Day Five: The Bugis Peoples of Indonesia

The challenge: Winning the Bugis of Indonesia

The vast majority of the Bugis in Indonesia (over 3.5 million) live on the south-western peninsula of Sulawesi Island. For the Bugis people, Islam is part of their ethnic, as well as, their religious identity. They have a reputation of being fanatical Muslims with a history of violent persecution of the Christian minorities. In addition to following Islam, many Bugis people are involved in animistic spiritual practices such as seeking power from spirits of the dead, seeking help from dukuns (shamans), and using amulets and charms. Due to their links to dark spiritual forces, the Bugis people present a great challenge for those who seek to reach them with the love and truth of the Gospel of Jesus the Messiah (Isa Al-Masih).

Gospel Workers:

There have been very few Gospel workers among the Bugis people. The few who have been working among the Bugis often invest years of time to win a single convert, or perhaps just a handful. If just 500 to 1,000 Bugis were won to the Lord this year, it would be an incredible miracle.

Testimony:

“Pramana,” a pseudonym, is a local believer in the Messiah from a predominantly Christian people group. He grew up in Makassar (provincial capital of South Sulawesi) and studied at university. Through his involvement in a group of believers at university, he understood the need to reach out to the Muslims around him. After graduation he enrolled at Bible school and eventually joined a group reaching out to Muslims. He took a local job to provide for his family of four. Workers such as “Wally” from other ethnic groups often face prejudice from the Bugis. Pray that God will cause Bugis Muslims to listen to these “outsiders”.

Prayer Starters

* Pray that the barriers of Islam and occult practices among the Bugis will be overcome by the Holy Spirit.

* Pray that the Good News will spread powerfully and that Jesus will be honoured among the Bugis people.

* Pray for more Indonesian workers who demonstrate great sacrificial faith to build God’s kingdom. May financial matters not become a distraction to their ministries.

Quick Statistics

• 17,508 islands
• Population: 234,694,000
• Largest Muslim population of any country around the world: 86.1% Muslim
• Ethnic Groups: Javanese 40.6%, Sundanese 15%, Madurese 3.3%, Minangkabau 2.7%, Betawi 2.4%, Bugis 2.4%, Banten 2%, Banjar 1.7%, other 29.9%
• Primary language: Indonesian Bahasa

Day One: Marriage in Tajikstan

A Muslim Woman’s empty dreams

Tonight, the respected businessman Sharif is going to visit Nazira’s family. On the telephone he said he wants to talk with her father about a new car, but Nazira knows the real reason for his visit. Nazira is already 24 years old and single. For quite some time her family has been looking around for a potential husband for her. However, that is not so easy. Farud, for example, who wanted to marry her three months ago, is an alcoholic, like many people in Tajikistan.

Evening came and Sharif visited Nazira’s family. Since the civil war of the 1990’s, this Central Asian country is slowly recuperating and business is steadily growing. Sharif is one who is doing well economically. His house has running water with regular electricity and he drives a German car. In Tajikistan the estimated average annual income is around 250 Euros per person, but Sharif is one of the exceptions. He already had two wives and Nazira will become his third. It seems obvious that Sharif is a good candidate. Quickly the parents agree and arrangements are made. The wedding will take place in the coming two weeks. Everyone is happy, however Nazira realises that some of her cherished dreams will not come true.

It is estimated that the number of Tajikistan workers in Russia number about one million. Since there are only seven million people in Tajikistan, this means that a large percentage of the male population is away from home. Women and children are in the majority. In the villages the women live amid tensions between old traditions, atheism and a new wave of radical Islam.

Tajikistan believers were few and far between even when there was freedom of religion. Now worries about radical Islam are being countered with new laws to restrict the rights of small religious groups. These laws also affect Christians.

Prayer Starters

* Pray for increasingly healthy and Biblically oriented families among the followers of Jesus in this nation.

* Pray for the many Tajik men in surrounding countries to be reached with the Good News.

* Pray that Tajikistan believers can develop more and more their own style of worship in their own language.

* Pray in small groups for women like Nazira, remembering many Muslim women receive dreams from Jesus.

Did you know:

LIMITED NUMBER OF WIVES
Mohammed limited the number of wives in Islamic marriage to four spouses. Previously some men had been marrying many more women than they could support financially. According to Muslim scholars women were better treated in Arabia following the rise of Islam than previously. Islam recognizes that men are especially weak in the sexual realm. The possibility of having four wives is seen as a limit on man’s sexual urges and thus gives stability to society.