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Last week was an eventful week as I made a trip out to Hong Kong and Singapore. In Hong Kong, I reconnected with some of our alumni and met up with some pastors and ministry leaders. It was an eye-opening trip as I heard about some of the great things that God is doing in Hong Kong. Even though I visited Hong Kong a few times before, for some reason this trip was different. I really felt like God opened my eyes to the harvest and gave me a greater burden for this great global city.

God also used my trip out to Singapore to remind me of the great need for believers to be a visual display and a viable demonstration of God’s love. When the Church, which is made up of people begin to live out its calling to be the salt and light of the world, we will see transformation start to happen.

I am thankful for the privilege of witnessing firsthand all that God is doing out in this region of the world. I am also humbled to know that God is trying to raise up people in our churches to take up the Macedonian call (Ac 16:9-10).

During my flight back to Jakarta, I was able to jot down some of my thoughts from my trip. I wrote down five major lessons and reminders from this trip:

 
 
As I am seeing some of these things firsthand, it is making it hard for me to go back to the States; but I know that God is calling me and my family to go back and raise up more Kingdom workers who will eventually go to some of these nations and build God’s Kingdom. I am just privileged to have witnessed it. The best is yet to come!

 
I think adjusting from my time in the States and trying to engage with what was happening in S.E. Asia was not as easy as I thought. The change in time zone and the long trans-Pacific flight made the adjustment hard, but there was no time for rest as I had back to back meetings. I had less than 30 hours in Singapore, but it was a fruitful trip.

It is always encouraging to see the HMCC alumni. When I see them, I am reminded of the importance of the investment that we need to continue to make when they are studying in the States.

I also met up with some of the people who are interested in the church plant. I am realizing that there is a greater hunger for biblical community. There are many churches in Singapore that do an awesome job with their Sunday Celebrations. But one comment I keep on hearing over and over is the great need for the churches in Singapore to strengthen the small group ministries and even put a greater emphasis on what happens outside of Sunday.

It is my hope and prayer that we will be able to fill that void and display what biblical community can be like in the future.

The meeting with the core group for the HMCC of Singapore church plant went well. I am just laying down the foundation and trying to put the emphasis on what it is that God wants to do in this great city. We have been covering some basic themes in the Book of Acts. So far, I have talked about the paradigm of house churches as we look into the New Testament and also about the work of the Holy Spirit in the early church. Recently, I talked about the Acts 2:42-27 and the importance of biblical community. This passage has been the foundational passage for HMCC.

Some of the key members and I have talked about the spiritual warfare that they have been experiencing. I told them that this is normal because Satan knows that having a church that is focused on building God’s Kingdom and a passion for transformation will not help his cause, therefore Satan will do anything and everything to hinder God’s work. What we need more than anything else is prayer and God’s Word to strengthen us (Eph 6:10-20).

Here are some lessons that I was reminded with in my time at Singapore:

 
Chicago is definitely a home away from home. I have lived in Chicago for close to 22 years before I moved out to Ann Arbor. It always brings back good memories of my younger years. This is why having a HMCC church in Chicago is encouraging to me.

I was blessed to see the growth in HMCC of Chicago. As soon as I walked in and we started to worship, I could sense that the spirituality that we have been so resolutely building was evident in the room. It is uplifting to know that no matter what HMCC church you attend that the key emphasis of worship is consistently evident.

As both sites came together for Sunday Celebration, I felt the unity within the group. Even though the NU and the UIC are different campuses, the mission of reaching college students who will transform the world brought us together. It was good to also see a growing single adult presence. With more people working in downtown Chicago, the necessity of reaching out to this population is growing.

This is part of the greater vision of reaching campuses, cities, countries and continents for Christ.

Last November, I only had a total of 14 hours in Chicago therefore my time with people was short. This time I decided to extend my trip to Chicago by a few days so that I can meet up with various people. It was encouraging to meet up with some of my pastor friends that I have known for close to 27 years. I also met up with various people at HMCC of Chicago. It is always good to just reconnect. I did a lot of listening.

