The Arundo People

*ARUNDO is an adopted nickname for a people group whose identity must be kept secure.

God is calling His people to glorify his name and to make disciples of Christ among all peoples. We as a church are committed to this task and are embarking on a journey to engage the Arundo* in North Africa and around the globe. Our hearts are drawn to these people because of the urgent physical and spiritual needs among the Arundo.

Where

The Arundo are a people group of over 10 million located primarily in North Africa. There are also significant pockets in Western Europe, Great Britain, and North America. In the United States, these pockets are in metro areas like those around Atlanta, Nashville, Minneapolis and Louisville.

Lifestyle

In their homeland, Arundo people live in varying contexts. Large traditional groups are farmer-herders or nomadic herders, who live in mobile structures. Countryside living among family is the norm where camels, goats, and sheep are commonly seen and highly valued. Other portions of the population are more urbanized and live in concentrated developing world cities and villages where there are shops, markets, and restaurants.

Away from the homeland, refugees around the world live in conditions ranging from overcrowded camps to fully developed western cities. Regardless of where they are located, the people group is divided into clans and sub-clans. Honor and respect for family and clan are chief values. Men are dominant in the family structure and financially responsible while the women care for the children and household.

Beliefs

The Arundo are almost entirely Muslim. Some areas may hold a mix of Islamic and Animistic beliefs, but the Qur’an is the chief religious authority. Many are illiterate and rely on teaching from the Qur’an by means of a religious leader. The call to prayer rings out five times a day as they pray memorized prayers toward Mecca, their holiest city.

Physical Needs

There are abundant physical needs among the Arundo. Their situation has been called the world’s worst humanitarian disaster. About half of the population relies on outside aid for survival. Food and clean water are scarce. Medical care and veterinary services are constantly needed to keep the people and their herds alive.

Spiritual Oppression

Spiritual oppression is normal. Islam dominates the culture and is especially harsh in its response to Christianity, causing the small number of Arundo Christians to live in spiritual isolation and churches to gather in secret. If Christians are discovered, they will likely be pressured to renounce faith in Christ and return to Islam. If they refuse to abandon faith in Christ, the results can be devastating. Often the harshest persecution comes directly from one’s own family.

Christian Presence

The Arundo are less than 0.01% Evangelical Christian and among the top five unreached people groups in the world.

Prayer Points

• Partner together with this work and participate in a ministry of prayer. The task of carrying the Gospel into the enemy’s strongholds cannot be attempted without petitioning God Almighty for His victory. We must come together on our knees in constant and fervent prayer. Pray God would sustain believers among the Arundo and those He sends to make disciples among them. Pray that God would ransom many Arundo from the darkness in which they live.

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