What animals live in Indonesia?

Indonesia is one of the most wildlife-rich places on earth! You can find orangutans swinging through the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra, Komodo dragons — the world's largest lizards — prowling the island of Komodo, and tiny tarsiers with eyes almost as big as their brains peering out from jungle branches at night. The waters around Indonesia are just as packed with life as the land. Whale sharks, sea turtles, and thousands of kinds of colorful reef fish swim through the coral seas. Indonesia sits on so many islands — over 17,000 of them — that scientists are still discovering new species of birds, frogs, and insects. God made an extraordinary variety of creatures here, and it is a reminder of how creative and powerful He is as the Maker of all things.

What do kids eat in Indonesia?

Indonesian kids love a dish called nasi goreng — that's fried rice cooked with garlic, shallots, a little sweet soy sauce called kecap manis, and sometimes a fried egg on top. It smells wonderful and tastes a bit savory and a bit sweet at the same time. Many families eat rice at almost every meal, even breakfast! For snacks, kids in Indonesia often eat pisang goreng, which are bananas dipped in batter and fried until golden. Street food carts sell all kinds of treats like satay — small skewers of grilled chicken or beef with peanut sauce for dipping. Indonesia has over 17,000 islands, so depending on where a family lives, the local fish, spices, and fruits on their plate can be quite different from one island to the next.

How do people say hello in Indonesia?

In Indonesia, the most common greeting is 'Selamat!' — but you usually add a time of day to it. In the morning people say 'Selamat pagi' (say it like 'suh-LAH-mat PAH-gee'), which means 'Good morning.' It is a warm, friendly greeting you would hear on busy streets, in markets, and outside schools all across the country. Indonesia has over 700 languages spoken by different people groups, so greetings can actually sound quite different depending on where you are. In the Javanese language, for example, people might say 'Sugeng enjing' for good morning instead. With so many languages, one of the big prayer requests for Indonesia is that people in every language group would one day be able to read the Bible and hear about Jesus in the words they grew up speaking.

What sports or games do kids play in Indonesia?

Herman here, with Rusty nodding along! Kids in Indonesia love a game called sepak takraw — it's like volleyball, but you use your feet, knees, and head instead of your hands to keep a small rattan ball in the air. It takes real skill and looks almost like acrobatics when players jump and kick the ball over the net. Rusty wants to add that football — what we call soccer — is wildly popular across Indonesia's many islands, and kids play it in fields, schoolyards, and even on the beach. A traditional game called gobak sodor is also a favorite, where two teams try to cross lines while the other team tries to tag them out — it is fast, loud, and great fun in big groups.

What's the weather like in Indonesia?

Indonesia sits right on the equator, so it stays warm and humid nearly all year round. Most of the islands have two seasons — a wet season when heavy rains fall almost every afternoon, and a dry season when the skies clear up. Temperatures usually stay between 75 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, whether you're in the jungle or on the coast. The rain in Indonesia isn't like a light drizzle — it comes down in thick, warm sheets that can soak you in seconds, then stop just as fast. Up in the mountains on islands like Java and Sumatra, it gets noticeably cooler, and some peaks even get chilly at night. All that rain and warmth is why Indonesia has some of the densest jungles on earth, full of orangutans, hornbills, and thousands of plants you won't find anywhere else.

Tell me a fun fact about Indonesia.

Herman here, with Rusty nodding along! Indonesia is made up of more than 17,000 islands — that makes it the largest archipelago, which is just a fancy word for a chain of islands, in the entire world. You could spend your whole life hopping from island to island and never see them all! Rusty wants you to know that all those islands are home to hundreds of different people groups, and they speak over 700 languages. That means there are communities in Indonesia where people have never once heard the name of Jesus in their own heart language. That's exactly why missionaries and Bible translators work so hard there — because every person on every island deserves to hear the good news of Jesus in the words they understand best.

What is school like for kids in Indonesia?

In Indonesia, most kids start school around age seven, just like in many other countries. School days often begin early in the morning — sometimes before seven o'clock — and students wear uniforms, which usually have a white shirt on top. Classes can be large, with thirty or forty kids packed into one room, and students learn subjects like math, science, and Bahasa Indonesia, which is the national language. Indonesia has over 700 different local languages, so for many children, Bahasa Indonesia is actually their second language — they speak a local tongue at home first. In some remote islands and villages, schools are hard to reach, and families have to travel a long way just to get an education. Here is something worth praying about: many children in Indonesia have heard stories about Jesus, but some have never had the chance to read the Bible for themselves in their own heart language. Pray that more Indonesian children and families would come to know Jesus and that the good news would travel all the way to the most tucked-away villages.

