Report from Martin Johnson - Central Java

Martin held a seminar in central Java this past weekend. He reports that 20 people attended. He also reports on and shows photos of some of the places he's visited. You can see and read it all by clicking on his link below, under "Related Web Sites". 

Report from Colin and Ellen McKee

The report is packed with good, useful information. I asked for permission to post it to this blog and decided to make it available on it's own page. If you are interested in what is going on in Indonesia, this will be good reading and I encourage you to click on the following link which will allow you to read the report in its entirety. 

http://mckeesindonesiannewsletter.blogspot.com/

These two men are supported on Nias with funds provided by you, our supporters. Yessi Laiya is a dorm supervisor for the male high school students and helps serve the church in Gunung Sitoli. Batarombowo is a village evangelist. Both are doing excellent work.

Check out the photos

http://picasaweb.google.com/johndudleytu/MenSupportedThroughTheWorkFundOnNias#

Toloasa's weekly report

Photos of Tuloasa:

http://picasaweb.google.com/johndudleytu/TimSTripToMedanJakarta?authkey=Gv1sRgCOyR5czRoKLhCw#5323582403847490450

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/view?q=tuloasa&uname=johndudleytu&psc=G&filter=1#5326738981208945298

Brother Steve and Brother Daniel, in Christ.

The following is a report of my work for the week just past:

 

1. I continued evangelism lesson with the family of Dermawan Laia and his wife, Yunila Lase. Our lesson or discussion was entitled: “The Importance Of Knowing the Lord” (John 17:3; Hos 4:6; 2 Pet 3:17)

 

2. With my wife and brother Yuni’aro Lase, I visited with and was introduced to Ina Riyanto Hulu. This lady is a widow with 2 older children. Her husband passed away about 6 months ago from lung disease. She is active in a denominational church and works as a business woman in the market. Yuni’aro Lase introduced me to her and, praise the Lord, she is ready to receive and welcome Bible study once a week. We will meet every Friday evening at 7:30 PM Yesterday she attended our worship services at the Suka Baru congregation.

 

3. I delivered a World Bible Study lesson to bro Hendri Siahaan. I only met his wife because he was at work. I will try again to meet with him directly to discuss the word of God.

 

4. I taught the midweek class of Suka Baru. 23 people attended and this week it was held at the home of Wa’onacokhi Halawa. Our text was Eph 5:15-17 on the subject, “Understanding the Will of God.”

 

5. I preached at the worship services of Suka Baru with 47 in attendance who received the Lord’s Supper and there were 4 guests.

 

My plan for next week:

 

1. Serve the congregations of Suka Baru and Mariendal

2. Continue the Bible studies with bro Dermawan Laia and Ina Riyanto Hulu

3. Continue to make an effort to find souls to be brought to Christ through His Gospel.

 

That’s my report. Thank you and God bless you.

In Christ,

Tulo’asa Ndruru

Fitstown Oklahoma Trip

Jeanie and I have just returned from Fitstown, Oklahoma and a wonderful, fun filled weekend with friends we've known a long time. 

For Photos:

http://picasaweb.google.com/johndudleytu/FitstownTrip2009HermanCharlotte#5329372838353158882

http://picasaweb.google.com/johndudleytu/FitstownTrip2009HermanCharlotte#5329372852544499826

I first met Herman and Charlotte in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia while on a Campaign for Christ with Ivan Stewart in 1965. Later when we moved to Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Herman came to the area briefly prospecting for oil. Our paths crossed again beginning in 1971 after Jeanie and I moved to Jakarta. This time we were able to enjoy each other's company for several years as both families worked in the city of Jakarta. Herman and Charlotte attended the English worship service and also attended the Indonesian language worship service every Sunday. Often after church on Sunday evenings we would retire to the living quarters of the property and play 42 (that's a game played with dominoes and requires little thinking and allows you to talk). We relived those days this weekend while enjoying the hospitality of our ever gracious hosts. Wonderful food and fellowship. 

For photos:

http://picasaweb.google.com/johndudleytu/FitstownTrip2009#

It was a real joy to also be able to meet with the Fitstown brethren in their beautiful building. I was surprised to find such a large congregation in such a small place. It was good to see a young teenager leading singing and another young man teaching the Bible class. We thank the Fitstown church for the oppertunity of talking about the Indonesian work. They have been contributing to our work and I think will continue to do so. Thank you very much for your support. 

