Operation World Country Facts: Swaziland

by | Jan 31, 2017 | Health, South Africa

Swaziland

Kingdom of Swaziland

Africa

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Geography

Area: 17,364 sq km
Small, landlocked enclave between Mozambique and South Africa.
Population: 1,201,904    Annual Growth: 1.34%
Capital: Mbabane
Urbanites: 25.5%

Peoples

Peoples: 12 (8% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: siSwati, English    Languages: 8 All languages

Religion

Largest Religion: Christian
Religion                 Pop % Ann Gr
Christians 1,017,772 84.68 1.6
Evangelicals 301,801 25.1 0.2

Challenges for Prayer

The impact of HIV/AIDS cannot be overstated – it has devastated the population. Life expectancy plummeted to age 32 in 2008 (according to some reports), and 26% of adults (up to 40% in other reports) are HIV-positive. Sixty-one percent of all deaths could be attributed to HIV/AIDS. The pandemic has denuded society of a young adult workforce, and many households are orphaned and led by the oldest sibling. All talk about ministry and evangelism is irrelevant if this issue is not addressed. Pray for:
a) Treatment of those afflicted. Anti-retrovirals are available for free, but there is a severe shortage of adequate care facilities. Widespread poverty exacerbates the suffering.
b) Sexual morality must be restored. Until purity and fidelity are practiced as a social norm, this scourge will never be defeated. Polygamy and a lack of holiness among Christians contribute to the problem. Pray for marriages and families to function as God intended; that in itself will be a great victory against AIDS.
c) Christian response. Genuine Christian love, demonstrated in practical and gracious ways, has the potential to win many to the Lord. No church trying to be relevant can afford to ignore the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of AIDS sufferers. Training pastors to address this challenge is a strategic key.
     For an additional 3 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Swaziland.

http://www.operationworld.org/swaz

Operation World Country Facts: Lesotho

by | Jan 31, 2017 | Health, South Africa

Lesotho

Kingdom of Lesotho

Africa

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Geography

Area: 30,355 sq km
A mountainous country completely surrounded by South Africa. Only 10% is arable.
Population: 2,084,182    Annual Growth: 0.88%
Capital: Maseru
Urbanites: 26.9%

Peoples

Peoples: 13 (8% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: Sesotho, English    Languages: 6 All languages

Religion

Largest Religion: Christian
Religion                 Pop % Ann Gr
Christians 1,861,383 89.31 0.9
Evangelicals 253,040 12.1 2.7

Challenges for Prayer

The mountain population of 600,000 are among the poorest and most vulnerable. Nominally Christian, they have little contact with the life-giving gospel. Lesotho’s churches are beginning to wake up to this challenge. Operation UP, an indigenous agency, is committed to reaching every family in the mountains and planting 50 evangelical churches in the next five years. Other agencies include AIM, Joy to the World,YWAM, Fill the Gap Ministries, the Full Gospel Church and Global Evangelism Ministries. Many villages are accessible only on horseback, others by MAF plane. Pray for fruitful and sustainable ministry that yields thriving churches.
Christian support ministries:
a) MAF has a unique and vital role in this land of high mountains and few roads. MAF planes operate on 26 landing strips with 17 full-time workers and 6 aircraft. They provide support for Christian workers and a fly-in doctor service. Pray for these pilots, their families/support teams and for their safety.
b) Youth work. Scripture Union is active in sharing God’s Word with young people, especially through school groups.
c) Christian literature in Sesotho (the mother tongue for most) is in short supply. Operation UP and others are working on addressing this shortage by translating materials from English.
d) Christian radio has had a strong and positive impact in the lowlands. Harvest FM, Catholic Radio, Jesu ke Karabo FM, Mo-African FM and KEL Radio. These stations are instrumental in reaching even non-churchgoers. Pray that they will be used for spiritual rather than political purposes. TWR broadcasts daily in English.
     For an additional 4 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Lesotho.

http://www.operationworld.org/leso

Operation World Country Facts: South Africa

by | Jan 31, 2017 | Health, South Africa

South Africa

Republic of South Africa

Africa

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Geography

Area: 1,218,363 sq km
A republic with nine provinces at the southernmost point of Africa. Relatively well watered in the east; arid with increasing desertification toward the west coast.
Population: 50,492,408    Annual Growth: 0.99%
Capital: Cape Town (legislative). Pretoria (administrative). Bloemfontein (judicial)
Urbanites: 61.7%

Peoples

Peoples: 62 (10% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: – all the major ethnic languages. English and Afrikaans are the main languages in higher education    Languages: 11 All languages

Religion

Largest Religion: Christian
Religion                 Pop % Ann Gr
Christians 37,990,488 75.24 0.9
Evangelicals 10,649,521 21.1 2.2

Answer to Prayer

Prayer initiatives started in South Africa have gone on to impact the entire world. The Global Day of Prayer started in Cape Town and is now observed in every country in the world by hundreds of millions of Christians. Groups such as Transformation Africa and Jericho Walls also have profound spiritual influences far beyond South Africa. The Mighty Men weekend conferences impacted the hundreds of thousands who attended with a muscular and uncompromised gospel message.

