It is a stunning reality that most people in the Middle East have never met a true follower of Jesus, and very few have ever had one as a friend.

The Apostle Paul wrote,“But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?” — Romans 10:14 NLT

The Ephraim Project is a small group of Reach Beyond missionaries and dedicated volunteers who are building meaningful friendships with people from an unreached people group in the Middle East. 

Conventional friendship evangelism requires being face-to-face in the same place at the same time, but this is difficult to achieve in places where traditional missionaries cannot go. The Ephraim Project team, however, is able to build friendships even though they aren’t located anywhere near the people they are trying to reach—they are many time zones away. And because of security concerns, they rarely even know what each other looks like.

Street evangelism efforts involve trying to talk to total strangers about Jesus. Yet with The Ephraim Project, unreached people come to us and say, “Can I practice my English with you?”

Public conversations within the social media group naturally lead to private conversations between learners and Ephraim Project staff. Friendships form, and they begin sharing pictures and texts.

It soon becomes apparent to them that something is different about The Ephraim Project team. They become trusted friends who are often told during private conversations, “You are the only person I can talk to.” Once trust is established, people feel free to talk about the challenges in their lives, talk about faith, and even ask spiritual questions. What an opportunity!

I love how The Ephraim Project allows anyone with a heart to reach people in the Middle East, to do so from their home, without ever having to quit their job, leave their family, raise missionary support, or learn a whole new language. It is an amazing way to do missions!

But the best part is seeing what God is doing. Many people are beginning to read portions of Scripture, and they are discovering the Good News of Jesus Christ. God is clearly at work, orchestrating events, conversations, and even dreams that lead people towards Him. Join us in praising God for each one who is choosing to follow Jesus and is now being discipled.