Hi Friends. Just a quick update. Today we were supposed to fly to Bangkok. Due to a little uprising and air control towers being taken over that won't be possible. Tomorrow we will fly to Kuala Lampur for a couple hour layover, then to Hong Kong for a couple of nights and then to Nairobi for a while and then to Duola for a a bumpy busride to the north.
These last couple days have been sheer pandemonium for our wise leaders. I am expectant of smooth travel. When you think of us, feel free to pray.
Happy Thanksgiving America!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
a hard day.
We wandered off the street and ushered ourselves down sandbag stairs until we lost sight of the road and had a clear view of the murky river carrying trash to it's next unwanted destination. I saw the bridge. I put one foot in front of the other and made my way into the "under-the-bridge-slum". Two stories. Darkness. Random light bulbs. And this is their home. A complete community whose life is embodied by the cars' safe transport over the river.
I felt overwhelmed. I was done seeing suffering. No more injustice.
And we were invited into someone's house before I soak in anymore anger.
We stared at the women sitting across from us. She began telling us about the friends they had made with a previous wave of "buleh". We inquired about who was related to who, shared about our time here and stared some more. We learned that the young woman had moved here temporarily because her house is flooded. She smiled at us meekly as she shrugged off the weather of the city, accepting that these are the conditions she lives in, and that is that.
Soon we began to ask if they knew Jesus. They shared that they had heard about him and were beginning to know him through a Bible that the mother of the young woman had. She is forboden to read it by her husband. She smiled as she shared she is reading through the book of John. Shortly a man appeared in the corner. Our local friend told us we could no longer talk about Jesus because he was a Muslim.
As we invited him into the circle we asked about his life. He is 36 and lives with his mother. He hasn't left the house lately but needs to get a job. We started to share about a Provider that we know of. Little by little we told the story of a Jesus who loves us and only has good in his heart. The man seemed puzzled and uniterested. We piped up about the vastness of his grace. "I am a sinner and you are too. He died for you. He died for me." No convincing is necessary, we could tell he was waiting for more though. When we asked him if we could stop and pray for God to open his heart to recieve he said that he wanted to know Jesus today. One prayer after the other, he met Jesus. I will not easily forget the questioning in his voice when he closed the prayer and said "I feel...free?...It is like the dark has been wiped off my eyes."
The story goes on...some of it I am still working through.
This much I wanted to share though. Earlier, I felt that the world had abandoned this corner of the city. How could we have let such a quaint city build itself up under the bridge? Surely this isn't where God has intended for people to live? And I believe that still. However, it was through this man, his release of dullness and embracing of freedom that brought forth the kingdom that day, it has brought to this lost city. Bit by bit, Jesus is breaking through.
Salvation bears hope.
I felt overwhelmed. I was done seeing suffering. No more injustice.
And we were invited into someone's house before I soak in anymore anger.
We stared at the women sitting across from us. She began telling us about the friends they had made with a previous wave of "buleh". We inquired about who was related to who, shared about our time here and stared some more. We learned that the young woman had moved here temporarily because her house is flooded. She smiled at us meekly as she shrugged off the weather of the city, accepting that these are the conditions she lives in, and that is that.
Soon we began to ask if they knew Jesus. They shared that they had heard about him and were beginning to know him through a Bible that the mother of the young woman had. She is forboden to read it by her husband. She smiled as she shared she is reading through the book of John. Shortly a man appeared in the corner. Our local friend told us we could no longer talk about Jesus because he was a Muslim.
As we invited him into the circle we asked about his life. He is 36 and lives with his mother. He hasn't left the house lately but needs to get a job. We started to share about a Provider that we know of. Little by little we told the story of a Jesus who loves us and only has good in his heart. The man seemed puzzled and uniterested. We piped up about the vastness of his grace. "I am a sinner and you are too. He died for you. He died for me." No convincing is necessary, we could tell he was waiting for more though. When we asked him if we could stop and pray for God to open his heart to recieve he said that he wanted to know Jesus today. One prayer after the other, he met Jesus. I will not easily forget the questioning in his voice when he closed the prayer and said "I feel...free?...It is like the dark has been wiped off my eyes."
The story goes on...some of it I am still working through.
This much I wanted to share though. Earlier, I felt that the world had abandoned this corner of the city. How could we have let such a quaint city build itself up under the bridge? Surely this isn't where God has intended for people to live? And I believe that still. However, it was through this man, his release of dullness and embracing of freedom that brought forth the kingdom that day, it has brought to this lost city. Bit by bit, Jesus is breaking through.
