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.