Prototype rebuild by the IMB Innovation Team. The official site is peoplegroups.org.

People group profile · PG023130

The Waimaha of Timor-Leste

The Waimaha of Timor-Leste, numbering about 24,000 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Timor-Leste.

They are an indigenous people in the Timor people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Roman Catholicism, and they primarily speak Waima'a.

Pray for the WaimahaPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Waimaha people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite: Waimaha

Fast facts

Country
Timor-Leste
Population
24,000
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Timor
Primary language
Waima'a (wmh)
Primary religion
Roman Catholicism
Strategic Progress Index ?
Unengaged and Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC ?
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority ?
Expanding Unreached People Group
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia

Where they live

Gospel status

The Waimaha are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Waimaha

  • Pray that God would send workers to this people group
  • Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
  • Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice

Primary religion

Roman Catholicism · Christianity

88% adherents

Primary language

Waima'a · Austronesian family

60% speak Waima'a

Gospel resources in Waima'a

  • Bible not available
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings not available
  • Audio resources not available
  • Bible stories not available

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Waimaha

  1. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
  2. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
  3. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  4. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.

Download a prayer guide

Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.