A new adventure and a new day are beginning for School to
the Nations as we live out our mission statement to “Penetrate the final
frontiers for the glory of Jesus by mobilizing the next generation to the
Nations.” Recently, we sent a group of twelve people to Asia for two purposes, one to work with University Students and two to explore a new mission field in L
country. Three of our leadership staff, partnering with the IMB traveled into
this country in order to find possible inroads for future efforts to penetrate
the unengaged, unreached people in this region. They were told that they were
the first Caucasians that these people had ever seen! We believe that these are God-ordained relationships with the people
here and our team was captivated by the surreal environment they experienced:
“Nestled on the side of a mountain
in the extreme upper highlands, is a long house, living in
this house are precious people created in the image of God. Shut off completely
to any knowledge of God and the access to even hearing of the mercy of their
Creator found in Jesus. These people live in fear and seek to appease the
spirits and because of some communist ideology, extreme mountainous terrain,
animistic worldview, and Buddhism permeating every aspect of their lives a fog
covers their eyes that must be lifted, much like the fog rises each morning from the valleys.”
Our team was successful in creating lasting relationships with
key figures in this region and potential creative access inroads with the government. The future is hopeful,
as this new field has opened up! During their visit they came in contact with
two specific unengaged people groups that we will identify as "the mountain people." Both of these people groups are in desperate need of the Gospel, and School to the Nations along with a local church are fully engaged into a
strategic long-term church planting movement among these precious people.
In the midst of the first contact they were able to clearly
see the governing hand of God by giving them favor with key contacts and
government approval to be in this region, something that cannot be handled
carelessly. We must be as strategic and as creative as we have ever been to continue a healthy
relationship with those in L country. So where do we go from here?
As with any unengaged, unreached people group the mountain people will not be reached unless the church marshals a strong prayer strategy. We,
the body of Christ, the church must pray that the fog that blurs their spiritual
eyes be lifted, and only by the power of the Cross. Missions among the
unengaged and unreached are more about prayer than they are about strategy;
prayer produces strategy, but prayer must supersede all efforts.
Will you join School
to the Nations in praying Ephesians 1:18, as we begin a prayer movement for the
mountain people in L country?
**For more on what an
“unengaged & unreached” people group is, read this article from the latest
issue of Mission Frontier: “The
Most Abomidable “Word”.”
