_____________________Monday, October 30, 2006__________________
I had a dream about Pakistan yesterday morning right before i woke up (not that sure if it really was Pakistan, or Bangladesh, but may be Pakistan ba). And after that in chuch, of all things there was a mission sharing and we were to pray for Pakistan. and when i pray to God about it, i just couldn't stop crying for serious no reason at all at all. i mean i really don't know much about pakistan, why cry for no reason??? really no idea.... but i guess God is prompting me to pray for this land. so ok, i surrender and find out a little more about this place. so brothers and sister, will u join me in praying for Pakistan? =)
Pakistan
Welcome to Pakistan, “land of the pure.” This ancient land boasts some of the oldest cultures in the world. Its Muslim history dates from the 7th century when Muslim sailors first visited. Although Pakistan was a cradle for two of the world's major religions, Hinduism and Buddhism, today the nation is over 96% Muslim. Its official name is the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Unreached People Groups
Pakistan is a mosaic of ethnic groups held together by the common religion of Islam. The major ethnic groups are Punjabis, Sindhis, Brahuis, and Pushtuns (or Pathans). The Punjabis and Sindhis make up about 75% of the total population but are themselves subdivided into many groups. In addition, about 22 other distinctive ethnic groups can be identified
Language
Urdu is the official language, though it is spoken as a first language by less than 10% of the population. English is still widely used in government offices. Other major vernaculars are Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtu, and Balochi. A total of 68 languages are spoken in Pakistan, of which about 20 are spoken by at least 50,000 people.
Religion
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a mosaic of ethnic groups held together by their common religion (97% of the population are Muslim). The government of Pakistan officially recognized Islam as the state religion in 1956, when the country was proclaimed an Islamic Republic. Freedom of religion was decreed in that constitution and in the constitutions of 1962 and 1973. Recent legislation, however, has raised questions about the future of religious freedom.
-information adapted from SIM's website...to find out more, you may want to check out
http://www.sim.org/country.asp?fun=1&CID=69
please continue to pray for this land where Islamic influence is strong.
Amen!