Greetings from India! Members from our team just returned home from a two week trip. On the trip they were able to break bread with our indigenous leaders and build connections between our U.S. and international teams.

They visited a community of believers from the state of Bihar, India (pictured in these photos). This state has the largest concentration of unreached people groups in the world. It has been considered the graveyard of missions. One of the world changers we met while traveling was Rinku (pictured in the purple shawl). She came to know Jesus through listening to the Treasure last year. Since that time, she has led 30 men and 70 women to Jesus!

Rinku is an inspiring model of dedicating everything she is and everything she has to sharing the gospel. She has physical limitations caused by polio, making it so that she can only walk by picking up each foot with her hand and placing it in front of the other. Yet, when one of our leaders knelt in front of her and asked, “If I could pray for anything for you, what would it be?” Without hesitation, she asked for more Holy Spirit boldness to share the gospel with others!

Also, as soon as she opened her eyes after praying with our team, Rinku said she would donate a piece of property she had just inherited to build a church for her community. Even though she lives in utter poverty, all she wants is Jesus. What an example of being totally sold out for the kingdom.

Your support is making an impact in spreading the good news to ALL Nations!

Matthew 28:18 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations”

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.

The Somali people are known to be more than 99% Muslim. Their population represents over 25 million individuals spread across 24 different countries, primarily concentrated in Somalia and the Horn of Africa at large.

Ministry work in highly Islamic areas is dangerous. Believers can quickly face persecution and ultimately risk losing their lives for their faith. Many brave brothers and sisters in Christ willingly take that risk to share the Good News of the Gospel through the Treasure.

One courageous sister (pictured on right) ministering among the Somali people shared her story with us. As a child, she was hungry for truth and received a New Testament from a friend. She decided to follow Jesus and because of this endured much persecution at the hands of her Muslim family, even to the point of hospitalization. When she was in the hospital, the friend who gifted her the Bible asked her mother for permission to pray for her. God healed her instantly. She shared it was “because God had an agenda with me.”

She has endured much persecution in her life but this beloved sister is valiant in her efforts of making disciples of Christ. As an adult she was the very first Christian in her village. Before her connection with Unknown Nations she used to pluck out pages of her Bible for the people she was sharing with to borrow and trade. Now she thanks God for the Treasure audio Bibles and how greatly they multiply her ministry efforts.

She now has 45 Somali women that she is actively discipling and sharing the Treasures with. Many of them are still Muslims, but are coming to her for advice and for prayer. God has been working through her powerfully with miraculous healings and answers to these prayers. Please join us in praying for this sister and the women she has been discipling.

Thank you for sharing the hope of Jesus!

Matthew 28:18 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations”

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.

This past monsoon season has devastated the country of Pakistan. One of the people groups who were affected was the Marwari people. They are considered a frontier people group with virtually no followers of Christ and no known movements to introduce these people to Jesus.

Humanitarian outreach is one of our main mission strategies at Unknown Nations. Through offering clean water solutions, medical aid, and disaster relief, we empower our indigenous leaders to become the hands and feet of Jesus. In crisis situations, like the deadly flooding taking place in Pakistan, our partners can share the love and compassion of Christ to those who are hurting.

At the end of September, our partner’s team visited a camp of the Marwari people and invited them to join a prayer meeting. After the meeting wrapped, they hosted a free medical camp where doctors were able to provide check-ups and prescribe free medications for the flood victims.

Praise God, a few minutes after our team started worshiping all the people joined our team. After worshiping the Lord, I got a chance to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with all those who attended. I am so excited to share with you that 13 brothers and sisters gave their lives to Jesus Christ and accepted Him as their Lord, King, and Savior. - UN Partner

Through these ministry opportunities, our partners are able to leave a message of hope and healing. Our partners strategically distribute audio Bibles, sharing the treasure of God’s Word with those who need it most.

Thank you for sharing the hope of Jesus!

Matthew 28:18 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations”

We have been working in Indonesia for more than 10 years, declaring the Good News of Jesus Christ among the hundreds of islands that hold the highest population of Muslims anywhere in the world. There are 240 people groups in this country, roughly 190 million people, who have yet to hear the gospel message for the first time. Almost all are Muslim … except for those living on the island of Bali. This island is 90% Hindu, almost completely unreached! But God is moving among this precious community and we could not wait to share this story with you.

Embracing The Good News 

Mr. K and his wife were the first people to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior among the 1,000 families in their local community. One of our local indigenous leaders gave them an audio Bible and they were absolutely consumed by the messages, listening for hours at a time. Realizing the truth in what they were hearing, they embraced the Good News despite any potential persecution that would come.

