Dear friend, 

There is a question that every follower of Jesus should be keenly aware of and prepared to answer. That question may seem simple but its answer affects all of us who call upon His mighty name as our Lord and Savior. It provides alignment for our life, purpose for our existence and vision for us to pour our one life into! 

Why did Jesus come to the Earth? 

The beautiful thing is that Jesus himself answers this question in the gospel of Luke. 

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted and to announce that captives shall be released and the blind shall see, that the downtrodden shall be freed from their oppressors, and that God is ready to give blessings to all who come to him. - Luke 4:18-19 

Your opportunity, my friend, is to carry out this assignment to a broken world. The Holy Spirit living in you has the power to break down strongholds and to set the captives free. You’ll notice that Jesus did not just care for the spiritual need but also the physical one. Acts of compassion open hearts to the gospel! Jesus fed the multitudes and then He preached the Good News. Showing compassion for physical needs is part of Christ’s character and vital for carrying out the Great Commission. 

At Unknown Nations, we have embraced 3 specific expressions of acts of compassion as a means to open hearts to the gospel. In fact, we never carry out one of these projects in the absence of a gospel witness! Our acts of compassion are clean water projects, emergency relief and medical outreaches. 

This summer we drilled a water well in a remote village in Cambodia. This is one of the least developed countries in all of Southeast Asia. The rural villagers live a difficult life and lack basic infrastructure like clean water. As this people group, the Khmer, suffer physically, they are tragically lacking a gospel witness as only 2% know Christ. 

These primarily Buddhist people appreciate being loved and care for so much that they welcomed our indigenous leader to the dedication. He shared the gospel message and of the 21 people who attended, 13 responded and received Jesus!

To ensure long term discipleship, they were also given solar powered audio Bibles in the Khmer language. Making converts is not enough. Neither is making people more comfortable on their way to eternity. We are called to make disciples and carry out Jesus’ assignment for coming to this Earth! 

We share clean water because that is why Jesus came. We share the salvation story because that is why He died. When we bring the two together, we can obediently walk in His instruction and watch hearts that were previously closed, become open to receive His Good News!

Making Jesus known,

Greg Kelley, CEO

If our team had to choose a Bible verse to describe our 2023 fiscal year (July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023), we would undoubtedly choose Psalm 126:3.

"Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us!
What joy!"

The Lord put a calling on our hearts many years ago to be a witness among oral learners in unreached people groups. We believe that this "ends of the Earth" (Acts 1:8) calling was the last thing on Jesus’ mind before he ascended into heaven. His last words are our highest priority!

Is there any better way for us to be a witness than to share the Word of God? Being a witness is testifying to what Jesus has done. Praise God that the Bible is filled with inspiration, revelation and truth regarding the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Let me share what we have done together. Together, we have sent thousands of our solar powered audio Bibles into the hardest, darkest, most spiritually antagonistic, and destitute places on earth.

In 2010 we sent 5,600 audio Bibles, bringing the Gospel to those without access.

In 2014 we sent 13,600.

In 2019… 33,400 audio Bibles.

And this past year, we sent more than 80,000! Praise the Lord! He truly has done amazing things.

As we prioritize these spiritually dark places, there will be continual opposition and rejection to the truth. That is why our strategic humanitarian projects are so instrumental. Consider the country of Afghanistan that is .02% Christian and controlled by the brutal Taliban who hunt down anyone with a Bible.

Recent flash floods in Afghanistan have cost the lives of dozens of people, destroyed hundreds of homes, and displaced thousands. These Muslim communities are being decimated and are in urgent need of assistance. Our underground church leaders on the ground are prepared to serve these dear ones and bring physical hope as they also deliver the Bread of Life in the form of audio Bibles in the Dari and Pashto languages.

Thank you again for making last year historic in so many ways.

As we celebrate, let’s continue to keep our eyes on opportunities to be his witness to the ends of the earth!

Every 3 seconds someone is newly displaced because of war, violence or persecution. Sometimes, this displacement crosses a country line, triggering refugee status. Many times it does not, and they often remain inside their country as internally displaced people (IDP). In either case, many of these precious people, often women and children, have lost everything. They are in the most vulnerable state imaginable, thankful to flee a horrific situation with their lives. Many of the regions where these displacements occur are also without a gospel witness. They are unreached!

