Vanimo in Indonesia

Introduction / History

The great-great grandparents of the Vanimos traveled along the coast of New Guinea over one hundred years ago to where they are now settled in three villages, between Vanimo town and the Papua New Guinea and Indonesia border. Lonely Planet says, "The coast between Vanimo and the Indonesian border is crammed with superb beaches, waterholes and lagoons, pretty creeks and picturesque villages."
The Vanimo(Dumo) language group is said to have come from the area of Lake Sentani, now part of Indonesia. Despite the fact that a fair amount of Western influence has seeped into their lives, their mother tongue is still of great importance to them.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The Vanimo men fish the lagoons and reefs, going out in outrigger canoes from which they stand, balanced to throw their spears at the reef fish. The women, some marked with tattoos and scarification patterns, make clay cooking pots. Traditional culture, however, is not what it used to be, having assimilated to it the Catholic church, the village club for drinking beer and watching videos, and the typical Papua New Guinea markers of development—tin roofing, tin meat, a generator, and rice. One observer reported that for one traditional singsing—drums, dancing, chanting, costumes, spirits—the people from Warimo village brought in a truck load of beer, and they wore second hand clothes under their leaves and feathers.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Almost all Vanimos identify as Christian, but they have few gospel materials in their heart language. They must hear the precious gospel in a different language. The only place where Dumo is not the dominant language is in the church.

What Are Their Needs?

Some things remain the same and some things have changed in the way that the Vanimo people live, but the fact remains that Satan uses both old and new to keep his hold on the Vanimo people. There is a need for a Bible in the Vanimo language in that there is a need for the Vanimo people to come to a knowledge of the Truth.

Prayer Points

Pray for an abundance of gospel materials, especially Bible verses, to be translated into the Dumo language.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to take the Vanimos from identity as Christians to a firm identity in Jesus Christ, the only Savior.
Pray for the Lord to provide for their physical and spiritual needs.
Pray for the Lord to raise up and thrust out Christians with the gift of healing to demonstrate God's power and goodness.

Text Source:   Joshua Project