Street Paving

For years, the street in front of Connor's House has been in need of repair. Here are a few photos of that repair in process. We will now have a fine paved street and perhaps a little relief from the frequent flooding since the paving will raise the level of the street as well. It's an improvement and we are grateful.

New photos of D and KP

The stairway to Heaven begins and ends with Jesus

The following might be missed by the casual reader of John 1:47-51. Jesus contrasts Nathanael with Jacob the deceiver whose name was later changed to Israel and who dreamed of angels ascending and descending at a place which Jacob names Bethel — House of God. In the contrast, Jesus says that Nathanael was a true Israelite because he was not a deceiver. Jesus also said that Nathanael and others (the “you” is plural in Greek) would eventually see the angels of God ascending and descending upon Jesus in the House of God. Through Jesus, Heaven is opened and true Israelites see God.   

The British Trade A Small Indonesian Island For Manhattan.

On the 31st of July, 1667, the Second Anglo-Dutch war ended with a treaty which at the time was thought to favor the Dutch. Part of the treaty stated that the English would surrender to the Dutch the small island of Run (important for its nutmeg) in what is now Indonesia. The Dutch, on the other hand, would give up their colony of New Amsterdam which included what is today New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. The Dutch traded the possibilities of the New World for a guaranteed world-wide monopoly on the sale of Nutmeg! Hmm…in the long run, a bird in the hand may not always be better than two in the bush...!

Nutmeg Tree

Today is a holiday in Indonesia

Nyepi is a day of silence used for self-reflection on the island of Bali in Indonesia and is a celebration of the Hindu New Year which this year falls on March 21st. For most, no fires are lit, no work is done, no entertainment or pleasure permitted, no talking and no eating from 6 AM to 6 AM tomorrow. 

Indonesia recognizes 6 religions: Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism.  A few areas are predominately Christian, others predominately Catholic, most of the country is predominately Islamic but Bali is predominately Hindu. 

(Photo is of Nias not Bali. Didn't have one of Bali. Sorry.)

Storing up treasures in heaven.

World Radio, a supporter of Bible radio programs all around the world, has supported our radio work in Jakarta for 12 years. They also supported our radio program on El Shinto radio station back in 1970's. Many have been brought to faith in Christ as a result of these broadcasts. Daniel is the speaker on the programs now but I take a few minutes of his radio time when I'm present in Jakarta. This article just arrived in this morning's mail. I scanned it so I could post it here. Hope you enjoy reading it.

New Photo of Three Older Children

A new photo this morning of three of the older children. "D", "L", and "W".

A Babe In Toyland

Today's photo of "D" taken in a toy store. She's sitting up now. Precious...!

What is God like?

“No one has seen God at any time, the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him” (John 1:18). In thinking about this verse this morning, I jotted down the following notes: If I wanted to really know what President Obama was like and who he really was inside and out, I would attempt to build a relationship with those who are closest to him and have known him the longest. They are the ones most likely to fully understand him and willingly or even unwillingly reveal things about him — his strengths/weaknesses, habits, dreams/vision, character, likes/dislikes, you name it…. In the same way, if we really want to know God — who He is and what He is like inside and out, we need to find someone who has known him for a long time and has the most intimate association with Him. Abraham, Moses and a few others had close but brief relationships with God but Jesus has known God from the beginning and his relationship from the beginning has always been far more intimate than any others. In short, John says no one knows God the way Jesus knows God; but, unlike those who know the president best and usually try to protect his privacy and hide his idiosyncrasies, Jesus (himself God) fully reveals all there is to know about God. And John makes it very clear that Jesus is the ONLY one who knows God well enough to fully reveal (exegete) Him. So, never take your eyes off of Jesus for, as Jesus Himself said, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.” And, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:8-9). And what does Jesus reveal about God? One thing that comes readily to mind this morning is that God is love and does not delight in the death of anyone.

Even Daniella and Queen are growing.

The first two are of Daniella.