June 2006 Pacific Rim Prayer Emphasis:
The Bugis of Indonesia

“You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.” Leviticus 19:18, NAS

The 3.8 million Bugis, sometimes called Ugi, live in the southern part of Sulawesi, Indonesia. While many Bugis have left Sulawesi to seek their fortunes throughout Southeast Asia, those who remain often make their living by hunting, fishing, farming, raising livestock, and making handicrafts. The Bugis are famous for their strict adherence to Sunni Islam, though many of them are still bound to traditional animistic beliefs (panngaderreng). There are several dialects of the Ugi language. The Bible, Jesus-Film, and Christian radio programming are currently available to the Bugis. There are a small number of Bugis believers, but the church represents far less than 1% of the population.

The Bugis believe very strongly that certain days are good days, with good fortune for events and activities held on the first Wednesday and last Thursday of each month. Conversely, they consider Saturday to be a bad day, with more misfortune expected than on other days.

Two of the most important cultural values for the Bugis are siri (personal honor) and siri-pesse (communal honor). Building siri is very important. Offenses against siri lead many Bugis to acts of vengeance. Islam has reinforced the traditional Bugis concept of siri in such a way that today the typical Bugis person sees siri as the key to his or her self-identity as a Bugis Muslim.

Pray that:

Bugis believers will be bold, upright, and courageous in living out their faith.

God will call laborers to do massive sowing of the gospel among the Bugis.

New believers will stand strong in the face of family and community persecution.

God will call out intercessors to pray fervently for the Bugis until the church is established.

Siri will not keep the Bugis from giving the gospel a fair hearing.

Special power, boldness, and opportunities will be granted to believers to share the gospel among the Bugis on the first Wednesday and last Thursday of each month.

God will send visions and dreams to the Bugis in connection with the sowing of the gospel.

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