Pray for Timor Leste (East Timor) - Operation World 11/20

Pray for Timor Leste (East Timor) - Operation World 11/20

Timor Leste

Asia

Geography

Area: 14,874 sq km

Eastern half of Timor and the Ocussi-Ambenu enclave in Indonesian West Timor and Atauro Island.

Population: 1,171,163 Annual Growth: 3.38%

Capital: Dili

Urbanites: 28.1%

HDI Rank: 162 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples

Official language: Portuguese (13.5% understand), Tetum (and its dialects) is understood by 91%. Bahasa Indonesia is also common, understood by 43%

Languages: 19

Largest Religion: Christian
\t \t
Christians \t1,023,479 \t
Evangelicals \t27,119 \t

Challenge for Prayer

One of only two Asian nations with a Catholic Majority, Timor Leste still bears the scars of its birth. The Catholic Church grew rapidly as a visible symbol of national resistance to Indonesians, but traditional Spiritism remains, permeating Christianity and rebounding as a religion in its own right. Catholic agencies serve at the forefront of the mercy ministries so desperately needed in Timor. Protestants are viewed with suspicion as originating from Indonesia. Pray for Christians to renounce all vestiges of animism; pray also for greater unity and cooperation between Catholics and Protestants.