The Lampungese of Sumatra

30 Days of Prayer

Table of Contents

Day 1 – Losing Ground Day 16 – Teachers Wanted Day 2 – Lost in Translation Day 17 – A Painter’s Desire Day 3 – City Girl & Country Folk Day 18 – The Smell of Cloves Day 4 – Swept Over Day 19 – Not Another Wedding Day 5 – A Growing Crowd Day 20 – A Rare Commodity Day 6 – Traditions Day 21 – Help Me, Please Day 7 – Reborn Day 22 – Desperation Day 8 – Mushollah at McDonald’s Day 23 – Mugged in Broad Daylight Day 9 – Herbs & Hexes Day 24 – Sleeping Giant Day 10 – In the Dark Day 25 – Two of the Few Day 11 – No Strings Attached Day 26 – A New Affinity Day 12 – Live It Out Day 27 – A Church without Walls Day 13 – A Picture of Good News Day 28 – Deep Water Day 14 – The Odds Are...Irrelevant Day 29 – Crossing the Lines Day 15 – Pray for Us Day 30 – 10 Points of Light Introduction

Thank you for opening this book; you’re an answer to prayer! We’ve prayed for you so many times as we’ve prepared this prayer guide. We believe God’s response in answer to your prayers is what will change the course of history and all of eternity for Lampung.

The southernmost province of Sumatra, Indonesia is home to the Lampungese (lahm- poong-ese). This strong, determined people reigned in southern Sumatra for hundreds of years despite a long history of foreigners entering their land. Once known as the Dutch East Indies, Indonesia has seen merchants, traders, Dutch colonists and Jap- anese invaders traverse her rich, lush land for centuries, exercising their power and bringing with them their various languages and religions. Arab merchants introduced Islam to the island nation in the 16th century. The Orang Lampung (or-ahng lahm- poong, Lampung People) demonstrated their characteristic tenacity and resolve when they were the last to convert to Islam. Despite its history, today foreigners are a rare sight in Lampung. Yet, the now staunchly Muslim Lampungese are becoming dis- dained strangers in their own land as other ethnic groups from the nearby island of Java migrate into the province.

The Lampungese have largely been pushed out of the provincial capital of Bandar Lampung (bahn-dar lahm-poong), where they now comprise a mere 10% minority. The 2.5 million Lampungese mostly live in villages and towns scattered across the marshy lands on the eastern side of the province, the rolling green mountains to the west, as well as along the stunning coastlines of the Indian Ocean and Java Sea that frame the province.

In hundreds of years of history, there has never been an ethnically Lampungese church. We believe your prayers will lift the weight of history, a change we labor in Lampung to see. Our desire is for God to establish a mature Lampungese church — one that worships God in a culturally Lampungese way and is able to reproduce herself in the communities and cultures around her. God has promised that the Lampungese will be drawn into relationship with Him (Revelation 7:9,10). Only He can accomplish this. God acts in response to His people’s prayers. We know for a certainty that God wills to save everyone (2 Peter 3:9). We know that He will build His church (Matthew 16:18). We know that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us and will give us what we request (1 John 5:14-15). Therefore, we need to ask. Though the names have been changed, this prayer guide contains stories of real people living in Lampung. Ask for these people to enjoy relationship with the Triune God. Ask for Lampung.

The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice! — Psalm 97:1

Note: Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Additional Information

IMPORTANT SECURITY GUIDELINES

Due to the sensitive nature of the work taking place in Lampung, it is very important that you respect the following: • Please distribute this prayer guide only to those whom you know personally and who have an interest in being a blessing to the Lampungese. • Please do not post on a Web site or bulletin board, reproduce or distribute where Muslims can read. • Please dispose of this prayer guide wisely. Your help in following these guidelines will help ensure the continuation of the work in Lampung and the protection of any Lampungese who are seeking to establish or grow in their relationship with God. Thank you.

QUICK FACTS ABOUT INDONESIA AND SUMATRA

INDONESIA: • Fourth most populous nation in the world • Home to 180 million Muslims, more than any other country in the world. More than Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Iran, Iraq and Kuwait combined. • 350 ethnic groups speaking 726 languages • 17,000 islands spanning the same distance as between London and Baghdad • Three time zones • Miles north of Australia • Timber, rubber, rice, coffee • Volcanoes, rainforests, rice paddies, cosmopolitan cities, remote villages, open-air markets, malls and movie theaters • 90 degrees Fahrenheit • 30-minute ride on public transportation: 15 cents

SUMATRA: • The largest unevangelized island on earth • If it were a nation, only nine other nations would have more unreached peoples. • 52 known unreached people groups, most of whom are staunchly Muslim • Of the 52, 48 have no indigenous churches and 34 of them have no known gospel workers.

Source: Operation World. 21st century ed. Patrick Johnstone and Jason Mandryk. 2001. Published by Paternoster Lifestyle. Operation Mobilization and WEC International. Day 1 Losing Ground

For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. — Ezekiel 36:24

Maulana remembers when the markets rung with the sound of Bahasa Lampung (bah-hah-sah lahm-poong, Lampungese language), before the Indonesian Gov- ernment instituted transmigration to the nearby island of Java. As a child, to be Lampungese was all he knew. These days in the Lampung province, he is embar- rassed to use his own language in the mar- ket place. The Javanese, Chinese and Batak run the economic world here now, so he is now an outsider.

