This is a long post. A general outline is necessary, but the important stuff comes after that. We had to keep a journal throughout the trip and one of the questions was: What are better questions you wish people would ask when you describe your trip? So, I will answer a few of those too, and if you've already heard about the trip, you can skip to the end.
But first, the trip itself.
We flew 14 1/2 hours from Atlanta to Seoul, South Korea, during which I pretty much just watched movies, ate, and slept. I tried to be more productive, but between laziness, a decent in-flight movie selection, and sleepiness, my time was doomed to be sub-productive. We had a layover in Korea that was just long enough to go check into a hotel, sleep about 6 hours, watch some crazy Korean TV (lots of singing and dancing), and get ready to head back to the airport for our 6 hour trip down to Jakarta.
We arrived in Jakarta on Saturday night and our group of 11 split up into three houses. I accompanied 3 of my fellow students to a beautiful house (possibly the nicest I have ever been in) and became the guest of the wonderful hosts, Daniel, Mariana, James, and Josephina. Sunday morning we attended an English speaking church called Wesley Methodist Church in Jakarta. It was a moving service and I immediately felt the broad arms of God drawing us together from the first song. I don’t even remember the song itself, but the powerful feeling of global community and brother/sisterhood with strangers was amazing. The worship was concluded with an empowering rendition of the Hallelujah chorus. The rest of the day we journeyed around Jakarta some, stopping for a refreshing orange and coconut drink and some time at a mall before a delicious dinner.
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| n.b. more pictures at facebook |
All the food was wonderful and I wish I was still eating it now. Rice was included in almost every dish (really....even the snacks...yum), and much was similar to our general concept of “Asian” food with a good variety of seafood and meats in savory and often spicy sauces. We ate very well and were constantly treated to lavish meals. I was unfortunately sick for one whole day and could not eat anything then, but definitely made up for it the rest of the week.
Monday through Friday we stayed at a retreat center about an hour outside of the city for the seminar. It was also very nice. Each day we had several large group lectures over the theme of faith sharing and also broke out into smaller groups and more intimate ministry sharing wesley groups, all of which were very engaging and meaningful. I especially prized the moments in between sessions at meals and over tea when I got to talk with some of the 100 Indonesian pastors that attended and developed friendships with many of them. English was spoken about half the time, but many people were fluent enough to carry on conversations. I also got to play with the worship band some and got to know them fairly well. Nevertheless, much of my time during the presentations was spent running cameras and seeing to the behind-the-scenes stuff, which I did enjoy.
One day we got to venture out and visit with a group from a nearby university that was participating in a team/leadership building camp. They were all enthusiastic and it was good to interact with them and get a better sense of what Indonesia is like.
On Saturday we concluded the seminar at Wesley church and had more nice meals. Sunday we attended the english service again, went to lunch and shopping with our gracious and hilarious hostess, and attended the Aldersgate service at a different church that night. It was a very moving service of remembering John Wesley’s warmed heart and opening our own to be stirred by God.
Monday and Tuesday were our last days in the country and we spent them touring some of Indonesia. We went to Taman Mini, which is a park that has representations of each traditional culture comprising Indonesia, which is a collection of many small and large islands. We got to walk around and look at some of the houses before loading back up and traveling further out from the city to a safari. I’ll admit that I was a little skeptical about the safari at first because animals are animals, but I had a wonderful time. It was a lot of fun driving through and feeding the animals from the car. I must not fail to mention our wonderful tour guide and dear friend, Raisa, who accompanied us. She was very helpful in guiding us through a day of Indonesian fun and it was great to get to know her throughout the seminar. Monday ended with a cultural night where we got to see and hear traditional dancing, clothing, and songs from many parts of Indonesia. There were so many talented people of all ages and it was a joy to be a part of that culture and share in their heritage.
On Tuesday, we toured the city some more, visiting a shipyard and a steel mill owned by some members of the church. I really enjoyed this and was fascinated by the production of the steel (and the workers dealing with the red hot metal who were only wearing sandals). Also, it was refreshing, although slightly sad in a way, to see up close the working class of Indonesia. I realized how pampered we had been all trip (which I am not complaining about at all :) and was grateful to be connected to the more earthy side of things. We finished by spending some time shopping at a very large market that was a little overwhelming for me, especially given the fact that I am a terrible shopper.
