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www.globalprayerdigest.org

June 2016 • Frontier Ventures • 35: 6 Digest

9— Tuboy Subanon On the Run From Muslim Insurgents18—Don’t Cross the Rebels, Or They Will Burn Your Home19—Islam and Animism Blend Among the Pangutaran Sama People 25—Tausug People May Not Be Unreached Much Longer!27—Yakans Use Cloth to Protect Newborns from Spirits

Mindanao:A Beautiful Island Caught Between Rebel Insurgents

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Editorial Feature of the MonthRECORDS AND SUBSCRIPTIONSFrontier Ventures1605 East Elizabeth StreetPasadena, CA 91104-2721Tel: (330) 626-3361 [email protected]

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFKeith Carey

ASSISTANT EDITORPaula Fern

WRITERSPatricia Depew Patti EdigerWesley Kawato Ben KluettArlene Knickerbocker Esther Jerome-Dharmaraj Christopher LaneAnnabeth Lewis Karen HightowerTed ProffittLydia Reynolds Jeff Rockwell Jean Smith Jane W. Sveska

DAILY BIBLE COMMENTARIESKeith CareyDavid DoughertyRobert Rutz

CUSTOMER SERVICEDan EddyLois Carey

GRAPHICSGarrett Inouye

PRINTERDiversified Printers , La Mirada, CA

WEB SITEwww.globalprayerdigest.org

ISSN 1045-9731Contents of the Global Prayer Digest © 2016 Frontier Ventures1605 East Elizabeth Street Pasadena, CA 91104

Contents of this booklet may be reproduced if appropriate credit and subscription information are given.

For subscription information, call (330) 626-3361.For comments on content, call (626) 398-2241.

JUNE 2016

Dear Praying Friends,Every time we cover the Philippines I feel a little guilty. We haven’t prayed for the unreached people groups in this country in 15 years. Every June we pray for spiritually needy people in Southeast Asia. In this

issue of the Global Prayer Digest we will concentrate on the Muslims of Mindanao, the most southern island in the Philippine nation. This country is blessed with a large local mission force that is reaching the Muslims on the island. We don’t hear much about all the effort being made by dedicated believers. If we publish too much about their work, we might cause security problems. But we did find out about a Filipino pastor, Feliciano “Cris” Lasawang, who gave his life for the gospel last year at the hands of one of Mindanao’s rebel groups. The church plant-ing work is now blossoming. You will read about this work on the first three days of the GPD, thanks to the Morning Star News. There are numerous rebel groups that each have their own wicked agenda for Mindanao. As usual, innocent people get harmed in the crossfire. Pray for safety for the people who live on this island, as well as for those who boldly take the gospel to this beautiful part of the world. In Christ,

Keith Carey, editor-in-chief, [email protected]

Editorial Feature of the Month

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Pray for a Disciple-Making Movement Among Every People in Mindanao

Manila PHILIPPINES

Davao

Zamboanga

Mindanao Is.Palawan

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Bac

kgro

und Pray for the Unconquerable

Peoples of Mindanao Island in the Philippines

Over 2000 years ago Mindanao Island was home to a black-skinned people. Then a wave of brown-skinned invaders arrived from Asia. These

newcomers became the ancestors of the people groups that now call Mindanao their home. The invaders settled on all of the islands that make up the Philippines.

They worshipped a god called Bathala, the head of a pantheon of nature spirits. This early religion lacked any moral code. Around 1300 A.D. a Muslim missionary named Tuan Masha’ika arrived on Mindanao. People flocked to hear him teach about a god with a well-defined moral code. Masha’ika, and those who came after him, won many converts to the Muslim religion on Mindanao. The worship of Allah filled the moral vacuum many of these people had felt. By 1521 Islam was firmly established on Mindanao, but there were few, if any, Muslims on the Filipino islands north of Mindanao.

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— by We sl e y Ka wa to

To Help You Pray Better

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Spanish Colonizers

In 1521, Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines. He claimed all of those islands for Spain and even won a few converts to his Catholic faith. Magellan died on the island of Cebu while trying to settle a tribal dispute. Spain used the death of Magellan as an excuse to take over all of the Philippines. Spain then issued land grants to Spanish families who went to the Philippines. These land grant recipients established the dozen or so rich families that still control the Philippine economy today. In time most people in the northern Philippine Islands adopted a form of Roman Catholicism brought to them by missionaries.

Things were different on Mindanao. Spanish settlers had to be well armed because that island was ruled by a powerful Muslim sultan. There were frequent clashes on Mindanao between the Spanish settlers and the local Muslim population. Often the Spanish army had to rescue the settlers. Catholic missionaries made little effort to understand the culture of the people groups on Mindanao. Such insensitivity often led to local upris-ings. The Spanish army often had to rescue missionaries who’d gotten themselves into trouble with the local people. By the end of the Spanish rule in 1898, Spain still didn’t control all of Mindanao. The Spaniards managed to force the Muslim sultans to pay tribute to Spain, but they held very little political control.

From the Spanish to the American Colonial Powers

America took control of the Philippines after defeating Spain in the 1898 Spanish-American War. At first the Muslim sultans of Mindanao considered the Americans to be their friends. The Americans had just crushed some “Christian” resistance groups on the northern islands, people the sultans considered to be their enemies.

But the sultans quickly learned that the Americans were just as exploitive as the Spanish. A revolt began on Mindanao. The American army crushed that revolt with the help of Muslim collaborators. A few sultans had accepted American bribes and had provided troops for the American side. They had done this as a way of settling scores with other sultans.

Unconquerable Peoples of Mindanao

continued on next page

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Independence and Conflict with the Southern Muslims

In 1946 the Philippines became independent, and Manuel Roxas was elected the first president. Roxas tried to unify the country, but his efforts were rejected by the Muslim leaders of Mindanao. They didn’t trust Roxas because he came from a Christian people group on one of the northern islands.

People began migrating to Mindanao from the northern islands in droves after 1946. These newcomers were nominally Christian, and came from people groups who’d embraced the message of the Spanish era Catholic missionaries.

The newcomers often staked out land claims before a region had been opened for settlement by the new Philippine government. On Mindanao many Muslim people groups had no concept of personal land ownership. They considered all land to be owned by the community, and assigned for use to groups by the local village chief. People receiving such land never considered themselves to be the “owners” of it.

Trouble started when settlers took over land that had been claimed by nearby Muslim villages. Armed clashes became a problem. Often the Philippine Army was unable or unwilling to stop the fighting. Both sides began forming militia groups for protection. By the 1960s the situation was out of control.

In 1971 efforts were made to negotiate peace on Mindanao. Peace talks were scheduled to begin in the Muslim town of Manili. But on the ap-pointed day, a “Christian” militia, not diplomats, arrived in Manili. They opened fire killing 75 Muslims, including women and children. Reprisal killings followed the Manili Massacre. The tensions on Mindanao escalated into a full-blown civil war.

