, too, is great preparation for life in Africa – people will be knocking on our door day and night asking for help or just to visit. We might as well get used to it.
- Living in community is wonderful, but not Utopian! We enjoy the almost constant fellowship with other like-minded friends/classmates here. Our children have built-in entertainment at the sandbox every day. Everyone is willing to serve and help when a need arises. We are encouraged and challenged by Jesus-followers who are striving to please God with their lives. But, we also hear kids screaming all hours of the day and night, have to navigate play times outside with different styles of parenting, and we share a washer and dryer with the other families and hope that everyone follows the schedule. We are with the same people every single day – in class, after class, at church, on the weekends. That is just our reality. We will certainly miss our community when we leave!
- Enjoy the flowers! French towns have a grading scale depending on how many flowers they display in their town. We enjoy the different colors that change with the seasons and have never seen so many flowers in one place! Everywhere we go feels like the Botanical Gardens!
This is a post for those of you who have a heart for what God is doing but aren’t exactly sure how to be practically involved in addition to giving financially or praying for general requests that we send out (both of which are infinitely important!). We are ever grateful for all of you, and we truly consider you as our partners in this ministry. Our heart’s desire is for you to feel ownership along with us, not because of who we are, but because you share God’s heart with us to reach Muslims with the Gospel that has power to change lives of people, families, and cultures in Chad. So, we want to give you some useful suggestions of how you can be a good “sender” and in another blog post we’ll share with you some specific ways to pray on a more regular basis. Many of you are already doing some of these things and we have been blessed by your thoughtfulness and encouragement.
So first, here are some practical ways you can be a good sender. Do you have other suggestions? Please let us know or just surprise us!
- Don’t forget about us! Put reminders on your calendar or phone to pray for our family and for God’s work in the hearts of those we are working with.
- Send emails, Facebook messages, or handwritten letters to keep in touch and remind us of your prayers.
- Adopt a person who we are ministering to. Commit to interceding regularly for just one person who we mention in our updates. You can email us and ask for updates or how to pray more specifically for that person. We’ve had prayer partners do this in the past and it is not only an encouragement to us in the ministry, but truly makes a difference in the hearts and lives of the lost!
- Set up Skype times with us – we love seeing familiar faces and it makes us feel not so far away!
- Send a Christmas card, family photos, birth announcements, etc. We may be farther away, but mail is always, always appreciated!
- Have your children color pictures for our boys or write letters to them. Or commit to having a pen pal relationship with them!
- Think of ways to encourage our family members in America (especially our parents who miss their grandchildren) and let them know of your prayers. Send them a card, take time to talk to them about any struggles they may be having related to us living far away.
- When we come home on furlough in America, be willing to donate items or help us get set up for our time at home. Ask what we need and how you can help make the transition easier for our family and our boys. Talk to our boys, set up play dates with your children, show them you are interested in them, and that you pray for them. Ask them about their friends and their life overseas.
- Come visit us and get your hands dirty and your feet dusty sharing the gospel and serving our family and our community. We love visitors, especially if you’ll bring Goldfish for Isaac and Judah!
Over the course of the last year, we have shared the statistic with you that there are 18-20 unreached and unengaged people groups in Eastern Chad. But, what does this mean and why does it matter to our family? Why does it matter to you? We want to take some time over the next few weeks to answer this question in a helpful, but concise way. Our hope is that you will gain a better sense of how you can be involved in God’s Kingdom work in Eastern Chad – what part you can play in bringing the message, hope, and life-changing realities of the gospel to these people.
For starters, what does an “unengaged/unreached people group” even mean? Simply put, an unreached people group is an ethnic group with few or no followers of Christ. A people group is considered “unreached” when the number of Evangelical Christians is less than 2% of the population. This means the people group doesn’t have enough Christians to evangelize the rest of the population. Furthermore, a group is considered “unengaged” when there is no gospel witness among the people group. A people group in not engaged when it is simply the object of focused prayer or is part of an advocacy strategy.
So, how does this information affect your family and our family? We believe that the information above is unacceptable! What a tragedy to know that in 2000 years the church has made very little progress in pushing back the darkness in this part of Africa. Over a million people have yet to hear the good news of Jesus Christ! So, with God’s guidance, our goal is to take His life-giving message to a part of the world saturated with unreached/unengaged Muslim people groups. Our challenge to you is twofold.
First, we challenge you to ask God to burden your heart not just for these people, but for God’s glory to be made known in these hard places.
May He grow in all of us a heart to pray for His word to go forth and transform lives.
Second, we challenge you to ask God not only if he is calling you to GO, but that he would make you WILLING to go the unreached/unengaged peoples of the world.
Over the next few weeks, we plan to highlight a few of the people groups in Eastern Chad who are waiting for someone who is willing to come tell them about Jesus. As always, we are grateful to your generous, faithful hearts in supporting our ministry through prayers, encouragement and financial partnership.
People Groups of the World (each red dot represents an unreached people group)
For His Glory,
Josh and Kimberly