The Living Waters Village project started out as a shelter for abandoned children to provide them accommodation and the opportunity to go to school. God gave Ronny a vision to purchase a large plot of land to build 10 children's homes and their own school. So far, three homes are up and running, and the school has just started its first semester with its pioneer batch of first-graders. The older youth whom Ronny has sent through university and teachers' college are either serving as teachers in the school or leaders in the ministry. The plans for this project include building another primary school, a high school, a medical facility and a praise and worship centre.
We did a lot of painting. The staff quarters near the school are being built. I have never seen so much purple paint in my life. This time round we were painting houses from 8am to 4pm, six days a week, and we took charge of the program during the praise and worship nights on Tues, Thurs, and Sunday. We also conducted Sunday School the day after we arrived, shared at a leaders' meeting on Friday night and did village outreach on Sunday afternoon.
It was crazy tiring – no wonder the stipulated lights out is at 10pm – but so crazy good. I'm so amazed that each team member was hand-picked by God for this trip and that our giftings and talents complemented each other down to the last detail.
What a privilege it was to be able to be a part of this building work, a work that will ensure that a new generation knows and begins to serve Jesus from a young age. My heart was filled with gratitude for the God who so valiantly saved us and, and for the good works that God had prepared in advance for us to do.
For someone coming back to West Kalimantan for the second time, it was great to see how things had progressed since my first visit. The children’s home I helped to clean and paint in 2006 is now being lived in. I thought about what worship looked like. Painting walls yellow or purple is worship. The sound of tiles scraping bits of cement off walls is music to the Holy Spirit's ears. I listened to the gentle chink of tambourines coming from the Sunday school room as some girls practiced their dance item for the official opening of the school. I watched Jachin and some of the little ones playing basketball nearby. Then the Holy Spirit spoke. “Look. That's worship right there.”
A short term trip does provide some insights into the daily running of the centre. It makes you appreciate the grace that God dishes out so generously for someone in Ronny's position, and helps the rest of us who are on the sidelines to pray more specifically.
I had the opportunity to share a message with some of the leaders and the teachers at the ministry. I wanted to encourage them to persevere in their responsibilities even though they were young, and also to remind them that they were incredibly blessed to be living at this centre where they were so immersed in the Word of God, amidst other material comforts, and had the opportunity to train and encourage the little ones to follow Jesus too.
There were a few girls at the centre whom I was able to spend a little more time with. I practiced my limited Bahasa Indonesia with them, and they practiced their English with me. I really enjoyed the interaction. I was so humbled by the fact that God used my lousy grasp of the language to really affirm them in their walk with God.
In all of the things we did in one week, I really sense God's affirmation. I really feel like my Dad is proud of me. And I know it isn't a pride thing or me trying to prove anything about myself. I understand a little more of the joy of being obedient, of learning to lay down my rights and to trust that He knows what to do with my heart.
The next time I head back, I hope to bring more people along with me to paint some walls, hang out with some kids and speak into the lives of a younger generation who have the privilege of knowing Jesus from young so that they can be the history-makers of their generation.
God bless,
Hannah Zhang
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