Fullness of the Body of Christ

Today the seminars are over, but our time together as a team is not over. Thank you so much for praying for us! Please keep praying that we stay close to the Word and that the Lord will solidify the truths in our minds and hearts as we go home!

We are grateful for the Holy Spirit illuminating truth in our hearts. A faith that lasts is definitely the desire of my heart; it is what gives me reason and purpose as we are labouring not for this trip alone but for His eternal church - a member is established the moment someone repents and submits to His Lordship!

Today was shopping day! After having a practical and inspiring message by Mr Teh who has served for 20 years as the Southeast Asia CI director, we went off for our final Prayer & Edification Group (PEG) time at a fantastic Indonesian restaurant which held the shape of a ship. My (awesome) prayer group had lunch in a lifeboat, which made a great and memorable experience for us =) We have grown to know each other by learning to be open, share and pray for each other's struggles that we face in our quest to live a life of repentance.

An interesting side note about meals - today, I gave our prayer group a chance to personally choose the food they wanted with a specific budget. Most of the time, we give the team 2 or 3 choices as ordering for a group of 24 requires more structure and orderliness ;) However, today, they were free to choose and funnily, we all bonded over our food choices... deciding to go light and easy on the food, giving us some extra to spend on the delicious drinks. It proved to be part of the memorable experience together as a PEG group. I will really miss our weekly prayer time together as we share what the Lord is teaching us. PEG Group, don't stop sharing and growing, guys! Ray Badudu, Grace Ling, Matthew Glick, Briana Calderon, Eliel Cheang (missing James Pasaribu) - continue to keep the faith! *praying for you all!!*

Back to the report - we continued to shop in the Factory Outlets of Bandung as a team - translators and teachers, as well as the fantastic Indonesian parents who were organizing and planning our Indonesian leg. Thank you so much, Uncle Eddy & Team!

Later that evening, we ate more authentic Indonesian food (meant to be eaten with hands too!) and got bacl, all shopped-out and ready for home. The girls settled down and had a fun time of bonding as it was Girls' Night while the guys recuperated on their own.

Our team's theme this year was "The Fullness of the Body of Christ" - the big picture of what Christ has been doing since he died and rose - resulting in discipleship and submitting to Christ, our Head. I can safely say that the Lord has been teaching me how Iron sharpens Iron, and how to work together as a Body - the Body of Christ... I'm so grateful for teaching me these valuable topics that will be useful for life.

Eunice Peh

Staff Member from Malaysia

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Challenged to Examine My Life

As the reality of having just finished our last CI settles in I find myself asking, where has the time gone? It seems as though we were just at the airport in Singapore welcoming teammates as they arrived. This trip has been a reminder of how short life is and how I must maximize my time serving the Lord. I have been encouraged by the ministry the team has had here in Bandung through CI, a visit to an orphanage, and the Youth to Youth ministry. The kids are hungry and searching for Truth and we have had the opportunity to share with them the hope that is within us as 1 Peter 3:15 instructs. An Auntie at CI shared with one of the teachers, I have never seen this boy smile as much as he has this week since before his parents left him, pray this boy's joy is not momentary but lasting because of the lessons he has heard through out the week and Christ changing his life. This week God brought a large number of the kids from a local orphanage, this gave us the opportunity to share with these kids that God makes no mistakes in our design and plan for our lives. The teachers love for the kids was very evident as they had intentional conversations with the kids in their small group teams, creating a platform for the kids to open up and share their struggles and hear the Gospel.

- The "judges" that encouraged the kids to do their best at parent presentation -

Today the kids learned about what it means to follow Christ, how much do they love Him, are they ready to give up everything? I'm always challenged to examine my life when I watch the skits about the Rich Young Ruler in Matthew, who wanted Christ as a add on to his life but was not willing to give up everything to follow Christ. God calls us to follow Him and He also calls us to obey Him even in difficult times. We also watched a skit of Nehemiah, a man who was willing to obey Christ and do the hard things in life, by building back the Jerusalem wall and enduring persecution. Christ was everything to Nehemiah and that's what motivated Him to obey Christ.