We believe that these humanitarian crises around the world provide a unique and unprecedented opportunity. According to the UN Refugee Agency there are more refugees and displaced people today than anytime in history. What an opportunity for the Body of Christ to mobilize for the Gospel! It will require us to go behind the chaos of barbed wire fences and prison-like conditions into a place with no organization, no political structure, and no defined village or other geographic boundary.

I was in northern Nigeria recently among the areas that Boko Haram has unleashed horrific terror on millions of people. There are literally hundreds of IDP camps. The eyes of these precious people told you everything. Most had lost an immediate family member, which made the majority of these dear ones widows and orphans.

The despair was almost palpable as we moved from family to family trying to encourage them and share the Good News. One of the buildings had fresh patches of concrete which I was told were repairs from a week prior when thugs from Boko Haram caused further terror within the camp and a suicide bomber blew himself up, killing several people and damaging the building. It is unimaginable evil. No amount of aid and financial support will heal the wounds of these people, only the incomprehensible love of Jesus!

How will we respond?

Today, a new opportunity presents itself. Another civil war in Africa – this time in Sudan – is causing unspeakable carnage and suffering. Sudan has been the most recent target of the devil. We believe the assault upon these lives is intended for complete destruction and annihilation. That is the playbook of our adversary, his agenda for the ages. 

Refugees from Sudan are fleeing across the border into Chad by the tens of thousands. Our indigenous missionaries on the ground are mobilizing to help. It is simply overwhelming. Children who have not eaten for days are clinging to their mother’s back while others are being dragged as they trek for safety. Most have nothing except the clothing on their backs. They desperately need food, as many have already succumbed to starvation. To complicate matters further, there are seasonal rains in the area so temporary shelters are vital in our response.

As our leaders share life saving supplies, they will also share solar powered audio Bibles in the Arabic language to give urgently needed food for their soul!

What a privilege to be able to stand with them in their time of need and point them to the only answer and source of eternal peace: Jesus!!

God is in the refining business! Because of his love for us, he will reveal himself through adversity and trials. The most famous scripture that speaks of this process is found in Hebrews 12. If you've ever wondered what God’s perspective is on refining us through difficulties, consider verse 11. 

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

Hebrews 12:11

Often that process takes time, but ultimately it represents God turning up the heat because he loves us! Other times, that heat manifests itself immediately through his supernatural power. All because of his love!

I witnessed this supernatural power first hand while I was visiting a brick kiln in Pakistan. I looked into the eyes of 100 slaves who were being abused, beaten, chained, and sexually assaulted, all because of one owner and his corrupted perspective of power. He treated these precious people worse than animals and shockingly walked through life with a clear conscience. He had never met God and had never heard the gospel message. When our team arrived at his kiln, the God who described the refining fire in Hebrews 12:11 made his presence known! 

As we shared the gospel, this brutal owner felt his entire body “catch on fire”. When we spoke with him after, he was panicked and confused as he described a physical heat that had come over his body. He ran away from us and sought counsel from local witch doctors, convinced we had placed some kind of curse on him! As you can imagine, the witch doctors provided no relief and he remained in this condition - feeling the refining fire of a loving God. 

He called and asked us to return several days later. We sat in his office and explained the fire he was feeling was not caused by our team, but by a loving God who had let him feel this fire to gain his attention. He listened intently while counting the cost. For this influential Muslim leader to receive Christ, it would mean a life of sacrifice and persecution, including separation from friends and family. The cost was great, too great for him to decide immediately. So, our team followed up with him for several weeks and the Holy Spirit softened his hard heart.

The man on fire, who recently had a cancer diagnosis, was healed and the fire relented………when he said YES to Jesus!

Now this owner is a new creation in Christ. He is on a path of discipleship, listening to the Treasure and meeting with Christian leaders. He now knows Jesus because our team was sent to a place where His name was still unknown. He knows Jesus because people were brave enough to go into a hostile environment and risk physical threats and acts of retaliation. He knows Jesus because of God’s infinite love!

In March, I returned from a visit working with our teams on the ground in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Friend, there is no way to quantify the carnage happening to the church in Afghanistan right now. Virtually every Afghan refugee has a story of an immediate family member being killed by the Taliban. Tales of utter brutality were the norm - not the exception - all for following Jesus! Imagine being grateful that your husband was killed by a bullet and not a “slow death”, as the Taliban is known to do, watching your daughter stoned to death for her faith, or being restrained while your wife and daughters are beheaded because they had identification on them showing they were a Christian when their bus was stopped by the Taliban. 