In 1972 a military coup turned the Philippines into a dictatorship. President Ferdinand Marcos, elected in 1966, began ruling by decree. That frightened the Muslim leaders of Mindanao. Marcos came from one of the northern island “Christian” people groups. The Muslim leaders feared the coup might be a prelude to genocide. Many Muslim militias banded


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together to fight the expected “Christian” invasion of Mindanao. That was how the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) was formed.

But the MNLF was never able to gain the support of all Muslims on Mindanao. Many militias either left the MNLF or never joined the guerilla group when it became clear that Marcos wasn’t going to launch a war of genocide. The lack of unity prevented a successful war of secession for the people of Mindanao.

In 1986 the People Power Revolution ousted President Marcos and restored democracy to the Philippines. The changed political climate restarted the peace negotiations on Mindanao. Those negotiations split the MNLF into two factions. In 1989 the hard line faction cut their ties with the moderates and formed a group called Abu Sayyaf. In 1996 a Muslim autonomous region was formed in part of Mindanao and the MNLF evolved into a legitimate political party. But Abu Sayyaf continued to commit acts of terror. In recent years ISIS has also become active on Mindanao.

There will be continued unrest on Mindanao until the causes of that unrest have been dealt with. One big cause is the lack of economic opportunity. In the Philippines 10 to 15 families control most of the wealth. A second cause of discontent is cultural insensitivity. Until recently the northern “Christian” people groups in the Philippines made little effort to understand or appreciate the culture of their Muslim neighbors on Mindanao.

Let’s Pray!• Pray that there would be peace on Mindanao. Peace will allow mis-

sionaries to spread the message of salvation on that island. • Pray that the Muslim people of Mindanao would come to see the

difference between true faith in Christ and nominal Christianity.• Pray for the Lord to establish his presence in Mindanao through

economic justice.• Pray for every people group in Mindanao to soon embrace Jesus

Christ, the One who is above all political and religious disputes.


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Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. They pursue evil schemes acts of violence mark their ways. The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks along them will know peace. So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.

Christians on the Philippine island of Mindanao believe Maoist rebels are responsible for killing

a Baptist pastor and his adult son near a southern town on Nov. 27, 2015.

A friend of the pastor in Mindanao told Morning Star News that area Christians believe insurgents with the New People’s Army (NPA), an armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, were responsible for shooting Pastor Feliciano “Cris” Lasawang, 50, and his 24-year-old son Darwin as they bathed in the Culaman River at 6 a.m. (http://morningstarnews.org/2015/12/maoist-rebel-group-suspected-in-killing-of-pastor-son-in-the-philippines/)

According to relatives, Pastor Lasawang was shot three times in the body, and his son was shot once in the face. The two men died at the site. They had conducted baptisms in the same river where they died, according to U.S.-based Christian Aid Mission, which assists native ministries around the world.

The pastor’s friend, whose name is withheld for security reasons, said the area Christians suspect New People’s Army (NPA) rebels because the guerrillas believe church growth dampens insurgent recruitment efforts. The pastor had received reports that communist militants were monitoring his movements.

“Pastor Cris had received intelligence reports that the NPA guerillas were eyeing him as he was going around to communities telling NPA sympathizers that armed struggle was not the solution,” he told Morning Star News.

Pray that the blood of these martyrs will cause church planting movements to spring up among every unreached people group in Mindanao.

Day 1Isaiah 59:7-9, NIV Missionary Biography, Feliciano Lasawang

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The people walking in darkness see a bright light; light shines on those who live in a land of deep darkness.

P astor Lasawang is survived by his wife and seven other children, the youngest 13 years

old. Pastor Lasawang put his faith in Christ in 2007 after observing positive change in a cousin who had become a Christian. In 2013, he dedicated himself to pastoring and planted a Baptist church in Jose Abad Santos in Davao del Sur (technically Davao Occidental Province, but still governed by Davao del Sur until elections in 2016).

The church, where 300 people attend worship service weekly at a building with a capacity of 150, remains without a pastor, and NPA guerillas continue to be a threat, sources said. Members of the congregation are volunteering to exhort the gathering on Sundays.

Despite opposition in the area from both communist and Islamic insurgent groups, another house church has opened in a nearby village to meet the needs of a growing number of people interested in Bible study, the pastor’s friend said. “The ministry in Jose Abad town will continue despite the absence of a full-time minister there,” he said.

Pray that the ministries in Mindanao will be strengthened by these efforts of Satan to kill, steal, and destroy. Pray that thousands will understand the difference between doctrines that promote killing versus the teachings of the Almighty Jesus, who teaches us to love our enemies.—Morning Star News

Biography Continued, LasawangDay 2

Isaiah 9:2, NET

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A wolf will reside with a lamb, and a leopard will lie down with a young goat; an ox and a young lion will graze together, as a small child leads them along. A cow and a bear will graze together, their young will lie down together. A lion, like an ox, will eat straw.

Christian communities in the southern Philippines are vulnerable to sporadic rebel

attacks as a result of failed peace talks between the national government and numerous separatist groups. The Philippines, with an estimated 100 million people, is choosing a new president, and many Christians in the region hope that the next president will address the complex problems of insurgencies on Mindanao Island.

Rolly Pelinggon, former vice president of the Philippine Student Alliance Lay Movement (PSALM), told Morning Star News that the next president of the Philippines should have peace negotiators from the southern Philippines. Most peace negotiations with the rebels fail, Pelinggon said, because the designated peace negotiators are based in Manila and do not have an in-depth understanding of the regional complexities.

The pastor’s friend had not been able to visit the church for two years because of the rebel presence, but he received permission to do so on Oct. 27, he said. According to Christian Aid Mission, he was able to meet briefly with Pastor Lasawang and discuss how to manage the increased attendance at the church and how to continue evangelistic outreach and discipleship.

“We both had lively plans,” he told Christian Aid Mission, “full of hopes, accelerating desires to serve the Servant King, not knowing in God’s plan that that would be our last fellowship here on earth.”

Pray for believers to boldly and lovingly go, even to their enemies, with the message that Jesus offers far more than they can ever imagine.— Morning Star News

Biography Continued, LasawangDay 3Isaiah 11:6-7, NET

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How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion,

“Your God reigns!”

T he November 14, 2015, Mindanao Examiner’s

banner read, “From Warriors to Preachers: More Rebels Embrace Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry.” What’s happening? God is invading the Philippines! Why have these former communist rebels in the southern Philippines embraced the teachings of God and been baptized? Why have they vowed to preach the miracles they

themselves have witnessed? They were convinced by so-called “prayer warriors.” Prayer is a mighty tool God uses to change the hearts of people - even the hearts of communist rebels who have committed countless atrocities.

