My Heart For Indonesia

In the year 2000 I went on a trip to the other side of the world. The purpose of this trip was to attend the Global Cell Church Mission Network conference in Jakarta, Indonesia. This was my first trip outside of North America. Little did I know, that this trip would change my life.

While sitting at the airport in Los Angeles I met some people who were on a mission trip to the Philippines. They had asked me where I was headed and when I told them first to Jakarta and then on to Solo they showed me a disturbing article.

It was from the State Department and was warning Americans not to travel to Indonesia and that in Solo the muslims were going to hotels looking for Americans and forcing them to leave. I had planned this trip for a long time so I wasn't going to turn around. To make matter worse when I got to Hong Kong I watch a Christian Band who was headed to Jakarta make a few phone calls and pull their bags from the plane and head back to America. Still I pressed on and trusted God for His protection.

When I stepped off the airplane I was a little frightened. I didn't know the language and hoped that I could find those who were there to meet me. They found me an escorted me out of the airport. It was in those first few moments in traffic that God began to break my heart over the Nation of Indonesia. This country is 88% muslim and everywhere I looked I realized the majority knew nothing about Christ and the life He offers.

I realized on this first trip how spoiled we are in America and how most of us have no idea how it is for most of the people in the world. It was on this trip I got introduced to an amazing man who had taken on 66 orphans beside his own four kids. His vision was to raise these kids in the Lord and train them up so that they could go back to the Island of Ambon where much slaughter was going on between the muslims and Christians. He wanted to take them home to make a difference in such a dark place.

Since that first trip I have returned three times and even spent one month there with my youngest son. The Indonesian people are such a precious people. Indonesia is comprised of 17,000 islands and has 127 people groups which are unreached for the most part. I long to return there some day and spend time with these amazing people.

God has been so good to me in that wherever I have lived He has always given me Indonesian friends. Moving to Salisbury has been no different. Above you can see that that I have already made an Indonesian friend. Faye and Phoebe are precious to God and precious to me as well. I love talking to Faye about Indonesia and even practicing speaking Indonesian to her.

God will break your heart over a nation as long as you are open to the nation of His choosing. Saya Cinta Kamu (I Love You) That is the inscription in my wedding ring from my wife Cary. By the way the first time I told her I loved her I wrote a letter in Indonesian and translated it a little at a time. Who has God broken your heart over? He will truely give you the desires of your heart!