The Ringgou, or Rikou, are one of several language groups that live together on the small Indonesian island of Rote in well-defined areas established by historic kings. They live at the eastern tip of the complex dialect chain, which extends down the island. According to legend, the island's name comes because a Portuguese sailor who was lost and a farmer asked where he was. The man who didn't understand Portuguese introduced himself as "Rote".
One of the Ringgou people's staple foods is a sweet, milky drink, nirah, that comes from a special variety of lontar palm. The people tap the palm during the five months of dry season each year, drinking the nirah directly and making it into sugar. The people also grow gardens during the wet season, catch fish, and raise pigs, goats, sheep and water buffalo. They use horses for transportation.
Today most Rotenese are professing Christians, many from families of numerous generations of Christians. Pastors use the Indonesian language Bible in services, but without understandable Scriptures, professing Christians lack the foundational truths that lead to practical applications for Christian living. Furthermore, a few Rotenese still practice traditional religion, while some have more recently converted from that practice.
Scripture Prayers for the Ringgou in Indonesia.
| Profile Source: Anonymous |
