Two years ago, one of the volcanoes in Kabanjahe erupted. The flowing lava and flying ash destroyed the villages of 2000 families living at the base of the mountain. After two years, the volcano continues to have minor eruptions (one happened last night), and the Indonesian government will not allow the families to return to their villages. A few people managed to get past the government guards and return to their village, only to be killed when the volcano erupted again. After two years, the government is still trying to find housing for all of the families. They are trying to relocate entire villages, so as to not separate cultures and friends, creating even hard conditions.
Wednesday morning we went to a chunk of land that Terang Semesta (the organization with which we are working) is renting, and allows four refugee families to farm. We met three people from the Batak Karo tribe.
(Side note: in Indonesia, parents are called by the name of their first child, so Mama Faro is the mother of Faro. “Mama” and “Papa” are terms of respect, so we called our hosts Papa and Mama, and the family we stayed with in Kabanjahe was Papa Joyce, Mama Joyce, and of course their daughter, Joyce.)
When we got to the farm, Mama Faro was the first person to tell us her story. Her husband had already passed away, and all three of her children are in high school now. She was moved to tears that we came to see them and hear their stories. She said that it gave her hope and lifted the spirits of the people to have us there.
Papa Satria told us that he has been asked to be a prayer warrior for his church and wanted prayers to be able to pray as needed. He explained that the area was facing evil spirits causing a great deal of spiritual warfare. There was a large tree near the houses that was seen as an idol, and people came to pray to it. We went to it, but to pray against it in Jesus’ name. He also asked that we pray for the churches to be healed and the refugees would be of one mind to request financial assistance from the government. He explained that if only one or two families asked for help, nothing would happen, but if all twenty families United, they could get the farm government funded as a refugee relocation area. As a prayer warrior, he was also facing the power of a woman known as Mama Got, who has been visiting witch doctors for supernatural power and it is effecting his church.
Sumbeerding was the third person to share. She has so many kids and grandkids she is simply called “Grandmother Sumbeerding” by everyone. Her husband cannot walk well anymore, so she is the only one who can help with farming. Her husband did not like going to church before the eruption, but now he goes with her and wants to know more about God.
These three wonderful people would like prayer for the mountain to stop erupting because the ash is causing the crops to be unsuitable for eating and selling. They also would like prayer that God would supply metal sheets for the roofs of their field shelters, and long tubs to collect rain as it flows off of the roofs. This will help them water their plants when rain is scarce.
In the afternoon of Wednesday we went to the refugee relocation camp of 120 families. These families live in the Universitas Karo campus, a former school for the Batak Karo tribe. The land has been bought and repurposed to house the Karo refugees.
On Thursday, we visited a second farm that Terang Semesta has rented. At this farm, we met Roni and Papa Roni, his father.
Papa Roni has three boys, ages 22, 19, and 17. Roni is his oldest. One of the other boys is living in Medan, studying how to raise animals, and is already running a chicken farm. Papa Roni’s family is very involved in evangelism to the Islamic population in the area, and around where they are staying as refugees at the Universitas Karo.
Roni has been married for two years and has a one-year-old daughter. His wife’s parents do not like that they are married, and have taken their daughter and granddaughter back to their village. Roni asked for prayers for health for his wife and daughter, and that her family will allow her to come back to him.
Both men asked for us to pray that their land would be blessed to grow well, for health for both families, and that the volcano will stop erupting so they can return to their village.
The refugees also have fear though. Many of their young people and kids have already started on paths that shouldn’t be traveled. Drugs, gambling, and HIV are taking hold in the communities. Parents and grandparents have asked for prayer for the younger generations to want to better their situation, instead of settling into lowered expectations.
All of these people had an amazing joy and vibrant spirit. We saw their genuine smiles, tears of love and happiness, laughter at our goofiness, got to hug them with God’s love, and see the incredible pride they have in what they do and who they are. I will never mistake the fact that having little in the material world increases joy, thankfulness, and love, to abundant measures.
#GodIsInControl #redefiningdisciple
#IAMTHIRD
