Gayo in Indonesia

Introduction / History

The Gayo live in the isolated central mountains of Aceh province on the island of Sumatra. Their homeland lies in the Bukit Barisan Range ("Parade of Mountains") which has elevations of over 12,000 feet and extends more than one thousand miles.

The Gayo language has four dialects: Lut, Serbejadi-Lukup, Lut and Luwes. Their language does not have a writing system. They pass down folk tales, stories and poetry in oral tradition.

The Gayo live near the strongly Islamic Aceh people. In the past, the sultans of Aceh conquered the Gayo region and made the Gayo slaves. After the initial Dutch resistance (during which many Gayo were killed), the Dutch occupied the area from 1904-1942. During this time, the Gayo developed a thriving cash crop economy in vegetables and coffee.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The Gayo make their living mainly by cultivating Arabica coffee, which is often referred to as the very best Arabica and Luwak coffee. They are a poor people and historically uneducated, although they have gained access to higher levels of education in the last several decades. They suffer from a pervasive sense of hopelessness depicted in their traditional dances. This has resulted in a high rate of suicide among all ages.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Most Gayo are Muslims but lack an orthodox understanding of the religion.

Many Gayo people believe in good and bad spirits and in holy men, both dead and alive. They regularly give ritual offerings and sacrifices to the spirits, to holy men and to their ancestors. The Muslim Gayo people broke away from the Christian Batak Karo people of North Sumatra. In recent decades, they have participated to some degree in the Islamization of their area.

What Are Their Needs?

The Gayo need medical workers to educate them in areas of health and medicine and improve their health care systems. They need ongoing improvements to their educational system. They also need help in overcoming erosion and dangerous landslides, which at times block important transportation routes in their area.

Corrupt coffee buyers exploit the Gayo, forcing them into debt and controlling their sales. As a result, the Gayo need honest investors to help them break the cycle of debt and poverty.

Prayer Points

Ask God to raise up workers who can help the Gayo improve their health care and education and can share with them the hope of the gospel.
Pray for investors who will treat the Gayo honestly and rescue them from those who are enslaving them with debt.
Ask God to reveal the falsehood of their Islamic beliefs and animistic practices, and to create within them a hunger for the truth.
Pray for translation of a complete and accurate Bible into the Gayo language.
Pray for multiplying disciples and churches among the Gayo people of Indonesia.

Text Source:   Joshua Project