Unreached Peoples: The Balti People of Pakistan
The Balti people in northernmost Pakistan are a forgotten people, spiritually thirsty and in need of prayer and evangelism.
This sermon focuses on the challenges faced by the Balti people living in northernmost Pakistan, highlighting their physical and spiritual struggles, their isolation, and the need for prayer and evangelism in this unreached community.
Full Transcript
To reach the Baltis in northernmost Pakistan, you have to travel for several hours on a single lane mountain pass, called the 8th wonder of the world because of its altitude. The area where the Baltis live is uninviting. It has the highest number of mountain peaks in the world, 60 peaks above 7000m and 4 above 8000m.
This is definitely not an area to visit if fear of heights is a problem. The Baltis are dependent upon the glaciers for water as the rainfall is less than 150mm per year. The largest glaciers in the world apart from those in the north and south pole are found here.
Despite enough physical water though, the Balti are spiritually thirsty. The Balti are a forgotten people, as seen by their run down homes. The population of the Balti is around 400,000.
They are almost 100% Muslim. Only 20% of the men can read and write and only 3% of the women. Typically you will not find women on the streets in the Balti area.
Women are very shy and have very little freedom. The Balti are cut off from the rest of Pakistan for months at a time because of rockfalls and avalanches. This influences the economy.
Many try to earn a living repairing shoes, making and selling goat meat kebabs, mobile food stalls, selling cloth. Or selling plastic and pots. The Balti community is very close.
This makes it very difficult for a Christian to remain standing in this Muslim community. The temperature in the winter can go as low as minus 25 degrees Celsius. The Baltis came from Tibet in the 7th century and settled here.
In the 16th century they accepted the Islamic faith. Today less than 1% are Christian, a choice which leads to persecution and even death. The door to evangelizing the Balti started opening.
But they still choose to turn their backs on the one and true Savior, Jesus Christ. Please pray for the Balti.
Sermon Outline
- The Uninviting Environment of the Baltis
- The Spiritual Thirst of the Baltis
- The Difficulty of Evangelizing the Baltis
- Persecution and Death for Christians
- The Need for Prayer and Evangelism
- Limited Freedom for Women
Key Quotes
“This is definitely not an area to visit if fear of heights is a problem.” — Paul Hattaway
“Despite enough physical water though, the Balti are spiritually thirsty.” — Paul Hattaway
“Please pray for the Balti.” — Paul Hattaway
Application Points
- We should pray for the Balti people and their spiritual thirst.
- We should be aware of the challenges faced by evangelists in this region and support them in their work.
- We should consider the importance of reaching out to unreached peoples like the Baltis with the message of Jesus Christ.