Dongi Dongi Mission Trip Reflection

Feeling Accomplished

One of the common critiques of short-term mission trips is around the immediate and long-term impact of the mission activity.  Some wonder if anything of lasting significance can be accomplished in a couple of weeks.  Others question if the money spent on the cost of the mission trip could be better utilised by sending it directly to the mission field.  While these are valid questions that should be given reasonable consideration, at the end of our three weeks in Indonesia I am left with the following reflective conclusions:

• We have mobilised a team of Salvationists from our Corps to actively engage in the international mission of The Salvation Army.
• We have evoked a spirit of generosity in our Corps and community to resource the vision of an overseas Corps and community.
• We have invested into the lives of 180 children and their families by helping to establish a school building more appropriate for the needs of the local community.
• We have partnered with a community by participating alongside them in a project that has laid the foundation for ongoing relationship beyond the end product.
• We have shared life with other Salvationists through local hospitality, mutual encouragement and pastoral ministry.
• We have been mutually enriched by exchanging broader perspectives of Salvationism through our respective cultural expressions and experiences.
• We have responded to unplanned ministry opportunities adding value to and alleviating stress from local leadership and discipleship initiatives.
• We have followed-up relationships established during previous trips through ministry engagement that continues to sow into the faith journey of other Salvationists.
• We have returned home better equipped with a higher level of cultural intelligence to more effectively engage cross-culturally in our Corps and community.

It is one thing to contribute to a mission by sending money but quite a different experience to commit to a mission by going and personally engaging with those on the mission field.  Both can be valuable, but approached with right attitude the latter fosters a level of engagement that puts relationships ahead of the task and helps to develop a level of cultural intelligence that can integrate into mission and ministry back home.

Dongi Dongi Mission Trip - Day 18

Final Day in Palu

Waking up on our final day in Palu was a little surreal after three very busy weeks working alongside three shifts of amazing team members who have fully engaged with our mission trip.  Not only have we accomplished what we came to do but have been richly blessed by generous hospitality, good friends and a number of unplanned ministry opportunities. One of these unplanned ministry opportunities was to participate in the Youth Meeting at Towua Corps, an invitation we received earlier in our trip.

Before the Youth Meeting we ventured one last time out into Palu for a motorbike tour with Nyoman and Tato, who took us up a mountain that overlooked the city.  Half way up the single trail track Nyoman's motorbike overheated leaving us stranded on the side of the track.  Tato and Neville continued up the mountain while Nyoman and I rolled back down the mountain to get help.  Fortunately, part way down the bike restarted and we avoided a long walk back home!  Unfortunately, Nyoman lost his phone where we had broken down somewhere back up the mountain!!

After our little misadventure I finished preparing my sermon for the Youth Meeting and we then joined a very eager youth team for a great night of worship.  Throughout our trip we have observed a vibrancy and passion among Indonesian Salvation Army youth in a number of locations and the Towua Corps youth were no exception tonight.  Their worship team, dancers and timbrelists expressed a joy that transcended language, uniting us in spirit as we worshipped together.  Once again we were deeply moved to see the Spirit of God minister in the lives of these young people who responded to the message.

Dongi Dongi Mission Trip - Day 13

Unity in Worship

Worshipping in Indonesia brings with it an interesting paradox for me.  On the one hand it is steeped in tradition and a familiar form everywhere we go.  Yet on the other hand, there is a tangible presence of the Holy Spirit and a deep hunger for worship.  It is not difficult to connect with the heart of Indonesian Salvationists as we unite together in songs of praise in both Bahasa and English.

Today, I had another opportunity to preach, following on from last week's message in Joshua with the theme - 'What Next?'  God had prepared Joshua to take over the leadership of Moses and lead the Israelites into the promised land.  In the reading today we picked up from when Joshua told the people of Israel to "go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own" (Joshua 1:11).  Joshua was READY, the plan was SET, all that was left to do was for the people to GO!

At the conclusion of the service, after a moving altar call that saw many in the congregation respond to the call to 'go' and take possession of God's promises, I was confronted by the final prayer of the Corps Officer.  He prayed for Christian churches in Aceh that had been burned down last week.  Knowing there had been fires across some parts of Indonesia, I asked Nyoman if these churches were affected by the fires, but was informed that they had been burned to the ground by militant Muslims.  There is something very sobering about worshipping in a country alongside Salvationists who don't pray for the persecuted church from a distance but from a very real position of vulnerability.

 

After two previous attempts to get home, we accompanied Stav to the airport in the afternoon for his third attempt.  And yet again, his flight was cancelled!  Even with boarding passes in hand and baggage checked in, Stav was grounded for another night.  It seems Garuda didn't listen to my message - READY, SET, GO!  

"What next?"  We try again tomorrow morning on the early flight.

Jakarta Mission Trip (Day 1)

There are those moments in time when you are reminded of the unique bond we have with the Holy Spirit that transcends cultural divides and truly unites us as brothers and sisters in Christ. Today was one of those moments. Reconnecting with Nyoman Timonuli, with whom we trained in The Salvation Army Officer Training College, and his beautiful family, was much more than old friends reuniting. As he shared God's vision for his church and the clear purpose he saw in this vision for their community, it was clear that the same Spirit was at work in Jelambar as in Noarlunga! He spoke of the brokenness in every direction around his church, which reflects the same brokenness we identify in our neigbourhood. He shared a vision of a prayer tower shining light into that brokenness, we see our 24-7 Prayer Room as a lighthouse in the darkness that surrounds us. He struggles with spiritual attacks every time they try to advance, we too experience the reality of this spiritual warfare while advancing the Kingdom. He seeks ownership from his congregation of God's vision, we are constantly connecting people to a shared vision. He settles for nothing less than the plans God has for them; we are uncompromising on God's preferred reality for His people! Although, these similarities could describe any number of congregations living out God's mission, it was a moment of unmistakable spiritual unity between two Corps, united by one Spirit. It is into this spiritual environment that we commence our mission trip and partner with another Corps to see the fulfilment of God's transforming vision for a lost and broken world!