One day, a woman and her adult son walked more than 20 kilometers to see our team. They had heard we might be near them and wanted to meet. They, like so many others, had lost family members because of their faith. Yet they asked for more Treasures, in Dari, so they could share the Word of God with others in their community and their country. They begged me: 

“Please, our country is lost without Jesus. We don’t know Jesus. Please send us more Treasures so we can share with others about Jesus. Even if we die doing so, it will be worth it because we are all lost without him. They don’t know!” 

In that brief moment I asked myself, would I have that same response? I knew we could not turn our backs on them. See friends, in Afghanistan, there is no such thing as a lukewarm Christian. They are on fire for the Gospel of Jesus, and they have to be because the cost can literally be their lives. In Afghanistan, a country of 40 million people, only 0.02% are Christians. 

69 of 71 different people groups have never had access to Jesus. No Bible. No Missionary. No Pastor. Jesus is not known there. Jesus says in Matthew 16:24-25, “let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me… and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it.” That is a real life and death situation in Afghanistan. We must stand with our brothers and sisters in Christ to make Jesus known there. 

At that moment, when that woman and adult son turned to me, imploring me to send more Treasures so that their countrymen could be saved, they pressed something into my hand. It was the equivalent of $10 of American money that had been collected over the course of a month from the underground church in Afghanistan. That was literally and figuratively the widow’s mite. 

In Afghanistan, the cost to follow Jesus can literally be your life. The next day, through our team, we learned the woman had been captured for sharing her faith. This precious woman was now in the hands of someone who had the ability to rape her, punish her, stone her, kill her. Yet, the story doesn’t end there. Using her words and her Treasure, the woman talked to her captor about Jesus. For more than six hours, as he imprisoned her, she testified about her God. 

After six hours, her captor came to know Jesus and released her. Praise Jesus! To God be the Glory! 

In the Harvest, 

Greg Kelley, CEO

So many countries in Africa have suffered tragic moments over the last 125 years. Despite such difficulties, the gospel has grown exponentially in Africa during that same time. In 1900, there were only 9 million Christians in all of Africa. Fast forward 100 years, now more than 380 million believers fill this beautiful continent that is three times the size of the United States! Praise the Lord for the spiritual growth.

But as tragedy continues, there is still more work to be done.

Our hearts break over the physical carnage that seems to shred this land like one tsunami after another. The most recent example is Sudan. New fighting erupted in April that has plunged the country to the brink of a civil war. In less than one month, more than 500 people have already been killed as two separate military factions battle for control of this North African land.

Sudan’s primarily Arab community is no stranger to civil war. From 1983-2005, more than 1.5 million people lost their lives in another unnecessary bloodbath within this poor African country. We pray this current conflict does not gain further traction, but international funding pouring into both sides of the battle suggests a long, drawn out campaign.

These are the kind of unexpected global humanitarian crises that occur with way too much frequency. Natural disasters can happen anywhere. Yet over the last fifty years, the unfortunate reality of war is that it often occurs in locations that are already difficult to reach with the gospel.

In Sudan, less than 1% of the 46 million residents are followers of Jesus!  

Here’s the good news. Our partners in neighboring Chad and South Sudan are ready to respond now!

I stood at the edge of the bed with his arms clutched around my leg. He begged me not to leave and to protect his family from the living hell they were enduring. He would be beaten again that evening and feared that his daughters would be sold as sex slaves. Tears raced down his cheeks in complete desperation – “Please help me!”

That was my experience a couple weeks ago in a brick kiln in Pakistan. Hundreds of thousands of slaves live in these types of conditions. It’s one of the most desperate situations that I’ve come across in my 25 year tenure at Unknown Nations. Regrettably, all of these precious people are asking us the same question. “Will you help me?”

In the midst of the confusion and chaos of the moment, the Holy Spirit led me to a response. I called upon our leaders to give me a Treasure and I was prompted by the Lord to play the third chapter of John. This slave who had never learned to read was fixated on this device – hearing the powerful words of the gospel.

These words pierce the heart and bring transformation and peace to the inner chambers of our broken lives. This slave and his family are cherished in the eyes of Jesus! There is nothing physical that I could have done in that moment to deliver what was received. No earthly solution! But God can meet both needs.

This family was freed from chains spiritually first and then physically when they were freed by the owner later that evening.