But most of all, I was able to spend some quality time with my parents. Every time I see them, I am reminded of the cost there is in following Jesus. As they are getting older, I have to believe with greater faith that God will take care of them better than I will ever be able to on this earth. I was inspired to see my mom still going strong with her line dancing (did I tell you that she is 71 years old) and my dad, who is 73 learning how to do e-mail and keeping up with the latest tech stuff.

Here are some lessons that I was reminded with in my time at Chicago:

 
When I arrived in Ann Arbor, I shared with some people that I experienced something that I never felt before. Back in November, when I first landed in Ann Arbor, I felt as if I came back “home.” It was a great feeling. But for some reason, this time around, when we were driving to Ann Arbor from the airport, it felt so surreal. I didn’t know where I was. It felt a bit different.

By being away from Ann Arbor for close to 8.5 month, I realized that I was in between cultures – America and Indonesia. Now, I am getting a little glimpse of what it feels like for those people who are 3rd culture.

Even though my time in Ann Arbor was packed with meetings, it was very refreshing and reinvigorating for me. I met up with various groups of people that are integral to the transition when I return back to the States in July.

I met up with the international students in our church. It was awesome to see all that God was doing with the international students. I shared about the important role that the international students will play in the overall global vision as many of them will return to their country.

It was also good meeting up with the new Executive Team. I am looking forward to partnering with this team to labor for God’s Kingdom.

Overall, my trip to Ann Arbor was a reminder of why we do what we do. It really is the place where we have to keep on making the investment in lives. It is our Antioch (Ac 13:1; 14:26-28) and we need to continue to raise up more people in order to send them out to the nations.

Here are some lessons that I was reminded with in my time at Ann Arbor:

After this trip to Ann Arbor, I am more focused and resolved for the things that need to happen on my return in July. This might be HMCC 2.0 – growing, evolving, expanding, and transforming.

 
In my last two trips to the States, Austin has always been my first stop for ministry. I really enjoyed my time down there, not only because the weather is warmer and the food is incredible, but more importantly because I am able to reconnect with Pastor Ben and his family.

Pastor Ben was in Ann Arbor back in 1996, as a graduate student when HMCC of Ann Arbor first got started. It is hard to believe that we have a long 13+ year history together. It is a joy just to see how God has developed him as a husband, father, and pastor.

I have been privileged to see HMCC of Austin first get planted back in 2008. Then with various visits along the way, I have seen the development of the church. After this trip, I can confidently say that God is doing some great things down in Austin. I was able to meet some people who recently came to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Also, I had lunch with a couple of people who were asked to be part of their leadership team for next year. Whenever you are able to raise up your own leaders, it is a sign of health.

Even though, things have not gone according to our timetable, I definitely see God at work and bringing forth His plan to fruition.

Here are some lessons that I was reminded with in my time at Austin:

I am excited to see all that God is going to do in the weeks, months and years to come. Already there are clear signs that God is doing some great things. The best is yet to come in Austin.

 
Time has flown by so quickly. It just seems like yesterday that I was heading back to the States to make my first visit to all the HMCC churches. But for some reason, this time around it definitely feels different.

The first time back to the States in November 2009, I went with a different mentality. I think I went with some trepidation wondering how the church was transitioning without me being there. But to my delight, the church was strong and growing; and the other churches were also experiencing God’s blessings.

I am so proud of our guys. They did not just try to “survive” but instead they determined to thrive in the midst of all the transitions. We have seen many new people give their lives to Christ; and we have seen the spiritual foundations of the members strengthened.

On this trip there are 4 clear goals for me:

I have vowed not to make this second trip as crazy as the first one, where I was going back to back with non-stop meetings, but as I am looking at my schedule, it is not going to happen. It is just too hard with the limited time that I have in each of the churches. Therefore, I am asking for extra prayer and a lot of espressos!

God is doing some great things all over the world. God is moving and we want to be in step with Him. I am excited to come and visit for 2 weeks. I can’t wait to share all that God is doing in Indonesia and even Singapore!

 
We just got back from spending some time in Yogyakarta (a.k.a. Jogja). The team and our family went on an 8.5 hour train ride to get away and build some team unity. It was not only cheaper to take the train, but we were able to enjoy the Indonesian scenery along the way.

