The 242,900 Lolaki of Indonesia are one of the major ethnic groups located in southern Sulawesi. Their language is called Tolaki, and the people are also known by that name. They are not to be confused with the Lolak of northern Sulawesi.

The Lolaki are composed of a number of sub-groups, including the Bingkokak. Little is known about their particular lifestyle and culture, but it is assumed that their way of life is very similar to the lifestyles of their close neighbors, the Pancana and the Maronene.

What are their lives like?
Sulawesi is an island with a coastline of about 3,500 miles. It consists mainly of four peninsulas separated by deep gulfs, with two of the peninsulas extending southward and two, northeastward. On the southern part of the island is one of Sulawesi's highest points, Mount Lompobatang, an extinct volcano reaching a height of 9,419 feet. Although the climate of the area is tropical, it is somewhat modified by elevation and the closeness of the sea.

For the Lolaki, maize grown in swiddens (land cleared by the "slash and burn" method of farming) is the staple crop, but sweet potatoes, sugarcane, vegetables, tobacco, and coffee are also grown. Scattered among the clearings are their homes, which are usually built on stilts. They are generally made of woven grasses and have very high roofs.

Distinct social classes are still quite pronounced among most of the people groups in Sulawesi. There is a higher noble class, a lower noble class, and a class of commoners. Each class usually has its own code of behavior, along with various customs and traditions. A region is typically divided into village territories, and rights to land use are administered by the village council. However, the council retains ultimate ownership of all the land.

Lolaki marriage customs require payments to the girl's family at the time of engagement and again at the wedding. The amount of the bride-price depends on the social rank of the young man. Prior to marriage, the groom is required to serve a probationary period with his prospective parents-in-law. To avoid this requirement, many young couples choose to elope. In the past, slaves and their descendants were not permitted to marry each other, though they could live together. Also, noble women did not marry commoners. Polygyny (having more than one wife) was common among some of the aristocracy, but rarely occurs today.

Presently, Indonesia has more than eight million farmers who do not own land. To those willing to move from overcrowded areas to less developed islands, the government offers free land, housing, and other assistance.

What are their beliefs?
Islam is the dominant religion in Indonesia today and is practiced by a majority of the population. Hinduism, widespread in the islands before the fourteenth century, is now practiced by only a small number of people, chiefly on Bali. About 14% of Indonesians are Christians, primarily Protestant, and many Chinese follow Buddhist-Taoist teachings. Animism (belief that non-human objects have spirits) is followed by tribes in remote areas.

Islam has been dominant on the islands since the 1600's, and the Lolaki are 95% Sunni Muslims. However, traditional beliefs are still very important to them, especially the belief in evil spirits. Only about 1% of the Lolaki are Christians.

What are their needs?
The more than 2,000 Lolaki believers have very few Christian resources available in their own language. There are two missions agencies currently working among the group, but the Bible and other materials need to be translated into their language so Church growth can continue.

Prayer Points

• Ask the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers to work among the Lolaki of Indonesia.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to grant wisdom and favor to the missions agencies that are targeting the Lolaki.
• Pray that the Bible and the Jesus film will soon be available to the Lolaki.
• Pray that God will reveal Himself to the Lolaki through dreams and visions.
• Pray that God will give the Lolaki believers many opportunities to share Christ with their own people.
• Take authority over the spiritual principalities and powers that have kept the Lolaki bound for many generations.
• Ask God to raise up prayer teams who will begin breaking up the soil through worship and intercession.
• Ask the Lord to bring forth a triumphant Lolaki church for the glory of His name!

THE PEOPLE

• People name: Lolaki
• Country: Indonesia
• Their language: Tolaki (Lolaki)
• Population: (1990) 224,900
  (1995) 242,900
  (2000) 261,500
• Largest religion: Muslim (Sunni) 95%
  Ethnic religionist 4%
• Christian: 1%
• Church members: 2,430
• Scriptures in their own language: None
• Jesus Film in their own language: None
• Christian broadcasts in their own language: None
• Mission agencies working among this people: 2
• Persons who have heard the Gospel: 65,600 (27%) Those evangelized by local Christians: 17,000 (7%)
  Those evangelized from the outside: 48,600 (20%)
• Persons who have never heard the Gospel: 177,300 (73%)

• Country: Indonesia
• Population: (1990) 182,811,600
  (1995) 197,587,700
  (2000) 212,730,600
• Major peoples in size order: Javanese 26.2%
  Javanese Indonesian 10.7%
  Sudanese 10.6%
  Madurese 5.7%
  Sudanese Indonesian 3.1%
• Major religions: Muslim 43.7%
  New religionist 35%
  Christian 13%
• Number of denominations: 113