Challenges for Prayer

1 Evangelism is a challenge in this complex, multi-ethnic and multi-religious society

2 Most older churches are in gradual decline, and are traditional and nominal

3 Among Evangelicals, growth has been most rapid within the Pentecostal and charismatic groups

4 The training of leaders is of prime importance

5 There is a great openness among young people

6 Missionary work in Mauritius is limited due to the difficulty of obtaining long-term visas and lack of appropriately trained personnel

7 Specific unreached minorities:

a) Muslims

b) Rodrigues Islanders (35,000) are poor, isolated, and 97% Catholic

c) Speakers of major Indian languages, Bhojpuri, Hindi and Urdu, all representing large unreached groups in India

d) The Chinese community

e) The Chagos Islanders were evacuated to Mauritius from the British Indian Ocean Territories 1,700 km to the northeast in 1966-70

8 Help ministries:

a) The Bible Society has a vital role in distributing Scriptures in all the island territories of the Indian Ocean

b) Christian bookshops have grown from two in 1990 to nine in 2000

c) Scripture Union distributes daily Bible reading materials and also coordinates various short-term outreaches

d) Christian radio broadcasts from FEBA-Seychelles are beamed to Mauritius – almost 2 hours/week in French

e) The JESUS film is available in Bhojpuri, Creole, French, Panjabi, Tamil, and Urdu

Geography

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Area 2,040 sq.km. One larger and three smaller islands east of Madagascar in the western Indian Ocean.

Population (2000) 1,156,498 +0.79%AGR

Capital Port Louis 145,584.

Peoples

Indian 66%; Creole 27.5%; Chinese 3%; European 3%; Other 0.5%.

Literacy 83%. Official Language English. All Languages 5. Languages with Scriptures 4Bi 1por 1w.i.p.

Economy

The once-dominant sugar and textile industries are being eclipsed by highly successful diversification and industrialization. Unemployment 7.1%. HDI 0.764; 59^th/174. Public debt 26% of GNP. Income/person $3,870 (12.3% of USA).

Politics

A French colony between 1715 and 1810, and then British until independence in 1968.

Religion

Freedom of religion compromised by strong tendency for Indianization and, by implication, Hinduism at the expense of Muslims and Christians.

Churches in Mauritius

Missionaries from Mauritius

9 in 5 agencies to 6 countries.

Missionaries to Mauritius

23 in 8 agencies from 5 countries

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