CHAD AND THE OUADDAI PEOPLE

Greetings! I have not worked for five days due to rain and slowdown in work so please pray that work will increase for my remaining month and a half here in Alberta.

In this blog I want to introduce you to Chad in general and then to the people WEC is working with around the city of Abéché. The population of Chad is about 12.5 million with a mix of over 150 people groups. It has one of the lowest literacy levels in the world at 53% and 80% live below the poverty line. Chad rates 175th of 182 countries in the Human Development Index Ranking. 46% of the population is under 15 years of age and life expectancy is under 49 years. Average yearly income per person is $863 US dollars (Operation World, 2010).

Chad is a secular state with freedom of religion. Chad has the rare distinction of being a place where a Christian can work with Muslims and Arabs on a missionary visa. Considering the lack of religious freedom and Islamic radicalization of the countries that surround Chad, the religious freedom in Chad is a responsibility we need to take seriously. No one knows how long this opportunity will last. You may not be able or willing to go to Chad but you can make a difference in the physical and eternal destiny of some of the people in Chad by letting me represent you there. In July I will begin a private weekly prayer email for those who request to be on that list for specific prayer for people and personal needs so if you want to be part of that mailing send me a request at <rtulip231@gmail.com>.

I will be working out of the city of Abéché (center of green circle above) which is Chad's fourth largest city and has a population of between 76,000 to 97,000. You will also be glad to know that Abéché is the hottest major city in Chad with an average temperature of 36 C (97 F) : )  WEC has a Learning Center in Abéché and on my next blog I will share about what I will be doing at the Learning Center.

Abéché is the capital of the Ouaddai Region. This is an area of harsh living conditions, lack of roads, and one of the least evangelized areas of Africa (Operation World, 2010). WEC has pioneered this area working among the Maba, Massalit and Arabs.

There are over 600 Maba villages around Abéché. To read an expanded profile on the Maba people click here.The Massalit live in both Sudan and Chad to the south of Abéché. The read an expanded profile on the Massalit people click here. Both the Maba and Massalit are non-Arab people. WEC also works with the Arab nomads who wander with their herds to find pasture in the dry climate before and after the rainy season. To read more extensively on the Arab people click here.

I am praying that God will give you a burden for Chad, and the Maba, Massalit and Arab nomads. I pray the names of these Chadian people will become familiar language among you, a regular part of your prayers, and that God will give you a desire to act in sharing the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ with these people. Sharing the Gospel with these people who have been under another religious system for hundreds of years is not an easy process and impossible without prayer, the patient love of God's people, sacrifice and plain hard work. I pray you will be part of the WEC team to this great end.