Finally, some time to work in an update, though for a few reasons it will be a little vague. This past weekend all of us on the Discovery Team traveled to a nearby city to visit a large church there to participate in their services. We left Jakarta on Friday afternoon by rented car and made the 2 ½ hour drive to a college where we slept for the weekend. Saturday morning we were visited by two people who are involved with ministry to our “cousins” (i.e. those that follow the majority religion here). One of them has left his comfortable life and become a low class laborer to allow him to make relationships with cousins in his new line of work. He is totally investing his life in reaching them, even taking them into his home to give them a place to stay. The other is running a school for that teaches literacy and general knowledge in order to become involved in the lives of children and their families in their city. They have been threatened with closure by the government several times. In the afternoon we did a little sight seeing in a small tour bus. We visited an active volcano, reeking of sulfur and smoldering with hot gas. And we stopped by a spa whose water is heated by the volcano to 120F. It’s a popular spot for people seeking to get relief from their ailments. On our way to our next stop the bus was hit by a young lady on a motor scooter. She was hurt a bit, so we put her on the bus so the driver could take her to the Hospital, and we waited nearby for a replacement bus. Life here is different, so involving police, ambulances etc. doesn’t usually benefit anybody. After the new bus picked us up we went to a concert put on by a children’s group. There were dozens of children playing angklung, a traditional bamboo instrument. After the concert, on our way to dinner, our new bus was hit by a Kijang, a small suv-like vehicle. There wasn’t much damage so the driver paid our driver and we were on the way. After dinner at a traditional restaurant we headed back to the college to prepare for the services Sunday. The accidents reflect both the crowded, hectic streets of this city and the unpredictable nature of life. And they also show us that God is in control and uses the things we see as challenges to give us opportunities we do not expect. The urban sprawl of the city and the contrasting natural beauty of the country side around it is becoming a familiar kind of contrast here in Indonesia. There is the ugly and the beautiful, the rich and the poor, the convenient and the maddeningly tedious, and none of these can be taken with out the other. This is a land of sharp contrasts, and few shades of gray.
this past Saturday
