Persecution

The island of Java is inhabited primarily by two different tribes - the Javanese and the Sundanese. I live in Java-land, which is most of Central and Eastern Java. The Sunda live on Western Java. Both tribes are predominantly Muslim, but the Sunda in general are more strongly so. In fact, the Sundanese are one of the least reached people groups in the world, with only about 0.1% claiming Christianity.

But God is moving in West Java. For the safety of those I know who are working there, I can't share much publicly. But many Javanese Christians have felt called to enter Sunda territory to live and work and carry out the Great Commission.

I heard a story today of a Sundanese Christian man who has been telling his neighbors about Jesus. He has even been bold enough to go into the Islamic schools there and teach about salvation. People have been coming to him with questions. Some, not brave enough to talk to him face to face, have communicated with him via SMS. Unfortunately, someone chose to use those SMSes against him. They were taken and shown to one of the heads of religion on the area. Local leaders convened and discussed what to do. Yesterday, the man was called to the home of his RW (neighborhood leader) and was given a choice.

He and his family could pack up and leave within the following three days. Or they could stay and their home and everything in it would be burned.

They made a very bold decision. He is sending his wife and kids to live with people from my church here. But he is staying. I don't know what his plan is. He may go underground. He certainly can't stay in his house or his neighborhood. If the religious leaders find out he is still there and still teaching, he could very possibly be killed.

Please pray. Pray for his safety. Pray that his decision wouldn't be in vain. Pray for his wife and kids as they face so much uncertainty. The rug is being pulled out from under them. They have three days to pack everything and say goodbye to everyone they've even known. And then they're going to move to live with people they've never met from a tribe that is not their own.

Pray for the Sundanese people. Pray for Indonesia.