Primary Education small groups have been praying this semester for Less Reached and Less Resourced (LRLR) areas each week. That is, areas where there is little to no access to the gospel, and little to no access to the things which help believers grow.

Many of the small groups have been praying for India – prayers spurred on by a gospel worker in India joining Primary Education faculty at Ancon, and sharing the nature, needs and opportunities of Christian service there.

However, Primary Education isn’t alone in this. Across the EU, students have been widely praying for the LRLR. Here are some examples:

• ACES faculty sharing videos of students living in LRLR areas of Sydney, or considering moving to LRLR areas.
• Conservatorium of Music students praying for the LRLR, and bringing in ex-EUers and staff currently working and living in LRLR locations to share their experiences and reflections.
• The EU ‘Imagine’ Conference in December helping students consider God’s heart for the LRLR, visit an LRLR church, and consider moving to an LRLR area for the long term.

Today, 1.3 billion people in India are considered unreached (source: Joshua Project). There are Christians in India, but 90% of the population would not be able to find one, even if they were looking. Even in a year of global consciousness brought about by a pandemic, these numbers feel too big to comprehend. But they are not too big to pray to God about. Students continue to pray for these areas and consider serving there themselves.

One Primary Education small group leader shared that after hearing and praying about India, the group reflected on the ways Paul prays in Philippians 1:9-11, Ephesians 3:14-21 and Colossians 1:9-14 to inform the remaining time spent praying for LRLR areas more broadly.

Please pray with us that students would grasp God’s heart for a Harvest extending far beyond our own backyard. Pray that the EU would be bold to imagine how they could take the gospel with them to LRLR areas. Please pray alongside EU students for LRLR areas.

Jono Hathway

Howie