I remember a journalist from Nepal whose life was in danger because ?of what she'd reported. This woman escaped and took refuge in Montreal, where Kandace and I lived. I'll call her Laura.

We met Laura through a friend who'd given her a copy of the JESUS film in her native tongue. Laura watched it 20 times in two months-that's how hungry she was to reconnect with her familiar heart language. After that many viewings, God's truth took root in Laura's heart, and, finally, at the end of the film, she accepted Jesus as her Savior.

It was a huge step for Laura, who had a Hindu background with its pantheon of gods and goddesses. Since coming to Canada, she'd found her idols to be powerless, yet when she trusted Jesus she discovered that He gave her "favor in her new land." That's how Laura explained it to our study group which she joined to become discipled in her new faith.
As time passed, she learned how to walk with the Lord. And we learned more about how life in North America looks through the eyes of an immigrant.

Like most newcomers, Laura was at square one in a complicated society. Even for this bright, savvy journalist, navigating our culture was a challenge. In circumstances like that, it's typical to look to "the divine" for comfort and guidance.

But what if, like Laura, what you perceive to be divine turns out to be false, phony, useless? Laura was open to a new answer and when she heard about Jesus in a film in her language, she wanted to know more. What she discovered, of course, is that Jesus is real, that following Him actually works, that the Christian walk can increase her comfort level and sense of security-huge needs for a woman on the run from life-threatening dangers in her native land.

This mutual learning was a process. But Kandace and I, in Montreal as Nehemiah Project church planters and Mission Service Corps missionaries, hung in there for Laura. So while Laura learned about Jesus, we soaked up info about reaching internationals.

Laura's story illustrates what Kandace and I love about North America today. It's diverse-great for people like us with a missional lifestyle-but with lots of effective resources to help us navigate the many cultures we encounter. And now we're in a position to take our call to a new level.  

With the click of a mouse
After four years in Montreal, we moved to Georgia, where I worked as research missiologist for the North American Mission Board's Center for Missional Research. NAMB partners with the International Mission Board to help on mission Christians discover more about the people who live in their communities and how to reach them with the gospel.

NAMB and IMB have developed a database at www.peoplegroups.info. Web users are able to research census information and use an interactive feature to collect data unavailable elsewhere.

Here's the plan. Because census data is only collected every 10 years and limited to what the government asks, www.peoplegroups.info includes additional details important to on mission Christians and churches who want to be a witness for Christ in the global mosaic that God brings to their doorstep. With a few clicks you'll learn specifics on the culture of people groups in your zip code-their language, religion and the status of local evangelization efforts. And that's not all. Interactivity will enable you to request resources from international missionaries. Plus, you'll be able to compare notes with North Americans (and others) by chatting online with people interested in sharing Christ with these same people groups in their areas.

Users will be the best sources for gathering this valuable data. You are able to type in what you're learning in your zip code, at the same time requesting info from counterparts in other areas. For example, Kandace and I can add information we're learning about effective ways to reach out to the international students who live in Princeton where we currently reside.

Make it an adventure
Who are the people in your neighborhood? Even with www.peoplegroups.info, Kandace and I will continue our practice of hoofing it to gather information.

In Montreal, we and church-planting colleagues turned one day a week into a people-group adventure. Mondays we'd board the Metro, Montreal's subway, and go to a different stop to explore another immigrant-rich neighborhood. Our adventures combined prayerwalking, uncovering ethnic clues and establishing relationships. I'll break this down.

Prayerwalking. Whether sunny or a sub-zero Canadian day, we'd follow the sidewalks, praying for whomever lived in the brick apartments, worked in the tiny storefront establishments-selling, let's say, a delicious plate of masala dosa from India-or worshipped in a temple tucked among offices and boutiques.

As we formed relationships, we'd say, "We're a praying people. How can we pray for you?" Prayer is universal. People generally respond to that question, which also says volumes about you. Then we'd watch God work.

Uncovering ethnic clues. We became smarter about recognizing languages and other clues. What are those blue-and-white flags hanging from balconies on this block? Oh, yeah, Greece. Why do men in this neighborhood wear brightly colored turbans? We might inquire or save that for nightly Internet searches. (By the way, they're called Sikhs.)

The JESUS film was an effective bridging resource. On a follow-up, we might bring one and say, "I enjoyed this film in English, found one in your language and thought you might enjoy it, too."

Establishing relationships. Besides offering to pray, we'd discover needs during multiple visits. Are they looking for day care? Help with language skills?

Eventually, we'd offer specific help, such as searching for work, saying: "Resumé content in this country might be different from job-hunting in Ghana. Would it help if I looked at your resumé and made suggestions?"

Info, insights and ideas
How can Kandace and I use these steps in Georgia? We've been in the trenches, so we understand why www.peoplegroups.info is necessary. I'm using knowledge from the mission field to help make the database as relevant for laypeople as for missiologists and others with specialized skills.

Remember the Bosnian population we discovered in the Atlanta 'burbs? We'll add the fact that this people group is mostly Muslim-but nominal Muslims, vital info in determining their readiness for evangelism.

We noticed something else recently. Many Mexican families in our area don't have yards where kids can play. What an outreach it would provide for churches to invite these families onto their property, offering open areas for recreation. We'll type that suggestion into the database.

As www.peoplegroups.info develops, we hope others around North America will login with information, insights and ideas. If we're to succeed in reaching the people God has brought to our continent, we must identify them, learn about them and help each other with tools like www.peoplegroups.info. Who are the people in your neighborhood?