Divine Appointments– in Jakarta.

I came to Sorong, Papua on my way home from studying a boat ministry and sharing about our work in Papua to the Tumau Tou Seventh-day Adventist Church in Jakarta.   This is a Church plant that was organized as a full fledged church in 2006 and if you know me a church plant makes me happy.   Today they meet on the 16th floor of the Menara Imperium building in Kuningan on the south side of Jakarta.    This is a fabulously wealthy area and the church has attracted a lot of young to mid age professionals.   From out of this church they’ve started 4 more churches, built countless ministries up all over Indonesia.    They are like the Ephesus Church of Revelation 2:1-7.    When I arrived I was pleasantly surprised to find our former house helper from Bandung leading the Sabbath School – I was blessed by Hesley Pelealu's Sabbath School remarks.   I spent the 10 minutes of personal ministries time wetting peoples appetites with pictures from the Ndugu.   Incase you’ve never read those blogs try clicking on these blogs First Blog, Second Blog, Third Blog, and Fourth Blog.    This will help you get a more complete picture of the project in Senepa otherwise known as Ndugu-Ndugu if you read them all.   

In the afternoon they invited me to share more.    So I shared with people about Radio Ministry, Boat Ministry, Crocodiles, Dengue Fever, Malaria and supper eddies.   Because there were so many young professionals like DR’s, Nurses, business men and women I challenged them to come on over to Papua for short or long term missions.   We need their expertise.   

Luke and John and Mr Iden Pelealu (Hesley’s Dad).   Luke and John are two Theology students whom I brought to try to get them to catch the vision about boat Ministry.   They were equally awed by the huge buildings and wealth they saw in Jakarta.   Both of them had never flown commercially before and were constantly craning their necks to see the ground through the 737 Jet window.   Luke worked for 7 years as a boat mechanic and John also worked as a carpenter for a number of years.   We need their expertise for boat ministry.

This generous Church I feel was a Divine Appointment.   Their previous Pastor has answered the call and will be moving to Ndugu-Ndugu with his Wife and 4 year old daughter and 6 month old baby boy.   Pastor Frans Bihoy has a lot of expertise but one concern I have is that he will be living in a very isolated area with a young baby.    Pray for his wife. . . We are also concerned that the pastors house has been used as dorm for Student missionaries, house helpers, etc.   Each previous pastor has found the living situation a challenge because there is very little Pastor and Family time.   I’d like to see several people send us donations for building a pastors house where they can have their own space.    I’ve been dreaming of doing it with Clay or Cement Blocks so that the housing won’t be eaten by termites like all the buildings we built in the past are being done.  Pray as we seek to do a better job supporting our pastors in the field.   Pray that the funds or supplies can be donated so a new pastors house can be built.  Pray that we will figure out better forms of communication with these pastors in remote places.    Pastor Frans Bihoy and the previous pastors (Richeel Sumlang, Alfian Sodondang, Toni Mayai)    Thanks for going to these difficult places 100 miles from anywhere.   May you have have strength and balance to help spread the gospel to the Moni tribe.   May God give vision so that our clinic and school and church can prosper in this place.   May God bless you with a quick tongue to learn the Moni language.   May He give you peace that passes all human understanding.