A small team of prayer warriors led by Brother Danny Cuarteros braved the mountains and jungles of an area of Mindanao where they visited the town of San Fernando to meet with the armed group of Alde Salusad’s communist rebels. Brother Cuarteros risked his life to bring the message of hope and love to entire communities.

Just a few months after his first visit, he returned to baptize Salusad and dozens of his followers from the local indigenous group. Even Salusad’s father wanted to join his son and become the instrument of God so that he too could spread the peace and love of Jesus among other indigenous communities. This father/son team is very influential in the local Manobo communities.

Praise God for the salvation He is bringing to the Philippines! Pray for God’s word to spread throughout the nation until there is a church planting movement among every people group.—JS

Rebels Coming to ChristDay 4

Isaiah 52:7, NIV

Manila PHILIPPINES

Davao

Zamboanga

Mindanao Is.Palawan

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Seraphs stood over Him; each one had six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and they used the remaining two to fly. They called out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord who commands armies! His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!”

T he Cotabato Manobo people of Mindanao are one cluster of eight closely related groups that

inhabit this Philippine island. Their lifestyle is very primitive as seen in their slash and burn agricultural practices. Thus, the Manobo do not get good yields from their land. They are thought to be descendants of early Malay people who migrated to Mindanao. The Cotabato Manobo are centuries behind the rest of the world in their way of life.

They have a tribal lifestyle with a leader called a sultan who is the head of the group. Beneath him are the royal and non-royal classes. The sultan or dutu officiates at many social activities. The people believe in unseen spirits which interfere in the lives of humans to accomplish their desires. They also believe in one “great creator spirit.”

The Manobo need a modern day Apostle Paul to share with them what he told the Athenians: “I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown God. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship – and this is what I am going to proclaim to you” (Acts 17:23).

Prayer alone has the power to break through the strong-holds of spirit worship. Ask God for believers to regularly stand in the gap and pray for the salvation of the Cotabato Manobo people. Pray that soon there will be a disciple-making movement to Christ among them that will spread to all their villages.—JS

Cotabato Manobo PeopleDay 5Isaiah 6:2-3, NET

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P robably the least advanced of the seven Manobo tribes in the mountains of Bukidnon in central

Mindanao are the Umayamnon people. Their lives are still very primitive, and they depend on below-subsistence level farming. They fish in the nearby Pulangi and Umyam Rivers. There are only a little over 6,000 Umayamnon people. Their language is not understood by some of the other Manobo tribes.

Mission agencies are reaching out to them. One organization is OMF International whose stated goal is being “advocates” for Christ for every people group in East Asia. They encourage, enable, and equip the body of Christ to serve God’s purpose among them.

Very few Umayamnon children get an education, but OMF International has a project called Umayamnon Student Sponsorship P65149 that solicits donations to support a school and dormitory. The school serves 100 children from grades one through six and 30 high school students. OMF’s hope is that God will bring students to the program who will benefit the most from their education.

It is very important to the tribes to maintain their ancestral culture. Every September the seven tribes that occupy the mountains of Bukidnon in central Mindanao meet and celebrate the Kaamulan Festival which shows how they have preserved their culture despite huge changes these past decades.

Pray for the school’s protection from oppressive political leaders. Pray for appropriate livelihood projects that will help them to flourish in the 21st century. Pray for them to meet Jesus, their savior and healer.—JS

See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and He rules with a mighty arm. See, His reward is with Him, and His recompense accompanies Him. He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.

Umayamnon Manobo PeopleDay 6

Isaiah 40:10-11, NIV

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“To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

(This story illustrates what might happen among this people group.)

The leaves hardly twitched as the python slithered intricately through the jungle floor.

He watched the rat caught by his paw in the trap for several minutes. It was time. He struck like the tail of a whip, snatching the rodent unaware. “We have him!” The dark-skinned men pounced on the python and killed him with a single blow with their steel machetes. They carried the prize into the commune of 20 houses formed in a circle. The women and children ran laughing and celebrating, looking forward to a great feast of wild fruit, honey, nuts, and savory python meat that night.

The tribal Mamanwa Negrito people are descendants of the original inhabitants of the Philippines. They number about 8,000 and live in the southern region of the islands. They have respect for their elders and they select a wise older person as judge and leader of each commune. The groups are comprised of three to 20 family households.

Mamanwa Negrito is one of the Philippines unreached people groups, and only about two percent of their population call themselves Christian; all of these are Roman Catholic.

Pray that gospel recordings and the New Testament, which have been available in their language since 1982 will find eager and accepting hearts as the Lord thrusts out workers to share the gospel with the Mamanwa Negrito people. Pray that God’s church will be raised up and new and eternal life will bless these beautiful people.—PE

Mamanwa Negrito PeopleDay 7Isaiah 40:25-26, NIV

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Tau’t Bato PeopleDay 8

Isaiah 40:3-5, NIV


Tumihay, dressed only in a bark and cloth G-string, swung the spiked bat-catcher with gusto. Ah, these

will make a good dinner, he thought. His blowgun brought down two birds. Together with tomatoes, cassavas, and beans from the garden, there should be plenty for the four families that dwell in his cave.

On the way home Tumihay drew another tobacco leaf “cigarette” from his pouch and lit it from the stub of the one he was finishing. Everyone in his cave smokes almost endlessly.

Twenty years ago only the Lord God knew of the small group of people called, “the Rock People.” They were the last discovered tribe of the Philippine Islands. Because of their isolation and extremely remote location, they have remained a very primitive people.

There are only 100 families of the Tau’t Bato known to exist. They are only one percent evangelical Christian, 10 percent Islamic, and the rest follow other beliefs. Missionaries once tried to approach them, but left saying the “Rock People” were “too hard-headed.”

Pray that God, who is our rock, will send His Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to these one hundred families. Pray that a supernatural revelation would sweep the people so that they will forsake false gods and turn to Jesus with open hearts. Pray that followers of Christ will go to them and remain with patience and love so that they will have a chance to be discipled into His kingdom.—PE

A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

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For this is what the Lord says: “I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.” When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the Lord will be made known to His servants, but His fury will be shown to His foes.

(This story illustrates the lifestyle of this people group.)

J oJo packed her simple belongings in bundles and placed them in front of her thatched home. She

took a last aching look at the fields that lay below. Her husband, Paterno, would soon take the last load to their new home south of this mountain. She sighed, knowing the grueling work involved in setting up a new house and field once again.

The Tuboy Subanon are a farming people of about 21,000. Their farming practices include slashing and burning an area for family fields, growing rice for four years, then moving to another area to repeat the process while the land lies fallow for 15 years. Because of Muslim incursions, they have been forced into the mountainous areas.

The Subanon, meaning “river people,” believe in many gods, and most of these people have never heard the gospel. The JESUS Film is in their language, but they have no written Bible. Only about one in 500 is a follower of Christ.

