Washing Dishes

Washing dishes in the door-way of the house. These people have no kitchen sinks, no drainage and no running water. There probably is a latrine nearby but if it is crowded they will run to the river.

May Feeding

One of 20 children we are feeding this month. These are the poorest-of-the-poor. $15 feeds one child, one meal a day for a month. $100 will feed, clothe, shelter, educate and medicate one child for a month. Will you help us?

Yusuf's Ordeal As Reported by Daniel

Yusuf told me that when he used his motor bike to go to the restaurant, a black car stopped at our area and when he turned left from the ruko that car has parked at the bridge

and when he turned to the road the car forced him to stop his bike 

and 2 men jumped out to capture him. 

They ordered him to get into the car, taking his motorbike keys and hand phones.

He was taken to a social department building. 

On the way he asked them what was happening since he thought he was being robbed. 

The persons (6 of them) said that he didn't need to be afraid. 

Then they told him that this was because of an order from the family. 

One of them then called somebody ordering them to take down all the posters and photos of Yusuf posted around the harbor, 

since they have the man.

The men also showed the police report from Surabaya that had been signed by Yusuf's father

claiming that Yusuf was a missing person.

They kept him until the next day, waiting for the family mebers to arrive.

This is the normal procedure for missing persons, the police keep the person at the Social Department after being apprehended.

Yusuf was kept in a cage like jail

untill the family arrived.

The police also went to Yusuf's rent house to make sure that he actually lived there.

Yusuf's uncle and sister stayed at his place and asked him to return home but he refused, giving the reason that his wife is pregnant and needs to wait till she bears a child.

They agreed but reported to the neighborhood government official to keep watch over them.

Yusuf's father is an official in the Justice Department in Makassar and also a prosecuting attorney.

No wonder he has connections with the police and can succeed in getting them to apprehend his son.

He is also a rich man.

Yusuf's wife didn't know that he was apprehended 

and Yusuf kept it a secret.

His wife wonderred why he didn't return home.

but when she saw his uncle and sister, she thought Yusuf went to his uncle's home at the harbor and waited for his sister

from Batam to arrive.

Yusuf didn't want his wife to be in shock

in her 8th month of pregnancy.

Yusuf says he was treated well, 

but all of his books were taken by his uncle especially the book making comparisons between Islam and Christianity. 

Yusuf's own writings were also taken. 

His uncle didn't take our books (WBS and some that I gave Yusuf). His uncle said they were taking them for Yusuf's own protection because they didn't want him sharing them with other family members which might endanger Yusuf's own life.

Adam lost Yusuf when leaving to go to the restaurant. He thought Yusuf might have rushed on ahead of him. 

He never heard Yusuf scream, calling for help.

The Beat Goes On

Yesterday after worship, the members agreed to eat together at a certain restaurant.  Most went by car, but “Yusuf” and another member went on their own individual motor bikes. On the way “Yusuf” was intercepted and forced to follow others to the Social Agency building where he was kept against his will until 4 PM when he was released under the care of his uncle and sister. They took him to his house and it looks like they continued to try to convince him to return to his father’s home.  Almost 24 hours later, “Yusuf” is still in shock because of this trauma. It looks like the family is putting a lot of pressure on him. Please pray that he remains faithful.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE CHILDREN'S HOME TO BEGIN IMMEDIATELY. Our plan for the children's home has 4 phases: 1, to feed 20 children a day; 2, to rent space to house 20 children; 3, to purchase a permanent facility for the home; and 4, to add a private school on the property. We are now ready to move into phase 2. The money has been raised. A property has been made available for our use for a minimum of 10 years free of charge and remodeling of the present facility will begin immediately. This is God's doing!! We couldn't do it by ourselves!!

Earthquake News - Little Damage on Nias

Ceri says that the quake only lasted a few seconds but if it had lasted longer there would have been much damage. As it is, there is little. We thank God.

Our First Orphan

Ezra in the yellow.

Our First Orphan

Ezra

Nias Earthquake Wednesday

Jakarta television stations are reporting that there was no significant damage done on the island of Nias or in the city of Gunung Sitoli. We are checking with our people on the island for verification and should have some information later today.
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