The numerous Yao groups in China have splintered into their present divisions after centuries of forced migration. One historian notes, "The Yao were a very large component in the Man or Southern Barbarian tribes, pushed southwestwards over millennia by the Chinese. In fact the term Man is sometimes still used to refer to the Yao."

In the 1990 national census, about half of the Pingdi were included under the Yao nationality, while the other half were included under Han Chinese. It appears the Pingdi speakers are a complicated mixture of Yao people who became Sinicized and, on the other hand, Han Chinese people who became "minoritized." Although those Pingdi who have been counted as Yao speak a Chinese language, one study of the Yao states that even though "they have many branches, with different names, languages, customs, and economy, they preserve their common psychological quality which holds their ethnic group together."

The Pingdi area is rarely visited by outsiders. As a result, they have minimal interaction with other people groups. The majority of Pingdi are farmers engaged in rice cultivation.

The mountainous area where the Pingdi are located is rarely visited by outsiders. As a result, the Pingdi have minimal interaction with other people groups who might share the gospel.

Many Yao groups have a legend of a great flood. "Because the flood overflowed up to the sky for seven days and seven nights, on earth there were no people left except for Fuxi and his younger sister. Begging a Chinese tree to be their go-between, they became husband and wife. They gave birth to a lump of flesh, which they cut into 360 pieces and scattered around. Those pieces scattered in the green mountains changed into the Yao, the others became the Chinese people."

In the ancient past the Yao had a legend of a Creator god. The Yao claim, "Ages ago ... before we crossed the sea, we worshipped someone called Tin Zay, who lives in heaven and is a holy god." For centuries the Pingdi have lived and died without any knowledge of Christ and without a strong church in their midst. Although there is a Yao New Testament available in the Iu Mien language, the Pingdi speak a different language from Iu Mien.

The Pingdi people need to submit to Jesus Christ so they can experience the abundant life he offers in John 10:10.

Pray for the spiritual blindness and bondage to the evil one to be removed so they can understand and respond to Christ.

Pray for the Lord to provide for their physical and spiritual needs as a testimony of his power and love.

Pray that the Pingdi people will have a spiritual hunger that will open their hearts to the King of kings.

Pray for an unstoppable movement to Christ among them.

Scripture Prayers for the Pingdi in China.

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission

http://www.globalprayerdigest.org/issue/day/2019/07/06

http://www.globalprayerdigest.org/issue/day/2017/07/03

http://www.globalprayerdigest.org/issue/day/2013/04/25