Pray for missionaries to take the good news of Jesus to the Tuboy Subanon in Mindanao. Pray for wisdom and favor for mission agencies trying to reach them. May God grant the Tuboy Subanon the gift of a triumphant, vibrant church. Pray that the missionaries would be sensitive to the strongly-held ties these indigenous people have to their ancestral domain. Pray for God’s mercy for these people who suffer at the hands of Muslim rebels who want to take their land.—PE

Tuboy Subanon PeopleDay 9Isaiah 66:12-14, NIV

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I said, “Too bad for me! I am destroyed, for my lips are contaminated by sin, and I live among people whose lips are contaminated by sin. My eyes have seen the king, the Lord who commands armies.”

(This is a fictional account that reflects how they live.)

T he heavy raindrops

created circular patterns on the water on which her house stood. She sat on the

wooden platform that circled their single room home. Shading her eyes, she looked up at the sky to see if the rains would be torrential or if it was just another quick passing shower. Dark clouds hung low and ominous. A worried frown began to take shape on her forehead. Her husband was at sea, fishing with her brothers. They had left late in the evening the previous day when the sky was blue and there was not even the faintest indication of rainfall. She told herself she was not going to worry. They have faced this situation before and have returned safely. If Allah wills, they will be safe, she thought as a chill ran down her spine.

The Kagayan Bajao inhabit the Cagayan de Sulu and Turtle (Taganak) Islands. They live in houses that are built on stilts. Their main source of livelihood is fishing. They fish often at night, mostly in all male crews, returning home in the morning. They are Sunni Muslims. According to the Joshua Project, there are few resources and believers to tell them about the loving Savior.

Pray that God would raise from among His children laborers to work among the Kagayan Bajao. Pray also that the Lord would speak to them in His still clear voice, and they would listen.—EJD

Jama Mapun (AKA, Bajao Kagayan) PeopleDay 10

Isaiah 6:5, NET

Baile

y

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The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.


S itting under the protective shade

of a small pavilion, a group of colorfully dressed women are producing music from

a set of gongs that appear similar in shape to cooking pots. They sound like steel drums, and children are dancing to the traditional ringing tones.

The Kalagan people probably migrated several thousand years ago from the Asian mainland. They are primarily an agricultural people, growing vegetables, fruits, and grains. Fishing is another source of food along the coast. Goats and chickens are also common livestock. Reflecting their agricultural ways, household items are typically crafted from natural materials, whether for personal use or resale. The social structure of the Kalagan is largely based on blood ties; however, those of highest rank in society do not perform manual labor.

Once believers in traditional religion, the Kalagan are now primarily Islamic, though their religion is somewhat mixed with animistic traditions of old. There are Christian resources available, though they are few, and little progress has yet been made in reaching this people group for Christ.

Pray that the Lord would send believers to the Kalagan people, and that the few who are here would be strength-ened and granted favor. Pray that Kalagan Christians will have the courage to share the gospel with their people. Pray that the few gospel materials would be easy to obtain.—BK

Kalagan PeopleDay 11Isaiah 32:17-18, NIV

Baile

y

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This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.

Long ago in the age of sailing, conquest, and exploration, a coastal people of Mindanao Island

retreated to the interior of the Zamboanga Peninsula to escape slavers that would raid their coastline. The once seafaring people became the Subanon, or “river people.” Continued attacks against the Spaniards and Filipinos who resettled the coast only drove them deeper inland. Eventually, some Subanon migrated back to the coast, intermarrying with Sama or Tausug peoples, and adopting their Islamic beliefs. The result was the creation of a new people group: The Kalibugan, or “half breeds.”

The Kalibugan are little more than Islamized Subanon, as they maintain the belief that all things have a spirit or soul, including animals, plants, rivers, mountains, stars, the moon, and the sun. There is very little in the way of political organization amongst the Kalibugan, and external trade is largely dominated by the surrounding Sama-Tausug peoples.

There are approximately 31,000 Kalibugan in the world today, all of whom reside on Mindanao. They are considered to be “engaged” by missionaries, but yet unreached. There are language-specific resources such as Bible portions, gospel recordings and the JESUS Film available to be used in reaching the Kalibugan, but those resources must be brought to Kalibugan communities.

Pray that workers would be drawn to this harvest field. Pray that the Kalibugan people will find life in Christ beyond subsistence. Pray that Jesus would come to them in dreams and visions, and that Kalibugan followers of Christ would be raised up for a widespread disciple-making movement.—BK

Kalibugan PeopleDay 12

Isaiah 44:6, NIV

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Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as His counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the right way? Who was it that taught Him knowledge, or showed Him the path of understanding? Surely the nations are like a drop in the bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; He weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.

For centuries, the Iranun people were pirates in the Malay world. The Malay word for pirate

(lanun) was derived from the word Illanun, a name given to the Iranun during the colonial era. The Iranun people are one of the oldest existing people groups in this region.

Today their estimated population is 256,000. Iranun villages are concentrated in the Iranun Bay, also called Illana Bay, although some live in the hill country. Iranuns make their living as fishermen and traders, farmers, game hunters, blacksmiths, and goldsmiths. Women weave mats, and barter for other needs. Fathers teach sons survival skills. Mothers teach daughters homemaking and childcare skills. Children are taught in the home to be loyal to their people and to Allah. Embracing the ways of Christ would be viewed as straying from the ways of their people.

Their main language is Iranun. Ninety seven percent of the people identify themselves as Muslims, and three percent are non-religious. Iranun people have many superstitions and folk beliefs in addition to an Islamic identity. They have many barriers that keep them from embracing the Savior. There are no written or oral Bible portions in this language, and there is no JESUS Film.

Pray that the Holy Spirit will send servants who will if necessary lay down their lives for these family oriented people living in darkness. Pray for audio gospel materials in their language to be produced and widely distributed soon. Pray for an openness to Christ that will spread to every Iranun community.—KH

Iranun PeopleDay 13Isaiah 40:13-15, NIV

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He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.

(This fictitious story illustrates truths about the Maguindanao people.)

G raceful dancers in bright clothing embroidered

with silver and gold thread moved fluidly in swirls before the man observing them from his comfortable lounge. His eyes were half shut as if he

were about to fall asleep. He was one of “high rank.” Such men don’t do manual labor like most other Maguindanao men. He will not participate in their festivals except as a distant observer.

The Maguindanao people migrated to the southern Philippine islands from southwest Asia centuries ago. Today they live primarily on Mindanao. They are divided into two principal groups, each with its own dialect and location: Tau-sa Ilud (people of the lower valley) and the Tau-sa Laya (people of the upper valley).