Their neighbors immediately noticed a change as they refused to participate in the daily Hindu rituals. They gave up their idols and began to pray for family and friends. Their countenance dramatically changed as they learned to follow Christ and share this salvation message with friends and family.

As they grew spiritually, they realized one final act of obedience and surrender would be required. The physical idols and temple on their property would need to be destroyed. These reminders of the past were holding them back, yet their destruction would make them vulnerable to the wrath of the entire community. 

Finding courage in their new faith, they picked up their hammers.

As each blow hit these statues, Mr. K and his wife were completely free! Free in Jesus! Free to share his Good News message! Free to listen to the Treasure and share it with others!

The Philippines is home to over 7,000 islands off the coast of Vietnam. Our partner is very well connected and has reported working with roughly 100 key leaders in different tribal groups throughout the country. Through our Treasure Ministry, he distributes Treasure and Messenger audio Bibles as well as micro SD cards among the island nations. In his latest update, we see the full circle affect of audio Bibles being sown in a tribal community without previous access to the gospel message.

We distributed 50 Treasure audio Bibles to a Higaonon tribe in the Bukidnon province. This tribal community received their first Treasures a few years ago as I was scouting the place and was impressed to sow a few among tribal villagers. Beyond our knowledge, the Lord was working behind the scenes. Someone was used to nurture the seeds they had received. Years have passed and now they have a church. They have regular worship services on Sunday through the leadership of my pastor friend who coordinated our recent Treasure distribution. Thank you very much for your partnership in our mission works in reaching the Unreached. - UN Partner

Your support is making an impact in spreading the good news to ALL Nations!

God Bless,
Greg Kelley, CEO

Matthew 28:18 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations”

Sometimes we know God is working by the fruit - the testimonies and baptisms of those who come to know Jesus for the first time. Other times, we know God is working when we see the response to the Treasure (audio Bible) from those who feel threatened by it. 

Recently, we sent some Treasures into an area of Central Africa for our indigenous partner on the ground to distribute in nearby Muslim villages. We cannot disclose the specific area for safety reasons, but this particular people group is 100% Muslim and persecutes Christians regularly. Our partner shared with us the dangers of distributing Treasures there, but also shared of their passion for bringing the gospel to this unreached area. 

Shortly thereafter, our indigenous leader sent us an urgent request for prayer for his network of missionaries. He shared a video that was circulating amongst Muslim Imams (leaders) and it featured the Treasure playing. The video warned the Muslim leaders of the impact the Treasure is having in their communities! 

The Muslim man speaking in the video warns that the Treasure is “dangerous because it impacts the heart language” of the people. 

Our partner shares that the message of the Treasure is impactful because it is in the heart language (native language) of the people and Islam promotes only Arabic. 

The video promises that the Muslim community will identify those who are recording “those Christian things” in their language and then warns that those distributing them will be punished, beaten or even killed. He also tells them not to allow their children to attend “those Christian schools” that our partner is setting up. 

This area in Central Africa boasts over 2 million people and virtually 100% are Muslim. Seventy percent of them are nomadic without access to the gospel or formal education. One way of gaining access, which education and provide veterinary care for their animals. 

Given the open hostility to the Gospel - under literal threat of death - we are working to reach this group through a school on wheels program. A vehicle will be equipped with educational materials to teach the children as well as basic veterinary medicine to provide care for their animals. As herdsmen, their animals are their primary asset and care of them is of utmost concern. The people will also continue to be provided with Treasures in their native language so they can listen as families and groups. We have found that a single Treasure can impact up to 144 people. 

Imagine the impact that the Good News can have amongst these people! 

Many in this area have grown hostile to the outside world and society because they haven’t received education or aid. This project will help model peace and hope to the people from a young age. They will be able to know Christ through this project as the gospel will be preached. 

Please join us in prayer. Our international partner in this area asked us to pray for these needs: 

• Pray for his network of missionaries on the ground who are distributing the Treasures - that God will preserve and protect them. 
• Pray for the message of salvation and that God will open the hearts of this precious group of people. 
• Pray for God to provide, protect, and give wisdom to those serving in this area. 

Faithfully, 

Greg Kelley CEO

I love our staff at Unknown Nations and know you’d enjoy sitting in on our weekly meetings every Wednesday morning to experience it for yourself. There are about 15 of us when we can all attend. Some join from their remote locations across the country as we share testimonies, pray and discuss future vision together! Some of the unseen participants include over 1,000 indigenous missionaries who daily carry out the vision of Unknown Nations in places like Cambodia, Eritrea and Sri Lanka. The other is YOU!

