“At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ” Colossians 4:3

The Banjar people of Indonesia live primarily on the island of Borneo, though some live in Malaysia as well. They are almost entirely Muslim and considered an unengaged, unreached people group. Prior to the entry of Islam into their region in the 1500s, they were part of a Hindu kingdom and many animistic aspects still remain in the culture. The Banjar people primarily work in agriculture, with much of their daily activities revolving around local rivers. They are also known for their unique batik fabric, known as Sasirangan. 

According to Joshua Project, work has begun recently to translate the Bible into the Banjar language, starting with the book of Luke and other Bible stories in 2020. Also in that year, over 300 people signed up to pray for the Banjar people. People started noticing spiritual changes among this UPG. A missions agency then came to this area to train believers in church planting principles. There is now an app that the Banjarese can download to read scripture in there language. However, there is still a long way to go to get the whole Bible in the hands of each Banjarese individual.

Pray for:

• The physical needs of the Banjar people to be met
• Progress to continue quickly with Bible translation work
• Believers in nearby areas to boldly share with the Banjar people
• Open doors for workers to enter the Banjar communities

Thank you for praying for the Banjar people! We are expectant that God will continue to move among this unreached people group. We continue to pray that many will get the hear the Good News of our Savior and place their faith in Him.