With an estimated population of 1,236,000, the Maguindanao people are the largest group of Muslim Filipinos. Their belief system is more a form of folk Islam than orthodox Islam. Nominal Islamic practices are mingled with animistic beliefs. Some Christian radio and television broadcasts are available to them, but there have been very few responses. The Christian population is estimated at about one in a thousand! The others identify with Islam.

Pray that these talented, artistic people will see their need for the Savior. Pray that the few Maguindanao believers will be united in their Savior’s love and reach out to their people in such a compelling way that there will be Christ-centered Maguindanao fellowships throughout Mindanao.—KH

Maguindanao PeopleDay 14

Isaiah 40:22-23, NIVIranun PeopleBa

iley

66

Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.

John 4:10: “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have

asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

Water vapor rose from the hydroelectric plant making misty rainbow colors in the sun above Lake Lanao, the deepest and largest lake in the southern Philippines. The Lanao Maranao, an unreached people known as “people of the lake,” has lived in this beautiful watery region in Mindanao since the 13th century.

Though the physical climate is wet, the spiritual climate is as dry as an arid, parched desert. Agriculture and lake fishing are the main occupations of the Lanao Maranao people. Those who are willing may find work opportunities in business and exporting ventures.

Except for 30 to 50 followers of Christ, this people group of over a million is solidly Muslim. Traditional superstitions are still a part of their belief system. There has been a Maranao New Testament since 1981. The JESUS Film and radio broadcasts are also available in their language.

Pray that spiritual strongholds will be broken so the Maranao people will be free to respond to Christ. Pray for safety and spiritual blessings for the 30-50 Lanao Maranao believers. Pray for fruitful ministry of the few Christian workers in this area. Pray for the JESUS Film to be shown in their communities, and for open hearts.—KH

Lanao Maranao PeopleDay 15Isaiah 55:1-2, NIV

67

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Day 16Isaiah 40:28-31, NIV

E uropean Gypsies got the name

Gypsy because people thought they were from Egypt. Actually, they are from South Asia. Today’s people group is from Southeast Asia,

and they are known as “Sea Gypsies,” even though they have no relationship with real Gypsies. They are called Sea Gypsies because they are maritime nomads, fishing, pearling, and trading in the Philippines and between the Philippines and Indonesia.

Their way of life, however, is dying as they move to land and farms or engage in business. They often live in houseboats or in houses on stilts over the water. Almost all are at the bottom of the social ladder, and many are illiterate. Some 470,000 live in the Philippines, along the coast of Mindanao. Due to local conflicts, many have fled to Indonesia.

Approximately 95 percent are Muslim, one-half percent Christian, and the rest are either animists or of no known faith. Most of these Muslims practice folk-Islam, a syncretism of animist and Muslim beliefs. Some Badjao people seek guidance from relics of the dead.

Because of the need for education, the Catholic Presentation Nuns sponsor Badjao children in school. Some graduates have returned as teachers to their community. Others have become educated enough to get government jobs.

Pray that the nuns and others will present Christ as the real solution to the people’s needs. Pray that people trained in story-telling evangelism will reach these people with the good news of Jesus.—TP

Badjao PeopleBa

iley

A Badjao girl

68

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my Word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

W hat happens

when laymen take the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course? Some have gone to

the Philippines to do medical missions and reach the Badjao people of Mindanao with the gospel through oral/pre-literate story telling. They also teach Bible stories at an oral Bible school.

During a ten-month period, when Christian Badjaos attend an oral Bible School, they learn 200 stories from the Bible which culminate in the resurrection of Jesus. After being trained, the students return home to evangelize friends and family. Because many families are composed of Christians and Muslims, these evangelists have a ready entry into the Muslim community through family members. As a result, there are groups of Muslims who regularly meet to share the gospel, study the Bible, and pray. This method allows the church to begin to grow on both land and sea among the literate and pre-literate Badjao people of Mindanao.

The Oral Bible School requests prayer that it be success-ful in recruiting Badjao students who want to become evangelists to their people. Pray that new believers will grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus. Pray that Bible-centered churches will develop and multiply among animists, Muslims, and culturally Catholic Badjaos of Mindanao. Pray, too, that they will learn to be economically independent.—TP

Work among Badjao PeopleDay 17Isaiah 55:10-11, NIV

Baile

y

69

Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on them, and to our God, for He will freely pardon. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”


Talib, a Bangingi Sama, eagerly began to help his friend Faari to build his new stilt house above

the water. Faari and 50 other Bangingi family homes had been burned down during a battle that took place three years earlier between the government forces and the Muslim guerrilla fighters of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). It had taken this long for the government to give the people the lumber and supplies they need to rebuild. The MNLF purposely attacked Faari’s settlement because they had heard that Christians were reaching out to help them. The MNLF rebels wanted to warn them not to leave Islam or turn their backs on their cause which is to take over Mindanao.

The Bangingi, a major Muslim Sama group, are also known as the Northern Sama. They are dispersed throughout the greater Sulu Archipelago, which extends from Mindanao towards Borneo. The majority are poor fishermen, farmers, and boat builders. Some have assimilated into the Filipino culture, attending schools and working in small businesses within local cities as vendors. Christians, primarily Catholics, have reached out to help these people in the areas of health and education. A few have become Christians, but fear of persecution has kept them in bondage to their folk Islamic practices.

Pray that God will protect the Christians reaching out to the Bangingi Sama. May the Bangingi have faith to accept the living Lord and not have fear.—PD

Bangingi Sama (aka, Northern Sama) Day 18

Isaiah 55:7-9, NIV

70

(This story illustrates how this people group blends Islam and animism.)

T he white sandy shore of Tawi-Tawi island glistened as the crystal blue waters broke onto

the shore. Sahali, a Pangutaran Sama woman, walked on a narrow pathway leading to the burial site of her family. She balanced two baskets in her arms filled with food, brushes, and a cloth. She put the baskets down and her attention was drawn to a small toy-like boat that would mark her father’s grave. After cleaning the boat she placed food in dishes inside the boat. She then offered prayers to Allah to protect her father and her family. Macaque monkeys were jumping nearby which reminded her to pray for these “guardians of the gravesite.” She thanked the gods for allowing her, a Pangutaran Sama woman, to live on an island revered for having the oldest mosque in the Philippines, and the revered mountain of Bud Bongao, a famous burial site of an Islamic saint.

Over 48,000 Pangutaran Sama people live along the Sulu Archipelago between Mindanao and the island of Borneo. Like other Sama peoples they live by fishing, building boats, and harvesting seaweed. The majority combine their ethnic religious beliefs with Islam. During the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan they believe that God permits the souls of the dead to return. To honor those souls, they offer special prayers to their dead and clean the graves.

Pray that God will open a way for the Pangutaran Samas to find their true Savior and King.—PD

Pangutaran Sama PeopleDay 19Isaiah 45:5-8, NIV

I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things. You heavens above, rain down my righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness flourish with it; I, the Lord, have created it.