Then, after a week and a half that truly flew by, we were flying back to Seoul and finally to Atlanta. I was sad to have to leave after what felt like such a short trip, and would have gladly spent another month there at least (although I am equally as excited to be back working with the youth ministry at Decatur FUMC).
Now, to my questions:
How were you transformed on this trip?
First, my eyes and heart were opened to the amazing impact and power of unmitigated hospitality. I have never experienced such generosity and service in all my life and am now incredibly energized to bless others in the way I was so richly blessed. So, if you want to visit me, now is a good time.
My eyes and mind were also opened to a new culture. This was the first time I traveled to a non-Western, non-English speaking country. I was excited to learn new phrases, taste new tastes, and be immersed in a place that at times seemed so refreshingly different from America.
Also, my heart was primed to beat more for those who do not know the gospel. After seeing and hearing about the courage of the Indonesian pastors who are passionate about sharing faith in such a more difficult context than I will ever face in America, I could not ignore the urgings in my heart to be a loving presence in my own context, gently guiding as many as I can toward the good news of Christ.
What are the biggest differences between America and Indonesia?
The similarities were actually more surprising and humorous, like the fact that KFC was very popular in Jakarta, probably more so than in the US.
A major difference, which was not immediately noticeable in the city, is the Muslim influence. Indonesia is a Muslim country with many Fundamentalist groups residing on some of the more remote islands. Jakarta is like any big city and religion is not as big an issue as I presume it is elsewhere in the country, but I believe it is still difficult to get a permit to build a church anywhere in the country, forcing many groups to be without a building. I heard several stories of pastors having to deal with tense religious issues, and much of the Christian outreach is primarily geared toward proving that the Christians are a non-threatening presence, so there is a lot of free rice and medical distribution and a big emphasis on establishing schools. While many (Christians) in America try their hardest to create these issues with the fuel of distrust and ignorance, I found that most Christians in Indonesia were trying their hardest to alleviate the hateful boundaries that we have allowed to grow up between us with the strong salve of love, concern, and compassion.
One thing that surprised me was that there were wooden carts being pulled around everywhere, lots of people and kids on the streets during the day, and old shacks put up all over the place even right next to high rise bank buildings. The scene was so different from our carefully designed cities that are comparatively well kept and neat - in Jakarta it was like two worlds had crashed together and the wreckage was strewn about.
That reminds me that there are basically no traffic laws in Indonesia. I suppose I have also been transformed in my appreciation of American traffic laws (at least when safety is at stake), and I now know just how worse it can get - so Atlanta doesn’t seem so bad anymore.
Besides all this, I think the biggest difference is that Americans don’t wash their rice. I am only half joking, and if you really want to see how big of a deal this is, just mention it to your closest Asian friend; if you don’t have one, stop reading and go find one.
How did you experience and share love on this trip?
Primarily through the amazing hospitality, which I feel that I cannot mention enough. I tried to be the best guest I could and graciously received such hospitality. This was sometimes not an easy task though, like whenever one of our organizers for the trip and regional secretary, Maimuna, ate with me and all but forced me to eat much more than I was prepared for, especially after a day of being ill.
I was also able to begin meaningful friendships even in the short time we were there. Our shared interests in ministry and the relation through Christ’s love that is stronger than any bond brought us all close together. We were able to share worship together and participate in the glorification of God with one another. I experienced God’s loving hand opening my heart to my Indonesian brothers and sisters. We shared the difficulties and joys of living out our callings to ministry and shared laughs and prayers.
One specific instance of selfless love came the night I was sick. Some of the other students were also ill that day and one of the pastors and translators, Denny, came by and saw us wallowing on the couches in self-pitying pain. He immediately asked us what was wrong and after hearing of our stomach problems, called his baker (it was around 7-8pm) to get him to bake us some bread for the next morning. He went and picked it up and brought it back to us that we might enjoy it after our day of fasting. And it was very delicious - fresh breads filled with either pineapple jam or cheese.
All in all, it was an amazing trip. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to go and to re-experience it each time I tell others about it.
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