A Record Setting Year

It would have been impossible to achieve the record setting number of Treasure distributions over these past 12 months without you! Can you believe that more than 150 Treasures were sent every day over the past year?! That amounts to 21,000 people hearing about Jesus for the first time every single day someplace in the unreached world.

Our tagline – ‘Where no one else has gone’ – is a deep burden among the entire Unknown Nations family. We share the same urgency that Paul sensed when he declared his personal mission statement in Romans 15:20,

My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else.

As we begin another fiscal year at Unknown Nations, we celebrate the lives that have been impacted for eternity while fixing our eyes on the task that remains. You see, Christianity is growing faster in Africa than any other place in the world, yet 15 countries on that continent still have fewer than 1% who know Jesus. This remarkable contrast shows why we must utilize available data to guide our mission investment. I’m very certain that Paul would not have randomly approached the African mission field. He would have discovered where a missionary had been prior to his arrival and literally gone someplace else! Are we prepared to make those difficult decisions?

The Gospel Is The Only Solution

Our local leader in the Horn of Africa recently told us of his encounter with a military general in the war torn country of South Sudan. This place has been devastated by civil war and conflict for over 25 years. Their infrastructure is destroyed. It is very difficult to raise leaders and disciple the next generation. When more than 2 million people lose their lives and countless more are displaced, it puts a premium on creative discipleship efforts. The leader told our partner that the “only solution for the crises in his country is the Word of God.” He explained how many of his soldiers have been listening to the Treasures and that thousands of additional units were urgently needed!

We embrace these environments and opportunities because we agree that the only solution is a radical change of heart! For people living in the unreached world, chaos, uncertainty, and despair are the common themes. We refuse to allow those conditions to remain and are determined to get thousands of Treasures into their precious hands. Together we will become the generation to fulfill the Great Commission.

As we passionately follow Jesus’ last four words to the “Ends of the Earth” (Acts 1:8) we’re being strategic about ministry focus and resources. India is roughly one-third the size of the United States and has the second largest global population with 1.4 billion people. In terms of strategy, India houses 41% of the world’s unreached population and has 4 times more unreached people groups than any other country in the world (Joshua Project stats). Unknown Nations partners with four indigenous leaders in India. This update recently came in about a man we’ll call “Ajay” (pictured on the right).

Ajay found Isa (Jesus in Urdu Language) by hearing the message from an audio Bible and led four of his friends to Isa Masih (Jesus Christ). Ajay comes from a village where Unknown Nations put in a well last September, providing drinking water to 60 families. He comes to the house church regularly, and has the desire to serve God, by sharing the Gospel with the villagers. - UN Partner

Our leaders are keenly aware that some of the greatest barriers hindering the Gospel are physical hardships within unreached communities. Through humanitarian outreach, like drilling a well in Ajay’s village, opportunities are created to share the gospel message through the Treasure.

Thank you for sharing the hope of Jesus!

God Bless,
Greg Kelley, CEO

If you’re like me, there are usually multiple Bibles nearby. I could easily get out of my chair and go pick one up. I’ve never had to think about what I would do if accessing God’s word meant more than walking a few feet to find the version I wanted. Even if I couldn’t find a Bible, I could open up my Bible app, turn on the TV or YouTube and hear someone preaching the Gospel. 

What if you couldn’t do any of these things?

What if you had heard the gospel, felt God’s love, had given your life to Him, and wanted to learn more. You wanted to share the love of Christ with others, but all you knew was what you were told when you first came to Jesus. Then … how far would you walk? 

I found the answer to this question a few months ago in a desert valley.

I’m so honored and humbled to have recently joined the Unknown Nations team. I’ve had the privilege of knowing Unknown Nations’ CEO, Greg Kelley, for almost 20 years and have grown to love the ministry as well. However, it wasn’t until a recent trip to Kenya that I truly gained a deeper understanding of what the ministry is all about.

In Kenya, I met some of the amazing indigenous leaders that are the heart and soul of Unknown Nations. I met John, a “third-generation disciple-maker.” He’s a member of the Pokot people, pastors a local church, and is training the next generation of leaders to take the gospel to unreached people in a nearby valley. I will never forget what he shared with us, he got tears in his eyes and said, “Other people [in a neighboring valley] ... they are without Christ. There is no need of us staying here when there are people dying without Christ there. No, we have to reach them. That's what's compelling me to go."

Together we visited a site where Unknown Nations will soon be drilling a well … a life changing event for people who walk for hours every day to get water. It is also a strategic location to bring together local tribes. We prayed and dedicated the site and Greg challenged John, and a few other local believers, to continue sharing not only the water that would come from the well to satisfy an earthly thirst, but also the living water of Jesus that would give eternal life.

