Factories

Pekanbaru is an industrial town. There are many types of factories in the city and in the outlying areas. Many of the jobs in Pekanbaru are manufacturing jobs.

Pray for safety for workers in the operation of factories here in Pekanbaru.

Pray for business owners to have wisdom and integrity to balance the need for profit and to look out for the needs of the families who work for them.

This factory processes raw rubber. Rubber trees are one of the main crops in Riau Province.

Pray for farmers and companies that are growing rubber in Riau to do so with integrity and ingenuity.

Pray for those working on the plantations to be able to meet the physical needs of their families.

The Siak River is one of the major avenues for shipping raw products to the factories where they are processed. This boat carries raw rubber to the factory from the plantations.

Pray for those working on the river transporting goods to be safe and to earn enough money to meet the needs of their families.

Pray against criminal activity on the Siak River.

Many times workers live near the factories where they work, because they cannot afford transportation to and from the factory.

Pray for healthy communities to grow around factories.

Pray for safety from environmental dangers of living near to a factory and from working in a factory.

Indonesian people are enterprising. Many people have several small business revenue streams. This motorcycle with a sidecar called a becak is advertised as being for rent.

Pray for those who are honest and hardworking to experience the rewards of their labors.

Pray for example of corruption being punished so that people will avoid laziness, greed, and dishonesty.

The white building to the right is a furniture factory. Ten workers are employed by this facility, and it is currently being renovated.

Pray for factories to renovate regularly to keep equipment and structures safe.

Pray for the process of renovation to be smooth and to have a minimum of delay so that workers will continue to have work.

"Seek the LORD and live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel, O you who turn justice to wormwood and cast down righteousness to the earth!" (Amos 5:6-7, ESV).

Pray for all the people of Pekanbaru to seek the Lord.

Pray for them to pursue righteousness and justice as they serve the Lord.

Siak River

The Siak River runs right through Pekanbaru. Many people in Riau Province make their living on the river. Some work as fishermen. Others work transporting goods up and down the river.

Pray for the health of the Siak River so that people can continue to make their living on the river. Pollution and chemicals are always a danger to the life of a river.

Pray for fishermen in Riau Province to be able to make a living to support their families.

One form of pollution is garbage being dumped into the river.

Pray for the people of Pekanbaru to guard the health of the river by not dumping garbage into it.

Pray for authorities to have wisdom to manage the sanitation issues of a million plus population city.

A favorite destination for those dating is a row of grills that serve corn on the cob.

Pray for purity and honor for those dating in Pekanbaru.

Pray for young people to have dreams and goals that inspire them to seek God's best.

Many children play and bathe in the river. Many people still wash clothes in the river. The river is a community place.

Pray for harmony and peace for the people living along the banks of the Siak River.

Pray for children to grow in size and in character in Pekanbaru.

This fisherman was using a net to troll for fish.

Pray for godliness and kindness to be taught and caught on the Siak River.

Pray for safety for fishermen as they go about their work.

The police patrol the river to monitor for any criminal activity.

Pray for the police to be diligent and to catch any criminals on the Siak River.

Pray for safety for the police as they go about their duties.

This stair case is an example of things getting run down because their are no safety codes that are enforced in Pekanbaru.

Pray for public safety in areas that are not always maintained for safety.

Pray for diligence to keep areas used by the public in good repair.

"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night" (Psalm 1:1-2, ESV).

Pray for the people of Pekanbaru to delight and meditate on the Law of God in order to do it.

Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport

The airport in Pekanbaru is one of the newer and more modern airports in Indonesia. Many business people regularly fly into Pekanbaru to from Malaysia and Singapore.

Pray for the airport staff to be diligent and efficient.

Pray for business travelers to be safe and law abiding.

Pray for security personnel to be diligent and alert.

Air travel is a class divide between the rich and poor. You can tell that most of the people flying are more affluent. Most people travel by bus because it is more economical.

