Great River People
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by
AFM Europe
The Great River people of Southeast Asia are waiting to hear about Jesus.
AFM has ministered to the Great River people since 2006.
About the People
About 230,000 Great River People border the Mekong River and live near Southeastern Asia’s major cities, such as Phnom Penh. Extremely poor, they survive by farming, fishing, building boats, metalwork and light commerce. Their bamboo homes are elevated to protect against flooding, and their diet consists of fish, rice and vegetables. Because so many men were killed in the 1970s, the Great River People’s line of descent is now traced through the women. The rural Great River People practice folk Islam, mixing veneration of the dead with magic and Muslim tradition (a blend of Animism and Islam). Outside efforts to promote Islam have stepped up recently, and the Great River People define themselves more by their religion than their historical origins. There are no known churches or scriptures among this people group.
The Great River People are an unreached Muslim people group in Southeast Asia, numbering around half a million. The opportunity for them to hear about the Savior and His truth for these last days is now! Muslim missionaries from overseas are seeking to make them more orthodox.
About the Project
Since the first millennium A.D., when advanced civilizations of the present-day country in Southeast Asia populated the area, this Asian country has had a checkered history. A protectorate of France for nearly 100 years and a monarchy on and off since 1953, this Southeast Asia region has been decimated by decades of civil war and corruption. An estimated 1.5 to 3 million were killed during Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge reign when money, medicine, religion and education all but disappeared.
Bordered by Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and the Gulf of Thailand, the nearly 70,000 square-mile country is 95 percent Buddhist (mostly Khmer people), three percent Islam (mostly Great River People), and only two percent are Christian. Textiles and tourism provide most of the hard currency. This region’s temperatures range from 50-100 degrees Fahrenheit. The wet season (May-October) and dry season (November-March) are both ushered in by tropical monsoons.
As our missionaries convey that we are people of faith—through simple prayer ministry, spiritual conversations and kindness—they gain people’s confidence and, by God’s grace, win their hearts for Jesus. The goal is to plant groups of believers who can spread this message throughout the entire people group.
One of the keys to reaching the Great River people is health ministry. By using simple health remedies, assisting the sick to find organizations able to help, and through the work of short-term medical teams, AFM missionaries have won many people’s confidence and hope to begin a small health clinic to meet the overwhelming need better. The Great River people have a tremendous desire to learn English, and teaching English to elementary-age students is an avenue to reach these people. Plans include expanding classes for older learners in the future.
People-Group Facts
- Population: 230,000
- Trade Language: Khmer
- Religion: 88% Islam, 10% Hindu.
Serving this Project
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Missionaries to the Great River People since 2017
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Career Missionaries since 2016
Project Update
Entered area in 2006
- Companies/Groups — 1
Previously served here
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Sydney Bell
Student Missionary for 2020-2021
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Ryan Bell
Student Missionary for 2020-2021
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Rose Russell
Student Missionary for 2017-2018
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Lauren Humbard
Student Missionary for 2017-2018
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Sokha Maly
Student Missionary from 2016-2017
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Brielle Fisher
Student Missionary from 2016-2017
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Emilie Wilson
Student Missionary from 2015-2016
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Larissa Wagner
Student Missionary from 2015-2016
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Bryan & Penny Gallant
Career Missionaries from 2001-2003.
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Chris Pugh
Student Missionary from 2012-2013.
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Joshua Lewis
Short-term Missionary from 2010-2013.
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Bo & Kristin Hutchison
Career Missionaries since 2015.
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Kara Wixwat
Student Missionary from 2010-2012.
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