World Refugee Day is an annual event celebrated on June 20th to recognise the plight of refugees worldwide. This day reminds us to pray for the struggles and challenges that refugees face, including displacement, persecution and lack of access to basic human rights.
In light of this, today we want to highlight the work of Harvesters among displaced people in Mozambique and Myanmar & Thailand, and invite you to join with us in prayer. Below you will find prayer points to guide you.
Reaching the Makua in Mozambique
In northern Mozambique, Islamic terrorist action has displaced an estimated 1 million people in the province of Cabo Delgado. Among them are the Makua people – the largest unreached people group of Mozambique, and a key focus group for evangelism. They have a population of 1.3 million but only 3% are Christian.
The Makua hold pagan beliefs and engage in ceremonial body scarring and nature worship. Many have converted to Islam due to the strong Muslim presence in the region.
Harvesters is one of the few ministries operating in this area. With your support we are providing training and tools to enable the Makua people to become pastors and plant churches in their communities.
It’s truly amazing to witness the resilience, focus and love for God that these people exhibit. They understand the risks, but they say, “If we die, we die. At least we died for something. Many people die for nothing.” Harvesters counts it as an absolute privilege to serve them.
The challenges of planting churches in such an environment cannot be overstated. People get decapitated, displaced, and homes are burned down simply because of their faith. But God’s presence and power are evident. Since 2018, over 312 churches have been planted in the region!
Now these church plants are absorbing and supporting internally displaced people, such as David, who had to flee his village due to the insurgency. David is now in training to become a pastor and feels called to go back to his community in the heart of the conflict to plant churches.
Reaching the Karen people in Thailand and Myanmar
The Karen people were the first ethnic group in Myanmar to embrace Christianity when it was introduced to the country in the 1800s. Despite their strong Christian faith, the Karen Christians are marginalized due to religious persecution from the Buddhist majority. As a result, over 50,000 Karen ‘stateless’ refugees or Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are living in camps along the Thai-Myanmar border.
Harvesters Ministries is committed to working with the Karen community, and recently had the privilege of meeting a group of Karen pastors residing in Thailand, who were eager to learn more about our saturation church-planting training.
We also had the opportunity to inspire 40 graduating Bible School students to plant multiple churches among the Karen people and beyond. Our work extends to the Kayin/Karen State in Myanmar, as well as the Tak province in Thailand where many Karen reside.
Prayer Points
- Pray for God to provide for the needs of the displaced Makua and Karen people who are so loved by Him. Pray for all refugees worldwide.
- Pray for the safety and protection of civilians in Cabo Delgado, where attacks are violent and brutal.
- Thank God for what He is doing in the midst of strife and struggle. With a violent and barbaric backdrop, He is drawing people to Himself. Praise God for over 300 churches planted in northern Mozambique.
- Pray for the Makua and Karen pastors, leaders and students who are committed to fulfil the Great Commission wherever they find themselves. Ask God to fill them afresh with His strength, passion, hope, resilience and love as they pour it out to the communities they serve.
- Pray for Harvesters Ministries as we operate in challenging areas, offering support, encouragement and training to pastors.
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