 |
| On the plane in Jakarta before takeoff |
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Churches Visited
During this mission to Indonesia our team visited the following churches...
West Kalimantan
West Java
1) Bandung Sundanese 9/12, am
2) Bandung Indonesian 9/12, am
Central Java
3) Klaten, 9/12, pm
4) Purangmojo, Solo, 9/13, am
5) Pengging, (Andres/Sarmi), 9/13, noon
6) Margosari, Bayolali, 9/13, pm
7) Bulusari, 9/13, pm
8) Salatiga (Martono & Ira) 9/14, afternoon
West Kalimantan
9) Singakwan, 9/15, pm
10) Monterado, (Petros & Toulos) 9/16 am
11) Transmigration, Sendu, 9/16, afternoon
12) Sungkaibinyuh, 9/16, pm
13) Nangka, 9/16, pm
14) Pasie, 9/17, am
15) Balio (house) 9/17, am
16) Tamiangan, (Ikus) 9/17, am
17) Rorongan, (Alius), 9/17 pm
18) Sendaung, 9/17, pm
19) Sukamulya, transmigration, 9/18, am
20) Brunei, 9/18, am
21) Kerampung, 9/18, noon
22) Inti3 (MTS grads Dewi, Devi), 9/18, afternoon
23) Pontianak, (Nikopolis) 9/19 am worship
24) Sungaikakap, (Andreas) 9/19 pm
West Java
25) Bekasi, Jarkata (Eddie & Mewar) 9/20 pm
Our Last Service
On our final evening in Indonesia we enjoyed a wonderful time with the Bekasi Church in greater Jakarta, West Java. Eddie and Mewar minister to this fine congregation made up of city professionals and young adults. They have many skilled and talented musicians and a comfortable worship center. They prepared special western food for us--while the rest of the congregation enjoyed their familiar eats. Eddy asked us to challenge the congregation to pursue missions beyond the congregation itself and we had a special prayer time for the church and church planters. Steve appreciated the translator for being a fellow University of Illinois graduate.
 |
| Bekasi Church in Jakarta |
Recent Experiences in Pictures
 |
| Nangka - mountain village (notice the satellite dish?) |
 |
| Road (?) to Serindu |
 |
| Church Planter's family in Pasie |
 |
| Monterado Church |
 |
| Brunei church in Mountain jungle |
 |
| Prayer meeting under palm tree |
 |
| Team with Nikopolis at Equator Monument |
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Pontianak
We have just finished 4 and 1/2 days in the Indonesian State of West Kalimantan. Pontianak, the capital, is a city of more than 2 million people that sits on the equator, and I had never heard of it before. We arrived Wednesday afternoon and were greeted by the API church planter who leads a congregation in Pontianak and serves as the regional director for API. Our team of 6 includes the Americans, Herman from API, Eddie from Jakarta and Nikopolis from Kalimantan. Herman is the Coordinator for all 104 API church planters all across Indonesia. He is our primary translator and Eddie is our skillful driver. They have served us excellently and made this trip possible for us.
We have visited 16 churches in these few days. We have covered hundreds of kilometers on crowded, challenging highways and rugged mountainous paths. We have traveled via the ubiquitous Indonesian motorbike and we have hiked in the jungle and oil plantation country. (An oil plantation is a grove of palm trees from which oil is extracted from its fruit.) We have traveled in the rain and in the darkness and under the equatorial sun. (Thank God for a van with air conditioning--working most of the time.) Everywhere we have been received graciously and with much anticipation. The church in Sangwakang waited for nearly 2 hours for us to arrive. Everywhere we have been served hot tea and rice accompanied with various vegetables, chicken, fish, pork and beef, cassava, fried bananas, various cakes and crackers and things we don't remember (or maybe don't want to.) We spent a night in a home in the jungle without electricity and showered in the mountain spring. Everywhere we have prayed earnestly with brothers and sisters who completely depend on God for all they have. Some have very little else, but that is having more than having everything without God. We have prayed and worshipped by kerosene light, under a palm tree, in tin roof churches, in bare wood huts and in dirt floor homes. We have greeted people who have never seen an Amercan before except on tv. We have smiled and shaken hands and communicated through our eyes and with our body language as best we could. We have garbled phrases like "treima casi" (thank you), "Tuhan membe gati" (God bless you), and "Selamat bagi/ciang" (Good morning/afternoon). We have met dozens of faithful church members and leaders--men and women who courageously follow God in a muslim culture and work fervently for the expansion of God's Kingdom in the middle of a spiritually difficult field. They cherish our prayers on their behalf and they worship exhuberantly. We have been blessed and pray that God has given them a blessing with our visit to them.