For photos:

http://picasaweb.google.com/johndudleytu/DennisCadyAndSusan#

An additional blessing was the attendance of Dennis and Susan. I had let them know Jeanie and I would be in the area and invited them to join us and they did. I admire so much the work that Dennis is doing on the Island of Nias and am very thankful that the Lord has allowed me to be a small part of that work. 

There were four families that met for lunch and talked about Nias, Jakarta, Medan, Haiti, the Ukraine and possibly a few other mission efforts around the globe; but, too soon it was over. Other work remained to be done and it was necessary for each of us to go our separate ways. Someday we will be able to sit down and discuss the things we love without any time restraints. It was a very good weekend; but, we came through some terrific storms on the way home - flooded fields and even a couple of rivers over flowing their banks - an awesome display of God's power. 

Proverty in Jakarta

It's not a subject we like to talk about or to take pictures of, but poverty cannot be overlooked in Jakarta. Even in the finest neighborhoods poverty cannot be hidden. For instance, one of the photos on the web page sited below contrasts the wealth of a twin towers complex with the squalor that surrounds it. 

http://indonesiaurbanstudies.blogspot.com/2007/04/urban-poverty-and-inequality-in-jakarta.html

When I travel from the classroom to my apartment, I'm assaulted with children of all ages who are begging. Mothers with infants beg on the bridges and intersections of the city. Sometimes I long to be one of those rich folks who could sit in the back seat of my limo, reading the evening paper on the way home from work, so I wouldn't have to see the poverty around me. Many of the wealthy build tall solid fences around their houses. They have a beautiful view of their gardens within the fence and don't have to see the poverty that lies just beyond.  But, alas, I have to deal with the beggars. I cannot ignore them. I'm sure some of them are just con artists; but, I'm equally sure that many are in genuine need. How to tell the difference? How to know whom to help and whom not to? 

The situation isn't going to get much better according to those who study these things. Check out the web site below to see a report of future predictions for urban squatters:

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dpu-projects/Global_Report/cities/jakarta.htm

The page below also says "For many Indonesians, the future remains pretty bleak."

http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=7925064

We have a few photos of our own which you can find on my Picasa Web Album below:

http://picasaweb.google.com/johndudleytu/JakartaPoverty#

When we help people who are really in need, we are serving Jesus himself. 

Street Children

I'm sure I'm not overstating the case to say that there are 1000's of children on the streets of Jakarta who are sent out everyday to beg. These are children who need to be in school....! Perhaps their parents cannot provide for the family and need the help of the children, or perhaps the children have been abandoned by family. It's hard to know the facts of the individual cases; but, it is not unusual to have children tap on the car door window and ask for money while you are stopped at a traffic light. Sometimes they sing, sometimes they play a crude instrument, and sometimes they just show a pitiful face. Begging is illegal in Jakarta; but, it happens. These children are probably too old now to be trained to live a different life style. What I'd like to do, one of these days, is to open a home where smaller unwanted or neglected children could be given a home, education, salvation and a real hope for a future. Jesus will ask us at that last day, "Have you fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited the fatherless?" I'd like to be able to answer, "Yes"; because, whatever we do for these children, we do for Jesus himself. If we were to do something like this would you be willing to help?

For photos go to http://picasaweb.google.com/johndudleytu/Dan042109#

We will be posting more in future days.

Report from Tuloasa in Medan

All praise to the Father and Jesus Christ, our God who has worked to strengthen the preaching of His word to the family of Immanuel Laiya and his wife, sister Rimma Hotnauli so that they have surrendered themselves to the Lord through baptism to receive salvation and the inheritance as children in the kingdom of God. Their baptism was performed by me last Saturday (18/04/09) evening in the river Sunggal Medan. Let's pray for them so that they will remain faithful and become children who glorify the name of our Lord in His kingdom. 

Photos can be viewed at http://picasaweb.google.com/johndudleytu/Tuloasa090420#

Dennis' comments about the new children's home on Nias.

On a past trip to Nias, in a meeting with preachers and church leaders, we were talking about the good that had been done and the doors that had been opened by the benevolent work after the tsunami and earthquake. We were talking about what else we might do that was meaningful. One brother said “If you really want to do something that is needed, establish a children's home”. I was scared of the thought. What a responsibility, not just now but for years into the future. 

