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 21

Answered Prayer!

In my previous blog post I briefly shared that I lost my phone at a major shopping mall in Jakarta.  This is not how I imagined finishing up our mission trip!  However, after some fervent prayer and the determined actions of my travel companions, this happened (as shared on Facebook):

"I would like to share with you an extraordinary experience I had this morning! On Saturday I lost my iPhone while at a major shopping mall in Jakarta, which contained my credit card, driver's licence and medicare card in the cover. You can imagine my distress at losing my phone and identification in such a busy foreign city!! Yesterday morning, Neville and Nyoman decided to try calling my phone from Nyoman's Indonesian number, to no avail. However, last night we noticed two missed calls on Nyoman's phone from my phone number. Nyoman called back and discovered that my phone was found on the ground beside our car in the car park at the mall by a man from Bandung. He took the phone home and tried to send a message to me via my Instagram account, which was still logged in on my phone. This morning, this man and his family drove all the way from Bandung, about a 3 hour drive, back to Jakarta to return my phone and identification to me! While this alone is remarkable, my phone was still in 'flight mode' and my SIM card was disabled by Telstra after we reported it missing, so it shouldn't have received our call; the battery on my phone never holds charge for more than a day anymore; and it was found by a Muslim man and returned by his family who wanted to demonstrate the integrity of their faith. I praise God for this miracle against the odds of ever seeing my phone again and the risk of my ID being used for identity fraud overseas. I'm still astounded by this incredible blessing!!"

What threatened to be a spoiler of an extraordinary mission trip became a major highlight!  Once again I was reminded how God can use any situation to bring unexpected encounters and blessings that reinforce how great He really is!!  I also can't help thinking that my encounter with this family is no accident and that our paths will cross again some time in the future.

 

Dongi Dongi Mission Trip - Days 19 & 20

Return to Jakarta

Following Stav's saga of getting home after a number of flight cancellations due to lingering smoke from fires, we were watching the flights in and out of Palu very carefully.  Fortunately, our early flight out of Palu departed without incident and we arrived in Jakarta on time for the final stage of our journey.  It was great to be greeted at the airport by Nyoman's brother and brother-in-law, who welcomed us as a part of the Timonuli family.  We enjoyed refreshments at Major Spener and Rai's quarters at Jakarta #2 Corps before booking into our hotel and heading out to the local shopping mall for lunch and an amazing massage!  Unfortunately, Nyoman's misfortune of losing his phone the day before transfered to me with my phone disappearing in the shopping mall car park.  More about that in my final blog post!

One of the things I love about traveling overseas is exploring the local market place, especially experiencing the flavours and fragrances of street food.  There is something captivating about the buzz and activity of street stalls that come alive at night!  The first night in Jakarta we played it safe by enjoying a delicious duck meal - bebek goreng.  The following night Neville was determined to try cobra, which was selected from a cage live and we got to see every stage of its preparation before eating it coated in satay and chili.

On Sunday we were doubly blessed by worshipping at Jakarta #2 Corps in the morning and Jelambar Corps in the evening.  I had the privilege of preaching in both meetings and praying alongside two special people who have been journeying through some very difficult times.  Leading up to our mission trip we became aware that the two year old son of a couple we met during our Jakarta Mission Trip in 2011 had a stroke.  His condition was serious and we united with an Army of Salvationists all around the world to pray for his healing.  I can't describe our joy to see this little boy walking around as a testimony to God's grace!  The faith of his young parents is inspiring and to see them totally surrender to God's will for their lives despite their son's condition is as much a testimony as his healing.  

 

We were particularly looking forward to sharing with our friends at Jelambar who have remained a special part of our lives since meeting and serving them in 2011. Our two day stopover in Jakarta on our way home from Palu allowed us time to follow-up and renew these friendships, being mutually encouraged by seeing how God is at work in each other's lives.

 

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.