Lintang People Group Profile

“The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price” (Revelation 22:17, ESV).

There are 190,000 Lintang [lin-TONG] people living in Southern Sumatra in the Lahat Regency. They are a subgroup of the Pasemah. Most Lintang make their livelihoods from farming. They also raise livestock. It is well known by surrounding people groups that the Lintang are notorious for being thieves. People do not travel through their area at night, and are careful even during the day.

The Lintang who do not work doing manual labor often have a longer fingernail on their pinky to show their higher status. Most Lintang, however, make their living off the sweat of their brow and the strength of their backs. The Lintang often have a lower than average income compared to surrounding people groups.

 

The Lintang are ardent followers of Islam. Most all of their celebrations and ceremonies are from their religion. There are no known Lintang believers. Many believers who live near to the Lintang are afraid to go into their area because they fear being robbed.

Pray that:

The Holy Spirit will do a mighty work among the Lintang preparing their hearts to hear and receive the Gospel.

Believers living near to the Lintang will overcome their fear and share the Gospel with them.

Those who rob among the Lintang will rob no more.

God will call workers to focus on reaching the Lintang.

As Lintang people come to faith they will be bold to share with friends and family.

New Lintang believers will be quickly grouped into vibrant, multiplying house fellowships.

Peoples surrounding the Lintang will see a mighty work of God and be drawn to the Savior.

The Batak King

For over 150 years the Gospel has been proclaimed among the Batak tribes of Sumatra. The Batak Karo youth that is pictured here is dressed in traditional clothing to participate in a traditional dance at a church gathering. One of the main ideals of Batak culture is the Batak King. There is a saying among all Batak tribes, “Saya raja.” Translated that means, “I am king.”

However, the ideal of the Batak King is not the same as you might think. The Batak King is not one who Lord’s his authority over others. The Batak King is honest, brave, strong, hard working, generous, and self-sacrificing. To say you are king in a Batak sense is to say you are aspiring to all that is true of the ideal of the Batak King.

One worker met a Batak man on an airplane. The man believed in Jesus, but he also put his faith in the Batak King. He thought Buddha and Muhammad were okay too. When the worker challenged this man with the Gospel he was unwilling to give up his faith in the Batak King. The worker suggested that the only person who lived out the ideals of the Batak King was Jesus, and only Jesus can forgive sins, but the Batak man was not able to process these ideas.

Syncretism is such a huge issue on Sumatra. Many people are happy to add Jesus to their list of spiritual power sources, but few are willing to forsake all else in order to gain Christ.  

Pray for believers on Sumatra who not only follow Jesus, but also the traditional religions of their ancestors, to realize that Jesus is the one and only way to heaven so that they forsake all else to gain Him.

Pray for workers who are trying to help new believers to avoid the pitfalls of syncretism.

Pray for hundreds of Batak believers to give themselves to the task of reaching the unreached on Sumatra.

Pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth to all the people groups on Sumatra so that they can know, choose and follow the Truth of God.

Modeled Behaviors

While a worker was waiting at a Sumatra airport for his flight to leave he noticed a 2 to 3 year old girl like the one pictured in this photo. Her parents had sent her to the garbage bin to throw away a candy wrapper. The girl examined the bin. She literally stuck her head into the bin. Then she wheeled away and tossed the candy wrapper on the floor. She had obviously been told to put the wrapper into the bin, but what she had seen modeled was to throw the wrapper on the floor. This little drama reminded the worker of a powerful truth – people follow what they see modeled rather than what they are told is right.

Earlier in the week this worker traveled among several people groups with a local partner. The local partner didn’t do a lot of witnessing. He gave the reason that people want to hear the foreigner, but perhaps there was a more powerful and unspoken reason. This local partner was watching to see if the foreigner would practice what he preached. He wanted to see the teaching modeled. This was an important reminder to the worker that he must realize that he’s being watched, and he must consistently model what he teaches.

Pray for workers on Sumatra to be consistent to model godly living and bold proclamation with local believers.

Pray for local believers to catch what is being modeled and taught so that they will be obedient to Christ and that they will transfer that obedience to other believers through words and actions.

Pray for revival among the churches so that they will model and proclaim the Gospel message among all the peoples on Sumatra.

World-wide Product

This roadside stall in Padang, Sumatra, is testimony to the fact that Coke is everywhere. You can go to the most remote village that has never had a foreigner visitor, and you’ll find Coca-Cola is already there. The advertisement on this stand translates – Open a Coca-Cola; open new enthusiasm!

It’s a sad thing that in many places on Sumatra an American soda product is better known and more widely shared than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. New enthusiasm is no replacement for new life. People who open their hearts to Jesus Christ receive new life. They receive life eternal. Now that’s a message worth proclaiming!

Pray that the Gospel will be come as widely known and received on Sumatra as Coca-Cola.

Pray for believers to have new enthusiasm to tell the Good News to the lost souls living all around them.

Pray that the Gospel will be proclaimed even in the most remote villages on Sumatra.