Since then, I have visited nine children's homes on Nias, visited with the head of the Welfare Department and done considerable research on children's homes in third world countries. I even drew a sketch of what a campus might look like. When I went in January I knew we were going to be giving this a lot of thought and that we would be visited by Dr. John Bailey who works with two humanitarian foundations. He has experience in many parts of the world and has been a part of establishing orphanages in at least the Philippines and China. 

I'd like to share with you one of the many reasons I know God is alive and well and working, as it relates to this specific situation. We asked God over and over for direction in serious matters and sometimes He works in providential ways. The answer isn't always on page 1154 in the Bible. 

While waiting for my luggage at the airport in Nias in January, a friend who works at the airport—not knowing we were giving any thought to starting a children's home—said, “if you are interested, I know where there is a piece of land with a very nice house for sale and it is priced right.” It turned out that it was on the road from the airport to the city. One look and I knew we might have the answer we'd been looking for during the previous months. We negotiated by phone with the owners who lived 1000 miles away in Jakarta and had an oral agreement to purchase the property. I was to leave on a Monday and they were to fly to Nias the following weekend to finalize the deal with Indonesian brethren. I was to be picked up by the airline shuttle at seven o'clock Monday morning. I had gone to the airport this way many times, never with a complication. By seven forty five, when the shuttle hadn't come I called a friend at the airline office. They had forgotten me. He had written my name in the log. The van driver didn't copy it onto his list. I hired a motorcycle with a side car and headed for the airport, 18 kilometers from the city. As we pulled into the airport my plane was pulling away from the terminal building. Not to worry. There was another plane in two hours and I could leave on it. 

I had two unscheduled hours at the airport. The friend who had put us in touch with the property we had negotiated to buy came to me and said he had learned the children of the owners were objecting to the sale and it probably wasn't going to happen. He had mentioned this to a friend at his church the day before and that friend said he was thinking about selling his large house and spacious yard. It was about the same price, also had six bedrooms and room to grow and it was three kilometers from the airport. He asked if I wanted to see it. I rode on the back of his motorcycle and we took a look. Except for being farther from the city this was a better place than the first. 

The conclusion of the matter is that in the weeks that followed, Ceri, who coordinates much of what we do in Nias, negotiated with the owners, the Caris Foundation and Body and Soul Ministries (BandS), on the recommendation of Dr. Bailey, provided the money for the purchase, renovation and opening of the children's home. We are so grateful for those involved with Caris and BandS. Foundations aren't just letterheads and offices. These are people. Thank you to Dr. Bailey and all with these organizations who have been involved in Nias since the tsunami. We know this is just a part of what you do in third world countries. 

Phase one of the children's home will include sixteen children ages 6-12. We hope to have children in place in May. They will need sponsors. You will be hearing more about this. For now I just want you to know we believe God answered our prayers. He pointed us to facilities at just the right time. Had it not been for the man at the airport mentioning the first place as I waited for luggage, the falling through of that transaction, being forgotten by the airline van, having time at the airport to go on a motorcycle when it wasn't raining and on, and on, and on, and on; Jochebed's Choice Children's Home probably would not be. There is so much more to tell but we'll save that for another day. 

Daniel Visits a Children's Home in Bogor

Friday the 10th of April my family and I went to Bogor to collect information about the orphanage. This orphanage was managed by my grandmother who served there 36 years until she died at her age of 81. The building has been renovated  and has 2 floors with around 50 rooms – enough space for about 150 children. At present they only have around 48 children because of lack of contributions. The manager said that they depend totally on their visitors for contributions. Their foundation only provides the building.

At present, most of the children are from Nias, having lost their parents in the earthquake of 2005, and east Timor because of war. The manager took them from those areas since he had formerly been a social worker in those areas.

I took my friend, who also had been an orphan  since he was 1 ½  years old. He's like a brother to me and was a great help to my grandmother when she managed the orphanage. The orphanage has 1 big room for gathering and studying, it has a library and a big dining room,, 2 kitchens, 10 rest rooms, 50 bedrooms – each with 3 beds, 1 big guest room, and 2 rooms for the managers living quarters. At present it is managed by one man who is helped by his friends who help with the cooking and who help in teaching the children. The children attend public schools and usually graduate from high school. They range in age are from 2 to 19 except for one person that has been at the home since 1952.  He's now 66 and still remembers me. The home still follows the regimen set by my grandmother: 

4:30 get up and shower

5:00 prayer

5:30 breakfast

6:00 ready for school

11:00 home from school (elementary school children)

1:30 home from school (high school)

1:30.lunch

2:00 rest

3:00 playing and cleaning

4:00 studying

6:00 dinner

7:00 prayer and free time

9:00 bed time

The foundation has operated this orphanage since 1952 when my grandmother became the Superintendent. Children graduating from high school are encouraged to attend one of the universities in the city. Surprisingly, there are not many rules or regulations currently governing homes of this kind in Indonesia. Foundations operating homes of this kind should have a permanent place in which to house the children and guarantees of adequate funding.

