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