A hidden layer 

Bruce with Uncharted Ministries says that at first, their team didn’t realize the scale and depth of suffering that Pakistani Christians endure. Then, a young Christian leader in Pakistan revealed another layer to them through a simple request. 

“We were introduced to this [reality] by him just sharing a need,” Bruce says. “He didn’t ask for any money. He just said, ‘Please, please pray for this young 13-year-old girl.’” 

The teenager had been kidnapped by a man in his forties, then forced to marry him and convert to Islam. 

“[She spent] five months chained to a bed and [was] malnourished but was rescued. She was later found pregnant as a 14-year-old and gave birth to a little baby girl,” Bruce says. 

Hers is just one story among hundreds that rarely have a happy ending. 

“Over 1,000 Christian young women are kidnapped, and only 10% ever make it back to their homes,” Bruce says. 

Lifted up out of poverty  

By God’s grace, Uncharted Ministries is able to come alongside vulnerable Christian families with practical help and even freedom (more on that here). 

“Christian women are in a tough way, so we’ve been providing six-month training courses for Christian young women to be seamstresses or beauticians,” Bruce says. “[They are] six-month classes, 15 students in each one for six months of training in the business skills but also being discipled, being loved. They become a little family.”

A young Christian woman shows what she has sewn. (Photo courtesy of Uncharted Ministries)

The training courses have served 120 women so far. Bruce says it’s amazing to see how God has opened the way for this ministry.

“After successfully completing the course, they are given their sewing machine, a work desk, chair and supplies to begin their business,” he says. 

“These young women [will] earn money for their family, but then they’ll attract a young man someday who’s also upwardly mobile, and they together can work and increase their standard of living. So we’re looking at generational change, where God is going to transform their lives.”

One of Uncharted’s contacts in Pakistan recently told Bruce, “It’s so encouraging to know that we weren’t created just to be hated.” 

“That stuck with me,” he says. “They feel so reviled in the culture, but what God is doing [is] He’s just plucking these people out and giving them skills.”

You can have a place in this life-changing ministry. Gifts to Uncharted Ministries designated “Pakistan” will aid frontline efforts of rescuing families from slavery, supporting young women who have been sex-trafficked, and training girls in business skills. Visit unchartedministries.com to make a gift under the “Pakistan” designation. 

Header photo courtesy of Paul Jai/Unsplash.

Both of these are realities for small pockets of Christians in the Middle East and North Africa.

Recently, Wycliffe Associates learned about ten new language groups with small groups of Christians like these who don’t have any portion of Scripture in their own language.

Keeping the Faith

Bruce Smith, President and CEO of Wycliffe Associates explains, “There are pockets of Christian believers in each of these language groups. Somehow, generations ago, they heard the good news, and they’ve done their best to keep the faith all this time.”

Whether because of repressive governments or difficult terrain, these groups have remained largely cut off from other people, not to mention other Christians. For many, even disclosing their country or people group could put them at risk for persecution.

“Christians are extreme minorities in these countries,” said Smith. “In some of these areas authorities and traditional religious leaders are so threatened by believers that they lash out against them. Christians have to hide in order to survive. It’s hard to imagine how alone they’ve been.”

Seeking the Scriptures

Recently some from those language groups have made contact with Wycliffe Associates.

“[There are] 10 new languages throughout that region of the world, all of whom are asking for Scripture translation to begin. And so because they weren’t on our radar previously we’re now trying to rally the resources, both manpower and financially in order to be able to respond to these in a timely manner.”

However, these challenging situations are even more difficult because translators need to blend in. Often they are going to places where their work is generally unwelcome.

Smith continues, “Bible translation throughout that region of the world is obviously very difficult. It’s a place where foreigners are not able to move freely. It’s a place where foreigners actually draw and attract attention. And so we’ve got to move very carefully and discreetly in order to protect the security of the people that are taking this step of faith and risk in their environment, in order to bring God’s Word to their people.”

Supporting Translation Work

Photo courtesy of Sarah Nichols on Flickr https://goo.gl/T6QAbo

Despite the dangers, Wycliffe Associates supports indigenous Christians as they seek to bring the Bible to their own people with the Scriptures for New Frontiers program. They train local believers to help them translate Scriptures. They also support those local Christian leaders with translation technology, computer tablets with translation software, and digital Scripture distribution.

Yet all of this takes work, time, volunteers, and money. Since these groups only recently came into Wycliffe Associates vision, there is still a great need.

Smith explains that Christians have a unique opportunity to meet this need.

“And we can either be bystanders to this whole process, really which is an unprecedented season in the history of the world for God’s Word to move forward into these nations. We can either be bystanders or participants and we certainly want to encourage everyone to be participants along with us.”

Join in the Work

Please consider joining Wycliffe Associates today to provide the resources necessary to reach these new language groups. Pray that God would bring the volunteers necessary into this area of the world to train up local leaders for Scripture translation.

You can also join Wycliffe Associates financially to provide for these groups. If you would like to help supply the tablets and other technology needed for translation efforts, please click here.