As we sat under a thatched roof pavilion last night at the dinner table eating rice and chicken with our host aka. “Pa” shared with us his testimony and I can safely say we all left the table feeling inspired by him…

Pa originally was from the South but felt God calling him to reach the people of a small island near North Sumatra, Indonesia. So, he obeyed and went. Once he reached the island he needed to make money fast; he had his wife and daughter to feed. He landed on the idea of making donuts and started selling them every morning and word spread of their deliciousness!  However; the donut man’s career was cut short because people in the village saw the success in his idea and started to sell their own at a lower price. He quickly bounced to a new idea and began to make and sell fried chicken, while this was well received he felt called to do something more, to truly make an impact on this island.

So a bank loan was taken out and a piece of property was purchased. Pa risked all that he had to open the Mission Training Center we are at. The students that live here are studying the Bible and are desperate to learn more about God. Pa’s wife works in town to help support this special place and has not pocketed a penny of her profits yet and will not for years to come until the bank is paid back. They are faced with both that debt and the need for water storage…every morning we all trek into the jungle and fill up buckets with rainwater from the creek to be used for everything; toilets, hand washing, and buckets that are used as showers. This is do-able during the rainy season but the dry season is tough so they are in search of an affordable way to store rainwater.

 Instead of complaining or stressing about the hurdles of life they smiled over dinner with tears in their eyes telling us about their story and about their faith that God will provide.

They don’t have a doubt that God will answer their prayers and that the work they started here is worth giving up their own personal desires. From the beginning they have gone to God, from the beginning He has blessed them but also tested their faith. This is what makes Pa and his team so inspiring, they have listened to God the entire journey. When we sit down to meals every day with Pa and his amazing team, it’s always so evident how passionate they are about the students, the community, and the kingdom of God. The fact that God has called these incredible people into this place to grow missionaries is awe-inducing. In a tiny village in the biggest Muslim nation on earth, there are very special people teaching others how to go out and make disciples of all nations.

AMEN!!