His family feels deep shame at losing ground in Lampung. Their people have retreated into the villages, forced to sell off land to the Javanese and other ethnic groups. This land can never be reclaimed and neither can the respect and power ownership brings. This saddens Maulana — he longs to be proud again tobe Lampungese, other than shamed, when his children have greater opportunity and need not hide their identity.

Prayer Points

• Lord Jesus, bring the true dignity to the Lampung heart by filling them with yourself. • Strengthen their resolve, hearts and sense of self as they find their identity in You, who loves them, their language and culture. • Take hold of their economic situation and give them a good standing in the business community so they can bring a better life to their children. • Lord Jesus, give them an understanding that You want to sustain them, physically and culturally; that You are the one who imprinted aspects of Your character in their wonderful culture and rejoice in it along with them. Lost in Translation Day 2

… We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues! — Acts 2:11b

Agun points to the sign. “Jalan Way Abung! That’s my street,” with a sense of pride, he reads the words that look like scribbling to most others. “We studied Lampungese a little bit in school. I’ve studied on my own and can read it now!” Although all the street signs of Lampung are in Indonesian and Lampungese, most people cannot read, speak or understand the dying language with its unique 20-letter alphabet. Less than a dozen foreigners in the world can speak either of the two major Lampungese dialects.

Agun’s face fades as he continues, “I went to visit my grandmother in the village. I tried to use Lam- pungese with her since she speaks it more than Indonesian. But she just scolded me saying that I was speaking the ‘wrong’ dialect. She said I’ve wasted my time learning it and that if I wanted to learn real Lampungese, I would have studied Nyow. I don’t know why I ever bothered,” Agun complained. “It’s even disappearing in the village, much less the cities.” What’s the point?” Prayer Points

• Creator of All Peoples, thank You for the uniqueness of the Lampungese language. • Please build bridges between Lampungese sub-groups so that when the Gospel reaches one group, it might freely spread to others. • Our Helper, enable all those learning this language to be able to speak it as if it were their own. Day 3 City Girl & Country Folk

…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living... — Joshua 24:15b

“Yeah, I have friends that are Buddhist, Hindu, Protestant, Catholic. What’s important is that we all believe in God,” Lita explained. However, in the village where Lita’s parents grew up, everyone was Muslim. As Lampungese, they would never even conceive of being anything else. Lampungese are Muslim, period.

Lita’s parents had the rare opportunity to receive a job in the city of Bandar Lam- pung. Here, she is a small minority since less than 10% of the city is ethnically Lampungese. Javanese, Chinese and Batak peoples are dominant. Because of her parents’ employment, she is able to get further education, a futile dream for her relatives in the village. Her exposure to different ethnic groups and their religions makes Lita more open to considering different ways of thinking and of believing. It also gives her greater opportunity to examine her own beliefs and become more committed to them.

Prayer Points

• Lord, use exposure to other beliefs to draw the city-dwelling Lampungese into a search for the Way, the Truth and the Life. John 14:6 • Jesus, validate their heritage to them as they have been marginalized in their own land. Let them find healing, pride and hope in you. • Let foreign workers cross paths with Lampungese and develop special, trusting relationships. Swept Over Day 4

…If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water. — John 4:10

Hassan listened to the elders of the village discuss the relentless tide of Islam. He is Lampung Pubian, a people proud of their village Adat (ah-dat, traditional laws and customs). Islam swept down the island of Sumatra from the north — brought in by traders from the Middle East and Central Asia — sweeping right over his people, the Lampungese. This religious tide started nearly 300 years earlier, and one by one, the other ethnic groups around them chose to follow Islam. The elders were obviously concerned. What would these new ideas do? What changes would they bring? Would the Adat still be relevant? These issues were too lofty for Hassan to fully understand, yet he could see the emotion and passion to guard the Adat. He knew that others died over less important things. This was no small matter and would take a long time for them to decide; Lampungese don’t change that easily.

Prayer Points

• Lord Jesus, allow the Lampungese to understand that it is You, the one true God, who calls them. Open their hearts to change that will preserve the best of their culture under the guidance of Your loving hand. • Quicken the minds of believers to understand how best to communicate the Gospel to the Lampung mind. • Allow believers to understand the issues that tug at their hearts, and give them the ability to address those when speaking of your love for Lampungese. Day 5 A Growing Crowd Day 6

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered in with shame. — Psalm 34:5

Is (Ees) had seen this before, and it was frightening. Rage welled up in her village when someone misused the Adat (traditions and customs) or brought shame on another. It had started out as a simple wedding party, and everything seemed to be going well. But on the second night, the groom’s family had shamed the bride by giving only half the dowry agreed upon.

“It is better to be lost in the woods than face shame,” was the common saying. Piil Pesenggiri (pee-ill pee- sen-geer-i) governed her people; to save face at all costs was central to them. Hearing the emotionally charged conversation in the bride’s home, she knew that something had gone terribly wrong. Others had died when knives were drawn over such issues, and now the father of the groom was trapped with a growing crowd outside. The bride’s brothers guard- ing the doors with machetes waited for the word from their father. She wished that it was not this way.