We were also humbled to see God provide in so many different ways throughout this trip. We had one of our members connect us with a well-know business person who had a “palace” near the center of Yogyakarta. It was a special treat for us to be able to see the elaborateness of the palace. He was an avid art collector. Therefore, there was art throughout the whole place ranging from statues to keepsakes from different parts of the world. Since I love art, I think I enjoyed it the most.

God also provided us with a church member who lived in Yogyakarta. She took us around to various places and helped translate for us. Even though it was vacation time for her, she took a few days to host us. I am constantly amazed to see the generosity of God’s people.

Even though it was a bit tiring going from place to place, it was enjoyable to hang out together and just have fun. We were able to strengthen our relationships together as we went to various famous sites and even stopped by a beach to see the sunset.

As we close out the 2009 year, we are just thankful that God called us here to Indonesia and how He has sustained us for the last 5.5 months. Now, as we look ahead to 2010, we know that God has greater things in store for us. It is amazing to how God keeps on showing us incredible things along this journey.

Now with some of the gatherings that we have for Christmas and New Year, we are ready to go with renewed hearts and renewed strength. God is good!
 
 
 

 
This is just one of the rooms in the place where we stayed for free
 
 
 

 
Sticking our heads out on the Prambanan Hindu Temple, which was built in the 9th century. Can you find the HMCC frisbee that we took with every picture?
 
 
 

 
A reminder for us as to why we do what we do – sending ripples to the nations

 
It’s been a while since I have posted something on my blog; therefore I wanted to post a quick entry.

I am in Singapore’s Changi Airport waiting for my flight back to Jakarta. It has been good to just catch my breath in light of the six-day whirlwind trip back to the States. Even though I wished my trip was longer, God allowed me to accomplish everything I needed to in such a short amount of time.

It was encouraging to see people in all the HMCC churches. It is always a joy to see familiar faces and to just reconnect with people. Also, I was thrilled to meet some new people who have been coming out to our churches. Some of them have just recently accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. This reassured me that our members have been reaching out to people and sharing the Gospel. It was a blessing to see.

I also had many opportunities to share what was happening in Indonesia. After awhile, I felt like a broken record repeating things over and over again, but I was blessed to see that so many people were interested in what God was doing in Jakarta. It just reminded me that this church plant is really a partnership. I am thankful for all the people that have been praying for us and financially supporting us.

The best part was spending some time with the site pastors. Whether it was over a meal or sharing some coffee, it was great just hearing all that God is doing in their lives and in all our churches.

I am praying that all the churches will reach the next level.

Even though it has only been four months since I left for Indonesia, as I went to all the locations, it felt as if I never left. Thanks to all the sites for their hospitality and prayers.

 
We got in to Singapore safely. It was a long flight but my family and the team made it by God’s grace. We were picked up at the airport by several of our alumni around 1AM! We went directly to a retreat center and then spent all of Thursday just resting. One of our main objectives was to make sure that we adjusted to the time zone and get over the jet lag. Also, we wanted to adjust to the new culture and we felt that coming to Singapore first was a good middle ground before heading directly to Jakarta.

It was good spending time together as a team to reflect, study the Bible and to pray. These times are precious; therefore we made the most of these opportunities.

Today, we headed out to see the city. Traveling with just a few people compared to a whole team is always a challenge, but we were able to get to one place to another by taking buses and trains to get to our various locations. We also logged in many miles of walking today. It was a lot of fun checking out Little India, Malaysian town, Chinatown and the Escapade. Singapore is such an awesome city!

But the best part of the day was spending time with the HMCC alumni. Many people came out and even though some of them could only come out for a short time, it was encouraging to see all of them.

It warmed my heart to hear that some of them are still getting together two times a month to share, pray and fellowship together. This is definitely a good foundation for a future church plant if the Lord leads us in this direction.

After dinner, we all went out for dessert. Our team gave gifts that we prepared for them – some Michigan apparel and HMCC things. But the blessing for us was when we received a love offering from the alumni. I am always humbled to see the generosity of our alumni. Not only are they constantly treating us when we go out to eat, but they decided to partner with us in this church plant by giving financially.