Our goal in these brick kilns is to see that kind of supernatural transformation begin with each of the Muslim owners and their managers. Please pray for these leaders who are increasingly seeing their slaves eagerly come to Christ and live in freedom that can not be denied. Our teams are reaching new kilns every week as the Word of God sets these captives free.

One owner recently has heard the gospel clearly. He has felt “fire” for weeks and is having dreams of Jesus on a white horse calling him to follow him. He is counting the cost and is close to surrendering to the Lord. Our team just gave him a Treasure in the Urdu language which he is listening to now. Let's pray the hard heart continues to soften and ultimately accepts the Lord as he listens to the Word of God.

The two year anniversary of the infamous Myanmar military coup came and went this past month. This unlawful regime continues its crackdown upon millions of innocent lives. Now, the UN is saying that 5 million children are in dire need of humanitarian aid due to the conflict.

The carnage taking place is unimaginable and is going largely unnoticed by the global community. It is another example of the worst of both worlds being met by silence. 

Since its independence in 1948, this precious land in Myanmar has experienced decades of repressive military rule and civil war among minority ethnic groups. During that time, millions of people have been displaced, sexually assaulted and subjected to mass killings - in short, textbook genocide. All the while, Myanmar’s delicate economy suffers and hangs on by a thread. The most weak and vulnerable people are victimized over and over again.

The church has a tremendous opportunity to be a light!

We certainly should not respond as the world, plowing endless relief into chaos and turmoil in the absence of a long term goal. We have the only - and best - solution! Myanmar, facing a tragic scenario like so many other places, requires the Good News of Jesus Christ!

The atrocities in Myanmar are a perfect example of how the Body of Christ can make a significant impact in a place that seems hopeless. Unfortunately, Myanmar has a far bigger heart issue than a hunger issue. Making people temporarily more comfortable on their way to eternity is beneath the Body of Christ. Our calling is much higher, which is why the gospel message MUST be the forerunner alongside any strategic humanitarian assistance that is required. That makes Myanmar a country facing the worst of both worlds.

Despite much of the country being an active war zone, our leaders on the ground have never stopped going to the most dangerous spots and doing what the church should be doing. Our leaders are committed to telling the broken communities and villages about the love of Jesus!

Sometimes, the primary fact lost on followers of Jesus is that in the midst of this physical carnage is a country that has a chronic spiritual condition. 83% of the people in the country live within people groups without access to the gospel! 

Because of our faithful men and women (same culture missionaries) on the ground, we are seeing hearts transformed by the power of the gospel. Just recently an outreach took place that impacted approximately 3,000 people. Here is the summary of that encounter:

Among those 3,000 people:

1. 60% of them were completely unreached people and had never heard the name of Jesus. This was their first time hearing the gospel in their whole lives.

2. 98% of them were unbelievers (75% of Buddhists, 15% of Hindus and 10% of Muslims).

3. We distributed 212 Burmese and Mandarin Treasures to key people who could not read or write well. (This was an area near the border with China which requires Mandarin).

After the distribution, more than 200 received Jesus and requested water baptism. 30 new leaders from that outreach are being trained at our training center designed to develop disciple makers! Friends, Myanmar is ripe for the gospel despite it being gripped in chaos and uncertainty.

On February 21, 2021, the country of Myanmar (formerly Burma) was scheduled to endorse the results of their national election from the previous November. The brutal military regime opposed the woman who won in a landslide, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The result was a violent military coup that led to the imprisonment of the legally victorious candidate and destroyed hopes for democratic reforms in this strategic Southeast Asian nation. That occurred two years ago, and today, the residual effects are still having tragic consequences, especially among Christians. 

As atrocities mount, the suffering of the Burmese people has become unimaginable.

Over 1.2 million people are internally displaced because of government oppression. Christians have stood firmly against this brutal regime and are paying the price. The military has attacked many villages and indiscriminately targeted those who oppose their illegal siege of the country. Innocent men, women and children have been imprisoned and killed for standing up for peace. Credible sources estimate more than 34,000 civilian structures, including homes, clinics, schools and churches, have been destroyed during the coup.

Our key relationships in the country shared a recent incident where an entire village was destroyed. It had been the home of Unknown Nations partners and friends sharing the gospel throughout Myanmar. These innocent people have lost everything! We immediately equipped our indigenous leaders who were going into these areas to minister. Many had fled during the attacks, and some were still missing, but the remaining villagers needed urgent assistance to help them survive the winter cold. Our leaders consoled the victims and offered humanitarian assistance alongside Treasures (audio Bibles). 

