The homeland of the Afar stretches along the south-western coast of the Red Sea, from the south of Eritrea through the north of Djibouti, turning west into Central Ethiopia. It’s a hot and dry area, including wide plains and deserts. As a nomadic people, the Afar have learned to live in this extremely barren land. Seemingly effortlessly, they travel from one meager pasture ground to the next with their camels and their small livestock, living mostly on the milk of their animals.

The history of this people is passed on orally, with very few written accounts. Some of those testify to Afar history before Islamic times. The neighboring peoples know the Afar for their courage and their dauntlessness in conflict. They have fought many battles to defend themselves and their land against enemies from outside. But today the Afar face threats from new enemies that prohibit their traditional ways of living—namely, the lack of pasture land, civil wars and national borders. Many of them have moved to urban areas, where these formerly courageous herdsmen and warriors live among other peoples as a minority with little political influence or self-determination.

Over the last few decades, a few people from the Afar have decided to follow Christ. They gather in small groups, shining as lights in a dark land. To this fledging new community of Christ-followers the gospel means hope not only for themselves, but also for their whole people group. Some of them face persecution from their families and clans.

But despite the challenges, they faithfully follow Christ and share the gospel fearlessly.

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LET’S PRAY

• For the few Afar believers to have courage and wisdom, sharing Christ with their fellow countrymen.
• For the Afar, whom God created with a unique identity, to find ways to celebrate their cultural identity in the midst of change.
• That keys to communicating the message of Jesus clearly to this people will be discovered and shared.

Post credited to the editors at Worldchristian: visit http://www. worldchristianconcern.org/donate to support mission efforts to reach the unreached for Christ.