Prayer Points

• God, convict the Lampung heart that You died to take away their shame permanently. • Please help them to open their hearts to You and find Your peace in all situations. • Speak to the heart issue of Piil Pesenggiri with your Good News in order to win Your bride among the Lampungese, that they may live as a testimony to other nations of the change they found in You. Day 5 Traditions, Traditions, Traditions Day 6

You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men...you have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! — Mark 7:8-9

Ahmad and his second wife, Fitri, have been anticipat- ing the arrival of their first child. They both know what they will do when the child is born. If their child is laki- laki (lah-kee lah-kee, a boy), they will bury the placenta at the local masjid (mos-jeed, mosque) to ensure the boy’s dedication to Islam. But if their child is perempuan (pehr-em-poo-ahn, a girl), they will bury the placenta behind their kitchen so she will be blessed with the ability to cook and keep house!

Out in the village, religion is something that is mixed into local traditions and is seen as a last resort for problem solving — after a visit to the dukun (doo-koon, the local witch doctor).

As long as the rules are followed, they believe God will be pleased. “I try to do more good deeds than bad, because on the Day of Judgment, they will be weighed, and if the good outweighs the bad, then, God-willing, I will enter paradise,” claims Ahmad. Prayer Points

• Lord, please make Your truth inescapably clear to these trying so hard to find it, but missing it. Let them step out into truth, turning their faces to your light. • Holy Spirit, help people realize how futile it is to “appease” you. May they find relationship with You, the Friend who sticks closer than a brother. • Raise up believers, Father, who are willing to live Your light among the Lampungese. Day 7 Reborn Day 8

Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again.” — John 3:6,7

Putri feels the excitement in the air as the sun rises. All night long “Allahu Akbar!” (ah- lahu ahk-bar, “God is Great”) rang out from the mosque down the street. Finally, it is Idul Fitri morning — the day that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan (Rahm- a-dohn). The glow of the morning sun warms the street as Putri walks to the mosque to pray. This is the biggest celebration day of the year. Putri must go to the mosque today even though she doesn’t any other day of the year. When she arrives, she joins a row of women, all wearing long, white headscarves as they begin to bow and rise in unison in prayer.

Following the prayers, the imam (ee-mam, leader of the mosque) explains, “If you have fasted all 30 days of Ramadan, today you are ‘reborn,’ pure of any past sin. But, only God knows the standards He has for measuring, if we’re good enough to be reborn.”

The service ends, and Putri greets the women around her. Her mind, however, is on the special meal waiting for her and her family at home and on all the friends she’ll visit later in the day.

Prayer Points

• Savior, send the Holy Spirit to convince the Lampungese of their inability to be pure of sin through their own good behavior. • Prepare Lampung for salvation. In your kindness, bring them to repentance. • Through the grace of Christ, give faith new significance to the Lampungese, many of whom like Putri are Muslim in name only. Day 7 Mushollah at McDonald’s Day 8

Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. — Psalm 116:2

The familiar smell of McDonald’s french fries mixes with the prayer call from the loudspeaker of the mosque across the street. “Excuse me for a moment,” she says with a smile as she stands up from the table, leaving her McD special meal — chicken, rice and a Coke, her favorite. After washing her feet, hands and face, Yuli passes a few children climbing on the indoor McDonald’s play center and then steps behind a partition to join three others who are already praying.

She kneels down on a small mat, facing the same di- rection as the others, west toward Mecca, Saudi Ara- bia, the city of the Prophet Muhammad. In her 25 years, Yuli has never been outside her own city except to visit her grandparents in their village an hour away. However, she hopes one day she will be able to go to Mecca on hajj (hahj), the pilgrimage all Muslims try to take once in their lives if they are physically and financially able.

She lowers her head to the ground in front of her bent knees and recites the same prayer she prays five times a day. The prayer she recites is inAra- bic, which she does not understand. Yuli learned the Arabic recitation at the neighborhood mosque as a little girl. Upon completion of her prayers, Yuli leaves the mushollah (moo-show-law, prayer room), returns to her table and takes a sip of Coke.

Prayer Points

• Gracious Father, help me to learn from the discipline of Muslims and to be more faithful in prayer. • God, draw the Lampungese into relationship with You that they might taste the joy of talking personally with You from their hearts. • God, show the Lampungese freedom from a life of laws and requirements through the grace given in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. Day 9 Herbs and Hexes Day 10

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons…nor any powers…will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. — Romans 8:37,38

“What is this?” Michelle won- dered as she discovered the yel- low smudges in each of the corners of her kids’ bedrooms. Later, Silvi, a Muslim friend who had house-sat while Michelle’s family was out of town, said, “There are evil spirits in your house, I saw shadows and spirits in your kids’ bedrooms, and my son couldn’t sleep. So, I went to the local dukun (doo-koon, witch- doctor) and bought herbs and hexes to put on the four corners to keep the spirits out. Then, my husband and I prayed to Allah in the rooms.”