71

Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look on us, we pray, for we are all your people.

(This story illustrates what could happen among this people group.)

Swish! The spear-gun met its target, and Edjie emerged from the water with a smile on his face

and a grouper fish on his spear. Still wearing wet clothes, Edjie and his son hurried barefoot towards a nearby village to sell the fish. After entering the fish market and having the fresh fish weighed, they received 8.00 (USD)! This was a good day’s wage for them, and they were pleased.

Most Sama children learn how to swim when they are two or three years old, to paddle a boat at five, and dive at age six. The men make their living almost entirely from the sea through net fishing, hook-fishing, spear gun fishing, and diving for sea cucumbers and pearls. They are proficient canoe builders. Women weave rugs, make pottery, tend small gardens, and take care of their families.

The Sama peoples live in one of three types of dwellings: stilt houses on the coast, houseboats, or ordinary land houses clustered along protected shorelines. Households are grouped in larger units called tumpuk, which means, “clusters.” Several clusters form a parish headed by a selected spokesman.

Lack of education, health benefits, and job opportunities have kept the Sama poor. Their spiritual lives are a combination of Islamic and animistic beliefs.

Pray that local followers of Christ will befriend these Sama and help them meet their physical and spiritual needs. May they come to know the grace and joy of the Lord.—PD

Southern Sama PeopleDay 20

Isaiah 64:8-9, NIV

72

This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea.


A bdul shook his head sadly. “Mindanao

could be such a beautiful place to live, but the

constant warfare has turned it into a place of violence. My cousin in Maguindanao says that 40 percent of the people have been displaced because their houses have been destroyed.”

“Yes,” responded Gamil. “I hear about kidnappings and bombings by different groups.”

Bahir added, “The Moro Islamic Liberation Front and other groups like them are supposed to be fighting for freedom, but all they do is hurt our people.” Abdul sighed and commented, “Will we ever have peace?”

Gamil responded, “My brother-in-law in Zamboanga City has a computer and found a website called Global Recordings Network, and he downloaded some audio messages in Maguindanao onto his phone called ‘Words of Life.’” “What are they about?” Bahir asked. Gamil explained, “I didn’t get to hear them, but he told me they answer questions like, ‘Who has power to forgive sins?’ and ‘What is after death?’” He is a Muslim like all of us, but he is thinking about these things. He said he would download messages for me in our Balangingi dialect.”

Pray that Christ will bring peace to hearts of people in Mindanao. Pray that the hundreds of people who download Global Recordings’, “Words of Life” and “Good News” messages daily will use them to begin Christ-centered fellowships throughout Mindanao.—Allan Starling, GRN

Global Recording Network Work in MindanaoDay 21Isaiah 48:17-18, NIV

73

I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’ All day long I have held out my hand to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations—a people who continually provoke me to my very face…


The old Sangil man carefully stepped out onto the sandbar and walked forward until the water

was up to his thighs. He whirled, releasing the net. It spread gracefully, flew through the air and landed softly on the surface of the beautiful blue water. “Like that,” the old man said. He then gathered the net and handed it to his grandson. “Your turn.” The boy replied, “But grandpa, why don’t we get a boat? That’s how fishing is done now.” “That’s one way fishing is done. Net fishing is our way.”

The boy accepted the net and frowned down at it. He hesitated, then asked, “If there is more than one way to fish, can’t there also be more than one way to worship Allah? I met a boy who said his family knows Allah and that Allah has a Son.” “Blasphemy!” the old man shouted. He snatched the net from the boy. “That boy must be a Christian. They don’t understand the ways of Allah.”

The Sangil people were followers of Islam even before they migrated to Mindanao. It is ingrained in their culture, and Islam is a large part of their identity.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to send workers to the Sangil people. Pray that the Sangil will understand that all nations must accept that the death of God’s Son is what it took to pay for our sins. Pray for the salvation of the Sangil.—CL

Sangil PeopleDay 22

Isaiah 65:1-3a, NIV

74

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins.

(This story is intended to illustrate the lifestyle of this people group).

T he young Joloano man sat on the beach watching the waves come in and go out onto the beach.

He considered the fighting that past generations have done. They would fight and retreat, fight and retreat. Now he had the same decision. He was a Sunni Muslim in a nation of Christians. He was a fundamentalist Muslim like other Joloanos, and yet he had also retained the gods of his ancestors, like the sea god, the rain god, and the harvest god. Would he fight the Christians and their God?

The Moro Joloano, or the Tausug are the most dominant of all the south Philippine Muslim groups. Most of the Tausug reside on the island of Jolo, and those that do are called the Moro Joloano. Even their name means “people of the sea current.” They live in tight communities, with each bamboo dwelling on stilts. They are fishermen and agriculturalists.

Of the total population of 1,234,000, 98 percent of the Moro Joloano are staunch Sunni Muslims as were their ancestors. Some belong to the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), an Islamic separatist group that desires an independent Islamic state in Mindanao. Fighting between the MNLF and the Filipino government continues today.

Pray that the Moro Joloano will see past the traditions of their elders to the truth of the living God. Pray that they will find true liberation in the freedom of Christ.—LR

Tausug (AKA, Moro Joloano) PeopleDay 23Isaiah 64:6-7, NIV

75

… who say, ‘Keep away; don’t come near me for I am too sacred for you!’ Such people are smoke in my nostrils, a fire that keeps burning all day.


The children were running

in circles around the trees; all of

them were carrying sticks that were swords in their imaginations. They were shouting, and every so often a stand-off would occur with fierce sword fights between two or three of them.

Just as this epic battle was at its height, the tutor arrived and called them to gather in the clearing under the trees. He had come to teach them about the Qur’an. One of the children groaned. “Why can’t we keep playing pirates?”

Sensing the need to draw their attention away from their make-believe war, the tutor began to tell them a story about real pirates – their ancestors who survived and prospered in the Sulu Archipelago of the Philippines by stealing and marauding on the high seas. Though the children had heard the story before and it had fueled their pretend battles, they always enjoyed hearing it yet again.

Aside from their history of piracy, the Sulu Tausug people also have a history linked to Islam. The majority of them continue to be Muslim, and most of them also mix animistic beliefs into their view of the spirit world.

Pray for the Lord to soften Sulu Tausug hearts to receive the gospel. Pray for a strong network of Tausug fellow-ships. Pray for the kingdom of God to come to the Sulu Tausug.—CL

Sulu Tausug PeopleDay 24

Isaiah 65:5, NIV

Baile

y

76

Surely He took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.

Work Among the Tausug PeopleDay 25Isaiah 53:4-5, NIV

M atthew 28:18-19, NET. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them

in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Jesus told us to “disciple” nations and “teach them to obey everything” He commanded. How do we know when we have finished the job? In the last 40 years, we have tried to define what is a nation, and when it is actually discipled, or reached.

