Light shining in the darkness as unreached people groups are coming to know Christ.

Sudan (MNN) — War-torn Sudan is often in the news. The well-known Darfur region is in Western Sudan, but almost forgotten is Eastern Sudan, where refugees and nomadic Muslims are largely unreached by the Gospel.

The Beja [BAY-JA] and Rashaida [RAH-SHY-DA] are two of the most unreached people groups in the world, and Strategic World Impact President Kevin Turner says they are building relationships to reach them.

“The last five years we’ve been actively working in the Eastern part of Sudan, which is really a forgotten area. Very few aid organizations actually get into this area.” Turner explains that it’s hard to get in there, “because of the remoteness, the difficulty of getting there, and because they’re semi-nomadic Muslims in this region. ”

So SWI has responded by distributing humanitarian aid and building relationships with the people to show the love of Christ. And people are responding, asking for God’s Word and the JESUS Film. They are seeing people turn from darkness to light, and Turner has hope in what God is doing in His church there.

“The church is an interesting makeup of different refugees from different areas, from different Muslim backgrounds, from different tribal backgrounds. And they’re coming to Christ. They’re seeing that there is a way of truth and by the grace of God we’re seeing people come from darkness to light,” says Turner.

SWI is there also to help build up the church and provide resources for those who have come to Christ. Turner hopes for great growth and spreading of the church in that region, “Well the goal that we have for reaching Eastern Sudan is One by One, and then literally train them, equip them and encourage them, so that they can actually go out and be the individuals who show a changed life.”

Turner is calling Christians to pray, “I would just ask the church to pray, that we would be steadfast because it’s difficult work, it’s hard work, and it’s dangerous at times. Pray that more workers would come, and pray that the eyes of the people will be opened to hear the Gospel and respond to it.”

“I believe, now more than ever, the church has an opportunity to really reach out and fulfill the Great Commission, with what I’d like to call a two-fisted Gospel. We minister not only with the Word of God, but we also minister in the Power of God, by responding and helping people in their physical distress. That gives us a platform and an opportunity to show love, and from that, people want to know more.”