Now, even the Buddhist leaders in the community are feeling a different kind of love in the midst of despair. They are eager to learn more about Jesus. 

In the past month since mobilization of aid to that village, ten people have received Jesus and are eagerly listening to the audio Bibles. 

The atrocities in Myanmar are a perfect example of how the Body of Christ can make a significant impact in a place that seems hopeless. We choose to go where the environment is hardened and looks the most bleak. That is where Jesus would go! Now it is our opportunity. 

More Burmese leaders have come forward who want to be further discipled, trained and mobilized in the midst of these two challenging years. 

They realize the only hope for their country is the gospel message. Eternal hope! 

Together in the Harvest, 

Greg Kelley, CEO

India is a country that stands alone in so many ways as it relates to the Great Commission. They have a greater concentration of unreached people than any country in the world…and it’s not even close. Christianity has always been a minority religion despite significant mission efforts over the centuries. This is amazing, considering that Thomas, the disciple of Jesus, first brought the gospel there over 2,000 years ago!

During the 20th century, while much of Sub-Saharan Africa was exploding with the gospel, India has been largely unresponsive to the Good News. Followers of Jesus in Malawi started at 2% in 1900 and grew to 77% by the end of the century! Kenya went from .2% all the way to 79%. And, the massive country of Congo went from less than 2% all the way to 95%!! Africa’s response during this time was thanks to incredible investments, prayers and sacrifice.

Over that same time period, 1900-2000, India’s population started at 2% Christian and ended at 2%. This resistance toward the gospel still continues today.

As Christians, we need to understand the challenges and find ways to prayerfully be a part of seeing this country reached with the Good News. We are absolutely confident that India will one day call upon the name of Jesus in historic proportions! 

The first thing we must realize is that inside of India resides 2,135 people groups that do not have access to the gospel. They are unreached. That is more than the next 6 countries combined! This country also has 460,000 villages that do not have any kind of Christian presence. This land must become a priority for the Body of Christ. We must find the current situation unacceptable on our watch of stewarding the Great Commission.

Because of this, we have developed a network of four indigenous leaders across the country, three of them are in the north where Christianity is almost non-existent. In this area we heard of a Hindu man who received Jesus by listening to the Treasure. In his enthusiasm he declared “your God speaks my language!” He said he would share the gospel through the solar powered audio bible with 2,000 people in the next few months! This is the kind of determined approach it will take to reach all of India…the greatest holdout to the greatest story ever told.

Happy New Year! All of us at Unknown Nations wish you a wonderful 2023. As you start this year, we pray that the Lord gives you faces and places to take the Good News. Find the lives that God intends for you to impact for eternity this year. If we all took that challenge, 2023 would end up being a phenomenal year! 

At Unknown Nations, when we think of lives to impact, the unreached are front and center.

They live in places where the name of Jesus has never been spoken, and do not have access to the gospel message! How is it still possible, in January of 2023, that this could be true? Unfortunately, it is true for billions of people. The good news is that we know where they live, which allows us to mobilize resources in a very strategic manner.

You probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you that 47 of the 100 largest unreached people groups in the world are living within the single country of India?! This is why India is a huge priority for us and why we send thousands of Treasures into this country every month. If you are curious, those 47 people groups amount to more than 670 million people—all without access to the gospel!

As you partner with us and take the gospel where it has never been, you are mobilizing world-changing leaders who love Jesus. YOU literally set them in motion through your investment. World-changers like Rinku, a precious leader who was crippled years ago by polio. She literally walks by moving her feet with her hands, urgently traveling from one village to the next to bring the hope of the gospel. Rinku came to know Jesus through listening to the Treasure last year. Since that time, she has led 100 people to Christ through the Treasure!

When one of our team members was praying for Rinku, they felt prompted to ask what she wanted from the Lord, her answer shocked us all! Without any hesitation, she said, “to receive more boldness and power in the Holy Spirit to share the gospel.” Because of you, she is taking the gospel where it has never been. Let’s consider Rinku when we ask the Lord what it looks like to take new ground in 2023.

I just finished the busiest travel season of my 25 year tenure at Unknown Nations. It consisted of three separate trips to Asia within a seven week window … whew! The experiences of visiting refugee camps, seeing the impact of the Treasure, and dedicating water projects … Incredible!

