80% of the world’s evangelical Christians live in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Over the last 50 years, God’s church has grown exponentially in these areas.

These regions have tremendous mission sending potential to help bring the gospel to unreached peoples, but they currently send only 20% of the world’s cross-cultural missionaries!

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This infographic provides a visual score for seven data points ranked on a 0 to 100 scale. Faded icons show scores for other countries on the mobilization index. See below for actual scores and country-specific insights.

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Help your family embrace God&rsquo;s love for the world by developing a habit of learning about other cultures. Read this story together to learn about and pray for the Acehnese (ah-chuh-NEEZ), an unreached people group in Indonesia.&nbsp;

Welcome to the island of Sumatra in Indonesia! Waves lick the feet of children playing with gray pebbles on the sandy beach. Pineapple trees with thick, crooked trunks line the shore. A red and blue fishing boat sways on the turquoise water. Men gather on the beach to sort large fish into big, plastic containers. Smoke from the grills of vendors roasting corn drifts into the nearby road.&nbsp;
The Acehnese live in the northwest part of Sumatra. As proud Muslims. they worship Allah and follow the teachings in their holy book, the Quran. Some Acehnese families mix Islamic beliefs with animism. They believe powerful spirits live in the forests, mouths of rivers, and banyan trees&mdash;spirits that could hurt them. Most Acehnese families have never met a Christian. The good news of Jesus hasn&rsquo;t reached the Acehnese who live in the countryside along the coast.&nbsp; Do you see that girl playing in the creek while her mom does laundry?
Welcome to my kampung (KAHM-puhng) village! My name is Eri (AY-ree). We always say hello to everyone we meet. It would be rude not to! I bet my house is taller than yours! That&rsquo;s because it looks like it&rsquo;s walking on stilts! Our homes are raised above the ground to prevent flooding from heavy rains or ocean waves. We mostly use our house for storage. It&rsquo;s hot and humid here most of the year, and our zinc metal roof makes the rooms too warm! It&rsquo;s cooler in the shade underneath our home, so we prefer to live out in the open. We hang hammocks and cook outside. More people can gather together when we&rsquo;re outdoors. It&rsquo;s the best!
Do you like to read? I do! Almost everyone in our village can read. Like all children, I started school before I was seven. Some of my friends only attend the Muslim religious school, but I attend a public school as well. Do you like to play games with your friends after school? My favorite game is pet pet pong.&nbsp; It&rsquo;s like hide-and-seek. We play it after learning about the Quran at our religious school. I always find the best spots to hide!&nbsp;
My people love to dance! My favorite dance is the Samrah (SAHM-rah) because it beautifully demonstrates everyday life! Dancers dress in bright clothing stitched with gold thread and designs. They often wear gold jewelry and headbands with ornaments. Someone begins playing a large frame drum covered with goatskin. The dancers move to show how we plow the land, plant seeds, weed the fields, water our rice and harvest crops. I can&rsquo;t wait to perform the Samrah at a wedding or party when I&rsquo;m older!
What&rsquo;s the most important holiday where you live? We celebrate Eid (eed) after fasting the entire month of Ramadan (RAH-muh-dahn). This will be my second year fasting from sunrise to sunset. I don&rsquo;t eat a crumb of food or drink a drop of water during the daytime! It&rsquo;s hard, but fasting helps me earn favor with Allah.&nbsp;
Mother is finished with the laundry now so I have to go! Come again!

The Samrah dance depicts what daily life is like for many Acehnese families in the countryside. It demonstrates the process of growing and harvesting rice! With your family, create your own dance.

<ol>
<li>
Watch this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gozzDUuePHM">short video</a> to see an example of the dance.
</li>
<li>
Think about something you do regularly (caring for animals, going to school, participating in a sport or hobby).
</li>
<li>
Create and practice 4-6 dance movements to act out this activity.
</li>
<li>
Put on bright, colorful clothes.&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
Have a family member play a drum, tambourine, or recorder (or tap the ground, table, or chair) as you perform your dance.
</li>
</ol>

Pray:
<ul>
<li>
Pray for the gospel to reach coastal villages where the Acehnese people live.
</li>
<li>
Community is an important value among the Acehnese. Pray for entire villages to hear the gospel and follow Jesus as Savior together.
</li>
<li>
Pray that as Acehnese families come to know Jesus&rsquo; power over evil spirits, they won&rsquo;t live in fear anymore.
</li>
</ul>

Family Activity

Via Families

Meet the Acehnese

Meet the Acehnese

Jenny Marcelene