Great River People

  • Pre-Entry
  • Pre-Evangelism
  • Evangelism
  • Discipleship
  • Phase-Out
  • Completed

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.

Frontier Stories

Our True Identity

We are honored to be able to represent each of you to the Great River people of Cambodia.

By: Ruth Church
November 01 2015, 9:10 am | Comments 0

A Divine Appointment

Several years ago, I was driving home from an alumni event and decided to take the scenic route.

By: Boaz Church
June 01 2014, 4:54 pm | Comments 2

Ministering Day by Day

When we wake up each morning, we never know what the day will bring.

By: Adam Clay
June 01 2014, 4:30 pm | Comments 0

I Surrender All

Walter Wilson, the “beloved physician” of Kansas City, president of two Bible colleges and successful writer, preacher and soul-winner of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, was troubled in his early life as he examined the results of his labor.

By: Ruth Church
May 01 2014, 3:22 pm | Comments 0

Legacy of Love

As I drive down the highway, I think back over the events of the past few days.

By: The Clay Family Truck
May 01 2014, 2:29 pm | Comments 0

God Comes Through

Aargh! I felt like pulling my hair out, but I tried to remain calm on the outside.

By: Adam Clay
April 01 2014, 9:58 am | Comments 0

To All the World

Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf was the rich young ruler who said “yes.”

By: Ruth Church
April 01 2014, 9:26 am | Comments 0

What God Wants Most

What does God want most?

By: Boaz Church
March 01 2014, 10:10 am | Comments 0

Where Jesus Walked

Have you ever wanted to walk the dusty paths around Capernaum or stroll through the peaceful groves of Gethsemane?

By: Ruby Clay
February 01 2014, 2:46 pm | Comments 0

Mission Seeds

Whether we realize it or not, we are daily planting seeds in our children’s hearts.

By: Ruth Church
February 01 2014, 2:11 pm | Comments 0

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