I also want to share with you the honor of being asked to speak at an International missions conference in Indonesia. This platform gave Unknown Nations the opportunity to speak from our experience on the topic of reaching oral learners in the 10/40 window. It was exciting to share the vision that you have all been supporting with missions leaders from around the world. This amazing opportunity came as a result of a relationship with one of our world changing indigenous leaders.

In fact, as I reflect on this season of travel, my biggest takeaway was the same thing that I’ve always considered our greatest asset at Unknown Nations … our indigenous leaders! Over the years, the most common question I get asked is, “How do you meet these incredible people?” My answer has consistently been the same. “Are you familiar with the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch?” While this is not the answer they were looking for, it paints a picture of how the Lord connects us and creates these kingdom relationships. 

Let me tell you that story, so you can appreciate the backbone of Unknown Nations.

When a great persecution broke out in Jerusalem, the church was scattered. As the believers dispersed to Samaria, the waiter Philip was transformed into the heroic evangelist Philip. Suddenly he was casting out demons, proclaiming the Messiah, praying and seeing the paralyzed and lame healed! This is a full blown revival scene and Philip is the leader of the move of God.

At the peak of the revival, we encounter one of the more fascinating verses in the entire bible. We read in Acts 8:26 – “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road – the desert road- that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’” What?!! I think this angel got his orders mixed up. I mean, that seems like an utter waste of resources. Why would anyone take the most influential person in a revival and send them to a place where there will be more goats than people! 

As baffling as verse 26 is, verse 27 is even more remarkable. This verse demonstrates a tremendous level Christian maturity as Phillip heard the Lord’s voice and immediately obeyed. Acts 8:27 begins with, “So he started out…” There is no debate. There is no objection. And there is no reminder to the angel of how his role is irreplaceable. Just pure resolute and courageous obedience. Obedience that knew one assignment had ended and another was ready to begin. He simply knew his master's voice and trusted him enough to obey.

Philip would come to realize very quickly what his short term assignment would be, even though he never had the opportunity of seeing the long term impact. In a single moment, Philip’s life was intersected with an Ethiopian eunuch who was fumbling through a set of scrolls. He was a religious man without a relationship. The Spirit led Philip to explain to him the meaning of the words of Isaiah, describing the slaughter and humiliation Jesus would face in the absence of any justice.

It was in that moment Philip would realize the precision of the angel’s instruction. An intersection that changed a man and his country. Philip led the man to Christ and water baptized him so that he could pursue his own journey of obedience. Historians tell us that a revival, even greater than the one Philip led in Samaria, would break out in Ethiopia.

This encounter led to an historic revival. It involved the Holy Spirit, the Word of God and an evangelist. Is it possible that obediently carrying out Jesus' last four words could also follow this equation? At Unknown Nations, we know this to be true and we realize the importance of people like the eunuch … people like our world changing indigenous leaders.

In 2017, the world experienced one of the most egregious assaults upon a single people group that very few know about. Can you imagine one ethnic group being targeted by another with such hatred that children were ripped from the arms of parents and thrown into the flames of burning huts? Or a people group having every possession confiscated or destroyed, only to have a band of thugs encouraged by the enemy to brutally sexually assault terrified moms and daughters? This is the reality of the Rohingya! 

These precious people have lived in makeshift, temporary shelters for the past 5 years along the southern peninsula of Bangladesh. A place called Teknaf hosts what has become one of the largest refugee crises in the world today. When I was there last month, many of the refugees expressed their deep desire to return to their native land within Myanmar. However, returning to their homeland appears very unlikely as the military has created one of the most unstable environments in the world following their coup last year. The Rohingya are a stateless people group wanted by no one! They live in shelters you would not allow your pet to stay in. These shelters are vulnerable to annual monsoon flooding and summertime fires that consume dozens of shelters on a regular basis. Does that sound like hell on Earth? Shockingly, it gets worse. 

The Rohingya are considered 100% Muslim and most are outside of any possible gospel influence! As followers of Jesus, we must find this unacceptable. As stewards of the Great Commission, we must not settle for this reality. 

Fortunately, our indigenous leader has already enacted the principles of 2 Timothy 2:2 to multiply and train and equip local leaders. Over the past year, he has already mobilized 2 dozen local Rohingya leaders who are committed to changing the Rohingya’s desperate spiritual condition. 

Armed with the Good News, they are visiting most of the 30 different camps filled with one million Rohingya refugees declaring the Good News of Jesus Christ! Now, we have the opportunity to help a vision that will bring Christ to the Rohingya and see local leaders trained and sent into neighboring mission fields. 

