What country is the biggest mission challenge?

 Since Partners International works in 50 countries, I know a little about a lot of places. Sometimes that knowledge is too superficial, you can’t know so many places well. But it does give a broad perspective.

China is a big field. That’s where PI got its start, 67 years ago. It’s still a big emphasis for us.

Indonesia is the world’s largest predominately Muslim country. I’ve been there six times. There is huge opportunity there.

The toughest place we’ve been involved in might be one North African country that I’m not supposed to name. There were a few scattered believers and we were so excited when they finally started to meet together - the first local church of people from their country. Then they all ended up in jail.

But of them all, by far, the biggest challenge is India. It’s partly due to its size, but mostly because of its history. The caste system separates people into lots of different groups and sub-groups. And that system is incredibly oppressive, there is no “good news” for the needy or the poor. Those in the bottom rungs are considered to be there because they deserve it, maybe because of something they did in a formal life. It’s their destiny to live out their lives in hardship and shame. No wonder, when they hear about Christ and how we are all made in the image of God, it is received as such good news!

Mother India has 4,635 ethnic groups, many times more than any other country. They live in 600,000 villages and speak 1,652 languages. Impossible to comprehend. Christians are less than 1% in most Indian states.

Yet, there are many, many outstanding Indian ministries, serving the needy with every kind of compassionate help imaginable, from literacy to coaxing the police to help them bust up human trafficking rings. The photo is a lady I met from the Banjara tribe, where only 3% of the women are literate and most go their whole lives without seeing a doctor. Her daughter is in the picture too, she is the one who told her Mom about Christ. The Mom showed us a traditional Banjara dance, balancing a bottle on her head the whole time. In the last 10 years, our partners have started 6350 house churches among the Banjara. That’s also impossible to comprehend. But the joy on their faces says all you need to know.