- The awesome Bandung student assistants -

This week has been significant in the lives of the kids and in the lives us the team. We are so grateful to the Lord for the past four weeks of ministry in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Please pray for us as we finish out these last few days together as a team. The Lord has united us as a team and is drawing us closer to Him, the CI's are over and we only have a few more days to pour into the lives of the team members, pray the Lord will lead us and we will make the most of our time.

Elizabeth Shoemaker

Staff Member from USA

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Reaching Our Goals

- Tracey and one of the girls from her CI team! -

Today was such an incredible day for me! It's not what the team did that made it so incredible, but it's what God did!

At first I thought there would only be around 10 young people attending the Youth to Youth because we did not see very many youth attending the basic seminar. But to our surprise, there were around 30 youth that came!

Not just that, most of the youth were very responsive. They were able to share and open up with each other during the discussion time in their small groups. Another thing that really surprised me were the questions that they asked for the question and answer time! I was helping Jolynn to translate some of the questions from Bahasa to English, and we really had a hard time sorting out the good ones because almost all of them were very good questions! From those questions, we knew that God is really are working in their hearts and they are thinking about it very seriously. It was truly amazing to see God's work in their hearts!

As for CI, it was equally great! A lot of the teachers said it was one of the best days of the whole trip, and the large groups were also very good! The children's responses to the stories were quite unexpected (in a good way), and we could tell from their responses that they really got the point of each story.

- "Paulus" and the people he preached to - 

That was the awesome part--the goal was reached! Everyone was exhausted physically at the end of the day, but very excited about the great things that God is doing in these children's lives. We all knew that even though we were tired, but all of the things that we have done is truly worth it because we are doing it for Christ. It is such a great privilege and honor to be able to be here and witness the incredible things that God is doing, both in the participants' hearts and also the teachers' hearts!

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"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." I Peter 5:7

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Jennifer Hartono
Translator from Indonesia

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Following God's Way

- At the Salvation Army girls' orphanage we visited today -

Welcome to CI where children scream, have fun, and learn the basic principles. This year is my third year being a translator. I always learn a lot of stuff from CI whether it is the devotions or when translating.

This year, I learned that God has a special purpose for me and in this trip, the Lord reminded me over and over again that He is always beside me. 

- Joshua with some of the orphanage girls -

Before CI in Bandung, I had a big fight with one of my closest friends and I was so mad that I shut my heart out. I didn't want to hear his explanations and I tried to handle the matters by myself. Things didn't go so well. We did not talk to each other and we avoided talking to each other. Every night, the Lord would tell me that I should be humble and ask for forgiveness, but I was proud and stubborn. I didn't understand why the Lord wanted me to apologize when I did not do anything wrong. 

So days passed and CI Bandung started. One of those days, in the morning, Victor was talking about the legacy of the church, the Christian mandate, and the revelation of the church. After hearing all this, suddenly my eyes became clearer and I realized that my attitude towards my friend was wrong. And the Lord spoke to me, "how can you expect yourself to become a leader when you didn't even listen to what I instruct you to do?". That question struck me. 

- Having lunch at the orphanage -

All this time, the Lord had instructed me to talk to my friend and to explain to him, but I was too stubborn and proud to hear Him. After reflecting on what I had done, I decided to follow God's way and apologize to my friend about my attitude. The next day, I began talking with him and our relationship began to build up again. In this trip, I learned that if we do not follow God's way, then nothing good will ever come out of it.

Ruth Hoetama

Translator from Indonesia

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Hello From Bandung!

- Briana presenting a lesson for the staff to review -

Hello from the land of Bandung, people! So this year I didn't get to join the team for the full trip. But I did join them here in Indonesia, for the Jakarta and Bandung CI, as a translator and a.... driver. Fun fun! And here I am in Bandung now translating in the small group.

Let's rewind the time a bit.

