Blog - Page 10 of 13 - Praying for Indonesia

Who are the Jawa Serang?

The Jawa Serang live on the island of Java in the Province of Banten. Serang is Banten’s capital, which is why they are called the Jawa Serang or Jaseng. The term “Jaseng” is widely known among the people in the neighboring province of Lampung. The Jawa Serang are also called… Read more

Who are the Lampung Abung?

The Lampung Abung are a large group with a social structure that is strong and somewhat separate from the other Lampung peoples. The Lampung Abung are made up of three groups: Abung, Seputih and Menggala. The Lampung Abung live in the regencies of North Lampung, East Lampung, Central Lampung and… Read more

Who are the Bajau?

The Bajau are a highly mobile maritime people group found throughout the coastal areas of most Indonesian islands. They can also be found in the neighboring countries of Malaysia and the Philippines. Their high mobility led outsiders to refer to them as “sea gypsies.” In Eastern Indonesia, the largest number… Read more

Embattled Indonesian Church Must Relocate Despite Supreme Court Support

Taman Yasmin Indonesian Christian Church in Bogor is being forced to relocate. The church received the required permission to build a church in 2006, but has undergone constant persecution ever since. The Indonesian Constitutional Court told the church in 2011 that they could use their building, but the mayor of… Read more

The Way I Became a Real Christian

The Way I Became a Real Christian Rini in Jember, East Java I was raised in a devout Christian home that taught our church’s doctrines. The majority of my neighborhood was not Christian. They smoked and drank. I hung out with them often, but I didn’t follow their actions.… Read more

Who are the Tidore?

The Tidore people live on the island of Tidore in the North Maluku province. Tidore is one of the islands in the Maluku archipelago. The Maluku Islands have long been known as the “Spice Islands,” consisting of more than a thousand islands scattered throughout eastern Indonesia, including most of the… Read more

Who are the Makassar?

The Makassar (also known as the Tena, or Goa) inhabit the southern part of the southwestern peninsula of Sulawesi. The heart of their area is Makassar, the capital city of the province of South Sulawesi. The Makassar also live in the highlands, the coastal areas and the Selayar and Spermo… Read more

Who are the West Coast Javanese?

The West Coast Java people group is also called the Jawa Cirebonan or the Cerbon people. Their center is in the regencies of Cirebon and Indramayu in the West Java province. They live in small cities like Patrol, Anjatan, and Haurgeulis. Some Cirebonan villages are also located in the province… Read more

Who are the Bengkulu?

The Bengkulu people live in the city of Bengkulu, the capital of the province of Bengkulu in the southwestern part of Sumatra. More Bengkulu live in the city than in the villages. The Bengkulu come from the union of multiple ethnic groups who have migrated to the area, including the… Read more

Who are the Sumbawa?

The Sumbawa live on Sumbawa island in West Nusa Tenggara province. The name “Sumbawa” originally referred only to the western part of the island and the Sumbawa sultanate. The eastern part was called Bima. Today the whole island is called Sumbawa. The Sumbawa are spread throughout 2 regencies in the… Read more

Muslim-Christian Duo to Run Jakarta

On October 7, Jakarta will have a new governor. The moderate Muslim known as “Jokowi” and his Chinese Christian running mate, “Ahok,” defeated “Foke.” While Christians are excited about this, many Muslim extremists are not and consider this win a “political disaster.” During the election campaign, Ahok was repeatedly attacked… Read more

Testimony from West Kalimantan

I was born and raised in a Muslim family. When I was eight years old, I began studying and reading the Quran. This experience made me a religious fanatic. I became very active in the mosque, and greatly urged my friends to keep their religion. I told them at every… Read more

Christian Schools in Indonesia Threatened with Closure for Not Teaching Islam

The local government in a small Central Javan town is threatening to close St. Pius Catholic School. The reason? They refuse to teach Islam. While the government requires that all schools teach religion, they do not say what religion. Therefore, most Christian schools teach Christianity, not Islam. Muslim parents are… Read more

Who are the Hitu?

The Hitu live in five village areas along the North coast of Ambon island. These areas are in Central Maluku Regency, Maluku Province. In the past, the village of Hitu formed the commercial center and goods distribution point for Ambon island. Hitu can be reached by land or sea. Since… Read more

Who are the Ternate?

The Ternate people live on the small island of Ternate, near the larger island of Halmahera in the of North Maluku province. The area of Halmahera and the surrounding islands covers about 6500 square miles. Half of the Ternate people live on the island of Ternate, while the other fifty… Read more

Who are the Pannei?

The Pannei people live in the West Sulawesi province. They speak Pannei in their daily lives. This language has two dialects: Tapango and Bulo. The Pannei language is part of a larger linguistic grouping called the Pitu Ulunna Salu, which also includes Bambam, Dakka, and Ulumanda. What are their lives… Read more

Who are the Kangean?

The Kangean people live on the islands of Kangean. The Kangean islands are about 120 kilometers east of the island of Madura and 115 kilometers north of the island of Bali. The Kangean island cluster consists of about 60 islands that spans 487 square kilometers. They use the Kangean language… Read more

Who are the Kerinci?

The Kerinci are the original ethnic group that lived on the east coast of Sumatra. The Kerinci fled from local Muslim sultanates in an ancient war. They moved into their existing homeland high in the Bukit Barisan mountain range around Mount Kerinci in the Jambi Province. The villages in this… Read more

Who are the Sula?

Most Sula people live on the island of Sula, while some of them live on Mangole Island and in other parts of the Sula archipelago. Most of these islands are in the province of North Maluku. The Sula language has three dialects. Fasei is spoken in the southern part of… Read more

Who are the Mbojo?

The Mbojo, also known as the Bima or Dompu, live in the lowlands of the Bima and Dompu regencies in West Nusa Tenggara province. These regencies are located in eastern Sumbawa island. Although this area has a long coast with many bays, most of the population does not make their… Read more