The Afar claim to be descendants of Ham, Noah's son. The Afar who live in the desert inhabit one of the most rugged regions in the world, known as the Afar Plain or the Danakil Desert. Most of the Afar are nomads who herd sheep, goats, cattle and camels. A man's wealth is measured by the size of his herds. Rural Afar live in camps surrounded by thorn barricades, which protect them from the attacks of wild animals or enemy tribesmen. They are Muslim, but many hold to pre-Islamic beliefs and customs; they believe that certain trees and groves have sacred powers and that the spirits of the dead have power over their lives.
To follow Jesus among the Afar is to risk losing status in the community as well as possibly losing family and friends. These are serious losses.
There are many followers of Christ in Eritrea. Perhaps some will remember to carry the good news of Jesus to the Afar. Pray to that end!
"And Jesus said to him, What do you want me to do for you? And the blind man said to him, Rabbi, let me recover my sight." Mark 10:51
Pray for the Lord to heal the spiritual blindness of today’s people group. Pray that these people see and recognize Jesus for who He truly is, the Light and Savior of the world.
Pray that the few followers of Jesus among the Afar would find each other, faithfully fellowship together, and reach out for the Lord. Pray they would be excellent witnesses for the Lord's goodness among family and friends. Pray that the Afar community would be able to prepare their children for the rapidly changing conditions of the 21st century. Pray for the availability of good schools and that parents would make schooling high priority for their children.
