Hey everyone!
This month, my team and I have had the amazing opportunity to work with Wycliffe, an organization focused on translating the Bible into different languages. This is the first time a World Race team has gotten a chance to partner with Wycliffe so our team got to be the first in what we hope is a long partnership.They are stationed in Ambon, Indonesia on the east side of the country, in the Maluku Province. I know you have no idea where that is but it is a beautiful place with a hurting past.
A quick history lesson for ya! In 1999 there was a conflict between the Muslim and Christian populations in Maluku, hitting Ambon, the capital of the province really hard. Mixed communities were soon separated and many were forced to flee. Many hospitals, homes, and communities were burned to the ground over the religious conflict with hundreds killed.
John and Stephanie Richards, our host and directors of our Wycliffe office entered Indonesia shortly after the conflict. Communities are now separated by religion. For the most part, Muslims live with Muslims and Christians live with Christians.
We came into Ambon and saw this first hand. There were large Muslim populations with mosques scattered around the neighborhoods while other areas were covered in crosses and churches in Christians areas. Though they live in peace now, there are separate.
But that does not change their hospitality. We have been blessed by both our host and the Protestant Church of Maluku, GPM, with amazing living conditions, great food, and great community. As foreigners, we were treated with open arms and with the highest respect. Though uncomfortable and different from American culture, we quickly adapted. We spent a lot of time learning the steps and the process of translating the Bible and the amazing work Wycliffe is doing to translate it, for many Ambonese locals into their mother tongue. In Ambon the spoken language is not Indonesian, but Ambonese-Malay. Indonesian is considered the high language which is the only language of the Bible and many people don’t understand it. Imagine only reading the Bible in Latin and not in English everyday…
Our team struggled with being blessed and treated as royalty. Like many times before, we wanted to come in and serve and be the last for our ministry partners. But we learned that ministry is often just… being. Just being there to listen to others problems. Just being there to pray for them, I cannot tell you have many people are happy and joyful to be prayed for and how much they express that, to them, it is a blessing. And also being there to drink tea and cakes for the fifth time that day.
We had the ability to visit other islands in the Maluku province through a new partnership with GPM. We visited churches, preached, taught English to youth and the pastors and ate a lot of good food. But once again, treated like the best. But letting ourselves be served respected their culture and honored them and blessed them. Seems backwards from American culture but they love to serve… maybe we have something to learn. But that’s a different discussion.
We had become Ambassadors for Christ and the World Race.
Our host expressed to us over some pizza that our ability to work with GPM and visit other islands opens up a door for them to spread the Gospel and their relationship with the local Church. So though we might feel useless, we opened doors and planted many seeds that we might never see come to fruition.
I also learned that ministry doesn’t have to be hard.
Jesus tells us in John 10:10 that He came so that we may have life and have it abundantly. Yes, we will suffer and have hard times while here living a life dedicated to Jesus, but that is not because of Jesus, but because of the World. He promises abundance, and goodness, and so many other things. I have learned it is okay to have AC on the Race, and a bed to sleep on and that I do not have to suffer to have a God-filled World Race. It just matters if we are abiding in him.
This month was not physically hard and demanding. And that’s okay.
Because the work we did has blessed GPM and the Wycliffe base with their ability to work with GPM in translating the Bible. And our chance to sit and talk and pray for local pastors has planted seeds for God’s blessing in their lives.
I am going to miss Indonesia with its beautiful people, beaches, and ferry rides. I am going to miss the food, the conversations, and the community.
Thanks you all for your support and reading my story. That blesses me so much!
Love y’all!
***P.S I am about 81% to my final fundraising goal. I have $3,500 dollars left to raise by the beginning of May. I have included a direct link to my Donations page below. Again thank you all so much for your support!***