To reach the Rohingya, we must intentionally raise up discipleship makers: people equipped to navigate the generational aspects of Islam while delicately addressing the genocide they have endured. 

Establishing a Shiloh Center in a nearby community is critical to that training. It will allow new believers who are eager to become missionaries to be trained and equipped for this urgent need. They will join other ethnic leaders representing a variety of majority Muslim people groups covering Bangladesh. As they learn, encourage and grow from one another, we will see church planting movements established. This Shiloh Center will become a refuge for these leaders to come and refresh so that they do not become weary. 

Together in the Harvest, 

Greg Kelley CEO 

I recently returned home from Bangladesh. This country is located on the Eastern side of India on the Bay of Bengal and is home to the largest unreached people group in the world, the Bengali Shaikh. The Shaikh number 132 million people and are 0.00% Christian.

Even though Bangladesh is about the size of Michigan’s lower peninsula, this people group has the equivalent population of California, Texas, Florida, New York and Illinois combined! While the numbers are overwhelming, our indigenous leaders are making inroads to reach the Shaikh people. When visiting the cities of Dhaka and Chittagong, we learned about many Bengali who had given their lives to Christ through the ministry of our indigenous leaders who are distributing Treasures and establishing listening groups.

Ministry in the Hill Tracts

Bangladesh is also home to other people groups who are just as needy for the gospel but very underserved and in most instances completely ‘off the grid’. They live in the Chittagong Hill Tract area which is the highest elevation area of Bangladesh, near the southeast border with India and Myanmar. These people, including the Tipura, Marma and Chakma, are in desperate need. It is unknown how many are true followers of Jesus but it is safe to say it is below 5%.

Not only do they suffer from a spiritual drought, they have been terrorized for decades by the majority Bengali people. They take their land, kidnap and traffic their children, sexually assault the women, and commit acts of genocide. These precious people have suffered! 

The good news is that our teams have been devoted to taking the gospel into these hills for the past three years. Churches are being planted as Treasure listening groups are established. Leaders are being mentored to lead this first generation body of believers. Schools have been established to give children an education while also protecting them from being abducted while unattended during the work day. All of these are examples of the gospel causing transformation!

Please join us in continuing to pray for the Shaikh people and those living in the Hill Tract.

Since our inception in December 1994, God has powerfully used numerous circumstances and relationships to grow our ministry. Our massive vision, to reach the hundreds of millions of people without access to the gospel, has required every one of these divine interactions. To complete this task, all of us will need to find our role and actively participate!

Among the many ‘miracle connections’ we've made over the years, we uniquely depend upon one category to carry out the mission. These relationships are imperative to our success and give direction to our vision. More specifically, the indigenous leaders that we partner with at Unknown Nations. With over 30 key leaders, and their networks totaling over 1,000 indigenous missionaries, this group truly represents Unknown Nations!

"Always Everywhere"

We had a ministry partner recently share with us that they love how we’re “always everywhere.” Our ministry is not dependent upon our U.S. team traveling to different countries to do mission work. Through our network of indigenous leaders, there are individuals who are daily serving the Lord and passionately work to reach their own people.

Our indigenous partners distribute Treasures, set up listening groups, plant churches, and identify strategic humanitarian projects that will pave the way for the gospel to be shared. I love all of our indigenous networks and am passionate to see them multiply. The key to fulfilling the Great Commission is leaders who will disciple future disciplemakers. Consider 2 Timothy 2:2 which models 4 generations of multiplication!

Breaking Bread

Our international team of indigenous leaders are part of our family. We place a high value on spending time with these brothers and sisters in Christ. Breaking bread with them. Meeting their family. Learning their culture. Praying with them. And, doing field ministry together. All of these touchpoints build our relationships and strengthen our ability to ultimately see the name of Jesus become ‘known’ in the darkest of places of the world.

Please be praying for a series of trips to link our U.S. leadership team with our international Team!

Earlier this year, our team had the privilege of visiting some of the tremendous leaders we have in Africa. But in the next few months, we’ll be traveling to Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Indonesia and Pakistan. Each of these trips are intentionally Asia focused as the largest majority of unreached people in the world actually live in Asia. In fact, 86 of the 100 largest unreached people groups are in the continent of Asia. Thankfully, the Lord has helped us develop a very robust network across all of Asia, ready to take the Good News where it has never been.

Thank you for praying for our ongoing work.