Where (Part II)

So once upon a time I promised that I would tell you more about the country of Indonesia, which is where I will be serving. I am such a visual person that I think it would be a good idea to start off with a few pictures including a few maps.

A map of the world with Indonesia circled in red

This is a view of Indonesia from Google Earth. Indonesia has been described as a string of emeralds strung on the equator like a necklace. The equator isn't in this picture but it pretty much runs right through the center.

Because of its location on the equator the weather is hot and humid. You can check out the current temperature near the hospital by looking in the upper right hand corner of the blog. Another fun fact about living near the equator is that the sun comes up and goes down pretty much every day around 6.

Officially Indonesia has 17,508 islands although that number may vary based on the source due quickly changing geography amidst several active volcanoes. Only about 6000 islands have people living on them. That includes about 750 different people groups.

It is considered the most populated Muslim country in the world with about 80% of the people claiming to be Muslim. There are however 6 recognized religions in the country. The main remaining groups include Christian (15%), Hindu/Buddhist (3%), and Ethnic/Animist (2%).

They say a picture is worth a thousand words so here are three pictures of the main people groups the hospital serves.

The majority of the people who live around the hospital are Dyak

Celebrating the end of Ramadan with a local Muslim Family

Chinese man participating in a ceremony to celebrate the Chinese New Year

Indonesia is a fairly new country. It declared independence on August 17th, 1945 but before that it was ruled by several colonial powers including most notably the Dutch and the Japanese (during WWII). Then until 1997 it was controlled by a series of powerful presidents/dictators. After successful democratic elections in 2004 and 2009 it is now considered a fledgling democracy.

One of the current challenges facing Indonesia is it location on the Ring of Fire. This causes frequent volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and in 2004 a large earthquake/tsunami which devastated part of Indonesia and caused the death of an estimated 180,000 Indonesians.

Ways to Pray
Indonesia’s vast diversity is both its strength and its peril. With 17,500 islands strewn across nearly 10 million sq km of ocean, 33 provinces, 722 languages, even more ethnic groups, myriad religious expressions and deeply divided political agendas, holding this nation together is a monumental task. Pray for political strength for the maturing democracy to stay balanced between national unity and regional identity. Pray also for the government to act with righteousness in honouring all peoples and communities; Indonesia’s history, especially recently, is characterized by discrimination, exploitation and favouritism. (From Operation World)

You can find out more information about Indonesia by reading:
The CIA Fact Book
Operation World
The Jakarta Post - online version of the largest English-language newspaper in Indonesia.