October 2005
East Asia is home to the most populous country in the
world. Despite the phenomenal growth of the church, it
continues to have the largest number of lost people.
China, Taiwan, Mongolia, Macau and Hong Kong are
located in East Asia. Generally, atheism and Chinese tradi¬
tional religions are the most common religions practiced.
Residing in East Asia are many different types of people.
Some live in rural areas and search for clean water; others
live in very cold areas and search for ways to stay warm
and nourished, while others live in large cities and search
for the latest product or technology. All are searching —
searching to fill a void so great that it can only be filled
with the living Water that comes through a relationship
with Jesus Christ. The harvest is ripe in East Asia, and
Christian workers are constantly seeing people come to
Christ. Yet, more than 1 billion are still lost. China alone
has one birth every 1.5 seconds, bringing into the world
every year more people than live in Texas. This year, near¬
ly 7.5 million people in East Asia — almost the entire pop¬
ulation of New York — will die without Christ. If we only
reach one person at a time, we will never reach the whole
region of East Asia for Christ. Christian workers know
that exponential church growth will be essential to reach¬
ing every tribe, people and language of East Asia. Our
prayer is that this year we will see a multiplication of
churches bringing millions into the kingdom of God.
TAIWAN (East Asian Coast). Taiwan is a rapidly changing
island teeming with all the frills of a modem industrial¬
ized nation, yet still clinging to the fringes of an ancient cul¬
ture. There are Starbucks coffee shops nestled between noo¬
dle shops — embracing the trappings of materialism is as
important to Taiwanese as the Buddhist temples that contin¬
ue to dominate neighborhoods. Only 4 percent of Taiwan's
22.5 million people are Christian. Most individuals have
never heard the good news of Jesus. Pray that the Christian
believers in Taiwan will be bold and obedient in their wit¬
ness and passionately share the gospel among their people.
ISRAELI JEWS OF ISRAEL. A special short film has been
prepared by a young believer in Israel and three Israeli
students as part of their requirements for high school grad¬
uation. The believer, who served as director of the film,
chose as the topic another young believing student who lost
her life in a suicide bus attack in Haifa. The film focuses on
the victim's family and what they believe about the Mes¬
siah, how their faith has sustained them, and the hope they
have that they will see their daughter again. Students,
teachers and parents will hear the gospel as they view the
film in end-of-school programs. Please pray for this film,
asking that the Lord will receive glory and hearts will be
touched and stirred by the gospel message, and that many
will come to know their Messiah.
3 CHINA (Eastern and Central Asia). One out of every
five people in the world lives in China. There are more
than 580 million city dwellers in the world's most populat¬
ed nation. There are 172 cities in China with more than 1
million residents, compared to nine U.S. cities of more than
1 million. Pray that appropriate strategies can be identified
and implemented to allow the good news of Christ Jesus to
spread like wildfire throughout these cities. Pray that as
Christians tell others about His saving grace, their ministry
will be multiplied.
JAT SIKHS OF NORTHWESTERN INDIA. The South Asia
region has set aside tomorrow, Oct. 5, as a day of prayer
and fasting for the Jat Sikhs. Just who are these people and
why this call to prayer? The Jat Sikhs are a locally dominant
people group in northwestern India. They live mainly in the
Indian state of Punjab, where they make up 42.5 percent of
the population with 10.9 million Jat Sikhs in all of India. They
are a hardworking, farming community with a deep sense of
pride, especially of their strong men and beautiful women.
The Jat Sikhs are confident and conservative in their outlook,
independent and yet ready to lend a helping hand to others.
They live simply and are likable people. Traditionally, they
are landlords and well off financially. Jat Sikhs hold the polit¬
ical and economic power in Punjab but are among the least
evangelized people groups of the Punjabis of India. Please
pray for the evangelization of the Jat Sikhs, that they may
know the One from whom their blessings flow.
JAT SIKHS OF NORTHWESTERN INDIA. Today, your
prayers will join with many others in intercession for the
Jat Sikhs, a people group identified as having fewer than
5,000 believers out of a population of 10.9 million people.
Pray for open doors for ministry; for hearts ready to receive
the gospel and for national believers to boldly share the
good news with friends and family. Sikhism (pronounced
SEEK-ism) is the newest of the world religions and ranks
fifth in size of all religions. Sikhism was founded in the
Punjab about 500 years ago. Sikhs believe in one immortal
being (god). They follow the 10 Gurus and the Guru Granth
Sahib (holy book of the Sikhs, considered to be the living
