April - 20

Country : DJIBOUTI Population 473,000 Peoples Issa Somali 45.6% in three major clans: Issa 103,000; Gadaboursi 48,000; Issaq 41,000. But supplemented by many refugees of the same clans from Somalia. Afar (Danakil) 36%. Arab 11.5%, many from Yemen. Other 6.9%. French 12,000; Ethiopian 2,500; Greek 1,600; Indo-Pakistani 400. Refugees. Up to 50,000 Somalis and Ethiopians. Literacy 34%. Official languages: French and Arabic. Trade languages: Somali, Afar. All languages 4. Languages with Scriptures 2Bi 1NT. Cities Capital: Djibouti 250,000. Urbanization 75%. Economy Plagued by drought, and limited by lack of industry or natural resources. Commerce and the rail link to Ethiopia are the major mainstays of the economy. French aid and military base are important. Unemployment 40-50%. Public debt/person $327. Income/person $475 (2.3% of USA). Politics Independent from France in 1977. Politics has been dominated by tensions between the Afar and Somali ethnic groups. Civil war broke out in 1991. The Somali-dominated government was forced by aid donors and Afar guerrillas to legalize multi-party democracy in 1992, but elections brought only cosmetic changes and civil warfare resumed. The government is losing credibility. Religion Considerable degree of religious freedom. Muslim 94.6%. Almost entirely Sunni. Non-religious/other 0.4%. Hindu 0.1%. Baha'i 0.1%. Christian 4.8%. Europeans and Ethiopians, very few Somalis. Protestant 0.07%. One French Reformed expatriate group, two Ethiopian refugee congregations and a handful of Afar, Somali and Arab believers. Missionaries to Djibouti 25 (1:16,200 people) in 3 agencies. Roman Catholic 3.7%. French and 600 Somalis. Missionaries to Djibouti 50 (1:6,800 people). Orthodox 1%. Ethiopians and Greek Orthodox. 1. The way opened for the first evangelical witness in 1975. Praise God for this. Pray for the land to remain open so that strong local churches may be planted among the indigenous peoples. 2. Missionary work is a tough challenge in this hot land, and working conditions are extreme. The major agency is RSTI with 19 workers. US Mennonite and Baptist workers have joined them. Pray for their ministries in education, public health, agriculture, literature, Bible translation, literacy and youth work. Through these, opportunities to witness abound -- pray that these contacts may lead to disciples for Jesus. Pray for the calling of other long-term workers. 3. The less evangelized peoples of Djibouti. a) The Afars' main territory is in Ethiopia and Eritrea where no evangelism has been permitted for years. The New Testament was published in 1992. Daily Afar broadcasts were resumed by FEBA-Seychelles in 1991. Pray for the establishment of the first Afar church. b) The Somalis are a small branch of the larger Somali population in war-torn Somalia. The indigenous and refugee Somalis in Djibouti are a key for the evangelization of their kinsmen across the border. FEBA broadcasts 30 minutes daily in Somali. c) Arabs, both local and Yemeni, need a specific approach directed to their spiritual needs. d) The ethnic minorities -- Greeks, French and Indians -- have little exposure to vibrant Christian witness.   Country : DOMINICA Population 87,000 Peoples Afro-Caribbean 97.2%. Amerindian 1.5%. Caribs 1,250, the descendants of the original inhabitants, but considerably inter-married with the Afro-Caribbean people. Other 1.3%. Euro-American 400, East Indian 300, Syrian 200, Chinese 150. Literacy 94%. Official language: English, but 70% speak a French Creole. All languages 2. Languages with Scriptures 1Bi. Cities Capital: Roseau 22,000. Urbanization 30%. Economy Heavily dependent on export of bananas and coconuts. Tourism is not a major source of income. Public debt/person $780. Income/person $1,670 (8% of USA). Politics Independent from Britain in 1978. A republic with a stormy post-independence political history and a number of attempted coups. Religion Freedom of religion. Non-religious/other 8%. Christian 92%. Nom 5.7%. Affil 86.3%. Growth 0.7%. Protestant 17%. Affil 16.9%. Growth 3.6%. Roman Catholic 74.2%. Affil 68.6%. Growth 0%. Marginal 0.8%. Growth 4.5%. 1. The Carib Indians live on an isolated reservation on the northeast coast of Dominica. They are the last of the indigenous peoples in the Caribbean to survive the arrival of colonialism and the wave of immigrants. Most are nominally Christian, but few have a living faith in Christ. Pray that these socially deprived people may find their true identity and fulfilment in him. 2. The majority of the population is nominally Catholic. There has been a steady growth in evangelical churches, but the virtual absence of two-parent families and a high rate of illegitimacy makes holy living a rarity. Pray for greater unity among Dominican Evangelicals.