Since my time in Indonesia, my heart has been pricked with a new prayer and my heart has grown from being filled with the love of the Iranian Refugees living in Medan. On our first full day in Medan, Indonesia, my friends father Pak Robert Tarigan, took us to visit and pray for the Refugees. My team mates and I didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into, which is quite the norm of living the World Race life for a year! So, we arrived at a lime green facility that was previously a hotel. When we arrive, there are random people places, people cooking, talking, walking around, eyes are fleeting in our direction as we get out of the car. But, then one of the main guys in the facility invites us into his home to welcome us and have us pray with his family. In that moment I was expecting this to be a “Normal” house visit situation… but this became a beautiful experience of earnestly praying for a people and a nation, holding trembling hands being overcome in the tears of the exhausting trials. We prayed in over 20 tiny apartments, where we were welcomed graciously, they told us of their worries, fears of not progressing in the Refugee program, and desires to grow spiritually.
During our time visiting, we gained a better understanding of the Refugee world with many Iranian, Burmese, and Afghani people that have fled their country following some type of political or spiritual persecution. They left families, friends, and their homes behind. Many of them took terrifying journeys to escape and with the hope of a new and safe place to live. Then the ones we met were brought to Indonesia, following not making it to their intended destination. While in Indonesia, they are to take an appeal for obtaining a status of, ” Refugee” from the UN. They have to go through an Interview and then wait for months to hear if they have been approved or denied. If denied, they have to apply and interview again. If they are not accepted after 2-3x they are sent to a facility where they lived more like prisoners in a foreign country. But, if they are given their “Refugee” status, they then apply to Individual Embassies for a visa from a prominent country, most desirably are America or Australia. During this time, many of the Refugees are living together in tight community living, with many restrictions. There can be great strife and turmoil when one family receives their “Refugee” status and the other that applied and interviewed the same day is denied.
As we went from house to house and prayed for each family, we were given delicious teas, fresh lemonades, and candy. These people literally didn’t even have a home of their own and they were blessing us with their sweet hospitality served with their tender smiles. Each house we went to, their prayer request stayed consistent about obtaining the “Refugee” status and even as we were leaving they reminded us multiple time to continue to pray for them!
This guy, OHHHH my goodness, he is a gem! He told us his story of how he arrived into Indonesia, following political persecution. He was forced to close his business and went into hiding with his children for fear of his life. He chose to flee the country on a boat heading for Australia, but the boat died, his family was running out of food. He cried out to Jesus for help and the boat began working again for awhile. Then a Catholic boat liner came up to him and rescued he and his children and took them to Indonesia for safety. This man is not a Christian, but is questioning a lot of things and trying to figure out what it is his heart is searching for. He is an incredible man full of wisdom and generosity! We were able to pray with him, for guidance, Refugee status, and for his children!
Then, our team was asked to share a testimony and preach at the Iranian Refugee bible study fellowship on the following Friday! Well, I shared my testimony that night, which can be such a stressful thing to do when you have such a large language barrier and then through an interpreter. But, one of my coaches on the World Race, Matthew Wright, told me in Ecuador during Month 1 Debrief, to read John 10:29-30 and told them of how the Lord holds us in his hand and nothing can get to us with out the Lord know or feeling it before we do. During my testimony I shared how this scripture brings me so much comfort. He holds our joy, laughter, fears, and tears. The fellowship time at the Iranian bible study, was such a joyful night of fellowshipping with Indonesians, Iranians, and Americans! New believers were intrigued on how we knew we were to travel so far for the Lord, some shared their thankfulness for being so open with my story and then many just wanted to share in sweet conversations.
Throughout our two weeks in Indonesia, we saw the Iranians like 5 times, and in each interaction the Lord, built a more rich and beautiful friendship! As, we said our goodbyes at church our last sunday in Indonesia, I felt deeply that they needed prayers and so I wanted to share my heart for these people and what the Lord has been teaching me about their hearts and how to pray for them, so we can continue to pray!
Today in my time with the Lord as I was reading in my Streams in the Dessert Daily Devotional, brought the Iranians to my attention and I wanted to share it with you!
They will soar on wings like eagles. ( Isaiah 40:31)
There is a fable about the way birds first got their wings. The story goes that initially they were made without them. Then God made the wings, set them down before the wingless birds, and said to them, ” Take up these burdens and carry them.”
The birds had sweet voices for singing, and lovely feathers that glistened in the sunshine, but they could not soar in the air. When asked to pick up the burdens that lay at their feet, they hesitated at first. Yet soon they obeyed, picked up the wings with their beaks, and set them on their shoulders to carry them.
For a short time the load seemed heavy and difficult to bear, but soon, as they continued to carry the burden and to fold the wings over their hearts, the wings grew attached to their little bodies. They quickly discovered how to use them and were lifted by the wings high into the air. The weights had become wings.
This is a parable for us. We are the wingless birds, and our duties and tasks are the wings God uses to lift us up and carry us heavenward. We look at our burdens and heavy loads, and try to run from them, but if we will carry them and tie them o our hearts, they will become wings. And on them we can then rise and soar toward God.
Their is no burden so heavy that when lifted cheerfully with love in our hearts will not become a blessing to us. God intends for our tasks to be our helpers; to refuse to bend our shoulders to carry a load is to miss a new opportunity for growth. -J. R. Miller
No matter how overwhelming, any burden God has lovingly place wit His own hands on our shoulders is a blessing. – Fredrick William Faber
2 Corinthians 6 English Standard Version (ESV)
6 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says,
“In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3 We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,
4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;
6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise.
We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
11 We have spoken freely to you,[a] Corinthians; our heart is wide open. 12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 13 In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.
Recently I have been reminded that I am my Lords Favorite creation, daughter, human to spend time with… But you are too!! You are His FAVORITE!!! Seasons of life can be hard, this world is hard, but He is good and HE thinks you are incredible. In the hardships, know He has equipped you, pray, seek Him daily, spend time in His word and rebuke the lies that will distract you!! Daily it is a choice to seek HIM, spend time with HIM, love like HIM, be loved by HIM, and a choice to be uncomfortable so we can become more like HIM. Choose the LORD today and abide in HIS goodness!
There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind. C.S. Lewis
