On December 26,2006, I took my first international mission trip, which was first planned for northern India, but changed to Northern Sumatra, Banda Aceh. Banda Aceh, is most known for the majority world as being one of the cities that the 2004 Tsunami crashed into causing great devastation and many deaths. When I went originally on the trip to Indonesia following my college Mentor in my faith wanting me and a few of my friends to go on a trip to experience God in another country. I wasn’t really all that excited for Indonesia, I wanted to really go to India… but the other people in my group were going to Indonesia, so I went too! While I was in Indonesia the first time, I was introduced to a new culture and a new concept for orphans. With the Tsunami, many people were left without homes and without much of their family, in Indonesia and many Asian cultures the status orphan looks different than it does in America. As my group then of ten people walked into an orphanage filled will children we were perplexed by the lack of dormitory facilities and the large number of children in attendance, which gave more of and after school program than an orphanage. That would be because the children we were spending time with may still have one parent, or an close relative caring for them following the Tsunami or other life events. The children would come to the orphanage and be cared for, play games, or have a little schooling. Following the day at the orphanage, the children would go back to their perspective homes and return the next day, while their family members were out working or at markets. After attending one of these orphanages nearing the end of our time in Banda Aceh, I felt the Lord calling me back to help with kids from the Tsunami. So, I went home with my friends, finished Graduate school, packed my bags and went to Banda Aceh, Indonesia for 4 months.
(photo cred: Amber Hoffmann!)
In August of 2008 I returned to Banda Aceh, just in time for Ramadan, which put me in an odd spot to go help with kids. Well it ended up that many of the kids were on holiday because of the fasting, so my first month was spent hanging out with the guy in the above photo, Saut. Saut, taught me Bahasa Indonesia in the evenings and during the day he would work outside with a few other men that were living with us in a community center. The guys were working on self sustainability projects to better the communities outside of Banda Aceh and I would hang out with Enue the Mom of the house while I was there, she was from Mexico, so there was a pretty interesting language barrier! Following staying at the community center, I moved in with the girl to my left in the picture above, her name is Rose! When I first met Rose, I didn’t really know her before I moved into her apartment, she didn’t really know English and I didn’t really know Bahasa so we didn’t interact too much! Through the 2 months I lived with her we developed a BEAUTIFUL friendship. During the 4 Months I spent in Indonesia, were some of the hardest moments, they were confusing, frustrating, and full of broken expectations that I placed on my trip. Often I chose to hide behind the comforts of home with emailing, facebooking, and calling home. I didn’t like being in the hard stuff and I would rationalize the bad to make leaving early more and more appealing. When I left Indonesia the first time, I left feeling defeated, confused and conflicted with what the Holy Spirit was showing me. I didn’t even understand why I went by the end.
(Photo cred: Amber Hoffmann)
( This picture is of Ibu Tarigan ( Pak Robert Tarigan’s wife), at an Orphanage in Medan, established by Jim and Mena Davis,who help support kids that come from disadvantage backgrounds.)
Now it is 2015, and I am a World Racer, I am on P-Squad 3rd Gen, I am currently in Chiang Mai, Thailand for my 7 month out 11 Months. My team, Team Victory #themightymightyvictors and I recently returned from a 10 day trip to Medan, Indonesia. Our ministry last month was called, Unsung Heroes, where we would go throughout an area and ask the Lord what we should do. The Lord provided us with an Incredible friend’s father, Reverend Robert Tarigan, who came to our help and introduced us to many contact and ministries in Medan. This 10 day trip to Indonesia, was something I felt lead to pray for at the start of the World Race. I don’t know if I realize quite what I was asking for originally, but I just kept asking until it became a reality. This trip quickly became more than a normal UH month for me and changed into a time for healing and restoration. I was really nervous to see my friends from 7 years before, I had walked away with a lot of shame and confusion and that festered false perceptions of the reality in Indonesia. The day after we arrived in Medan we went to visit a newly planted church called IC Medan, which is run my Chris and Karrie Duncan. I had met the Duncan’s through an Indonesian friend earlier in the year while seeking out some information, and was eager to meet them. In preparing to attend church at IC Medan, Pak Tarigan, mentioned that my friends Saut and Rose, also attended church their as well as some of our other friends from the areas we had been in. When I arrived to IC Medan, it was like a homecoming, I got to hug people and take so many photos with people I never fully thought I would ever see again. The people I hugged on June 21, 2015 were people I had prayed for, that I considered to be brothers and sister and here they were again and I could hold them! It was one of the most precious moment of the race. My friend Rose kept saying, ” It’s a Miracle, Christina Coleman is here!” Indeed it is! I had prayed for many years to return, but the Lord had to do some mighty work in healing me during the 7 years since I had been their last. Then the following day was June 22, also known as my Birthday, and I got to spend it with all of these people that I had just reconnected with! We went out to see Jim and Mena Davis at their Orphanage, got sung happy birthday, by my Indonesian family and my world race family! Then the girls and I got to play a few games with some of the kids, eventually had to come to the point of goodbyes, which were hard with the restored clarity of the relationships I had left previously in Indonesia!
Following the grand homecomings, Pak Tarigan took us on a fast and furious trip around meeting many of his fellow friends in the ministry that could use a team of World Racers. In the process of it all, their were moments that popped up when our group was asked to share a testimony and preach. In the picture above, is a few of my team mates pictured with some of the leaders of an Assembly of God prayer meeting, where I had given them a testimony of my race experience. There was somethings so beautiful about sharing about my time in ministry and encouraging these brothers and sisters in Christ to go and serve as well.
This little nugget, is Olive, I met her mother during my second trip to Indonesia, her mom is close to knowing the Lord! It was such a sweet reunion with her momma and be able pray with her, for her marriage, her faith, and her children. Her mom has changed so much in the 7 years since I last saw her and she enjoys going to church and praying! That is something I pray for this nugget, that she would learn to pray earnestly and worship with her whole heart! I love it when children pray and sing worship songs! During our 10 days in Indonesia, our team was placed in some fabulous moments to meet many believers Indonesian, Iranian ( hint hint… that my next blog!) and children that captured our hearts. My team definitely grasped what makes Indonesia such an incredible country and what all the Lord is doing there!
This trip, was beyond what I could have expected and was in its own right, difficult, but was beautiful that will have a lasting impression on me, my team, and prayerfully the people we met!
My words… will come true at their proper time. (Luke 1:20)
Wat the Lord has said… will be accomplished! (Luke 1:45)
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7)
” The revelation awaits an appointed time… Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. ( Habakkuk 2:3)
I write this also to encourage you to keep praying, don’t give up when it doesn’t seem to be answered the way you are expecting, keep asking and praying!!
I love y’all!!
Please Keep praying for us in Team Victory, Brandon, Amber, Kate, Chance, Kelley, Cole and Me (Christina) as we enter into Month 7 of this 11 in 11 journey to serve the Lord.