Right after the seminar ended in Jakarta, I started to lose my energy and fell sick. I mean like literally after the seminar ended, after signing autographs and all the cleaning up, I sat at the large group room for cool down. And at that very moment, my healthiness level decreased by quite a few percent. I was afraid that I would not feel better in time, because we were gonna to go to Bandung on Sunday morning. Travelling in a not-so-well condition was not going to be fun, especially when I was driving. But by God's grace, I started to feel better the next day. I even managed to enjoy my day despite feeling sick for most time of the day. And on Sunday, I was fully-healed, ready to do my job (which is driving to Bandung at that time). Yay! Praise the Lord!

- The prodigal son and his bad friends -

We've already passed the first two days of CI in Bandung now. Most of the kids here don't speak English, so basically I'm the mouth and ears of team 7. But we bonded with the kids really well, despite of the language barrier the teachers and students had. I'm looking forward to day 3 and getting into the next phase in our relationship with the kids.

I'm really enjoying the CI days, to get to know the people from the trip more, to learn more about God, to serve and be involved in God's work.

Jason Hartono

Translator from Indonesia

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Seeing God's Work This Week

Hello there! I just joined the CI team since they were in Jakarta along with approximately fifteen others as translators for the CI in Indonesia.

Coming in and doing CI translation is not something new to me. I've translated for four CIs before and I already knew, somewhat, what was coming. I knew what activities we will have, how tired we will be, what lessons we are going to teach. But what I didn't knew, nor have was the heart of the CI team.

Looking back (we're in Bandung now) to the CI in Jakarta I realized that I was not all in. I felt like this was just something I had to do and not something I wanted to do. So why do I need to put everything I have in it? Why should I get involved? But as I got to know the team and be around them, I realized that this is not about a task. It's a ministry and that means it is another great and special opportunity to glorify God.

I'm praying that God will work in every child this week. But not only that, I'm praying also that God will also work mightily in the teacher's and translator's lives as we approach this last week.

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"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Matthew 16:24

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I am privileged to be part of this team and I'm excited to see God's work this week!

Jonathan Hartono

Translator from Indonesia

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Highlight of the Trip

 

On Tuesday, I was teaching a lesson on Salvation and redemption and Trudy asked how we know that we are saved. I told her that if we asked Jesus into our hearts then he saves us from our sins.

On Friday, the children were all writing­­ out feedback forms about how ­­they enjoyed the CI and I looked at Trudy's paper and she had written: I want to know Christ. I asked her if I could talk with her, so we started talking. I explained to her the plan of salvation and asked her if she wanted to ask Jesus into her heart. She said Yes! I led her through the salvation prayer, she then shared with me that she lies to her parents and her classmates; so I explained how she needs to confess her sins to her parents and needs to turn from her sinful ways now that she is a Christian. We went to the large group to hear a story and Trudy started crying and asked if she could go to her Mom, I said she could. Then her Mom came to me later and asked why Trudy was crying and I told her how she wanted to ask Jesus into her heart. Then her Mom started to wipe tears from her eyes. This was my first time to lead someone to the Lord. I thank the Lord for blessing me with the opportunity to invest into these childrens' lives.


Deanna Glick
Team Member from USA

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An Ironic Experience

With each subsequent door we opened, it was as if we had entered a new world. The first door led into locker rooms, the next into a room with sinks on the floor and finally we entered a dimly lit room with a hundred recliner chairs, each with a personal screen beside. The ninety minute long foot reflexology session ended up costing around USD$3. It was ironic that such an extravagant experience had such a negligible price tag. I had mixed feelings about it all. On one hand, it was an enjoyable experience but on the other hand, considering how much the lady who was massaging my feet was paid was sobering. And so it is in Indonesia, where the divide between the rich and poor, our hosts' beautiful homes and the orphanage we visited on Wednesday can be unsettling.

We enjoyed a well-deserved off day today. The girls made an early morning trip for the aforementioned experience and later the whole team met together at a mall for some lunch and shopping. Our PEG (Prayer and Edification Group) enjoyed a time of sharing over lunch about how we've personally been doing on the trip. Each one rated how he or she was doing physically, emotionally and spiritually. I was thankful to see the high ratings everyone had which was a testament to how God has been keeping the team this year!