Michelle explained that her family had also experienced wicked dreams and sleep disturbances. “I agree, Silvi, evil spirits are real, however,” she clarified, “we don’t believe herbs or hexes can protect us. Jesus is the only one who can protect us from such evil. We pray to him and ask him to keep us safe.” Prayer Points

• Loving God, tenderly free the Lampungese from the fear that pervades their lives. • Our Victor, release Lampung from the evil strongholds that have afflicted those you created and love. • Protect and strengthen workers like Michelle and her family. Bless them with restful sleep. Grant them discernment, wisdom and compassion as they speak into their friends’ spiritual realities. • Since Lampungese are more aware of the spiritual world, they’re more open to revelation through dreams and visions. God, reveal Yourself to the Lampungese! Day 9 In the Dark Day 10

The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. — John 1:9,10

“Mati Lampu!” (mah-tee lahm-poo, power outage/blackout) Siama sighed as she lit can- dles, and it was the third time this week the power has gone out. She continues washing the dishes. Power outages are common, life continues on despite the lack of light. Faith in Jesus Christ is the only way the light will shine in Lampung. Laborers are sharing spiritual truth, living godly lives, but the prayers of the church, your prayers today, are the power supply that calls on the Most High God to release His power and salvation to Lampung. The Church has been given the authority of God Himself. Oh, that we might intercede in that authority! The Church must boldly claim her role in changing the eternity of the nations through fervent, continual prayer. Call out to God to permeate Lampung with His Light today!

Prayer Points

• Forgive us, Lord, for not being good stewards of the authority You have given us and for failing to ask you more consistently for the nations! • House of Prayer for All Nations, help me pray eternity-changing, stronghold-defeating, kingdom-advancing, God-glorifying prayers on behalf of the Lampungese! • God, raise up people who will provide me accountability with my commitment to intercede for Lampung and the nations. Day 11 No Strings Attached Day 12

The secret of the kingdom has been given to you. But to those on the outside... are ever seeing but never perceiving; and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven! — Mark 4:11-12

Yusuf was confused. Why would anyone leave what’s familiar to him to come to a place that is unfamiliar? It’s not because better money can be made out here in the village. No. These people come claiming to want to help us.Kenapa (ken-ah-pa, But why)?

Suspicion permeates the lives of most Indonesians, especially when outsiders want to lend a helping hand. After more than 350 years of being colonized by the Dutch and then the Japanese during World War II, the perception is that outsiders want to use them for their own personal gain.

Even more, the Lampungese are suspicious of other Indonesians from different ethnic groups who venture into their neighborhoods. However, the Lampungese are very friendly, hospitable people once trust is established!

Prayer Points

• Help the Lampungese people find trust in the Word of God and its proclaimers. • Lord, we pray that Lampungese people will meet believers who are truly sacrificial givers and who do not seek their own gain. Day 11 Live It Out Day 12

… Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. — Matthew 5:16

Dody, an Indonesian believer, left his life in another part of Indonesia to move to Lam- pung and to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Missionary activity by anyone is frowned upon by the government, is viewed as highly suspicious in the social community and is done with risk. Therefore, Dody, just like his foreign co-workers, must have a job other than “missionary.” Like Paul the Apostle, “tentmaking” opens up natural means of relationship with his Lampungese friends and neighbors and also allows him to build trust. Foreign workers use their skills as teachers, business professionals, students, etc., to live out their love of Christ before the Lampungese. However, first they must obtain a visa, which is increasingly difficult to obtain as the Indonesian government tightens requirements. Without a visa, they cannot live in Indonesia.

Prayer Points

• Please provide visas despite growing restrictions. • Please also provide creative, natural, ways for believers to live in Lampung. • Use the everyday faithfulness of believers in Lampung as a vibrant display of Christ, and cause for interest in His salvation. • Our Defender, may Your perfect love cast out fear that workers may have over visa issues. Day 13 A Picture of the Good News Day 14

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. — 2 Corinthians 9:10

Ferry, his wife Yuli and their two children don’t look Lampung- ese. They aren’t: they came to Sumatra from another island in Indo- nesia to work with the Lampungese. In and around his lingkun- gan (ling-koong-ahn, neighborhood), Ferry, a photographer, takes out his Minolta cam- era and takes pictures at events like weddings, birthday parties, etc. “This is a great opportunity for me to meet Lampungese people, to begin relationships with them and to talk with them about Isa al Masih (Eesa al Mah-see, Jesus the Messiah),” says Ferry. Two of his friends have watched the “Jesus” film! “I have nothing else to watch, so I would love a free VCD (video compact disk),” one friend told him while receiving his copy. He is planting seeds of the Good News. Prayer Points

• God, please surround Ferry, his family and workers with Your love and truth. Protect Your servants from harm, O Lord. • Give Ferry and those befriending the Lampungese wisdom and sensitivity in directing conversations to Jesus Christ. Cause the Lampungese to hunger to know more about Him. • Lord, raise up more families like Ferry’s, like-minded believers who will use the resources You’ve given them to reach the Lampungese. Day 13 The Odds Are…Irrelevant Day 14

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. — Galatians 6:9

In all of history, there has never been an ethnically Lampungese church. Our big barrier is a lack of people who are willing to tell them and then disciple them. Lampung has a history of being a difficult place to live and minister. Christian workers consistently battle against discouragement and spiritual oppression. Few working amongst the Lampungese have lasted more than two years. Pray for divine empowerment, endur- ance and perseverance as workers labor to see a Lampungese church birthed. There is a desperate need for more believers to come to Lampung and tenaciously love the Lampungese for the glory of God. He has promised He WILL be worshipped by the Lampungese! Ask God for MORE workers from Indonesia and other countries to come for a summer, for a short-term, to give themselves to see His promise become reality!

