Sri Lanka (MNN) — It seems like many countries around the world are experiencing growing societal divisions. In Sri Lanka, national division is deeply felt between the Hindu Tamil people in the north and the Buddhist Sinhalese in the south. Although a civil war between the two groups ended in 2009, there is still social and political conflict.
Greg Yoder with Christian World Outreach says, “Even today, there’s Hindus and Buddhists trying to gain power in the government, that kind of thing. So there just seems to be a lot of division.”
“In a lot of ways, they can’t even speak to each other because they speak a different language…. I actually visibly watched two guys try to communicate with each other. One was Tamil, one was Sinhalese, and they couldn’t talk to each other. They were using hand motions, trying to figure out what the other one wanted. So even that can cause a division in a physical way.”
Ministry in Sri Lanka. (Photo courtesy of Christian World Outreach)
Christians are a minority in Sri Lanka – only making up about 8% of the population. Yet, in one church, you’ll see Tamil and Sinhalese believers worshipping side-by-side.
CWO works in Sri Lanka with three staff members on Gospel outreach initiatives. Yoder says, “Two of the men, one is Tamil and one is Sinhalese. So that division that’s there, we’re crossing that boundary with these two guys working together, sharing the Gospel together, evangelizing, and discipling believers.”
The ministry also supports widows and runs an after-school program for kids in the name of Christ!
You can support CWO’s Gospel work here and be an encouragement to the Church in Sri Lanka.
Then, pray for Sri Lankan believers to win others to Christ by their example of unity and peace.
Also, “Pray for safety,” Yoder asks. “It’s not necessarily safe. I mean, there have been Christian leaders that have been told to shut their churches down. They have received some threats because of being open to sharing the Gospel. So pray for the safety of our staff as they do the work that God has called them to do.”
Header photo courtesy of Christian World Outreach.
