#18 Indonesia!

When I was growing up I can remember having missionaries come speak at our church and talking about how God might be calling some of us in the congregation to be missionaries.  I remember when I was little I always thought, I hope that is not me, I do NOT want to go live in a mud hut in Africa!  As I got older I  learned that not all missionaries live in a mud hut in Africa and I started to think maybe I could do mission work then, just as long as I don't have to live in a hut in Africa.

My M-Fuge group in Philadelphia.

When I was in youth group most summers we went to a camp called M-Fuge (mission-fuge).  That was where I got some of my first tastes of mission work and I really did like it.  The summer after my junior year we went to Charleston for Fuge and I had this really cool counselor named Erin.  She and I bonded that week but as camps go you leave after a week and usually do not see the people again.  However that was not the case this year, the following year we went to Philadelphia for Fuge and guess who was there as a counselor? Erin!  She remembered me and wanted to have me in her group so I believe she made some trades and got me in her group.  That week we were takling about missions in our Bible study time and I remember she had a time where she played a song (Chris Tomlin's, We Fall Down with the Zimbabwe verse) and had us all pray about how God wanted us to be involved in missions.  I prayed and I knew God was asking me to submit to the call of missions.  I told him that I was ready to submit (even if it meant living in a hut in Africa, but I'd really prefer not to if possible.)  I also asked him to show me that week where he wanted me to serve.  That night they did a missions promotion about Wales and I thought for sure that was where God wanted me.  I went up during the invitation and told my counselor Erin about how God had been speaking to me and she prayed for me.  She also asked me ot have dinner the next night.

Erin and I at the top of a volcano in Indonesia.

The next night at dinner Erin told me that she was going on a mission trip to Indonesia the next summer and she was trying to recruit a team to come with her.  She asked me if I would like to be on that team.  I told her that I thought I would like to do that but I needed to pray and talk to my parents when I got home.  Well I'm sure you can guess how that conversation went. Me: "Mom and Dad  this girl that you don't know asked me if I would like to go spend my summer doing mission work with her in Indonesia. You know that country that is 90% muslim and pretty hostile towards Christians? Oh by the way its illegal to do mission work there.  Is that okay?"  Parents: "You want to do what?????!!!! I don't think so!"  However we all prayed about it over the next few months and I continued to feel like God was calling me to go.  My parents eventually came around and when they finally gave me their blessing I remember we were sitting at Cracker Barrel and my dad told me that I was an adult and if God was calling me to do something, he was not going to stand in my way.  My mom seemed surprised at this response (she had said the decision was up to him) but in the end they both supported me 100%.

My time over there was great.  I worked with an awesome group of girls, I think there were 9 girls and 1 boy on the team.   We had so much fun and I didn't have to live in hut!  We were actually in one of the largest cities in Indonesia and we stayed in two really nice apartments across the street from one of the IMB missionaries.  We did back yard Bible Clubs, helped at the internet cafe that the missionaries ran. I got the opportunity to speak at a local university.  We also got to on a weekend getaway to Bali which had some of the most beautiful beaches and the best shopping I've ever experienced.  We learned how to haggle with the best of them. (Although I probably got ripped off a little because I was still just learning the currency exchange rate and how to decipher the bills.) It was the experience of a lifetime, one I will never forget.  

Some of my favorite memories were of the little kids we taught in the Bible clubs. I loved teaching them, they were all so eager to learn and I loved learning to sing songs with them in their language.  The kids were fascinated with our light skin and hair.  They would sit next to you and just rub your arms.  I remember we took one of the groups to the local zoo and myself and my American friends were as much of an attraction as the animals.  We were walking through this reptile house and while everyone was staring at some snakes, this older lady reached out and touched my face as she walked by.   I thought, I just got petted at the zoo!  My parents love that story and my dad still calls me his zoo baby.

Its funny before I actually went to do mission work in a foreign country I thought the thing that would bother me the most was the dirtiness of places we would go.Overall I don't remember it being to bad in the places we were in. There was one pretty gross place that stands out though, one of the Bible clubs was in a community where people from all over would go dump their garbage. However when we were there it didn't bother me, I didn't see the filthy surroundings, I just saw the beautiful children who were eager to be loved and taught.  I will confess though that I got through my whole month there without ever having to use a squatty potty.  I would hold it until we got back to a place with regular toliets.

Another favorite memory is a young girl we met that was born with club feet (I can't remember if it was one or both) and she couldn't walk properly.  One of the girls on our team, Nicole, really bonded with her and her family.  We found out while we were there that the girl was eligible to geta surgery to correct the problem but her family didn't have money.   Nicole worked hard to get the details figured out and I had some extra money that my church had raised for my trip that I didn't end up needing, so we donated it towards helping this little girl and her family.  She was able to get the surgery after we left and the next year Nicole went back to Indonesia and while she was there she heard a little girl call her name. When she turned around around it was the little girl we helped who proceeded to run across the street and give her a big hug!  So thankful that God let us be apart of helping that little girl.

The national team (Christians who were actually from Indonesia) we worked with over there was amazing.  Even though we were all from different background and cultures we had Jesus in common and a very special bond developed between all of us.  I loved getting to worship and pray with them.  I remember they would pray for their friends who were not believers to have dreams and visions that would bring them to the salvation through Jesus.  I thought that was a strange thing to pray until I started to talk to many Indonesian Christians who had become Christians because of dreams or visions they had about Jesus.  Then I started to think, why don't we pray like that in America?  It made me realize how we can sometimes try to put limits on God by thinking he wouldn't work in certain way. God can work in any way He wants, dreams, visions, sermons, back yard bible clubs, etc, because He's all powerful God.

Other  fun memories I have are of taking crazy rides in a becak (an Indonesian bike taxi or rickshaw). Petting monkeys in Bali.   Eating some of the best fried rice and noodles I've ever had.  We had a lady who cooked for us while we were there and she was amazing!  I also got to try satay for the first time and that was probably my favorite food I ate while I was there and I've never been able to find a place that makes it like they did there.  We also had a really fun fourth of July celebration. I think that being out of the USA can actually make you more patriotic.

I'm so thankful I got the opportunity to go to Indonesia.  It gave me first taste of International missions and I absolutely loved it and I came home ready to go wherever God sent me. (Although I was still hopeful I wouldn't have to live in a hut!)