Last week my team and I had the opportunity to take a ferry to two different Indonesian islands named Saparua and Serum. We spent 3 days on each island doing ministry and developing relationships with the local churches. Our purpose was to be able to visit GPM churches, a local church we are partnering with, and provide opportunities to teach English to locals. We had a very eventful 6 days on our island journey.
Saparua Island recap:
Traveled in a van to 11 different churches in one day and prayed for each pastor of the church
7 meals were served to us in one day and I set a record for amount of food consumed in one day
3 tea times with sweet bread and other delightful appetizers
Crashed a wedding at a church wearing my North Face capris and feeling remarkably out of place
Interrupted a choir practicing to perform at a funeral and thought my day could not get any more interesting
Smiled for an endless number of selfies because on these islands it’s not everyday you have the opportunity to get a selfie with a Westerner
Serum Island recap:
Traveled in a van to 3 different churches in one day
2 tea times in one day
Went to a delicious restaurant in town
Ate a normal 3 meals a day and my stomach was pleased to return to a normal eating schedule
Went to a coffee shop at 9:30 pm because the excitement of the day was not over yet
Sang a worship song during a Sunday morning church service and we sounded pretty good for not having much experience leading worship
Returned from Serum and our ministry hosts got us Pizza Hut and made homemade chocolate cake for us. I could hear the hallelujah chorus as I ate that chocolate cake.
The hospitality we experienced on both islands was absolutely incredible. We came as foreigners and were welcomed as royalty. The pastors who came to accompany us on our island trip did everything they could to make sure we were very comfortable. In Indonesia ministry has involved being present with people and hearing their stories. Being present with people is something Jesus did when He came to earth. He did not come to complete a check list of ministry tasks. He came to love and sometimes this looked like doing a task for someone and sometimes it looked like sitting with someone and learning their story. I’m thankful for the way my view of ministry has expanded this month. Ministry is more than “doing things for God.” It’s about celebrating people and the incredible work God has done in their life. I am sad to be leaving Indonesia in two days. I have met many kind people here and I’ve been blessed to be on the receiving end of such remarkable hospitality. I wish I could hit the pause button and enjoy my time here, but I know that God has exciting opportunities for us in Vietnam.
Prayer Request: We are traveling from Indonesia to Vietnam in a few days. When we get to Vietnam we have a 5 day debrief with the whole squad (large team of 23 people). I could use prayer for safe travel to Vietnam, healthy processing of my experiences in Indonesia, and opportunities to rest well as we prepare for another transition.
