Seminars in Jakarta

Wednesday, June 17, 2009, Stuart Jones, an elder from the Sunset Church of Christ in Lubbock,TX, and also an instructor in the Sunset International Bible Institute, his wife, Cecilia, and Mark Collins, a preacher and teacher from Utah, arrived in Jakarta to visit and help us in our English/Bible classes. From Jakarta they will go to Singapore to teach in Sunset’s International Bible Institute branch there. They will be in Jakarta until June 30^th.

Thursday, Stuart and his wife Cecilia came to our ruko (shophouse) and met my 3 students while Martin and Mark Collins went to Santo’s house to have class. Friday and Saturday we had seminars at the ruko and all our students were invited to attend. Our main topics were about worship and about true worshipers.

Stuart Jones was the first speaker, and Mark the second speaker on Friday. Martin Johnson translated for both of them. Mark was the first speaker and Stuart the second on Saturday and Alip was the translator.

We had 17 students registered each day. Some of our members also attended. Total attendance was 29 on Friday and 30 on Saturday. The seminar started at 3 pm and finished at 7 pm. The students were given an opportunity to ask questions after the lectures. Their questions were answer by the speakers.

On Sunday the Darmawangsa congregation (Alip’s group) joined us in worship at the ruko. Stuart Jones preached for us and encouraged us how to become right with God.

Monday and Tuesday Cecilia taught the ladies. The men were separated and taught in Marty’s class together with Stuart and Mark.

We also took a few hours off to visit an active volcano in west Java about 30 kilometers from Bandung. I drove our three guests together with Martin and his family. There were 8 of us in one small van and it took about 4 hours driving each way.

Today I have 5 students (2 men and 3 women) learning grammar with me while Cecilia taught Bible to 4 other ladies.

Thank you for all of you, those of you who provide funds and a place for us teach which makes it easy for us to have activities of this kind with low cost. We always remember all of you in our prayers.

Daniel

A Note from Dennis - His Latest Trip to Nias

Steve,

The trip went great.

Yoeli Ndruru is now on staff as a circuit riding evangelist, thanks to you. Yoeli is the best educated and apparently most prosperous of the preachers. He dresses and grooms himself well. He has been to more (almost all) of the village churches than anyone else living except the two we sent to every village where there was a church looking for kids for the children's home...........and all that while he was not supported. Since the first of the year, on his own and only telling us after the fact, he visited churches in the Sibolga region, made up of Nias people who have moved there looking for work. He has been to Malaysia once at some point in the past and plans to go again, probably in October. His knowledge of the scripture seems solid and his zeal is unquestioned. He translated into Nias for Mosha, the Indian lady (and the other two ladies who assisted her) during the recent 4 day lady's seminar and she specifically asked that he be her translator next time she comes. We are pleased with this choice. They have re-assigned the congregations, with each having 12 or 13, now that there are six of them. Yoeli is a graduate of the school in Batam.

The church property is beautiful and is attracting some visitors from good solid middle class backgrounds. It is giving the church some good attention. May 31st we had 415 there, not counting babies. Of course that was a special day, including two nearby congregations coming in to join us. The whole facility is something to be proud of for a long time to come and gives us a lot of opportunities for training for spiritual leadership as well as vocational areas.

Next week will be the selection for the new dorm kids for the school year starting mid July. We will be able to take about 4 girls and 29 boys for a total of 24 girls and 72 boys. This is a stressful time because we have to say no to so many. At least until we build on a large lot near the teacher's college and open a campus center there, the 96 will max us out on dorm kids.

The children's home is getting a lot of Ceri's attention right now. Other than Bazahrudin and his wife the others are not affected by that. Final stages of the renovation of the existing house are taking place and immediately we will start construction of an 8 x 12 meter "auditorium". Kids can do homework there, play there on rainy days and at night and a church can be started in the village where the children's home is. We have other plans for expansion, to eventually have 60-70 kids at the children's home. Kids need to be in place by July 10th. We will start taking them soon after the dorm selection is over.

Jessie Laia is now married to a Batak girl he met at Batam (not a student at the Bible school but a member of the church there). I have not gotten the details but he went there June 5th for a June 6th wedding then they went back to her village in N. Sumatra for a four day Batak ceremony. Ceri went for that, the only one of Jessie's family who was going to be present. I hope Jessie's wife will be happy in Gunung Sitoli. She won't speak Nias and Gunung Sitoli is no Batam--although I have never been to Batam. Time will tell.

We bought a 2007 Suzuki Carry van in Medan. We couldn't get it immediately because of paperwork problems but that is supposed to be settled and Jessie and his wife are to be driving it to Sibolga then putting it on the ferry and getting to Nias the end of this week.

At the encouraging of the elders here, realizing things have really grown in Nias, Ceri has been appointed Coordinator, officially. He pretty well was already.

I'll be getting a newsletter out the end of the week that will say some of this and more. I appreciate your involvement. Use whatever you want of this on your blog.

My stop over in Malaysia for four days was fruitful. Picked up 4 dorm sponsors (to add to their 9), 4 children's home sponsors and got about $2300. U.S in one time money. More will come in. The main two who go to Nias are Indians, Vik and Mosha. They are mature Asian Christians and they are passionate about the Nias people. They want to go again about the first of December when they are on school holidays. They are teachers. It is not necessary I be there but they want me to be so I may adjust my upcoming trips which would otherwise be September and January to fit their plans.

God is so good to what we are doing on Nias. Thanks of your help.

Dennis

Tuloasa In Gongsol

I preached in Gongsol this past Sunday. 20 souls were in attendance and most of them were from other faiths. I see good prospects in this area because of the questions they keep asking concerning the word of God. Perhaps I will focus on helping this congregation because they do not have anyone who can serve them. We already have plans to have special classes to train servants. The problem we face is the problem of worshipping in a space that is only 9 by 12 feet. Yesterday there were people who could not find a place to sit. I’ve already talked to some of the men about a solution to this problem. They said there is a ruko (shop/house) for rent for $400 a year. We would be very pleased if brethren could help this congregation to rent this ruko.

Steve and His Students

Here is a photo of me and some of my students from last year. For photos of me with other students from last year and earlier this year. Click on the links below.

http://picasaweb.google.com/johndudleytu/SteveAndStudents_1?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ-fl63HhMPd6AE#

http://picasaweb.google.com/johndudleytu/SaturdayStudents?authkey=Gv1sRgCKeg2rr4yYHDpgE#

http://picasaweb.google.com/johndudleytu/Students?authkey=Gv1sRgCMDBiejfqfzj4AE#

Another Village Evangelist Added to the Team

We have added the 6th village preacher.  We have been watching Yoeli for a couple of years.  He has done as much as any of the supported guys for the last two years.  He dresses and grooms himself like he is more prosperous than most.  His Indonesian is excellent.  He is translating this week for the women who are teaching in Malay (to Nias).  He has been to Malaysia at least once and is going again in July to visit a friend.  He went to Sibolga sometime since I was here in January, visiting Nias people who have moved there, trying to help them get a church started.  We have never given him any support.   He has been to almost all the churches on Nias.  The only two people who have been to more are the two we sent on the survey looking for children's home children.  He is on a six month probationary period as we have had all the others on at first.  So your support is now going to two village preachers and the children's home supervisors.  I'll try to get you some pictures when I get home. 

 

New congregation near Berastagi - Gongsol

Toloasa Ndruru has started a new congregation in Gongsol, a village near Berastagi up in the mountain table top area known as Tanah Karo (Karo Land).  One elderly man was baptized and several members from other places have recently moved into this area. Praise the Lord.

For photos click on the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/johndudleytu/JemaatGongsol