Children's Home Bogor

Children's Home Bogor

Children's Home Bogor

 Boy's dorm room. Daniel's grandmother started this home and Daniel visited here often as a boy. 


dinning hall

A NOTE FROM DENNIS ABOUT THE WORK ON NIAS

National elections are in a  few days.  Ceri says this is not a good time for someone to move, so he has arranged for the supervisor of the children's home and his family to move to the home about the 15th of April. The man in this family has been to one of the ten day seminars in the past  and is the leader in their village church.  The only negative in this selection was that it will hurt that village church when they move.  We have had him come to the 2nd ten day seminar which was in session while Colin was there.  We will be starting a congregation where the children's home is and he will need to be the lead man on that.  His name is Bazhrudin Zalukhu.  He is 27 and a relative of Ceri but not close.  I don't know his wife's name.  They have two kids of their own, 3 1/2 and 1 year old.  It is our plan to start with 16 children ages 6-12.  This will not be an orphanage but a children's home at the advice of other children's homes on Nias and the head of Department Sosial.  We are looking for children who are the poorest of the poor.  We cannot replace their biological family, a mother's love, etc. but we except to train and educate them and give them opportunities that surpass even the kids who are now better off who they leave behind in the villages.  We feel the children's home will accomplish three things:  (1) meaningful benevolence for extremely poor children, (2) let those outside the church who look on know we are people who care for people and (3) result in the establishment of another congregation.  The 16 children and the supervisor's family will fill the present building.  The way it is built a partial second floor can be added and at least one more cottage.  In May we will consider erecting a free standing building on the front corner of the property.  We will probably call it an auditorium or something like that, where the kids can have a daily devotional, do their homework, probably a ping pong table, etc, but which can be used as a meeting place for the church. It won't be large or elaborate

Combined Worship Service in the Ruko

Daniel was going to post a report of the combined worship service following the seminar, but had a death in the family. I'm posting his latest e-mail to me instead so you will have some idea of what a great weekend it was. Daniel, however, was saddened to learn Monday morning that his cousin (the son of an uncle who died last week) was found dead in a pool of water. They don't yet know the cause. The police are investigating. Either Daniel or I will post more news about it when we know more. Please use the "comment" line below to post a message to us. Thanks. We like reading mail.

Bro Steve:

One student, several from Alip's congregation, and several from the Pinangsia congregation, came to worship. We had a full house. Some of our members had to sit on the stairs. Colin preached. but (I'm sorry) no one took photos either before, during or after worship. I myself led singing, Marty and Santo (one of our members) served the Lord's Supper, Alip led the first prayer, Jerom (Alip's son) read the scripture, and Manto (Alip's brother) led the closing prayer. I thought they were happy. Manto and Hutasoit (Alip's congregation) said that we should gather at least once every 3 months. I told them that our Ruko is open every Sunday. We had snacks after worship and enjoyed each other's company for another hour. 

Alip said in the announcements that his congregation helps the congregation in Jogyakarta and that Colin also helps them. They will have a WBS seminar and Marty and Alepson (preacher in Semarang, Central Java) will be the speakers in a one-day seminar.

Colin  seemed better after taking his antibiotic. He said perhaps he had bronchitis like he got in the USA. 

Daniel

Seminar in Bekasi

This Friday and Saturday we conducted a weekend seminar at the Ruko in Bekasi. World Bible School students and World English Institute students were invited to participate. Colin McKee, Martin Johnson and Daniel Setialbudi were the teachers. There were two lectures in the morning separated by a short coffee break and followed by lunch provided, then a 2 or 3 hour session of questions and answers. The seminar was over when the last student had all of his questions answered. All of these students came originally from the radio program.

wbs,wei seminar

seminar2 -bag a

WBS and WEI Seminar Attendees all from the radio program