The Sula are farmers and fishermen who struggle to earn a living harvesting fish, spices, and coconuts. Most Sula people live on Sula Island in Indonesia’s North Maluku province. On the surface, they follow Sunni Islam and publicly identify as Muslim on government documents. But in private, they practice traditional customs to seek healing, power, and blessings from various
spirits. It’s common for them to visit a shaman for help or to curse an enemy. One of the greatest barriers for them to believe the gospel is pressure from their community and family to not leave
their religion and traditional practices.