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

Home by Suppertime

Right now, this planet is going through labor pains, and to-do lists have come to a halt.

By: Eric Tirado
June 01 2020, 3:41 pm | Comments 0

The Ladder

If this family, the laughingstock of the whole village, could be transformed by Jesus, maybe the entire village would follow.

By: Joshua Lewis
June 01 2020, 3:20 pm | Comments 0

Deeper Understanding

Some are impressed by the power of Jesus, but others like Azim follow the Holy Spirit’s promptings into a deeper and more profound understanding of God’s love.

By: Carly Tirado
May 01 2020, 3:49 pm | Comments 0

The Pull

Life inside of God’s will is the dream life. What about you? Can you feel it—the pull to your mission field?

By: Carly Tirado
April 01 2020, 1:59 pm | Comments 0

So Close

I was amazed at his voracious hunger for the complete truth of God, no matter where it takes him. Nothing prepared me for the amount of love he would pour into my life.

By: Joshua Lewis
April 01 2020, 9:53 am | Comments 0

Wouldn’t Change a Thing

God has already won. He has all power and authority. He daily opens doors to meaningful spiritual conversations with our tutors and friends, which often lead to deeper Bible study.

By: Eric Tirado
February 01 2020, 2:35 pm | Comments 0

Roads, Toilets and Other Manmade Disasters

Please pray for these precious people as we work to bring them hope and encouragement.

By: Joshua Lewis
January 01 2020, 8:50 am | Comments 0

The Greatest Textbook

Azim and I have been studying Khmer for eight to ten hours every week since April, and it has given us plenty of opportunities to talk about God and build a strong friendship.

By: Eric Tirado
December 01 2019, 1:54 pm | Comments 0

A Son is Given

By the time you read this, we will be back in Cambodia, just in time to escape the cold! Nathan’s passport came in the mail 25 days after he was born. He is definitely a missionary kid.

By: Joshua Lewis
December 01 2019, 10:11 am | Comments 0

Friends

We still miss our friends back in America, but God has provided us with companions to help us not be so lonely in our new home, and that is a gift.

By: Carly Tirado
November 01 2019, 2:15 pm | Comments 0

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