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December 2024 - Update and Overview
Who ARE the DAwnu?
The Dawnu are two unreached people groups in SE Asia.
An unreached or least-reached people is a people group among which there is no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize this people group without outside assistance. By far, the bulk of mission work takes place in people groups who already have a viable church capable of being the salt and light to their own people. While there are still plenty of great opportunities to come alongside those churches to bring them the gospel of Christ, FBC desires to also play a role in advancing the Church where it is not. Read more about UPGs here.
What is Faith Bible doing to reach the Dawnu?
1) Bible Translation. We have funded two New Testament Bible translations for the Unda* people group and the Weida* people groups through Seed Company. The translations are in progress and should be completed by December 2024.
2) Church Planting. We've partnered with some churches in that region to send five near-culture* missionaries to the Unda region.
*Dawnu, Unda, and Weida are pseudonyms. We can't say the exact names of the country and people groups because the government of this country is oppressive toward Christian work. We don't say the names of the people groups because we want to protect the Bible Translation team, the missionaries, and the new Christians.
*Near-culture describes people who are not from the same people group as the Unda, but have similar elements of the tribes culture. (They speak a dialect of the same language and have similar, but distinct cultural elements. It is visibly obvious that they are from a different tribe, but it is easier to minister across these cultures than it would be for someone from the United States).
2) Church Planting. We've partnered with some churches in that region to send five near-culture* missionaries to the Unda region.
*Dawnu, Unda, and Weida are pseudonyms. We can't say the exact names of the country and people groups because the government of this country is oppressive toward Christian work. We don't say the names of the people groups because we want to protect the Bible Translation team, the missionaries, and the new Christians.
*Near-culture describes people who are not from the same people group as the Unda, but have similar elements of the tribes culture. (They speak a dialect of the same language and have similar, but distinct cultural elements. It is visibly obvious that they are from a different tribe, but it is easier to minister across these cultures than it would be for someone from the United States).
History of the project
Backstory:
FBC Leadership has long had a desire to advance the church of Christ into the unreached peoples of the world. We have often supported missionaries who were doing just that. In May, 2021 that desire was renewed in earnest by a couple of elders. In October of that year, the missions committee presented an opportunity to the elders for the Dawnu Bible Translation. A group of elders, pastors, and Mission Committee members met together to discuss this as well as exploring church planting opportunities for these two people groups. Knowing the success of this project would require an act of God and should not be taken lightly, this group prayed and fasted on Mondays for a few weeks to seek the Lord's direction. At the end of that time, they met together again and unanimously agreed to pursue the project, with the help of God. The elders agreed. And in June 2022, we launched The Dawnu Project to Faith Bible Church. The prayer was by December 2024, there would be a Dawnu Bible in a Dawnu church.
Launch and Funding:
In June 2022, Faith Bible's VBS kick-started the project to raise money for the Dawnu Bible translation. They raised over $20,000! The rest of FBC was equally excited about the project and within a few short weeks, the New Testament Bible Translation projects for the two Dawnu groups was completely funded ($560,000), with an estimated completion date of December 2024.
First Contact:
We spoke with several different church leaders and mission organizations active in this country to investigate church planting efforts. Since early 2021, due to significant military unrest within the country, the boarders had been closed to anyone coming or going. But in the fall of 2022, they began to issue visas again and an opportunity emerged for two FBC members to visit this country and meet with local Christian leaders who were familiar with the Dawnu people groups. The surprising result of this trip was the Lord calling five near-culture, young professional Christians to move twelve hours away to live amongst and minister to the Unda people.
The Faithful Five:
By March 1, 2023, the Faithful Five completed their seminary studies, moved to the Unda area, and were knocking on hut doors to drink tea, make friends, and share the gospel. They also hosted children's programs where they shared the gospel of Jesus Christ!
With in a month or so, authorities asked them to stop all ministry programs and their landlord evicted them. The Faithful Five split into villages nearby and continued to visit the homes of friends as well as meeting them out in their farming fields. By April, the first Unda family had put their faith in Christ! Their neighbors kicked them out of the village and also promised them that they would never be buried in that village. The new Christians went to live with the Faithful Five, in hopes that the village would eventually relent and allow them to move back into their home.
Soon thereafter another family put their faith in Christ! Then another....and another! As of June 2024, there are over 65 Dawnu who have put their trust in Christ and are growing in the Lord!
FBC Leadership has long had a desire to advance the church of Christ into the unreached peoples of the world. We have often supported missionaries who were doing just that. In May, 2021 that desire was renewed in earnest by a couple of elders. In October of that year, the missions committee presented an opportunity to the elders for the Dawnu Bible Translation. A group of elders, pastors, and Mission Committee members met together to discuss this as well as exploring church planting opportunities for these two people groups. Knowing the success of this project would require an act of God and should not be taken lightly, this group prayed and fasted on Mondays for a few weeks to seek the Lord's direction. At the end of that time, they met together again and unanimously agreed to pursue the project, with the help of God. The elders agreed. And in June 2022, we launched The Dawnu Project to Faith Bible Church. The prayer was by December 2024, there would be a Dawnu Bible in a Dawnu church.
Launch and Funding:
In June 2022, Faith Bible's VBS kick-started the project to raise money for the Dawnu Bible translation. They raised over $20,000! The rest of FBC was equally excited about the project and within a few short weeks, the New Testament Bible Translation projects for the two Dawnu groups was completely funded ($560,000), with an estimated completion date of December 2024.
First Contact:
We spoke with several different church leaders and mission organizations active in this country to investigate church planting efforts. Since early 2021, due to significant military unrest within the country, the boarders had been closed to anyone coming or going. But in the fall of 2022, they began to issue visas again and an opportunity emerged for two FBC members to visit this country and meet with local Christian leaders who were familiar with the Dawnu people groups. The surprising result of this trip was the Lord calling five near-culture, young professional Christians to move twelve hours away to live amongst and minister to the Unda people.
The Faithful Five:
By March 1, 2023, the Faithful Five completed their seminary studies, moved to the Unda area, and were knocking on hut doors to drink tea, make friends, and share the gospel. They also hosted children's programs where they shared the gospel of Jesus Christ!
With in a month or so, authorities asked them to stop all ministry programs and their landlord evicted them. The Faithful Five split into villages nearby and continued to visit the homes of friends as well as meeting them out in their farming fields. By April, the first Unda family had put their faith in Christ! Their neighbors kicked them out of the village and also promised them that they would never be buried in that village. The new Christians went to live with the Faithful Five, in hopes that the village would eventually relent and allow them to move back into their home.
Soon thereafter another family put their faith in Christ! Then another....and another! As of June 2024, there are over 65 Dawnu who have put their trust in Christ and are growing in the Lord!