International Mission Board missionaries are going the extra mile—quite often literally—to find unreached people groups.
They travel by planes, trains, buses, motorcycles, cars and boats to get as close as possible before setting off on foot seeking hidden people groups.
“We’re going to the deepest part of lostness—the place where nobody is looking for these folks—to be able to make sure they have the opportunity to hear the life-giving good news that Jesus saves and can move us from perishing to life everlasting,” said IMB Vice President John Brady.
It will take a lot of research, but the IMB is committed to finding and engaging people so far off the map that not much is known about them and their exposure to the gospel.
Earlier this year, the IMB launched a new initiative, Project 3000, to engage 3,072 unengaged and unreached people groups.
New missionary explorers will journey into the unknown to find out where they live, learn about their culture, discern their literacy, develop ministry strategies and find people to partner with in the task.
Ray Henry Holiday is in the pioneering group of Project 3000 explorers. The Tennessean travels with a national partner to remote areas in South Asia for six weeks at a time to live among one of his 10 people groups. Once they arrive in the general area, they find transportation and accommodation.
Holiday compared his job to how Jesus sent out the 72 in Luke chapter 10. He’ll go with minimal supplies—“carrying my home on my back,” he said.
He collects as much demographic information as he can and builds relationships. While he uses a translator, he also takes time to study the people’s language.
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During his university years, Holiday served in Central Asia with the IMB Hands On program. He thought he’d return to the Central Asian country, but when he heard the Project 3000 job description, it was an echo of a burden and prayer God placed on his heart three years ago.
As a high school student, Holiday prayed from Isaiah 6:8, “Here I am, send me.” The verse was shared at an IMB job conference when the Project 3000 job was presented. It further confirmed his calling.
“It’s a hard job, and that is part of the reason why I felt called to it. I feel like I have the gifting and ability,” Holiday said. “There is a great need. There is no one going to these folks.”
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