That’s when I found the answer to my question.

When we opened our eyes after praying we noticed some young women had joined our group, one carrying a baby. The local leader talked to them and learned that they had walked from the other side of the hills, that were miles away, because they heard that there MIGHT be someone there who could give them God’s Word. Thankfully our team had come prepared to distribute audio Bibles. I can still see the joy that spread across the face of a young mother as she held this new treasure in her hands and started listening to the Bible in her own language.

Now she can grow in her faith. Now she can share the good news with others in her village. Now we are one step closer to seeing the fulfillment of Jesus’ last words to take His word “to the ends of the earth.

One of our partners has called the Treasure a Footless Missionary. These recent stories from the Rohingya refugee camp have proven that to be true!

This camp is one of the largest in the world and is home to over one million refugees, nearly all adhering to a radical Islamic belief system. Through a series of events, two Treasures have found their way to the farthest ends of the camp and are now making an eternal impact.

One Treasure made it’s way into the hands of some Muslim women who gathered around and listened to the audio Bible. A passerby observed their group and challenged them, he asked what they were listening to and why. The women became nervous, and to avoid trouble, found a more private location in a dark room (cover photo). They couldn’t stop listening and needed to know more about what was being spoken.

A second Treasure was given to a Muslim man who was invited to join a Bible study group at our Shiloh Training Center. This man has taken his Treasure to another end of the camp and has now started three listening groups!

Our partner visits the refugee camp on a bi-weekly basis to meet up with these groups and answer their many questions. Although these new listeners have yet to officially accept Christ, many are very hungry to know more! As new leaders are raised up inside the camp, our efforts will be multiplied as disciples become disciple makers.

Thank you for sharing the hope of Jesus!

God Bless,
Greg Kelley, CEO

Our partner shared with us a story about a woman who encountered a Treasure audio Bible at her friend’s house. She heard the Treasure teaching the Word of God and singing beautiful Christian songs in Turkana (her native language). She fell in love with the audio Bible and wanted one of her own.

Someone told this woman about a lady and man who would come to the village and give out Treasures. Out of her determination, she learned which vehicle our partner was driving and started timing the car to find out when they would visit.

One day, as they drove into the village, this woman appeared out of nowhere to meet our partner. When they started asking her questions to figure out who she was and what she needed, the woman answered, “I don’t have money problems. I don’t have food problems. I need a Treasure.” She then shared her story and her strong desire to have her own audio Bible.

Our partner told us, “People are coming from all over to ask for [the] Treasure.” As a general rule, leaders are identified and given Treasures first - village chiefs, pastors, teachers - those who will have the capacity to maximize impact and gather people together to listen and learn.

When our partners saw this woman’s hunger for the truth, they found a way to give her a Treasure of her very own. This is such a precious gift of immense value to a heart that is searching after the Word of God. Please pray with us that this woman will be raised up as a great leader in her community!

Thank you for sharing the hope of Jesus!

God Bless,
Greg Kelley, CEO

Have you seen the news coming out of Nigeria these past few months? Reports of Christian villages being attacked, kidnappings, and gruesome murders fill the headlines! How is this possible in the most populated Christian country in Africa? As a follower of Jesus, we need to understand and determine what we can do to help.

While Nigeria boasts over 100 million Christian believers, they are mostly located in the southern half of the country. Very few Christians live in northern Nigeria where radical groups such as Boko Haram operate freely. Throughout Nigeria, the Muslim majority political system has much influence and control.

This Muslim political system is trained to look the other way when persecutions and atrocities against Christians occur.

The system is weak and complacent, tolerating the appalling behavior of Boko Haram and other radical groups. Recently, a college student was stoned, beaten and burnt to death after being accused of “making a social media post that blasphemed ... Prophet Muhammad.” Muslim leaders have been slow to condemn the attack, an all too familiar reaction, and people are growing frustrated!

Our leaders on the ground tell me that Christians are taking a back seat. For generations, they have avoided involvement in politics and business, leading to a void of influence in those spheres. The minority radical groups have laid siege to the country, creating a highly volatile environment. It’s time for believers everywhere to pray into this situation! The only source of true love and peace in Nigeria is the Gospel. 

• Pray for Christians to step into areas of influence in business and politics. 
• Pray for protection for Christians, living in the predominant Muslim North, who are vulnerable and continuously being targeted. 
• Pray for Christians in the South to have a ‘missionary spirit’ to take the Gospel into the dark corners of Islamic strongholds.

Faithfully, 
Greg Kelley CEO