- A stair full of people! -

Over table tennis, basketball and lots of perspiration, the team had an outlet for their energy at a nearby sports centre in the afternoon. The day ended with a dinner hosted by the Indonesian ATI families. We enjoyed the time of fellowship with the amazing people who had made CI possible here!

- Our Jakarta team picture in an unusual location-

So quickly, our time in Jakarta has come to an end and tomorrow we travel to Bandung for our last week of CI. God has been so amazing this trip and as I look back and see His hand in both the small details and the big plans I am full of awe. I am thankful that He changes the hearts of people I thought impossible, I am thankful that through Him I have the power to do what is right, I am thankful that He is in control of all that happens here.

Jolynn Tan

Staff Member from Singapore

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Sad to Say Goodbye

Today's the last day of CI in Jakarta. I can't believe its already ending so soon! It's as if time sped up. 

- The Nehemiah skit -

The day started out with us leaving the house at early 6am to beat the Jakarta work jam. Waking up at 4am in the morning left me feeling like a zombie for the rest of the day. However, the moment the kids came, I felt super re-energized and ready to go! 

- Tracey's very creative thank you card for the people who made CI possible -

But, alas! The day didn't quite go as expected...I was poisoned! Haha, no lah, just had food poisoning so I had to keep going potty. 

Aside from that my assistant and translator was AWESOME! I'm so thankful to God for them. My translator was an experienced one and my assistant was great at crafts (something I'm not specialized in). 

- The amazing Jakarta student assistants! -

And then, suddenly it was over! I couldn't believe it! All that, and this is the end of CI Jakarta! But well, all things must pass so the new can come. With sadness, I say goodbye, but with rejoicing I say hello!

David Lim

Team Member from Malaysia

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Comic Relief (Part II)

- The Jakarta youth-to-youth meeting attendees -

Greetings fellow brothers and sisters in Christ! I'm Sir Sime”on” Spurgeon”off” and though a minstrel I may not be, a knight of CI land am I humble as can be. Where tale began with Jashver Kliffordson so it does continues on the morning of the 20th of June, in the year 2013 where it took place in the house of missions. Twas ten of the clock on fair Thursday morn where slumbering warriors lay, a snoring in unison to the melody of great hymns long past, for a hearty feast they did have the day before today. They awoke from their slumber and had a good shower to prepare them for what they had to say. So departing in cars they did, cause pressing matters did bid. Since the youth of the land had gathered that day. In rows and rows did the young people meet where Victor could share so that they could be aware of the troubles that a Christian had to defeat. A breaking of ice took place as a game of seals raced, where three knights won first, second and third place.

That's all for now of the saga told, yet not the end it will be, for there are others who will continue the tale whether a minstrel or knight they be.

Soon after we had to get everything ready for the children who were coming for CI. We had a great time with our group, which was a miracle as there were a few kid that were extremely hard to take care of. Even though there were times that I felt discouraged as there were days that our group was uncontrollable, I learned to trust in God and not allow my feelings to take control.

History was also made this year in CI as I had my first humble role in the a skit called “The Pieya In The Face” (robot version) as the roles that I have had were kind of conspicuous and eccentric.

As its really really really....really....really late I bid you good evening, Godspeed, and may your lances ever hit true.


Simeon Spurgeon Ho
Team Member from Singapore (mother from England – haha)

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The True Orphanage Experience

This week has been awesome and it is already the fourth day here in Jakarta! Time flies really fast. Everyone woke up early to go to an orphanage here. We were half excited and half nervous because we didn't know what kind of kids were there. After a half an hour ride, we arrived at our destination. I was shocked!! In my mind, I expected an air-conditioned home but instead, it was quite the opposite. I felt that God was testing me, to see if I was doing this for Him or for myself.

We started our programme with praise and worship, games and then stories. During lunch, I managed to talk with one of the kids. We shared some things about ourselves. When I asked him how long he had been in the orphanage, he told me that he had been there since he was born. Something struck me in my heart. A question came, "Are you happy with what you have?" I was speechless. With this life-changing question, my most honest answer was "Yes!"