We will be heading out to Jakarta tomorrow. The adventure is beginning!
 
 
 

 
We are all packed into a bus
 
 
 

 
The oldest mosque in Malay town. It reminded us of the mission in Indonesia.
 
 
 

 
Walking around Little India
 
 
 

 
Checking out Chinatown
 
 
 

 
The ever increasing skyline of Singapore
 
 
 

 
Kite flying reminded us a little bit of home
 
 
 

 
We decided to take a family picture
 
 
 

 
Getting ready to eat with the alumni
 
 
 

 
Some of our alumni wearing their Michigan apparel
 
 
 

 
Our alumni sent us off with their financial and prayer support

 
I am currently in Chicago for a Leadership Network conference for Asian-American pastors. It is a small cohort that started back in May 2008 and it will finish out in November 2009. There are some incredible mentors in this cohort. They have all been tested and put through the fire and now their ministry shows that good leadership always allows God to do great things.

It is going to be an awesome conference as well as a challenging one. We will be addressing various issues in our churches and our own personal lives.

I am looking forward to sharing some of the insights as I come back to Ann Arbor. Please pray for us.

 
Christina and I are in transit right now in Singapore. We are getting ready to board our flight from SIN-NRT-DTW. As I sit here in Singapore’s airport, I am realizing that the last 5 days have been a whirlwind experience. Our times have been filled with meetings with people. Each one of the meetings have played a significance role in strengthening the conviction that God wants to do start this international church here in Indonesia.

I am going to have to spend some time in reflection throughout my plane ride back to the States to process a lot of the things that happened in the last few days. There are things that I realized that will not work in Indonesia that might have worked in the U.S. There are other things that we did not consider here in the States that we will definitely have to consider in Indonesia.

I am convinced that the three things that we really need as we prepare to come to Jakarta are flexibility, fluidity, and faith. Things don’t always go as we planned, but this is when we have to have the faith to be flexible, as well as become more fluid in how we roll with what comes our way.

God is constantly moving and bringing about many different opportunities. It is possible that we can miss out on what God is doing if we are so set in our ways and not being sensitive to His leading. Part of living our lives with faith and trust in God is learning how to take each day at a time with God’s promises.

The best is yet to come.

 
It has been weird here in Karawaci because even though I am getting a few hours of sleep, I feel pretty rested. Maybe it is all the high pace of meetings and trying to get everything done before we leave on Sunday.

Early this morning, I was awakened by the Muslim call to prayer. There is a mosque several hundred yards away. The night before, I slept right through it, but this morning I woke up to the call to prayer at 4:30AM! Instead of going back to sleep, I felt led to spend some time in prayer.

Then we had our first meeting with the spiritual growth director at UPH. There was a Michigan connection because he went to Calvin College in Grand Rapids. It was good connecting with him and hearing about the spiritual climate of the students in Karawaci. There is truly a great need to reach out to the college students in Indonesia.

We tried to look at a few more places for housing in the afternoon. We have until tomorrow to make a decision. Then we had Christina visit the school that our kids will be attending. It was great meeting another Indonesian who studied in the States and is now back in Jakarta working for an IT company. This is a people group that is growing in Indonesia and around the world. They are unique people. They have a perspective that is different from a typical American and also from a typical Indonesian mindset. They are in a category all by themselves and I believe that God is going to use them to bring transformation to Indonesia.

Then we headed out to Jakarta to meet up with some people who were interested in starting the church with us. Throughout the last couple of days here in Indonesia, I have been sharing the vision of the future international church plant. It has been refreshing for me. Every time I share it, the more I am reminded of the awesome privilege I have in being part of God’s bigger plan.

Tomorrow morning we will be heading out to an international church that is doing some great things to reach out to the city. I’m looking forward to worshiping with other believers in the international community.
 
 
 

 
Met up with some leaders from UPH in the morning
 
 
 

 
A view from one of the future member’s house. He built it from scratch and wants to use it for ministry purpose – praise God!
 
 
 

 
There have been rapid growth in various neighborhoods around the city of Jakarta. This is one of the nicer areas near the ocean.
 
 
 

 
Cathy is one of the expats who have been hosting us along with Dan, her husband. They have been a blessing to us.