Challenge for Prayer

The legacy of apartheid continues to impact the nation. Despite progress in some areas, inequalities and injustices of the past continue to shape the future. Pray especially for:
a) Reconciliation among all races. This applies not just to black-white dynamics, but also to coloured and Indian peoples as well as to relationships among various black ethnicities. The “rainbow nation” must still deal with contempt, mistrust and deep-seated hurts and fears among peoples of this diverse but troubled land. Pray that the Church might lead the way by living out the truth of oneness in Christ Jesus.
b) Poverty and economic inequality. Land redistribution and affirmative action in employment are contentious intiatives that seek to assist the previously disadvantaged, but they come at a cost to the efficient running of the economy. Extremes of wealth and poverty persist. The black majority itself includes a wealthy elite and a poor majority, but the middle class is growing. Pray for economic measures that might uplift those most needing assistance without crippling the effective running of the economy.
c) Rape and violent crime rates are alarmingly high. The proliferation of illegal firearms, poverty, desperation and lack of justice fuels hopelessness and anarchy. Pray for those working for justice and for people’s safety – especially pray for the beleaguered police force. Pray for Christian ministries working with children at risk, jobless young people, prisoners and the police force. Pray that the spirit of violence – both physical and sexual – might be bound under the authority of Christ.
     For an additional 10 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of South Africa.

http://www.operationworld.org/sout

Operation World Country Facts: Namibia

by | Jan 31, 2017 | Health, South Africa

Namibia

Republic of Namibia

Africa

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Geography

Area: 823,144 sq km
Predominantly arid, semi-desert; the driest African land south of the equator.
Population: 2,212,037    Annual Growth: 1.94%
Capital: Windhoek
Urbanites: 38%

Peoples

Peoples: 35 (6% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: English, though few speak it; most speak Afrikaans    Languages: 37 All languages

Religion

Largest Religion: Christian
Religion                 Pop % Ann Gr
Christians 2,022,687 91.44 1.7
Evangelicals 270,326 12.2 2.2

Challenges for Prayer

Missions are experiencing a time of growth as the need to re-reach many peoples in Namibia becomes apparent. Pray that they would minister in the power of the gospel, but also with sensitivity. Major missions are: AIM, YWAM, AoG, SIM.
     For an additional 6 Challenges for Prayer see Operation Worldbook, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Namibia.

Operation World Country Facts: Angola

by | Jan 31, 2017 | Health, South Africa

Angola

Republic of Angola

Africa

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Geography

Area: 1,246,700 sq km
Large coastal state on the South Atlantic coast. Cabinda is an oil-rich coastal enclave to the north of the Congo River.
Population: 18,992,707    Annual Growth: 2.71%
Capital: Luanda
Urbanites: 58.5%

Peoples

Peoples: 60 (3% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: Portuguese    Languages: 41 All languages

Religion

Largest Religion: Christian
Religion                 Pop % Ann Gr
Christians 17,870,238 94.09 3.0
Evangelicals 4,277,143 22.5 4.4

Challenges for Prayer

Forty years of almost constant war (1962-2002) have devastated Angola. Innocent civilians suffered the most – 90% of the casualties were civilians, millions were uprooted, their homes and churches destroyed and hunger was used as a bargaining chip in the power play for aid. One in 350 Angolans is a victim of landmines, 70-90% of the population live in poverty, and the length of roads destroyed or damaged amounts to nearly twice the circumference of the planet. Greater than the physical damage are the psychological, social and spiritual wounds, which will require years to overcome. Pray for:
a) Those seeking to alleviate physical suffering by clearing landmines and rebuilding infrastructure, homes, hospitals, schools and churches. The six million landmines are being cleared – but over 80,000 people have already been crippled by them. Early signs of progress are promising. Many agencies are involved, including WVI, Tearfund and several consortiums of churches and agencies such as Church Action in Angola.
b) Healing of the invisible wounds. Reconciliation is a painstaking process, and the sheer number of those hurting means that more counselling and training are long-term needs.
Luanda and other major cities attracted the displaced but had no capacity to shelter them properly, so squalid squatter camps rapidly sprung up. A large proportion of the rural population fled to urban areas due to food shortages and lack of security. The government is accused of failing to care for these unwilling refugees. There are large numbers of orphaned and abandoned children; many are falsely accused of witchcraft by relatives as a pretext for getting rid of them. Others are forced or sold into prostitution to feed themselves. Pray for those working with the urban poor and the children at risk.
     For an additional 6 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Angola.

http://www.operationworld.org/ango