We ended our time in Bali just a few days ago. Me and my team packed up our things and headed to the second biggest city in Indonesia, Bandung. It took us about 12 hours in a bus, 1 hour on an ferry, 4 hour sleeping in a train station, and then a 16 hour train ride. Needless to say, it was a lot of traveling and it was very exhausting trip.
During our time in Bali we had a debrief of our first month on the field (Australia) and some additional training. Debrief is a time where our mentors and squad advisers fly out onto the field and meet with us and check in with us. Talk to us about adjusting to the culture, how we are doing physically/mentally/and spiritually. We had corporate worship as a squad and some teaching from the bible about identity.
The training we received was about all sorts of things, ranging from spiritual warfare to prayer. We learned more of how to efficiently evangelize in a different culture. How different culture relate to different parts of the gospel more than our culture. For example, many western cultures relate with the gospel in a guilt an innocence way. We have all sinned and the price for sin is death. The west loves the example of a court room. We are guilty and justice must be served. Now typically more eastern cultures relate to the gospel more in a shame an honor way. Our sin has brought shame upon us and now honor must be restored. A good example of this is the family system. If someone brings shame to the family then honor must be restored in some way.
Our time in Bali was good also hard. God was showing me things that needed to be stripped away. He reminded me that worship is not so we can see or feel or experience God, Worship is something we give to God because he has given it all. Many tears were shed here. But growth was seen all around.
The travel to Bandung was tough. Not much sleep to be had on the buses and trains in Indonesia. It’s full of people and opportunities. Talking to others on the bus was really difficult because of how loud it was and how it was laid out. Once we got on the train though talking to locals became much easier. People would just sit in front of us. Impartial there was one family who sat right in front of me. A mother, father, and the 1 year old son. The conversation was mostly related around their family and mine. At one point during the trip the son was asleep in the father arms and that moment spoke to me. It was so beautiful. The child resting in the father arms. Oh how God wants us to rest in his arms daily. Not just when are struggling or when we are exhausted but daily. Tears came to my eyes seeing the way the mother and father were gazing at their son. I grabbed my phone and typed in Google translate “You have such a beautiful family” and showed it to the mother. I could tell by her reaction to me telling her that, that she was shocked and touched. Was this the first time she had heard this about her family? Did her parents not think she was beautiful? What was her story? Tears came to her eyes. I could see how my words touched her. Not much after I told her that her and her husband got off the train. Its these small moments that I will never forget.
We are in the middle of ministry in Bandung and I already have much to say about it, but I’ll leave this for another blog in the future. Be praying for our squad. Many of the countries we are heading to are bringing to feel the affects of the Coronavirus. If that is them tightening their boarders or the first few confirmed cases. Pray for safety and a supernatural health as we beging to prepare for our next few countrys in South East Asia.
I’m am a little under $1000 away from being fully funded! What a praise! Please be praying for my team as we have a few people still funding and we have another deadline coming up after this month! Thank you all for your prayer and your thoughts! I love you all!
Joe