Who are the unreached people in Indonesia?

Indonesia is made up of more than 17,000 islands, and it has hundreds of different people groups — each with their own language, food, and traditions. But many of these groups have almost no Christians among them and very little chance to hear about Jesus. Explorers and missionaries call these groups 'unreached people groups,' and Indonesia has a lot of them. Some of the largest unreached groups include the Javanese, the Sundanese, and the Madurese — together they number in the tens of millions of people. Many follow Islam, and in some communities it is very hard or even dangerous to follow Jesus. That means missionaries and local Christians have a big, important job: bringing the good news of Jesus to people who may never have heard His name spoken with love.

How can I pray for the people of Indonesia?

Indonesia is made up of more than 17,000 islands and is home to around 270 million people — and many of them have never heard the name of Jesus. You can pray that God opens doors for the gospel to reach into every island and every village, and that Indonesian people trust Jesus as their Savior. There are also Christians in Indonesia who face real danger for following Jesus, especially in some regions. Pray that God protects them and gives them courage to keep believing. Pray too for Indonesian church leaders and missionaries who are sharing the good news, and for Bible translators working hard so that people can read God's Word in their own heart language.

What is a holiday or celebration in Indonesia?

Herman here, with Rusty nodding along! One of the biggest celebrations in Indonesia is Eid al-Fitr, which is called 'Lebaran' there. It marks the end of Ramadan, a month when Muslims fast during the daytime. Indonesia has more Muslims than any other country on earth, so this holiday is celebrated by hundreds of millions of people with special foods, new clothes, and visiting family. Rusty wants to add that families travel from all over Indonesia to be together for Lebaran — sometimes crossing islands by boat or ferry! People eat dishes like ketupat, which are rice cakes wrapped in woven palm leaves. It is a reminder that most Indonesians have not yet heard and believed the good news about Jesus. That is why missionaries work hard there, and why we can pray that Indonesian families would one day celebrate the joy of knowing Christ as Savior.

What language do people speak in Indonesia?

Indonesia has hundreds of languages — over 700, actually! But the one language almost everyone learns and uses together is called Bahasa Indonesia. It works like a bridge language, helping people from different islands talk to each other. Each island or people group often has its own local language too, like Javanese, Sundanese, or Batak. That means Bible translators have a big job to do — some of those smaller languages still don't have the whole Bible yet. People are working hard right now to change that, so every person can read God's Word in the language of their heart.

What's a famous place to visit in Indonesia?

Herman here, with Rusty nodding along! One of the most famous places in Indonesia is the island of Bali — it has towering volcanoes, terraced rice fields that look like giant green staircases, and beaches where the waves crash loud enough to hear from far away. Indonesia is made up of more than 17,000 islands, so there is no shortage of wild and interesting places to explore. Rusty wants to add that the island of Java is home to Borobudur, one of the largest ancient stone temples in the entire world — it has hundreds of carved stone figures and sits quietly in the middle of a jungle landscape. What makes Indonesia especially interesting to us as explorers is that so many of those thousands of islands have their own languages and cultures, and many people there are still waiting to hear the good news about Jesus for the very first time.

Indonesia — Kids Missions Explorer

Komodo Dragon

The largest living lizard on Earth, the Komodo dragon can grow up to ten feet long and hunts deer and wild pigs on a handful of Indonesian islands.

Sumatran Orangutan

Found only on the island of Sumatra, this red-haired great ape is one of our closest relatives and uses tools like sticks to dig insects out of tree bark.

Bird-of-Paradise

Found in the forests of Papua, male birds-of-paradise perform elaborate dances and display feathers of such brilliant color that early European explorers thought they must have come from heaven.

Nasi Goreng

Indonesia's beloved fried rice is cooked with sweet soy sauce, shallots, and chili, often topped with a fried egg, and eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Satay

Small skewers of seasoned, grilled meat served with a rich peanut dipping sauce, satay is sold by street vendors across the whole archipelago.

Rendang

A slow-cooked beef dish from the Minangkabau people of Sumatra, rendang is simmered for hours in coconut milk and spices until the meat is deeply tender and dark with flavor.

Indonesia

Things you should know about Indonesia

Wildlife you might meet

What’s on the table

Did you know?

Life in Indonesia

Missions in Indonesia

Pray for Indonesia