A recent crusade resulted in several Zigua making decisions to follow Christ/the truth. A few days after the crusade, these new believers were visited by the local Imam threatening them, “return to the mosque or lose your life.”
Forced out of his family, one young believer moved to another village in order to live in peace.
Local evangelical churches face these spiritual and cultural battles as they reach out to the Zigua.
Living in northeast Tanzania, the Zigua practice folk Islam, mixing traditional religion along with Islamic religious practices. With their population slightly over 600,000, the Zigua is one of the larger unreached groups in Tanzania. While there are evangelical churches among the Zigua, most Zigua have never entered a church.
Facing persecution and hardships, nevertheless stepping out in faith, the small Baptist churches have had limited success as they seek to reach the Zigua and surrounding tribes.
God’s gift of love and the only way to heaven through faith in Jesus Christ is shared through the book of John. Spiritual truths and living at peace with God through Christ is shared through the book of Mark. Both Gospels (Mark and John) are available in the Zigua language, but only a few are able to read.
*Pray for unique and creative ideas enabling believers to reach the Zigua people.
*Many Zigua are Muslims by day and traditional religionists by night. Ask God to send dreams and visions to the Zigua causing them to seek council for spiritual questions from knowledgeable Baptist pastors.
*Pray that Baptist pastors would be filled with knowledge and spiritual insight, that they would speak the words of God and live the life of Christ among the Zigua.