Pray for the divide between the rich and the poor to be narrowed in Pekanbaru.

Pray for more education, training, and work opportunities for people in Pekanbaru.

Pray for people to be diligent to improve themselves in every way they can.

Pray that people in Pekanbaru will break out of a poverty mindset.

Just as many people carry baggage to the airport, there are people in Pekanbaru carrying burdens too heavy for them to bear.

Pray for people to be willing to bear each others burdens.

Pray for people to have wisdom to discern the difference between a burden and a load. Everyone ought to carry their own load.

Recently, a man was found murdered in the airport parking lot. Murder is very uncommon in Pekanbaru.  Many people here were shocked by this news.

Pray against violent crime in Pekanbaru.

Pray that murder remains a rare occurrence in Pekanbaru.

This is the information counter at the airport.

Pray for people in Pekanbaru to have access to the information they need to live wisely in a way that is pleasing to God.

Pray for the people here to be able to discern between true and false information so they can make good decisions.

"Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way. For there is a time and a way for everything, although man's trouble lies heavy on him" (Ecclesiastes 8:5-6, ESV).

Pray for people in Pekanbaru to keep the commands of God.

Pray for them to know the proper time and just way to accomplish every activity.

Pasir Putih

Pasir Putih is an area just outside of Pekanbaru. There are several factories in this area. People are either farmers or factory workers. There is a mixture of peoples here many of whom are people who have moved here for work opportunities.

Pray for the factories in this area to be profitable and also be fair to their workers.

Pray for farmers to have good crops and markets to sell them in after harvest.

This is a palm-oil orchard that was newly planted. One of the problems in this area has been slash-and-burn farming techniques that have polluted the air and caused harm to many people in the region.

Pray for farmers and companies to use techniques that don't hurt the community.

Pray for companies to invest in the community rather than taking from the community.

People normally have dogs to sound the alarm if intruders come and to run off animals that damage crops.

Pray for people to be alert to the internal warnings from God against sin.

Pray for people here to be alert to those who are seeking to exploit or harm them so they can avoid problems.

There are many new housing developments like these that provide first-time home owners with the opportunity to get into a house of their own.

Pray for these new families to be responsible and to experience the blessing of owning a home.

Pray for strong communities where people look out for one another.

It is unusual for outsiders to come into the neighborhood, so these boys were curious to see what was going on.

Pray for children in this community to have good friends and good role models.

Pray for parents to have wisdom to raise their children to fear God and live in a responsible manner.

Many people live in simple wooden structures that depend on open doors and windows to let air flow cool the house. It is very hot almost year round in Pekanbaru and its out-skirting areas.

Pray for open doors to the influence of God in these homes.

Pray for open hearts to hear, understand, and accept spiritual truth that brings about transformation.

"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:7-9, ESV).

Pray for the people to sow to the spirit and to reap eternal life.

Pray for people here to not grow weary in doing good.

Jalan Sudirman Part 3

Jalan Sudirman is a busy street full of shop houses and street vendors. There is almost always a fair amount of traffic.

Pray for pickpockets and other criminals to be convicted of sin and to repent.

Pray for business owners to see God's provision in their work.

You'd think with all the people being crowded that you'd see tempers boil-over. While it is common to see people being impatient in traffic, it is not common to see people getting mad at each other on the street. Part of this is because of the influence of Javanese and Malay culture.

Pray for harmony between all the people groups in Pekanbaru.

The distinctive roofs on these shop-houses come from Malay culture.

Pray for the laid back Malay people to be more successful in competing with Minang and Javanese people for work and education opportunities.

In Muslim culture it is considered modest and polite for a woman to wear head covering.

Pray for sensitivity between different cultures and the norms of those cultures.

Pray for men and women to continue to value modesty and politeness in Pekanbaru.

While there is no official recycling program in Pekanbaru, there are people who go through the garbage looking for things they can salvage and sell.

