Update from the field...

From Chelsea for the team...

Being in Indonesia still seems surreal! We arrived at our final destination Sunday early afternoon and somehow, have already been here five days. It has been a huge privilege to come alongside the work missionaries are doing here. As a team, we’ve been blessed by their servant hearts towards us and the love they have for their people. Their humility and obedience to Jesus has been so encouraging to us! What a challenge as we think about returning home- how can we better engage the lost around us in Chicago and be faithful disciple-makers? So many things we’re pondering- the Lord is clearly working here and stirring up our own hearts in the process. We’ve seen Him provide strength, peace, and joy in our exhaustion and jet-lag. He has also amazed us with the beauty of His creation and in the beauty of the people we’ve encountered in the villages. We feel so thankful to be here!

So far, we’ve spent time in two different villages of unreached people groups. Plans had changed and we ended up not going on the 5 hour boat ride. Instead, it was a 5 hour drive through the mountains! Some of us were very happy about that! :) There, we were able to spend time in the homes of Muslim families, listening to their stories, sharing meals, and praying with them. As a team, we especially loved our time in the Bajo village, in which we traveled through the mountains and by boat…since they live on the water! This was a neat experience as we saw how their entire community and life is based around their houses, shops, school, and mosque, all built on stilts in the ocean! We were blessed by the Bajo people’s hospitality and friendliness- the kids flocked to us, as most of them had never seen a Caucasian person before, other than on tv! We heard many funny comments from the villagers and had quite a few photos taken of us. It was an experience we’ll never forget! Simultaneously, we felt great joy and sadness during our time there. These people are so loved by God and yet are living in such darkness and deception.

We’re now gearing up for the conference part of our trip- soon, families will begin to arrive and we’ll be spending time with the missionary kids. Continue to pray for us! So far, we’ve all been healthy, safe, and doing well, which we praise God for. We’ve also had great bonding time as a team and are still enjoying being around each other. :) Again, thanks for your support and sharing this time with us. We are loving our time here and are looking forward to seeing how the Lord works through the conference. We are confident that He will continue to show us His faithfulness and goodness.

Until next time,
selamat tinggal!