A "New" Nation

dsmith484
Jul 28
4 min read

*Our world is full of nations of people whom God loves and to whom He gave His Son. Most of the unreached nations are in Asia.*

Significance of Nations

God commanded (Gen. 1:28; 9:1) and ordained the formation nations (Gen. 11:7-9). He chose Abraham to form a special nation through which to bless all of the families and nations of the earth (Gen. 12:1-3). Out of love for all mankind and nations, God sent His Son to die, conquer sin, and provide salvation to all who repent and believe (John 3:16). Jesus gave His Great Commission to His Church to preach His Gospel and to make disciples of all nations. We engage in missions for the glory of God, looking forward to the day when representatives from every tribe, language group, and nation will surround the throne of Heaven in worship (Rev. 7:9-12).

*Asia is full of minority people groups, most of whom are unknown nations of people to us in the West.*

Tracking Gospel Advancement among the Nations

Yahoo estimates there are 1,500 minority people groups in Asia. The Joshua Project is a helpful tool that not only documents the world's people groups, but also tracks the Gospel advancement and progress among these nations. Access to most of these minority "nations" has become increasingly more difficult for Western missionaries. During my trips to Asia, in addition to training missionaries, I love getting out and seeing the remote people groups where the missionaries serve. However, it is becoming more difficult to visit many of these "nations" due to war, conflict, and intense opposition. We are dependent upon and thankful for our Asian brothers and sisters for identifying and evangelizing remote unreached people groups.

*AIM missionaries making contact with the Gway people.*

A "New" Nation

Antioch International Missions (AIM) is a key national Asian mission agency with whom we have been privileged to partner since their beginning. AIM's president, KT, emailed us about a week ago that AIM's missionaries made contact with a new minority people group called the Gway during a recent survey. To our knowledge, the Gway people have been previously unidentified. To us, the Gway are a new nation. But of course, God has known them since their inception. Jesus died for them and desires that they hear His Good News and become His disciples. AIM is committed to doing just that!

Introducing the Gway

The Gway are a tiny people group in eastern Myanmar near the borders with Thailand and Laos. Six villages have been identified by AIM missionaries. Each village is small, consisting of only 20 to 30 houses. The total population is estimated to be about 300. Most likely, they've been lumped in with the Laho language group, but their mother tongue is unique and they claim their own identity as Gway. The Gway people are described as being taller and having lighter complexion compared to neighboring groups.

Gway Background & Beliefs

AIM surveyed and provided the following overview of the Gway's background and beliefs:

BACKGROUND: They are animists (ancestor worshipers) influenced by Buddhists. Christians have never visited them before. They've never ever heard the Gospel, but sadly, it seems someone long ago introduced them to Buddha.

GOD: When we enter their villages, we first see a small tent before the first house of the village. This is the place of thanksgivings and all kinds of festivals/celebrations, and also the place of asking for protection whenever they go out. They don't know the Creator, the Almighty God. They just believe in spirits, many kinds of spirits: small ones, big ones, and of course ancestral spirits.

TEMPLES: The Gway villages include temples that are like Buddhist temples, containing several idols. Every morning, they put rice, curry, and vegetables before the idols. The villagers state that the reason they have the temples is "because the Buddhists do it like this." That's their simple explanation.

CREATION: They don't know the source of the universe and all creatures. It seems they never think about it. They replied to us "those are beyond our understanding, the things we can never know." One old man said that their forefathers told them that "the first human came out of a gourd."

LIFE AFTER DEATH: They answered that, " no one can tell, because no one can arise again. But there must be a kingdom for those who passed away."

SIN: They said, "we are fine, good, obedient to the elders, and never get divorced."

Inside a Gway Village House

Pray for the Gway

Pray for the Holy Spirit's mighty work to reprove the Gway people of sin and righteousness.
Pray for spiritual awakening among this people who worship idols, creatures and spirits, to turn toward God in repentance and faith to worship Jesus Christ.
Pray for a young, new AIM missionary, BH, who has a burden and burning desire to shine the light of the Gospel among the Gway.
Pray that AIM will be permitted and able to build a house in the first Gway village.
Pray for God's provision of a suitable trail bike motorcycle to assist the missionaries accessing the Gway villages.

Give to Help Support AIM Reach the Gway People

Living and serving among the remote Simbai people for 10 years in Papua New Guinea has given us a passion and burden for the small, unknown "nations" of people. We're excited and thankful to partner with Asian churches and mission groups like AIM by doing our small part to encourage, train and help missionaries to reach precious people like the Gway. We're so thankful for all of you who pray and partner with us to help Asian laborers advance the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth.

Praise the Lord with us,

Dave & Shawn

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