Hello from Indonesia!!
I first want to apologize for how long it’s taken me to get this first “on the field” blog up. It’s been challenging trying to put everything I’m feeling and learning and experiencing into words. So if this comes across as a little scattered, I’m very sorry haha. that’s kinda just how my mind has been lately as it’s attempting to process the things that God’s been teaching me and stirring in me over these past couple of weeks.
To give you a little context on where we are staying, my team and another from my squad have been living in a small remote Balinese village. Fun fact – we are actually the first 13 Americans to ever have the opportunity to live amongst this tribe! How incredible is that?!
When we arrived here after nearly a 30 hour bus ride from Jakarta, we were dropped off at the community center in the middle of a tribal village we knew nothing about & were told this would be our home for our time here. Its basically an outdoor pavilion with two little rooms that some of us sleep in. The rest of our group has been sleeping in tents outside because the rooms actually begin to feel like a sauna at night. There’s no air conditioning. Our “bathrooms” are unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before – think hole in the ground. The closest thing we have to a kitchen is a little stove top to heat up water. There’s no refrigerator, so preparing food has come with its challenges. I’ve basically lived off crackers and peanut butter since I got here haha.
My first night in the village, as I was lying on my inflatable sleeping pad on the hard tile floor, dripping in sweat, starring at the lizards on the walls in front of me, and listening to the bugs fly around the room… I realized that perhaps this would be the first time in my entire life that I would quite literally have nothing “comfortable” to fall back on.
To be honest, the thought that ran through my mind the first night I was here was “what have I gotten myself into?”
Yet in the midst of all the heat, the sweat, the dirt, the mess… there is fullness of joy because of Jesus. There is a peace that surpasses understanding because of Jesus. There has never been a time in my life where I’ve felt more ALIVE or more PRESENT than I do now, because of Jesus.
& the longer I’ve been here, the more I see what an absolute blessing it is to live the way we are living this month. to feel like I have so little that all I can do is run to Jesus. to get the opportunity to live amongst the locals and learn from them and their way of life. to be one of the first followers of Jesus that most of these villagers have ever seen. I really can’t think of anything sweeter or more beautiful than that!
Getting to live in the community center inside of a close knit village is kinda like a constant party that never stops. Alone time doesn’t exist because it’s literally the place where everyone in the village comes to hangout – like at all times, throughout the day & the night. It’s the place we hold our after school program for the kids. It’s the place where the village holds all of their tribe meetings. It’s the place where the village leaders come to play Ping Pong each night. It’s the place where any type of community wide event happens. It’s the place where the teenage girls have their Balinese dance practices and the women have their Zumba classes. It’s the place where I’m witnessing little kids hear and understand the story of Jesus for the first time!
All of this is happening at our “home” each day! And because of this, because we are staying in the village, and living in the community center, it’s been the perfect place for trust and relationships to be formed between the locals in this community and our teams here.
The people here do not know Jesus as their Savior, and I can probabaly count on one hand the number of people here in the village who have ever heard His name before, yet through them, God is teaching me so very much!
- The people in this village are not bound by time or schedules.
- When someone needs help, they drop whatever they are doing to help them.
- When they see that someone is hungry, they bring them into their home to feed them.
- When someone is lost, they walk them in the right direction.
- When they see a need, they do everything they can to meet it.
- They give without expecting anything in return.
- They treat everyone they meet like family.
- They don’t judge me for being “different” than them. They celebrate the differences and love me for who I am.
The people in this village are far more selfless than I’ve ever been and more generous than I ever knew existed. They are teaching me the importance of living a life that’s interruptible. They are teaching me the importance of community. They are teaching me how to love others better. Through them, Jesus is revealing to me more about Himself and His character.
What an honor and a gift it is to live amongst them in their beautiful village. I hope and pray that we are making as big of an impact on them as they are on us!
Our work here is very unique because of the culture we are in and importance of building trust within these relationships being formed. We have to be careful of certain things we say and words we use when talking about our time here to protect the safety of our teams and our host. If you want to dig deeper and ask me specific questions, please send me a private message via social media!
Thank you all so so much for all of your support & encouragement & prayers! Please keep the prayers coming! God is moving in BIG ways throughout this village & He is worthy of all the praise & all the glory!