Prayer Points

• Thank you God that the Lampungese WILL BE represented on that day when we stand at your throne and forever praise your name! • Lord of the Harvest, send more workers as witnesses to the Lampungese. unify all believers, letting them share the heart and mind of Christ. • Lifter of Our Heads, sustain those who today are loving Lampungese for Your glory. Give joy! Acts 16:25 (If you personally know workers in Lampung, pray for them specifically by name.) Day 15 Pray for Us Day 16

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. — Colossians 4:3

Would you spend today praying for us, those living as witnesses of Christ to the Lampungese? We need your prayers for the same things you request prayer for yourselves. Other things are unique to the life we live in Lampung. Both national and international workers need your prayers for the things below.

• Marriages – God, guard, nurture and strengthen the workers’ marriages, which carry extra stress in Lampung. • Parenting – Father, give wisdom, discernment, energy and creativity to parents raising their children in a challenging, majority-Muslim context. • Loneliness – Lord, there are so few people in Lampung that share the heart and mindset of the workers there. Give each of them — singles, couples and children — friendships that provide a special connection, edification, fun, laughter and deep heart-sharing. • Boldness – freedom from fear. • Clarity of thought – One effect of the dark spiritual atmosphere in Lampung is difficulty thinking clearly. Our Truth, clear believers’ minds, allowing deception to be revealed, Your voice to be heard clearly and truth and a heavenly perspective to continually be at the forefront of believers’ minds. • Good sleep – The spiritual oppression over the land often manifests in wicked dreams or interference with sleep. God, please provide consistent, renewing, restful sleep. • Effectiveness – So much time is spent just on surviving and doing everyday tasks. God, please free up your children to spend their time and energy on the reason they have come. • Relationships with Lampungese – Please give many opportunities to engage in meaningful, eternity-changing relationships with Lampungese people, who are a minority in the city and difficult to come into contact with. Give them Your love for the Lampungese, as our human love is just not adequate. Prayer Points

• Discouragement – Lifter of Our Heads, would you deeply, powerfully encourage them, enabling them to fix their eyes on your eternal perspective that they would press on. • Daily time of prayer and Word – Lover of Our Souls, wash the workers in Lampung with a fresh revelation of You through Your Word, prayer and the Body of Christ. Let their identity in, joy in and intimacy with You grow and flourish. • Persistence in language and culture study – Provide motivation, persistence and breakthrough as workers plug away at language and culture study. Open their minds and mouths to be able to speak Indonesian (and/or Lampungese) and discern the reactions and worldview of the Lampungese and Indonesians from other ethnic groups. Day 15 Teachers Wanted Day 16

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers. — Ephesians 4:11

Walk down any side street in Lampung and eventually you will come to a kampung. A kampung (kom-poong) is a community area where very poor people live. On that same walk down the road you will most likely see two cows, a cat tail, a flock of geese and chickens throughout the neighborhood. The road you walk on could change from brick, to paved, to dirt and back again. At least three or four children will call out to you with the common phrase “Hello, Mister,” whatever you are “Mr.,” “Mrs.,” or “Miss,” here, you are “Mr.” You may never see the children, because they are often hiding in their house, or up in the tree 10 paces behind you. If you respond with a “Good Morning,” you will hear peals of laughter pour from their hiding place. The demand for English teachers here is high. Most people desire to know basic English because it will help them get a better job.

Prayer Points

• Father, please send more believers who are capable of teaching English, who are willing to teach your Word for the sake of the Gospel. • Lord, for the current teachers, please provide opportunities to share their faith with their students. Day 17 A Painter’s Desire Day 18

They came out of the town and made their way toward him. Do you not say “Four months more and then the harvest?” I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. — John 4:30, 35

The sun beat down on Eko’s neck, a perfect day for painting outside. He touched his brush to the canvas and made an initial stroke which would be the nose. His model sat quietly, and others gathered around him to watch the emerging image. His only desire was to have time to converse about God’s love for them in Jesus Christ, which they did not yet know. The Lampungese had been good to him and for the most part listened. God had given him this talent, and he believed that it was a perfect magnet to draw the Lampungese and discuss the Gospel. It would be nice to have teammates to work alongside him.

He flicked his brush across the canvas again. “Why do you paint?” someone asked. I paint because I believe it is a reflection of God’s character to create new life,” he an- swered. God loves to make things new. Did you know that?” For the rest of the day, he painted his model and fleshed out Christ’s love for a lost people, the Lampungese.

Prayer Points

• Lord, give creativity to those reaching the Lampungese and bring more artists who can join in this effort. • We ask for opportunities in the arts, providing inroads to the Lampung heart, and for advances in theatre, music, poetry and literature in Lampung that communicate Your love for them. Day 17 The Smell of Cloves Day 18

I liken you, my darling, to a mare harnessed to one of the chariots of Pharoah. Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings, your neck with strings of jewels. We will make you earrings of gold, studded with silver. — Song of Solomon 1:9-11 The heat was almost unbearable, but no one seemed to care. This was a special gathering to celebrate elements of the Lampung culture that have been fad- ing away. People from 11 villages rolled in on motorcycles, angkots (ahn-coats, minivans that serve as public transportation) and even one old rickety bus. It lumbered down the road until it stopped near the Sultan’s house. The travelers formed a procession and drummed a song while marching towards the house. Girls and boys were adorned in golden threaded sarongs. The Siger (see-ger, crown) decorated the archway of the house where the party was to be held, flanked by white umbrellas to mark the Sultans presence. The Sultan and other important figures sat special chairs on the side. Boys smoked and talked, while the covered young ladies sat quietly, occasionally giggling at a boys’ weak attempt to impress. They were competing to find who the best drummer was. The Sultans village practiced every night, keeping everyone else awake. It was a small price to pay for the prestige of winning. They had hired a teacher from another village to live with them, as many learned to play the instrument of choice for the Lampungese. Cookies, coffee and other finger foods would be devoured and clove cigarettes would be smoked by the thousands as the day went on, filling the air with the smell of cloves. It would be an exciting day. Prayer Points