In the last two days we have prayed for Muslim Tausug people. They have churches, and sometimes they are being violently persecuted by Muslim separatist rebels. They have numerous ways to hear the basic message: Global Recordings, the JESUS Film, and God’s Story. About two percent of them are some type of Christian which includes people who profess to be Catholic, but continue to worship traditional spirits.

As people groups go, the Tausugs are not far from becoming reached with the gospel. There are those who are doing church planting and pastoral training among them, according to Christian Aid Mission (http://www.christianaid.org/News/UPI/Tausug.aspx).

Pray for the Holy Spirit to bring about a Christ-ward movement among the Tausug that will result in them being discipled as a nation. Pray for more Bible teachers and disciplers to work among the Tausug people in the next five years. Pray for the Tausugs to have faith to believe that Jesus died for their sins.—KC

77

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open his mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open his mouth.

In 1945, two young men named Bob Bowman and John Broger, burdened with the spiritual needs

in Asia following World War II, began Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC). FEBC originated in China, but in 1948, China closed its doors to foreign missions, and FEBC had to move to Manila, Philippines. FEBC-Philippines has grown into a network of nine local stations as well as international transmitter sites. FEBC now broadcasts by shortwave, sharing Christ in 100 languages to hard-to-reach minority groups.

Project Isa (Arabic for “Jesus”) is FEBC’s outreach to Muslims. FEBC radio proclaims the name of Jesus in places where missionaries are not able to travel. But in order for people to hear the broadcasts, they must have radios, and FEBC distributes them to the needy. It is not unusual for one radio to impact as many as 25 people.

M is a Muslim who tuned into one of FEBC’s programs. After listening faithfully to the radio, she put her faith in Jesus Christ. Some FEBC staff were able to visit her and talk with her very anti-Christian husband. Thanks to God’s grace, M’s husband was convicted of the truth, and now M and her husband share the same faith!

Pray that God will provide many radios for those who live in remote areas. Pray that these Muslims will hear the name of Isa and be given the gift of faith. Pray that FEBC radio broadcasts will result in thousands of home fellowships in the Muslim world.—CMW

Far East Broadcast Co. (FEBC) RadioDay 26

Isaiah 53:6-7, NIV

78

You will hear a word spoken behind you, saying, “This is the correct way, walk in it,” whether you are heading to the right or the left. You will desecrate your silver-plated idols and your gold-plated images. You will throw them away as if they were a menstrual rag, saying to them, “Get out!”

Y ou are a tourist visiting the Yakan people in the interior of Basilan Island in the southern

Philippines. To welcome you, the locals invite you to participate in a betel-nut chewing ceremony. When you accept this gesture of kindness, you will end up with a mouthful of red saliva and teeth. On your way to your next destination, don’t be surprised if your host spits freely along the way. He believes that the red juice scares away evil spirits.

Your guide then takes you to a rice-planting ceremony. The first seed will be planted in the center of the field by the imam, the Muslim prayer leader. You might later see a musician playing a gabbang, a bamboo xylophone, to serenade the seedlings. He hopes to encourage the plants to yield a bountiful crop. In subsequent weeks Yakan children will play a gabbang around the fields to protect the crops from hungry animals.

Finally, your host takes you to his home to meet his family. His wife shows you her latest handiwork – cloth that she has woven with bright colors to look like embroidery. This particular piece of fabric is designed to cover a pregnant friend in labor to protect the baby from evil spirits.

Ask God to send out laborers to plant the seeds of faith in the hearts of the Yakan people. Pray that God’s word will blossom into numerous fellowships of believers. May they know freedom from superstition, and freedom to worship the Savior.—CMW

Yakan PeopleDay 27Isaiah 30:21-22, NET

79


Mayumi and her husband moved about their house in a flutter of traditional costumes,

jewelry, and instruments. Mayumi made sure to gather their gimbao, or large drum made using deer hide from a doe on one side and from a stag on the other side to produce different tone and pitch. The drum is played as an attempt to summon the spirits. The Mandaya post-harvest festival would begin shortly, where the village would celebrate the crops gathered from their cooperative farming. Their people value this festival; they believe it will lead to the blessing of a better harvest next year.

The Karaga Mandaya are a group of only 5,700 people. found mainly in Mindanao. Most Karaga Mandaya people live as cultivators and as expert fishermen. Their name means “the first people upstream,” and some have survived as traders, bartering goods like their famous metal work such as weapons and jewelry. Recently they have become part of a cash economy.

The Karaga Mandaya are neither overwhelmingly Christian nor Muslim. Only four percent claim to be Christian, but even this small group still holds to a mixture of previous beliefs, and a form of Christianity that will not allow them to enter into the joy, peace, and blessings of our Lord.

Pray that the Karaga Mandaya will encounter the only living loving God, and experience the blessing of sharing Him with one another. Pray that soon there will be strong fellowships among them.—LR

Karaga Mandaya PeopleDay 28

Isaiah 5:12, NET

They have stringed instruments, tambourines, flutes, and wine at their parties. So they do not recognize what the Lord is doing, they do not perceive what he is bringing about.

80

I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.

F or centuries the Arabs have had a significant presence in the Philippines. Those Filipinos with

Arab parentage live primarily in Mindanao, while the more recent immigrants are living in Manila.

Arab traders have been visiting the Philippines for about 2,000 years (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_settlement_in_the_Philippines). Until around 1380 Arabs actually brought Christianity to the region along with pre-Islamic belief systems. Following 1380, Islam was the religion that most Arabs brought with them. Generally moving from the southern islands like Mindanao towards the northern ones, they converted the Filipinos to the Islamic faith.

In more recent months, ISIS terrorists have moved into Mindanao. This is something the Philippine government has taken seriously. In April of 2015, the Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary renewed their commitment to fighting all forms of terrorism in their country. The Arab people in Mindanao are likely to be vulnerable in such a situation. Because they are Arabs like most ISIS members, they can be viewed as possible sympathizers to ISIS.

Pray that innocent Arabs in the Philippines will be spared from both sides. Pray that the Muslim Arabs in Mindanao will have their faith in Islam challenged and shaken. Pray that the Lord’s people would share the love of Christ with their Arab neighbors in such a way that these Muslims will begin a discipleship movement that will affect the Arab world. Pray that Arabs in Mindanao will be reminded of their earlier history and return to Jesus. Pray that the efforts of ISIS in Mindanao will be thwarted.—JR

Arabs in MindanaoDay 29Isaiah 43:25, NIV

81

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,

and I will give you rest.”-Jesus, Matthew 11:28, NIV

The Rohingya people of Myanmar have been without rest for a long time. A group of 3,000 Rohingyas were blocked from entering Thailand in May of 2015, with no offers of help, except some repairs done to their ship’s engine by the Thai navy. They were also turned away by

Malaysia and Indonesia, citing a migrant crisis and lack of resources.

