The Blank Book - 10/40 window


Korta*  - 10/40 Window

Hebrews

Cost:         £6800/$12250/€9500

Population:           Approx 74,000

Main Industry:      Subsistence farming
(* Not real name)

The Korta come from a very hilly area with stretches of flat plain between the hills. Over the years the hills have been a place of refuge for many different peoples, who would retreat to the hilltops in times of danger and then extend their farming on to the flat land in peaceful periods. On the plains they tend to come into conflict with other groups who need pasture for their cattle.

The Korta also keep some cattle and farm. Most of their diet consists of their own farm produce. For income they sell groundnuts, sesame and sometimes cattle; but they are not rich people. Some have migrated to towns and cities to work, but it is said that even when a Korta person is away from his homeland, his mind and heart are still there.

Their family structure consists of the extended family in which a man’s grown up sons bring their wives to live with them in their father’s home. The married couples, as well as unmarried adults, have their own huts but share many things together. Every family is part of a clan, the other unit of social importance.

The Korta enjoy socialising and usually get on well within their own group and with neighbouring peoples. They rely on one another for protection.

Tradition is extremely important to the Korta and they hold firmly to it. They are not very receptive to those who try to change their culture. This affects the way they view Christianity, which is still considered a foreign religion by many because it has not been presented in their own cultural context. The gospel will only catch on if it is in Korta language.

The majority of the Korta practise their traditional religion and are resistant to any change. About 50 years ago a mission school was started in the town of Korta. For the first time, school education was brought within the reach of local people, who had previously been at an educational disadvantage in their own country. Through the school and local evangelism a small church was established. The church feel acutely their lack of the Scriptures and other Christian literature in the people’s own language.

A small team is working on the translation of the New Testament into Korta and literacy classes have been set up. This is vitally important, because, as they can't understand the Bible
in any other language, the church cannot grow to maturity or expand in numbers.

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