Week 4

Week 4 has been my favorite week so far. This week I learned so many things. I was reminded that the Lord truly does provide in ways far greater than I could ever ask, think, or imagine. I also learned the power in generosity, loving others, and acting like Jesus.
In my past blogs I had mentioned how my team had kind of felt discouraged by our ministry here in Batam. It felt exhausting walking around malls, sitting in coffee shops, and catching grab drivers in hopes of evangelizing with them just to be shut down multiple times. My squad and I did let this discourage us for a few days, but the Lord did not leave us alone in that feeling of discouragement. The Lord showed up in a way we could have never seen coming, and when we saw the way the Lord revealed Himself we realized He was there all along. One way the Lord showed up for our team was by connecting us to the school that I briefly mentioned in my last blog. Pastor Pak Minto and His wife Hana opened a school / ministry where they teach kids and provide a safe place for them. Not only is this family caring for the children, they have also shown us the most hospitality I have ever experienced. Pastor Pak Minto has driven an hour to pick us up and an hour back to drop us off every day we have done ministry with them. Hana, His wife, has shown up with the kindest spirit and the biggest servants heart. Esfa, their daughter, has been our translator! She is learning English and helping others learn at the same time. She has led us with Her intelligence and given us so much grace. Werde, Hana’s sister, our auntie :), has cooked us HUGE meals every time! I have never felt so welcomed and loved by a group of strangers. These strangers now feel like family, and I am so sad to leave these sweet people in a few days.
I have been in awe of their love for God and the way they desire to serve Him. It is no coincidence that the Lord crossed this family and my teams path on this trip. This is the very first time the World Race has gotten involved with this family/school/ministry, and I am so blessed that the start of this journey has begun while I am here. Each individual in this family leads with grace and humility putting everyone else before themselves. They have 100% faith in every prayer, and they are publicly sold out for Jesus. Their lives are a true testament of your love and grace.

Tonight we had one of our last dinners with the Pastor and His family and it was a gift. The entire evening was full of joyful conversation and laughter. Before we said our goodbyes we all got an opportunity to pick something special from their closet. They laid out so many of their clothes because they wanted us to have something traditional to wear and keep to remember them. They also gave us a flag that has a map of Indonesia on it and the words “Pray for Indonesia” in Bahasa. After dinner we all prayed, hugged, and rejoiced in the goodness of God for bringing us together. As much as I adore this family, I am even more amazed at the God we serve. This entire encounter, the relationships formed, the stories shared, every second was such a joy. Thank you Jesus for this family!
I have so many stories I could share, but in just the few I did share the ways the Lord provides and the power in generosity were revealed.

Isaiah 55:8-9, these two verses specifically have been something I have been trying to lean on. It is so easy to read these verses and gather the fact that “the Lord is greater than I could imagine”, but it is so much more than that. The wisdom the Lord has is in no comparison to man, it is not the wisdom of man taken times a billion, it is an entirely different sort of knowledge that man will never reach. The fact that the way the Lord is working isn’t even fathomable by man is equally terrifying and comforting. I have been really trying to soak in the power of the Lord and the amount of security that is offered through Him. Just like His wisdom, His ways, His grace, His love, His character, it is all far beyond what we can imagine. It is such a gift to lean into that and trust it. At the beginning of ministry when that truth felt hard and the lies were adding up I will admit I doubted those verses. However, the Lord showed up in a way I least expected with a servant hearted, hospitable, generous, loving family, and proved that scripture to be more true than I could have thought. I am continuously overwhelmed by the Lords ability to work so intentionally and powerfully.

I have shared so much about this family, but I also want to share a few things that we have done this week. We spent some time evangelizing with some sweet, English speaking, friends at a coffee shop. We walked through the village Pak Minto lives in and prayed for a woman who was blind, a little girl who is disabled, and an elderly woman who was sick. This gave me such a real perspective on what Jesus spent His life doing. We attended a couple birthday parties where we were the “cool Americans”, and we got to sing a few Sunday school songs and just dance with the kids. We attended a neighborhood life group where we worshipped, had fellowship, and ate some food. It is so fun to humble ourselves and come together as one as Christ intended. I love how free this space is, despite all differences, we have the same mission and passion in life.
The last thing we did was our “Ask The Lord” day. A few of my friends and I went to the beach, met some locals, and also got slightly lost on the island. Long story short, the grab drivers don’t come to the part of the island we were on so we had to find a ride… We ended up getting in a random van, but this guy was so awesome! I love how the Lord provides random people! I am thankful we were safe, but I am equally as thankful for this adventure with fun people haha.
Thank you for reading this blog, it is my last one about Indonesia! Please pray for my team and I as we leave on Wednesday morning, the 2nd of July, to head to Thailand. We will be spending the next month in Chiang Mai! We are getting all new teams and a whole new set of ministry and hosts, so please keep us in your prayers as we travel and adjust.

Songs I’ve been loving recently:

“How Could They Know?” By MBL Worship

”Heart of Worship” By Phil Wickham

“Forever YHWH/Worthy of it All” By Bethel Music

Prayer requests:

– Pastor Pak Minto and His family (Hana, Esfa, Werde, Joy, and Osi). Please pray for their ministry, their safety, their children, and the country of Indonesia!

– My squad and I as we travel to Thailand, the flights, the train ride, our rest and adaptation to our next country, that our new teams get along, that our hosts are encouraged and loving.

– For safety!

– For strength mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically for all that is to come in our last month.

– For Batam, Indonesia & Chiang Mai, Thailand