The Rohingya have lived for centuries in southwestern Myanmar in an area that once was part of India. To those in power in Myanmar, the Muslim Rohingyas are living an unacceptable foreign way of life. The military government enforces the ways of the dominant Burmese culture and Buddhist religion.

Despite this tragedy, there have been some good reports regarding the growth of the Rohingya church. During the course of 2015 there were reports of over 4,000 Muslim Rohingya and Buddhist Rakhine coming to know the Lord and being baptized. There have also been about 200 churches started among these two unreached people groups.

Thank the Lord for the great work He has already done. Pray that the growth of God’s church will continue among the Rohingya and result in a church planting movement. Pray that they will find refuge and safety in their own homeland, without having to flee.—JR

Rohingya People in MyanmarDay 30

Isaiah 11:9-10, NET

They will no longer injure or destroy on my entire royal mountain. For there will be universal submission to the Lord’s sovereignty, just as the waters completely cover the sea. At that time a root from Jesse will stand like a signal flag for the nations. Nations will look to Him for guidance, and His residence will be majestic.

Bay ofBengal

South

China

Sea

INDIACHINA

MYANMARLAOS

CAM.

THAILAND

BANG.

VIET.

Day 31

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Wealth, Women, & God How to Flourish Spiritually and Economically in Tough Places The Arabian Gulf—the wealthiest country in the world is located here, as is the world’s busiest airport. Not many citizens are Christians. Not much religious conversion is allowed. Yet through migrant women, some of the most powerless people in the great sweep of human labor exchanges today, God’s grace is at work.In this book you will find• primary research not available

anywhere else, narrated in a highly readable style


• Jesus women—maids, nurses, pastors—experiencing rape, jail, and the opportunity to mentor hundreds

• a guide for group Bible study and reflection at the end of each chapterThese Gulf women’s stories, like those in the Bible, teach lessons that apply to us in many countries.

M i r i a M a d e n e y & S a d i r i J oy T i r a

WealthWomen& God

How to flourisH spiritually and

economically in tougH places

Wealth, W

omen &

God

Ad

eney • TirA

People are on the move—and when people move, God moves too.

The Arabian Gulf—the wealthiest country in the world is located here, as is the world’s busiest airport.

Not many citizens are Christians. Not much religious conversion is allowed. Yet through migrant women,

some of the least powerful people in the great sweep of human labor exchanges today, God’s grace

is at work. In this book you will find

• primary research not available anywhere else, narrated in a highly readable style


• Jesus women—maids, nurses, pastors—experiencing rape, jail, and the opportunity

to mentor hundreds

• a guide for group Bible study and reflection at the end of each chapter

Like the stories of women in the Bible, these Gulf women’s stories teach lessons that apply to us in

many countries.

“These women are leaving indelible fingerprints of faith. I could not stop reading.”

Catherine B. Allen, PhD, advocate for women in missions and ministry

“A totally engaging book. . . . I could not put it down.”

Samuel E. Chiang, PhD, president and CEO, Seed Company

“These stories will touch you deeply. Some will move you to tears.”

Wong Siew Li, deputy director, Iclif Leadership and Governance Centre, Malaysia

Miriam Adeney, PhD, is an anthropologist and missiologist at Seattle Pacific University and the author

of Kingdom without Borders, Daughters of Islam, and God’s Foreign Policy.

Sadiri Joy Tira, DMiss, is senior associate for diasporas with the Lausanne Movement and editor of

The Human Tidal Wave and Scattered To Gather.

isBn 978-0-87808-623-8

List Price: $12.49

Our Price: $9.99

ISBN: 9780878086238

Miriam Adeney (Author), Sadiri Joy Tira (Author)




List Price: $17.99

Our Price: $14.39

ISBN: 9780878084708

Timothy K. Park (Editor)


Mission History of Asian Churches

Mission History of Asian Churches is a collection of academic essays expounding and exploring the growing Asian missionary movement that began more than a century ago. Presented at the Second International Forum of the Asian Society of Missiology, these essays explore the mission history of Asian nations like China, India, the Indochina region, Indonesia, Korea, the Philippines, and Singapore, as well as the cross-cultural works of Asian missions and missionaries.

This book is a springboard to an in-depth discussion and analysis of the genesis and expansion of the cross-cultural missionary movements in Asia. It presents the coming-of-age of the Asian church as demonstrated by its way of participating in the Great Commission of Christ and its significant contributions to world mission amidst struggles and adversities.

Tim oT h y K. Pa r K, ed iTo r

M i s s i o n H i s t o r y o f

AsiAn ChurChes

www.missionbooks.org

The great new fact of our time is that the Christian missionary movement from the majority world is vital, growing, and far outnumbers the movement from the West. This book brings together important research on that movement and will be an encouragement to all . . . to the fulfillment of the Great Commission.

—PAul e. Pierson, PhD, dean emeritus and senior professor of History of Mission and Latin studies, fuller theological seminary

Mission History of Asian Churches is a collection of academic essays expounding and exploring the growing Asian missionary movement that began more than a century ago. Presented at the second international forum of the Asian society of Missiology, these essays explore the mission history of Asian nations like China, india, the indochina region, indonesia, Korea, the Philippines, and singapore, as well as the cross-cultural works of Asian missions and missionaries. this book is a springboard to an in-depth discussion and analysis of the genesis and expansion of the cross-cultural missionary movements in Asia. it presents the coming-of-age of the Asian church as demonstrated by its unique way of participating in the Great Commission of Christ and its significant contributions to world mission amidst struggles and adversities.

Timothy K. Park earned his PhD in intercultural studies from fuller theological seminary and is the director of Korean studies at the school of intercultural studies at fuller, where he is also an associate professor of Asian Mission. He is the founding director of the institute for Asian Mission and president emeritus of the Asian society of Missiology. Park was a missionary to the Philippines where he coestablished and served as president of the Presbyterian theological seminary and helped establish several local churches in Manila, Bulacan, and Laguna.

PA

rK

Mission hisTory of AsiAn ChurChes


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• AAP Introductory Literature and Brochures available in print and on the web

• Adoption Agency List, available in print and on the web

• Global Purpose (a 20 minute DVD introduction to mission)

All Resources available from:

William Carey Library: 1-800-MISSION

Need more details? See:

www.adopt-a-people.org www.frontierventures.org

ON THE WEB

R E S O U R C E S

www.globalprayerdigest.org (downloadable GPD issues!)

www.joshuaproject.net/peopctry.php (listings of UPGs, profiles!)

www.ethne.net/prayer/prayer-resources (more resources!)

www.prayerguard.net/?page_id=209 (timeless prayer requests!)

Global Prayer

global prayer · global prayer june 2016 • frontier ventures • 35: 6 digest 9— tuboy subanon...

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