• God, we know you rejoice in your bride-to-be of Lampung, let them see how You run to them over the mountains. • Open their eyes to see Your advances and to welcome You into their lives. • You have adorned them with jewels and beautiful fabrics. Now, please also mark their hearts as Your own; betroth Yourself to Your bride in Lampung. Day 19 Not Another Wedding Day 20

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. —Matthew 11:28

“Where am I going get some more money?” says Amin. There are four hajatans (ha-ja-tan, social functions) he has to attend this week and two next week. Hajatans are a common feature in Lampung culture — cer- emonies such as weddings, births and circumcisions.

“If I don’t turn up for Samsul’s wedding, he will do the same to me when I have a hajatan.” It is an obligation to attend hajatans, so not to do so will be considered an insult. But, it does not stop here. One is also expected to contribute, whether it is labor, gifts or money. Whatever one gives is documented so the next time one will also receive an equal amount.

Amin is not alone in his disapproval of this practice. Many Lampungese are struggling just to make ends meet without the extra burden of having to contribute monetarily toward hajatans. “I will have to borrow some money. Hopefully next time I have a hajatan, all the money I have given will be returned with a little extra as a bonus,” sighs Amin, knowing it’s just wishful thinking.

Prayer Points

• Good God, give the Lampungese the courage to revise cultural practices that enslave rather than liberate them. • Holy Spirit, direct the Lampungese to seek after the approval of God rather than of men. • Gracious God, cause the Lampungese to begin to seek after the truth that liberates them. Day 19 A Rare Commodity Day 20

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” — Genesis 1:29

“What’s for dinner, Mom?” is something many kampung (kom-poong, village) women would love to hear their children ask. However, for many of them, it’s a question they will never hear, because they have no option. Rice is for dinner; not chicken and rice or vegetables and rice; just rice. Many of the villages that are scattered across Southern Sumatra face the same problem. The landscape is covered with cash crops such as rice fields, banana trees, coconut palms, and coffee fields. These crops rarely benefit the people in the- vil lages because they don’t own the fields, they just work in them. They are desperate to know how to plant a small garden for their families in order that they may eat more than just rice at meals.

Prayer Points

• God in heaven, please send Indonesian believers who are willing to go out into Lampungese villages and educate the people about gardening and proper nutrition. • Bread of Life, provide for the physical needs of the Lampungese. Let a whole new generation grow up healthy. • Guide women how to cook nutritious meals for their families. Day 21 Help Me, Please Day 22

For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. — Psalms 72:12

Waking up from a vivid dream, Jack did not doubt it was of the Lord. He had dreamt about Ami- nah. Aminah is in her 50s with multiple health complications. Jack, then, went over to her village and asked for her. Her husband reported that she was ill. Aminah came out of the room, her pain obvious as she walked to the chair on her feet that had not succumbed to the effects of polio. ”How are you feeling Ibu, (ee-bu, a term that means “Mam” used in addressing older women)?” “I want to see a doctor, but we just cannot afford it,” Aminah burst out in tears. Her husband and teenage daughter struggled to keep back their tears. Their family survives daily on $1. This leaves them with nothing for healthcare. Since that day, Jack has been bringing Aminah to the doctor monthly for medical checks and medication. Aminah has since come to regard Jack as her savior. Jack prays that one day soon he will be able to let Aminah know who her real Savior is. Prayer Points

• Caring Father, raise up your children to be sensitive to the cries of the Lampungese. • Direct Lampungese hearts and minds to their Ultimate Savior through relationships between believers and Lampungese. • Healer, provide community development programs that will meet their physical needs. Day 21 Desperation Day 22

You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed... — Psalm 10:17, 18a

“I want to come home,” says Siti. She is one of the many Lam- pungese women who for economic reasons, are forced to work overseas as domestic workers.

“I am so tired,” she adds. Siti, like many, has been mistreated by her employer. After five months, she couldn’t take the abuse anymore and ran away. “He said that he would pay me but he never did. A day’s work would last about 18-20 hours,” Siti explained, struggling to hold back her tears.