We have visited 16 churches in these few days. We have covered hundreds of kilometers on crowded, challenging highways and rugged mountainous paths. We have traveled via the ubiquitous Indonesian motorbike and we have hiked in the jungle and oil plantation country. (An oil plantation is a grove of palm trees from which oil is extracted from its fruit.) We have traveled in the rain and in the darkness and under the equatorial sun. (Thank God for a van with air conditioning--working most of the time.) Everywhere we have been received graciously and with much anticipation. The church in Sangwakang waited for nearly 2 hours for us to arrive. Everywhere we have been served hot tea and rice accompanied with various vegetables, chicken, fish, pork and beef, cassava, fried bananas, various cakes and crackers and things we don't remember (or maybe don't want to.) We spent a night in a home in the jungle without electricity and showered in the mountain spring. Everywhere we have prayed earnestly with brothers and sisters who completely depend on God for all they have. Some have very little else, but that is having more than having everything without God. We have prayed and worshipped by kerosene light, under a palm tree, in tin roof churches, in bare wood huts and in dirt floor homes. We have greeted people who have never seen an Amercan before except on tv. We have smiled and shaken hands and communicated through our eyes and with our body language as best we could. We have garbled phrases like "treima casi" (thank you), "Tuhan membe gati" (God bless you), and "Selamat bagi/ciang" (Good morning/afternoon). We have met dozens of faithful church members and leaders--men and women who courageously follow God in a muslim culture and work fervently for the expansion of God's Kingdom in the middle of a spiritually difficult field. They cherish our prayers on their behalf and they worship exhuberantly. We have been blessed and pray that God has given them a blessing with our visit to them.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Kalimantan Next
After leaving Bandung Sunday afternoon we flew to Yogya in Central Java where Steve preached for a Sunday night church service. We spent the night at the home of church planters in a village and then visited four churches on Monday. Each church welcomed us warmly with snacks and lunch. (It's not a meal if you don't have rice.) Everywhere we go we pray with our brothers and sisters and we consider ourselves blessed to meet these faithful Christians in their challenging circumstances.
On Tuesday David and Warren shared preaching for the chapel service at the Bible College. Afterwards we enjoyed the surprise birthday lunch for Gi. It was a great fellowship of church planters and Tanbunaan family. We enjoyed a gift of relaxation after lunch and then we visited a Smartpoint (Pondosi) in Salatiga.
Wednesday morning we begin our travel to West Kalimantan. We expect to be in more remote locations visiting churches and their leaders for the next several days. Thank you for your prayers. Pray for the brothers and sisters here in Indonesia who maintain such vibrant and attractive faith.
On Tuesday David and Warren shared preaching for the chapel service at the Bible College. Afterwards we enjoyed the surprise birthday lunch for Gi. It was a great fellowship of church planters and Tanbunaan family. We enjoyed a gift of relaxation after lunch and then we visited a Smartpoint (Pondosi) in Salatiga.
Wednesday morning we begin our travel to West Kalimantan. We expect to be in more remote locations visiting churches and their leaders for the next several days. Thank you for your prayers. Pray for the brothers and sisters here in Indonesia who maintain such vibrant and attractive faith.
 |
| 'snacks' with church in Pucangmojo |
 | ||||||
| Smartpoint at Pengging |
 | |
| Warren preaching at Bible College in Saltiga |
 |
| Church at Margosari |
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Sundanese Worship
Today we enjoyed wonderful worship with precious brothers and sisters who welcomed us warmly. We were with our eternal family and experienced a little of what it will be like to praise God together around His throne. We were honored with gifts and special greetings. We will miss the beautiful people we have come to love and appreciate in just a few days.
 |
| Warren preaching at the Sundanese worship |
 |
| Steve leading communion meditation |
 |
| David preaching at Indonesian worship |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)