 
It has been great coming out to Indonesia. It is hard to believe in about 55 days we will be here with the whole family. Yesterday, we just reconnected with a few of the UM alumni over dinner. There is nothing better than food, fellowship and good conversation.

This morning Christina and I started off the day at a café drinking some coffee and talking about our future move to Karawaci (expatriate town west of Jakarta). I really enjoy just sitting at a café and watching people as they move about and go through life. It allows me to develop a greater burden for the people that we will be reaching here in Indonesia.

Then we went off with a realtor to look for housing, both for our family, as well as for the church plant team. I realized that this is truly not my passion! Thank God, Christina has the eye and the common sense to decide on a place that will be best for the whole team.

Due to the heat and humidity, it is easy to get a bit fatigue after all the moving around. So after our housing excursion, Christina and I decided to take a quick nap. We finished the evening with dinner and good conversation with one of the expatriate couples from the States who have been hosting us.

I am amazing how their time here has really shaped their perspective about the world and life. I am convinced that spending some time overseas for an extended period of time will transform the way we look at things. It will not only increase our heart for the nations, but it will help develop our perspective for God’s Kingdom.

Since Christina and I are staying at a guestroom at Universitas Pelita Harapan, it has been good meeting some of the students. This is the university where we want to reach out to the students. There are close to 9,000+ students who are from all the different islands in Indonesia. Since it is one of the top universities, it is drawing a lot of good people who will make a difference in the future, especially in the Teacher’s College. The harvest is truly plentiful!

Tomorrow we will meet up with the spiritual director of UPH and try to find ways where we can work together to reach the thousands of students in Karawaci. We are praying that there will be open doors and avenues to partner together.

We are also going to look at more housing and then head into Jakarta to spend some time with people who are interested in being part of this church plant. One conclusion that we are getting after some talk with people here is that there are many people who are longing for biblical community. There is also a desire for people to grow deeper in their relationship with God. We are praying that God will meet people where they are through this church plant. These are exciting times.
 
 
 

 
Hanging out at a cafe in the early morning before some of our meetings
 
 
 

 
Found a place where they have free wi-fi, but the highlight is the live music

 
Even though I was struggling a bit with jetlag, I was able to get a few hours of sleep. Christina and I started off the morning by reconnecting with some of the alumni here in Singapore. We went out for brunch and just ended up talking together.

We also checked out a retreat center in the afternoon. With our Jakarta church planting team first flying into Singapore in July, we want to make sure that we first take some time to acclimate to S.E. Asia. Singapore is a good middle ground to make the transition. This retreat center is going to be a perfect place for us to recover from jetlag and prepare ourselves to move into Jakarta.

Then later in the afternoon, since it was Christina’s first time in Singapore, we took a brief tour of the city. For me it was like the 5th time, but I always enjoy seeing people experience something for the first time. Then we headed back to our hotel to get some rest… well, Christina did, while I was working on some e-mail and other various things.

In the evening, we meet up with some of the other alumni for dinner. It was good catching up with everyone over a meal. Then we walked around the city soaking in the city life. Singapore is an amazing city. It would great if we can plant a church here one of these days. It is an awesome city to have a base to launch other works all throughout the S.E. Asia region.

Then Christina and I closed out the night by watching American Idol. Yup, we couldn’t resist. Even though it was one day behind, we were able to catch the last episode before the finals. It is going to be a tough call – all three guys did a great job.

Tomorrow, we will meet up with some more people for breakfast and then fly out to Jakarta where we will be welcomed by more alumni who are living in Jakarta. I am just amazed at the generosity and sacrificial hearts of our alumni. They have displayed for us what it really means to be a servant of God. Christina and I have been blessed by all the meals and the time that every single one of the alumni invested in us so far.

You guys are awesome!
 
 
 

 
In front of the infamous water breathing lion – the pride and symbol of Singapore
 
 
 

 
It is always a joy reconnecting with some of the alumni in Singapore
 
 
 

 
It was cool seeing the Riady family donating money to help NUS Business School, one of the top universities in Singapore. This is the same family that started Karawaci, the city that we will be starting our church and UPH, the university we want to reach.