“But God shows his love for us in that
while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8, ESV).
The island of Bangka is located east of Sumatra in the South
China Sea. It’s home to the 340,000 Bangka Malay people. The Bangka Malay are
friendly and welcoming to everyone. Their primary industries are pepper farming
and tin mining. They are also known for a wide variety of handicrafts. Their
beautiful island home has famous beaches and is a popular Indonesian tourist
destination.
One of the traditions of the Bangka is for newly married
couples to move away from both sets of parents. This tendency of new couples to
form an independent identity has made the Bangka more open to marrying outside
of their ethnic group. Mixed marriages are not uncommon.
Most Bangka Malay are Muslim, but it’s not uncommon for
traditional animistic beliefs to be mixed in with Islamic beliefs. There is a
significant Chinese population, which has also influenced Bangka culture.
There are only a handful of known Bangka believers and no
indigenous churches. There are some churches on the island, but they are
predominately Chinese or Batak.
Pray that:
Believers living on Bangka will share the Gospel boldly and
in a culturally sensitive way.
God will give wisdom to workers on Bangka to develop a
Spirit-led strategy for reaching the Bangka Malay.
Spiritual strongholds of animism and occultism will not be
mixed with Christianity among new believers.
Obedience-based discipleship will strengthen and equip new
believers for a life of holiness and victory.
An indigenous, multiplying Bangka Malay church will be
established soon.
Creative platforms will be developed to give workers
opportunity to live and work on Bangka.
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