Siti has two children ages six and four. Her husband does odd jobs and earns barely enough to feed the family. He sometimes has to go to other cities to find work. The children stay with their grandparents. Others like them don’t see their mothers for years. Siti’s children do not know their mother is working illegally. Siti left behind all her docu- ments when she fled from her first employer. Siti works wherever people are willing to hire her. “Please ask my dad to get a small plot of padi field. I will be so ashamed if I have nothing to show for my time here,” Siti says before ending the phone conversation. Prayer Points

• Strengthen the husbands left behind and the wives working abroad to remain faithful to their spouses. • Our Protector, provide for the safety of the Lampungese women working abroad, let them meet believers there and come to faith in Christ. • Our Father, give the children left behind in the care of grandparents, aunts and uncles the love and attention they need. Day 23 Mugged In Broad Daylight Day 24

…Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who ill-treat you…because he (the Lord) is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. — Luke 6:27,28,35b Yunus didn’t expect the feeling of ner- vousness that welled up within him as a group of men approached him on the trail where he was hiking. “Minta uang keamanan,” (meen-ta oo-ang ke-ah- man-an) one said. Clearly they wanted money. Yunus tried to reason with them, mustering some confidence, and started toward the trail. Again, he was asked for money to ensure his safety. Reaching into his right pocket, he pulled out what he had and handed it to them. “This isn’t enough,” they claimed. Twice more he reached into his pocket and produced a single 1000 rupiah (roo- pee-ah, Indonesian currency) bill. The final two bills he gave the men seemed to satisfy them. Later, Yunus would learn that those men were most likely Lampungese. His neighbors assured him that they were because, “of course, all Lampungese are hot-headed bullies like that.” It would have been easy for Yunus to agree with his neighbors, but he remembered a Lampungese family he knew who were some of the friendliest people he had ever met. They loved to joke, to laugh, to talk. There are nice Lampungese people. Prayer Points

• God, please reveal your love to the Lampungese people. • Change our perceptions, Lord, to see through the negative stereotypes and see the Lampungese as you do. • You are Lord of the Harvest, and I ask you for more people willing to serve you alongside the Lampungese despite their reputation. Day 23 Sleeping Giant Day 24

…Entirely on their own, they (the churches) urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service…And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will. — 2 Corinthians 8:3b-5 There are churches in Lampung… but not one Lampungese person attends. Many of the Javanese, Batak and Chinese-Indonesians that have immigrated to Lam- pung through the government’s transmigration program over the past several decades are Christian. God has used the historical events to bring the Lampungese in closer proximity to believers. However, stereotypes, fear, cultural differences and a lack of willingness to break away from the familiar have kept the majority of believers and churches in Lampung from associating with, much less being a witness to the Muslim Lampungese. “We need more Indonesian churches and Christians getting involved in trying to reach the Lampungese,” says Ted. Ted has focused his energies mobilizing the Indonesian church. He has often felt very much alone in his work. Ted and his family have perse- vered throughout the often trying times and only recently seen fruit in it. Two churches recently participated in contextualized evangelism training; focusing on how to lovingly, logically and wisely share with Muslim neighbors, coworkers and friends. Just three out of 30 participants have a friend who was a Muslim! Awareness is slowly beginning to dawn in the Indonesians churches, and they are now beginning to pray, give and think of avenues to bring the Gospel to the Lampungese. Prayer Points

• God, thank You for Your church in Lampung! Revive her with fresh life through Your Spirit, inviting her to join Your loving pursuit of the Lampungese. • Please help Indonesian church leaders seek Your outward focus instead of inward. • Give believers the courage to trust You and leave fear far behind. Give them a compassion for their Muslim countrymen, whatever ethnic group they may be from. • Release a flood of prayer, labor and resources to flow into Lampung. Day 25 Two of the Few Day 26

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. — Ephesians 3:17b-18 Pak (term used to address an older male) Muhammad and his wife Ibu Noor no longer pray the Muslim prayers and go to the mosque. They are two of the few Lampungese believers that confess Christ as their Lord and Savior. Muhammad and Noor still live in the village. However, their new faith remains a guarded secret. There is much at stake. Disclosing their faith prematurely before they have been grounded in the Lord jeopardizes the opportunities to witness effectively. Robin has been discipling them for nearly two years now. Muhammad and Noor are barely literate; thus, Robin has been using biblical stories to teach them the truth. “Initially, it was a struggle to find a time and place to disciple them without arous- ing suspicion from the neighbors,” says Robin. “But now, the neighbors no longer question my presence in the village. I use the time I have with Muhammad and Noor to solidity their faith, be it just reminding them of the faithfulness of God in their lives, telling them stories or praying with them,” he says.

Prayer Points

• All-wise God, give wisdom to Robin and others in discipling Lampungese believers. • Holy Spirit, assist Lampungese believers to apply Your truth in their lives. • Make Lampungese believers’ faith in God evident to all. Day 25 A New Affinity Day 26

I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord. — Hosea 2:20

Sa’id (sah-eed) had finally done it. He had taken the final step into a new journey that may prove to be long, lonely and difficult. He had grown up with the echoes of the mosque in his ear, but now the words of Christ ring loudly in his heart, “Who- ever leaves father, brother, sister or mother…” That is exactly what he had done, not physically but spiritually. How would they react? He thought he knew, and it was frightening. To be Lampungese meant to be Mus- lim, and it was only until recently that he thought differently. Who would have ever thought his affinity would switch from Muhammad to Christ, but he knew the Truth. Now, his only saving grace was a small group of other Lampung- ese that had stepped out in this journey with him. He had met them once at a gathering and immediately felt a bond like no other; it served to strengthen his resolve, like fresh water to his soul. He knows there is a large body of believers in the world he is now a part of, and for that, he is grateful.