Pray for sanitation and recycling efforts in Pekanbaru to be successful.

Pray that the burning and smoke of past times to be avoided in the future.

In the midst of a crowd, it is easy to become isolated. People here are busy, and don't have a lot of time to sit and chat.

Pray for those who are feeling isolated in the city to find meaningful community.

Pray for people to be willing to befriend outsiders who come to the city looking for a better life.

This is one of the few pedestrian overpasses in the city. Several of the steps on this overpass are nearly rusted out. Maintaining infrastructure is a challenge in Pekanbaru.

Pray for city officials to have wisdom to maintain roads, bridges, flyovers, and pedestrian bridges in Pekanbaru.

"Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words. When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow" (Ecclesiastes 5:2-4, ESV).

Pray for the people of Pekanbaru to be faithful to their promises before God.

Jalan Sudirman Part 2

This is the central office for the telecommunications company here in Pekanbaru - Telkomsel.

Pray for healthy communication between people here in Pekanbaru.

Pray for deliverance from pornography and other unhealthy content that is available with 4G cell phones and internet.

This office is for one of several insurance companies in Pekanbaru. Insurance is still a new industry. Many people here do not have basic insurance.

Pray for families going through financial crisis without any safety nets.

Pray for more families to get access to the protection of basic insurance.

This is one of several bus stops in Pekanbaru.

Pray for mass transportation systems to grow and become more efficient.

Pray for drivers within this system to be alert  and skilled in their duties.

The cart that is crossing this busy road is called a kaki lima which means 5 footed.

Pray for safety for small business owners like this who need to move their stall to various locations to get enough business to survive.

"The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked. A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich" (Proverbs 10:3-4, ESV).

Pray for a strong work ethic for the people of Pekanbaru.

Pray for people to let go of the cravings of the wicked.

Jalan Sudirman

Jalan Sudirman is one of the most important streets in Pekanbaru. Over the next three posts we will view some of the important places on this street.

Pray for the knowledge of God to be widely known in Pekanbaru.

Pray for people to live in a way that pleases God.

This intersection has some of the most modern and important government offices in Riau Province.

Pray for the government leaders to fear God and to govern in ways that are pleasing to Him.

Pray for corruption be unheard of in Pekanbaru.

One of the largest police centers is at this same intersection.

Pray against corruption in law enforcement.

Pray for the police to serve the community with diligence and integrity.

Pray for safety of police officers doing their duty.

At another part of this same intersection is one of the largest banks in Pekanbaru.

Pray for integrity within financial institutions in Pekanbaru.

Pray for government resources to be used for the projects and programs that they are intended to fund.

This Muslim place of prayer is just outside of a hospital. While taking pictures, I met a little girl who just came from visiting her uncle who was sick with cancer.

Pray for hospitals and medical professionals to provide continually improving medical care to the people of Pekanbaru.

Pray against corruption in the education system for doctors & nurses.

This is the department of religion for Riau Province.

Pray for fairness for peoples of all faiths.

Pray for unity and harmony in Pekanbaru between people of different faiths.

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way" (1 Timothy 2:1-2, ESV).

Pray for the government and for civic leaders in Riau Province.

Masjids in Rumbai

These are just two of the many Masjids in Rumbai, Pekanbaru.

Pray for the powerful presence of God to be felt in these places of worship.

Pray for people to fear God and to seek to live in a way that pleases Him.

Pray for Muslim religious leaders to live in a manner worthy of their high calling.

Pray for places of worship in Pekanbaru to care for spiritual and physical needs of the people.

Pray for religious freedom for the people here.

Both of these Masjid are connected to religious schools called a madrasah. Riau Malay culture highly values religious education above secular education.

Pray for these schools to educate their students with excellence.

"For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods" (Psalm 97:9, ESV).

Pray for the one true God to be exalted in Pekanbaru.

Pray for all other contenders to be set aside as the people seek God with an undivided heart.