Salvation bears hope.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Hari ini, Hari ini...
On Saturday we had the chance to reconnect with a family whom had met the previous Saturday. They live in another trash sorting slum that we are new to. To find our way to the house we waded through piles plastic bottles piles and rickshaws of decomposing wood and scraps. Waiting for us was a family at the end of their rope.
The man has been sick for three months with TB. However, the pussing boils that covered his body all the way to his nearly gangrenous hands and toes made us think otherwise. The man was so weak and tired that he could hardly speak. The wincing in defiancy to the pain he had breathing was the only noise we heard out of him as the wife began to explain the situation.
Earlier in the day they had visited a witch doctor and previous to that they had spent 6 million rupiah (60 US$) on a doctor's visit. He had continued taking medication, but nothing was helping. They could not afford to return to the doctor and were getting by one day at a time. We had no advice to offer them, but they were happy to have us pray.
We spent our afternoon there, praying, singing, battling. Soon, we had an open door, we asked the man if he believed in Jesus. With his breathfilled words, he sighed "yes". Bit by bit, he recited a prayer that he believed in Jesus and it would be Jesus who healed him. We continued to pray and some felt lead to have him stand up. With a group helping him, he was able to stand up briefly.
The hours passed much quicker than anyone realized and we left in a hurry. On the way out, the man's wife was deeply moved and she herself accepted Jesus as her healer.
This family remained in our heads throughout the week.
On Saturday we rushed to see them as soon as the taxi halted. We stood in awe as reached the front door of the home and the gentleman was sitting up eating a mango. It was him, but maybe in a new body? His face looked rested and at ease, his body showed traces of healed boils, his feet had the normal colour and circulation that they should have. What could we say but "God is good!" His wife smiled endearingly as she shared that he has an appetite and eats everything that she cooks and wants more. He is able to get up to use the toilet and shower. She was happy to tell of the progress throughout the week and especially her neighbors' responses to it all.
The man said, "I just want to go to church so I can sing Hallelujah!" So we had church together, sharing stories from the Bible, testimonies and singing together. We told them that next week they can invite their friends and we can have a church all together.
I guess I am just stunned at God earnestly seeking people. He loves when we finally choose his love that has always been there, there is freedom to choose otherwise and when would do choose to embrace the love, God dances over us with excitement. I experienced a piece of fellowshiping with God's joy on Saturday.
The man has been sick for three months with TB. However, the pussing boils that covered his body all the way to his nearly gangrenous hands and toes made us think otherwise. The man was so weak and tired that he could hardly speak. The wincing in defiancy to the pain he had breathing was the only noise we heard out of him as the wife began to explain the situation.
Earlier in the day they had visited a witch doctor and previous to that they had spent 6 million rupiah (60 US$) on a doctor's visit. He had continued taking medication, but nothing was helping. They could not afford to return to the doctor and were getting by one day at a time. We had no advice to offer them, but they were happy to have us pray.
We spent our afternoon there, praying, singing, battling. Soon, we had an open door, we asked the man if he believed in Jesus. With his breathfilled words, he sighed "yes". Bit by bit, he recited a prayer that he believed in Jesus and it would be Jesus who healed him. We continued to pray and some felt lead to have him stand up. With a group helping him, he was able to stand up briefly.
The hours passed much quicker than anyone realized and we left in a hurry. On the way out, the man's wife was deeply moved and she herself accepted Jesus as her healer.
This family remained in our heads throughout the week.
On Saturday we rushed to see them as soon as the taxi halted. We stood in awe as reached the front door of the home and the gentleman was sitting up eating a mango. It was him, but maybe in a new body? His face looked rested and at ease, his body showed traces of healed boils, his feet had the normal colour and circulation that they should have. What could we say but "God is good!" His wife smiled endearingly as she shared that he has an appetite and eats everything that she cooks and wants more. He is able to get up to use the toilet and shower. She was happy to tell of the progress throughout the week and especially her neighbors' responses to it all.
The man said, "I just want to go to church so I can sing Hallelujah!" So we had church together, sharing stories from the Bible, testimonies and singing together. We told them that next week they can invite their friends and we can have a church all together.
I guess I am just stunned at God earnestly seeking people. He loves when we finally choose his love that has always been there, there is freedom to choose otherwise and when would do choose to embrace the love, God dances over us with excitement. I experienced a piece of fellowshiping with God's joy on Saturday.
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