Prayer Points

• Lord, give these infants in Your kingdom the resolve to stay the course and not shy away from adversity that will come. • Charge the church, locally and globally, to own responsibility for these new brothers, their gatherings and their emerging faith. • Bring sufficient support to them so that they can plant a Lampungese church, immersed with their own culture and relevant to their families and friends. Day 27 A Church without Walls Day 28

…I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. — Matthew 16:18b

The Lampungese church is still in formation and trying to establish its unique identity in Christ. There is no Lampungese leadership to lead the believers. They are being discipled by workers who struggle to supply what the Lampungese lack in their new faith. “I want them to experience the reality of Christ in their lives daily and not just to have knowledge about Him” says Peter. He believes these daily encounters are still very much lacking in the Lampungese faith. Peter often reminds Hendra, “When you undergo trying times, Christ is always there for you.” Hendra knows this because over the past two years, he has seen how Christ has intervened in his family and provided for them. Hendra affirms: “My life since knowing Christ has definitely become better.” “I want the reality of Christ in their lives to con- vey a message of salvation and hope to the communities they reside in,” says Peter. “The god of Islam does not offer any such hope, and many times, it angers me to see how Satan is hammering away and shattering to pieces what little hope new believers have.” Prayer Points

• God, reveal Yourself, allowing the reality of Christ to be evident in the emerging Lampungese church and the daily experience of the believers. • Our Hope, nurture the fledgling Lampungese church that she might become a strong witness. • Provider, mature godly Lampungese leadership. Day 27 Deep Water Day 28

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit... —Matthew 28:19

“My father told me never to participate in a ritual involving water. I would rather be stabbed a thousand times than be baptized,” Agus, a new Lampungese believer, stated firmly. Peter had just finished explaining baptism and inviting Agus to take this next step. Peter has many things to consider. Since Agus is one of the first Lam- pungese believers, each step they take is laying a completely new foundation for the very first Lampungese church. It must be culturally relevant and biblically accurate — a balance that can be hard to strike. Many questions swirl in Peter’s mind. “What beliefs are associated with Lampungese rituals involving water?” “If we adopt those rituals as a contextually Lampungese form of baptism, will beliefs associated with that ritual corrupt the true meaning of baptism?” “Where could we baptize that won’t raise suspicion, but is still close by enough so as to use it in the future to create a new tradition for their emerging church? “What is behind Agus’ fear of baptism?” “What if he refuses because of this fear to allow his faith to grow beyond this issue?” As workers whose main goal is to establish Lampungese churches which are culturally relevant and reproducible, there is MUCH to learn about the many beliefs, traditions and values of Lampungese culture.

Prayer Points

• All-wise God, give the workers in Lampung discernment and wisdom as they disciple Lampungese believers and build the foundation for the Lampungese church. • Provide workers with Lampungese friends who will thoroughly and accurately teach them about all the intricacies of Lampungese culture. • Living Water, persistently satisfy the thirst of these few, isolated believers. Cast out fear and false beliefs. Let their faith be pure and strong, that the foundation might be solidly built. Day 29 Crossing the Lines Day 30

Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? — Luke 15:4

When God looks at the world, he doesn’t see the lines on the map. He sees distinctive groups of people that share a culture and a language. These groups transcend the lines humans have drawn. God’s plan has always been that some from every one of these groups would know and worship Him. His intended means to accomplish that plan is us, His Church. The Lampungese are an unreached ethnic group. There has never in all of history been a Lampungese church. God’s heart’s desire is that the Lampungese, as well as the thousands of other unreached ethnic groups, would know and worship Him. We challenge you personally, as well as your church corporately, to strategically join in God’s plan, to be a faithful steward of the role He has given us as a witness to all the nations, to let your heart reverberate with His and to invest in seeing all ethnic groups come to know and worship our Great God and King, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer Points

• Thank You, God for loving all nations and not just a few. Thank You for salvation! • Thank You for the privilege of joining You in Your heart’s desire to seek all people. How do You want me to be involved? • I lift up my church to You. God, show us ways we can joyfully embrace the responsibility You’ve given us. Day 29 10 Points of Light Day 30

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. — Isaiah 60:1

Never did Eko see himself involved in something so profound, so important. It was only a few years ago that he realized God’s heart for the nations included those in Indone- sia. Now, here in Lampung, Ephesians 5:8 echoes in his thoughts, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; live as children of light.” There will never be anything more divinely instituted on he and his wife than to live as children of light among the Lampung people of South Sumatra. Yet, here he is living out his life as a member of a small team of people. His vision is that they would be but one of 10 teams throughout the province seeking to do just that. He can sense the prayers rising up for him and his teammates from the churches in the city and around the world. May God be glorified as we see these people, one by one, fall in worship before Him. In a place filled with so much darkness, Eko and his teammates live as points of light to a spiritually starved people. Now, churches are making a commitment to see this task through; never in history has that happened, and he feels the honor of his calling deeply.

Prayer Points

• Lord, we ask that the local church in Indonesia would be convicted and active in reaching these people. • Bring in indigenous and foreign workers to see this task through, people that are called and want to see Lampungese with the opportunity to worship you. • 10 teams in 10 cities is what we ask, a dream yet unrealized — teams willing to live as children of light amidst the spiritual darkness of Lampung. • My God, what do you want me to do that the Lampungese might know you? The Lampungese of Sumatra

Thank you to all who contributed to putting together this prayer guide. To those who wrote the text, did the editing, layout, design and to those who contributed the pictures — may you sense the pleasure of being part of reaching the lost with the Good News of Christ.

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