Day 14: The Tu People

Who are the Tu?
In 1227 the Mongolian army swept down into northwest China on an invasion. Some of the soldiers stayed there and intermarried with local villagers. Their offspring became the ancestors of the Tu. Although the Chinese government today recognizes them as a distinct people group, the Tu still closely identify themselves with the people of Mongolia, sometimes even referring to themselves as "White Mongols".

The Tu are known for their hospitality and their good relations with other ethnic groups in Qinghai Province, the area in which they live. Besides being home to over 200,000 Tu, Tibetans, Hui, Mongols, Salar, Han, and other ethnic groups are also found in Qinghai. There is deep-rooted ethnic tension among most of these groups, however the Tu have peaceful and cooperative relationships with all of them. Some Christians speculate that the Tu are in an excellent position to receive the gospel, perhaps from the Han, and then pass it on to the other people groups in there area, all of whom are seriously in need of Christ.

Tibetan Buddhism mixed with animism keep the Tu in spiritual bondage. Their religious leaders ( shamans ) fall into two categories: White shamans cure the sick or the injured, while black shamans bring vengeance and curses. One annual Tu festival focuses around a medium who allows himself to be possessed by one of their many gods. There are at present a few hundred known Tu Christians, although they are mostly concentrated in one area. There are no Christian materials available in their heart language.

Points of Prayer:
1. For the Lord to call people who are willing to plant their lives among the Tu in order to share Christ with them.

2. That God will provide qualified linguists to translate the Bible and other Christian literature into Mongour, the mother tongue of the Tu. Pray that the Tu will then have easy access to these resources.

3. That the Tu will one day soon be sending Christian missionaries to the other lost peoples around them.