Hello to you who are reading this! My name is Pearl and I've just been on my first trip to Living Waters Village in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. I've been reading and hearing about the ministry for the last two years and this time round, to witness the progression of the work going on there was an eye-opener.
Right from the beginning of the trip to the time we were almost due to leave the place, surprises seem to keep knocking on our door. Communication was lagging between team members as half of them resided outside of Singapore. The ticket we were supposed to book for our flight to Kuching was fully booked, so we had to fly without the team leader. The day before overseas team members were to fly in, one hasn’t got her passport, another was stuck in the floods of Bangkok. How very exciting.
Nevertheless, with the exception of our beloved team member who stayed back in Bangkok, the rest of us made it safely to Living Waters Village :-) As I mentioned, surprises knocked on our door pretty often. On the morning we were due to conduct Sunday school for the kids, we realized there was no available interpreter! How’s that for a start? Thank God that He brought Laura to us. We met over breakfast and realized she’s one- Malaysian, which means she can speak Bahasa Melayu and two-she’s the main person for children’s ministry in her own church. She was definitely God-sent because I had no prior experience in conducting children’s ministry! Was I grateful to both she and God.
Now, if the morning episode was not enough, another surprise came in the afternoon. The team met up with Rachel and Marlinde, both whose families are based there. They liked what we taught in Sunday school on creation and wonder if we could teach English in the school next week (which is the very next day) riding on that theme. Well, that didn’t sound very exciting for me – not for me who thinks she has goofed up badly earlier in Sunday school. Moreover, we all came with the mentality we were here to do intensive labour work. No where did my team leader ever mention in the meetings that we’re going to teach but still – we taught.
Can I share with you something I learnt on this trip? No matter how bad we think we goofed up. No matter how unprepared we are. No matter experienced or not experienced, if it’s part of His plans, His grace will carry us through and carry us did it. Five not-so-familiar people gathering together to try to plan a teaching curriculum with very little background knowledge (we know there are 5 classes and their age groups and that’s about it), that sent P-A-N-I-C running across my face. Apparently God knew me better than I know myself. Just as I was doing my reading before bedtime with my Daily Bible, Exodus 3:1-4:31 was waiting for me. Moses met God, whom wanted to send him to Pharaoh. Moses, like me and some of us in the team, weren’t too excited. He out rightly told God, just as I did that “I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” Yet the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach what you shall say.” There was no argument.
So Monday came. We worshipped, prayed, planned and prayed. We had a good start though the students were shy in responding. Still, it was good. We did more planning and praying. By His grace and anointing, we managed to plan out the teaching a day at a time, everyone taking different responsibilities. There were no major disagreements; we worked well on a whole, just as how the body of Christ should work. The students were also warming up to us. Before we knew it, Friday had come! There are so many more things I would love to share (which I would on my website at telawi.multiply.com) but in a nutshell, this journey was simply amazing.
On this journey, God was speaking to every one of us. He was reminding one of His faithfulness. He was showing one how planning is essential (as the saying goes: we fail to plan, not plan to fail) Showing another how time could be better used than just having fun. Renewing the strength of one. Revealing the destiny of another. Isn’t it amazing what God can do on just this one trip?
We saved no souls on this trip but we built relationships and I look forward to seeing them grow when I go back. That’s where making disciples starts... in building relationships. In your backyard, build relationships. At your workplace, build relationships. In school, build relationships. Personally, this trip taught me that missions starts in the heart. And it can be wherever you are, not just when you step out with your passport. God bless.
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