03 Dec When Borders Close, God’s Word Still Moves
You know how sometimes the evening news can feel overwhelming? Between political tensions, refugee crises, and border conflicts, it’s easy to wonder if God’s work is actually advancing around the world. But here’s what I’ve been learning lately: some of the most incredible ministry breakthroughs are happening in the very places where human solutions seem impossible.
Take what’s happening right now between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The headlines tell a story of military tensions, closed borders, and over a million Afghan refugees being forced to return home. It sounds devastating, and in many human ways, it absolutely is. These are real families facing real hardship, and we should never minimize that suffering.
But there’s another story unfolding beneath the surface, and it’s one that reveals how God uses even diplomatic crises to advance His kingdom in ways we never could have planned.
Displacement is Openning Doors for the Gospel
Here’s what caught my attention: as Afghan refugees return to their homeland, many are carrying something precious with them. Ministry organizations have been quietly working in refugee communities, sharing the Gospel through culturally appropriate methods that honor the oral learning traditions of both Afghan and Pakistani communities.
Solar-powered audio Bibles in local languages have been making their way into hands and hearts throughout the region. Now, as political pressures force people to relocate, these powerful tools of faith are crossing borders that no official missionary could currently enter.
Think about that for a moment. Afghanistan, one of the most challenging places in the world for traditional missionary work, is receiving an influx of people who have encountered the Gospel in refugee camps and communities. What world leaders intended as a security measure, God is using as a distribution strategy for His Word.
This reminds me of the early church in Acts, when persecution scattered believers throughout Judea and Samaria. What seemed like a setback became the catalyst for the Gospel’s expansion beyond Jerusalem’s city limits.
The Power of Technology
One aspect of modern missions that really excites me is how technology is removing traditional barriers to Gospel access. Solar-powered audio devices might not sound revolutionary to those of us accustomed to smartphones and streaming services, but in regions where literacy rates are low and electrical grids are unreliable, they’re game-changers.
For oral learners, which includes the majority of people in Afghanistan and Pakistan, hearing Scripture in their heart language creates a connection that printed materials simply cannot match. These aren’t just technological solutions; they’re culturally intelligent ministry tools that honor how different communities naturally receive and share information.
The beauty is that once these devices are in circulation, they become virtually unstoppable. They don’t require internet connections, ongoing electricity, or institutional support. They just keep playing God’s Word, day after day, in languages that speak directly to people’s hearts.
Unexpected Missionaries
What strikes me most about this situation is how God consistently works through the marginalized and displaced. Throughout history, some of the most significant Gospel advances have happened not through established institutions or political favor, but through ordinary people who carried their faith with them wherever circumstances took them.
Refugees, immigrants, and displaced peoples often become unexpected missionaries. They have credibility in their suffering, authenticity in their stories, and access to communities that traditional missionaries might never reach. When someone who has lost everything still holds onto hope in Christ, that testimony carries extraordinary power.
This challenges how we often think about missions support. We naturally want to back successful programs with measurable outcomes, but God frequently works through situations that look like setbacks or failures from a human perspective.
Praying Beyond the Headlines
So how do we respond as Christians who care about global missions? First, we need to develop eyes to see God’s work even in troubling news cycles. When you read about border conflicts, refugee crises, or political tensions in unreached regions, ask yourself: “How might God be moving in ways that aren’t making headlines?”
Prayer becomes more strategic when we understand these deeper currents. Instead of just praying for peace and stability (though those remain important), we can pray for the Gospel seeds being planted in displacement to take root and flourish. We can pray for believers scattered by circumstances to be bold witnesses wherever they land.
Pray specifically for the technological tools reaching oral learners throughout Central Asia. Ask God to multiply their impact exponentially. Pray for the safety of believers carrying their faith into restricted areas, and for supernatural opportunities for them to share what they’ve received.
Supporting Invisible Work
Financial support for missions takes on new meaning when you realize that some of the most effective ministry happens in ways that can’t be publicly celebrated or even openly acknowledged. Organizations working in sensitive regions often can’t share detailed reports or specific outcomes for security reasons.
This requires a different kind of faith from donors. We’re called to support work that we may not see the full results of until eternity. But isn’t that true of all kingdom investment? The seeds we sow today may not bloom until long after we’re gone.
We should look for ministries that demonstrate cultural intelligence, security awareness, and long-term commitment to unreached peoples. Support organizations that are innovative in their methods but faithful to the Gospel message. The solar-powered audio Bible initiatives represent exactly this kind of thoughtful, effective missions strategy.
Taking The Long View
Remember that God’s timeline for missions rarely matches our expectations. The current tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan may resolve in months or continue for decades. But the Gospel seeds being planted today through displaced believers and creative technologies are investments in eternal outcomes.
Church history teaches us that some of today’s strongest Christian communities exist in places that once seemed completely closed to the Gospel. The early church could never have imagined that the Roman Empire would eventually embrace Christianity. Believers in China during the Cultural Revolution couldn’t have foreseen the house church movement that would follow.
Your Role in God’s Global Work
You don’t have to move overseas to participate meaningfully in international missions. Your prayers matter more than you know, especially when they’re informed by understanding of how God is actually working in complex global situations.
Your financial support, even in small amounts, can multiply exponentially when given to strategic ministries using appropriate technology and cultural sensitivity. A modest monthly gift can help fund solar-powered audio Bibles that may influence entire families and communities.
Stay informed about global missions through reliable sources, but always look for the God-story beneath the headlines. Share what you learn with your church community, Sunday school class, or small group. Help others develop eyes to see God’s work in world events.
Most importantly, remember that every closed door, every political crisis, every refugee movement presents new opportunities for the Gospel to advance. What looks like limitation to human strategists often becomes liberation in God’s hands.
The borders between Afghanistan and Pakistan may be officially closed, but the borders of God’s kingdom continue to expand through the very people that political leaders see as problems. That’s not just good news – that’s Gospel news.
Mike Krieg is the Founder and Director of Storyline, a ministry that invests in leaders who are making a difference on the frontlines of the Great Commission.
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Updated: November 2025