Dear Friend,
As director of the DPM-Middle East outreach, I am always discovering new and surprising facts about the part of the world where God has called us to minister. For example, did you know that the Kurdish people are actually mentioned in the Bible? They are descendants of the ancient Medes—one of whom was King Ahasuerus. In the book of Esther, this king played a pivotal role in saving the Jews.
There are also historic claims that the Kurds are descendants of the ancient Magi, who were the first to worship Christ. (That is a wonderful thought, here at Christmas time!) Even with their many biblical connections, however, the Kurdish people remain one of the most unreached people groups for the Gospel today.
A Persecuted People
Although Kurds make up the Middle East's fourth-largest ethnic group, they don’t have a country to call their own. Persecuted by Arab governments and neighboring countries, they have faced centuries of oppression. Even so, God continues to use all things to work for good! One Kurdish pastor shared with us why he accepted Jesus:
“Our identity has always been as a persecuted people. Everyone around us—the Arabs, Turks, and Iraqis—have been against us. But when I began to read the Bible, I recognized the story of the wise men in the Bible from our oral traditions and history. Here is what I realized: the Bible is about me! This opened my heart to the Gospel. Now I find my identity in Jesus.”
Over 30 million Kurds live across northern Iraq, Turkey, Iran, and Syria, and 95% of them are Muslim. Although many have never heard the Gospel, the Spirit of God is moving among them. Now, these descendants of the ancient Magi, who were the first to worship Christ, have begun to turn to the Jesus and worship Him again.
Today, you and I can help the Kurdish people find and follow Jesus Christ by taking Derek Prince’s life-changing Bible teaching to them.
The Challenging Kurdish Language
At book fairs we attended last year in the Kurdish region, we learned that there are no Christian materials available in the Kurdish language. Since making that discovery, we have translated three or four of Derek Prince’s Bible study books into the Sorani dialect. We would also like to create Sorani subtitles for several of Derek’s video sermons.
A substantial challenge is that many Kurds are illiterate. Added to that, Sorani is only the second language for most Kurds. Kurmanji is their primary language—but because there is no uniform grammar for this language, translating into Kurmanji is incredibly difficult. So, although distributing books is important, it isn’t sufficient to reach them fully. Here is the question before us: What can we do to truly reach the Kurdish people?
We believe it was the Lord who gave us the vision to create video teachings based on Derek’s books. These 6-minute videos will be narrated in one of the Kurmanji dialects, with subtitles in both standard Kurmanji and Arabic. Access to these videos will be through their mobile phones, and each message will highlight key biblical teachings in a way that is clear and accessible to Kurdish speakers. We are creating something unique to meet their needs!
A Sense of Urgency
To reach the Kurdish people, we are working closely with local Kurdish believers who know the best ways to communicate with their people. They help us record and check each video, and we distribute them through trusted networks on the ground and online.
With your help, these videos can be placed in the hands of individual Kurdish believers, strengthening their faith in a region where Christians are a tiny minority. But the impact doesn’t stop there. Leaders in ministries across Kurdistan have already contacted us, asking us for Derek’s teachings to train pastors and strengthen the church in northern Iraq.
In his message, Proclaiming the Kingdom Gospel, Derek Prince speaks about the need to develop new means to reach people. He said, “Personally, I have a great sense of urgency because I see all the forces of evil amassing themselves for one final assault on the church and on everything that represents God and stands for God. . . . We have to move ahead of the devil, we have to get into places where he is seeking to gain control before he gains control. We have to plan new strategies, new ways of approach. We can’t rely upon the standard missionary approach because, believe me, that is passing. It is almost out of date in many countries. We have to be able to find ways to penetrate the barrier; to go through the closed doors; to break through the Iron Curtains and the Bamboo Curtains. The motivation must be our passionate desire to see the Lord return—the Kingdom of heaven established on the earth.”
How You Can Help
Do you feel the same passion and urgency that Derek just expressed? If so, then please prayerfully consider helping us to touch the Kurdish people. There are at least three ways you can partner with us to make that happen:
1. Sponsor a Video – Each video of Derek Prince’s teaching costs around $500 to produce. Your donation in any amount can help us complete more videos, allowing more Kurds to access biblical truths in their heart language.
2. Support a Local Team Member – By donating $100, you can cover the cost of a Kurdish believer’s work with us for translation, recording, and distribution.
3. Distribute Derek’s Bible teaching – For $30, you can help us create and spread these videos across social media to reach believers and seekers alike in the Kurdish region.
Your generosity will have an eternal impact. Together, we can help the Kurds discover their true identity in Jesus. We can restore the biblical heritage that has been hidden from them for centuries.
