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You are here: Home / The Islands of Indonesia / Sumatra

Sumatra

Sumatra is the westernmost island in Indonesia. It is the largest island that is not shared with another country. Just north of Sumatra is the Malay Peninsula, and Java is to the east of the island. It has a population of just over 50 million, making it the world’s fourth most populous island (World Wildlife). Sumatra became well-known because of the tsunami that hit its northern tip on December 26, 2004. This area, Aceh, is still recovering from the tsunami. Aceh is often called “The Veranda of Mecca” because Islam entered Indonesia through it in the 13th century (Joshua Project; Wikipedia).

Sumatra is comprised of 10 provinces: Aceh, Bangka-Belitung, Bengkulu, Jambi, Lampung, Riau, Riau Islands, West Sumatra, South Sumatra, and North Sumatra. There are 79 people groups on Sumatra, with the largest groups being Batak, Malay, Minangkabau, Aceh, and Palembang.

Many Batak are traditionally Christian, but the number that actually has a relationship with Christ is much smaller. Those that are true believers have proven to be very instrumental in reaching the lost. All of the other people groups are Muslim. The Malay live in the coastal areas of north and central Sumatra. The strongest characteristic of a Malay person is his Islam. In Malaysia, Malays cannot become Christians, but there is no law against them changing their religion in Indonesia. The Minangkabau live in West Sumatra. They are also called Padang people, and are famous for their especially spicy food. One can find Padang restaurants all over Indonesia. Acehnese live in the Aceh region on the northern tip of Sumatra. Because this is the area where Islam originally came into Indonesia, Acehnese are some of the strictest Muslims in the country. This is one of the only areas in Indonesia where Sharia law is enforced. Palembang people live in the region of Palembang, which is in southeast Sumatra. They live in very distinct pyramid shaped houses. To be Palembang is to be Muslim.  (Joshua Project)

Sumatra is the largest unevangelized island on earth. If it was a country, only nine countries would have more unreached people. There are 49 unreached ethnic groups, and of these people, at least 29 have no indigenous church and eight have no one working to reach them. A church planting movement seems to be starting in Sumatra. Pockets of churches are popping up in areas of northeastern Sumatra. The churches are reproducing so rapidly that missionaries (both national and expatriate) are having a hard time keeping up with the growth. As a result, persecution is also increasing.

Sumatra is the largest producer of coffee in Indonesia. Palm oil and petroleum are also produced and are very important to the Indonesian economy.

Sumatra has several unique plants and animals that aren’t found anywhere else in the world. The Sumatran Tiger, Orangutan, and Rhinoceros are all in danger of extinction. The Sumatran Pine is a tree found in the rainforests of Sumatra. The Rafflesia flower is also native to Sumatra and is the world’s largest flower. (Wikipedia)

 

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Aceh is the only Special Islamic Province in Indonesia, and the Capital City is Banda Aceh. There is a population of over 5.3 million people, and only .1% are believers Pray for continued and increased hunger in Aceh for the word of God and visions and dreams during Ramadan pic.twitter.com/TWUl…

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12:15 am · March 26, 2023
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One group of field workers have four separate groups meeting in homes. A mentor meets with each small group leader in preparation for the meeting. Please Pray for Strength for the new believers in the groups to grow and learn more from the word and wisdom for the leaders. pic.twitter.com/XgRR…

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1:30 am · March 25, 2023
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if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land(2 Chron. 7:14) Please pray for God to do the miraculous during Ramadan pic.twitter.com/x2WN…

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1:00 am · March 24, 2023
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This year, the first day of Ramadan for the Muslims is celebrated with Nyepi (Hindu New Year) for the Balinese. While the Muslim are fasting from sunrise to sundown, the Hindus stay indoors including no lights at night from 6 am the 22nd to 6 am the 23rd. Pray for God's revealed. pic.twitter.com/LTym…

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10:00 pm · March 22, 2023
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Tomorrow is the first day of Ramadan, which is fasting for the next 30 days for Muslims. They will abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex during daylight hours Pray that God reveals His love during this Ramadan through visions and dreams. pic.twitter.com/28Fu…

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