- Victor having fun with his translator, Jonathan -

- Teaching a lesson on responsibility -

CI tonight went prety well. Eunice and Elizabeth did a great job in teaching songs and verses. Victor had the stories running really well. The children responded in both skits. To make my long story short, it's really great to gain experience in CI. So, that's all! Till next time!


Elijah Kong
Team Member from Malaysia

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Hold the Fort!

I hear an explosion... The ground rumbles... Flares started to flash... My heartbeat was racing.. Cries of children are heard.. Someone shouted "HOLD THE FORT!!"

That someone was me. I was shouting to my assistant "Take turns! Now you're in charge to take control of the fort!" I fled and seeked for "shelter", or else the fort would crumble down by explosion! Taking care of 12 kids with one of them having some special needs to be taken care of was not an easy job at all.

Alright alright... Let's just slow things down for a bit here. SEA CI, 3rd week, Jakarta. It started off really really well, until one of the kids who has special needs came. I had to sacrifice my assistant to take care of that kid, which means that I have to take care of the team all by myself. Which was pretty much an insane idea to me. 

- The cast of the Prodigal Son skit -

I don't understand why God would bring such difficulties throughout my CI journey. I was hoping that it will be a 'pleasant' walk with the Lord during a vacation. But that didn't happen. The Lord stretched me a lot!

- Victor revealing secrets and giving challenges to the student assistants -

The Lord humbled me a lot, He wanted to show me that He is the one in charge of the fort. Not me or my assistant, but He only. I realized that I was relying a lot on my own self instead of leaving it all to Him. I know that He can do greater things if I allow him to be the leader of the fort.

Well to make the long story short, I finally decided to rely on God rather than relying on myself. On the 3rd night in Jakarta, the Lord did a miracle! He touched each of the children's heart. He gave them an ear to listen. Each kid in the team was paying attention, doing the crafts, and asking questions. Now that, was totally unreal! And I know that it was not me. It was Him, working with His mighty hands.

Raddhitya "Brad" Badudu

Team Member from Indonesia

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New Week, New Challenges

Today we were able to get extra rest before heading off to devotions and teacher training. If I could absorb and apply all the things they have said, it would be great, but for some reason it comes harder than it sounds. The tips on working with a translator was very practical though.

Setting up went smoothly and supper was great. Then the children started arriving and it was CI in full swing.

The night went good and my children all knew English so the lesson was not totally dependent on translation, but was definitely understood better when translated.

I also got to act tonight and had a lot of fun trying to act like someone I never heard of. Acting for me on this trip started out with a lot of reservations, but I have come to enjoy the challenge and make the most out of it. (Seeing the children enjoy the lesson through drama makes it a blessing)

Yesterday the view of the many islands scattered along the way made my heart turn to God in thanks and awe at the beauty of his creation. "What is man, that thou art mindful of him?" Psalm 8:3

At immigration I forgot my passport at the visa counter, Aah, but thanks to one of the team I had it back before I knew I lost it. :-) In Indonesia, cars, motorbikes, and people are just about everywhere using lots of disorganized driving.

This whole trip has really stretched me in different ways. Getting to know people from many backgrounds, and being able to accept them where they are at, and yet seeing them all striving to walk in obedience to God. Direction is so much more important than position.

- Matthew checks out a durian -

I really enjoyed trying all the different new foods and seeing how many I actually liked. I have also really enjoyed the many group devotions with there deep applications to my life and the encouragement to do more, dig deeper, and apply God's truth.

“What is the Passion of my life? Defining passion ten different ways and seeing if God is my passion, if not, then why not?” My prayer is that God would help me change and make my passion Him and His Passion.

As for teaching the CI it has been a lot of fun. I have found both struggles and joy dealing with shy, rowdy, old, and young children. I often wonder if the children are enjoying the large group as much as I am. It has really stretched me preparing lessons, and delivering them on a child's level, and am really excited about the experience it has given me to use after I return home.

As I look ahead at the rest of this week, the thought of working through a translator on top of my feeble efforts to teach makes me hesitant. But I am sure God will provide new grace to face whatever may come in the future. 

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“My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

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Matthew Glick

Team Member from USA

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