Solo Mission Team - "Twelve Ongoing Study"

Surakarta, known as Solo, is a city that located in central Java which is in 10th rank of a big city in Indonesia. Solo is one of the centers of Java culture that has many interesting place and also with plural society. And on October 1st, 2009 mission team to Solo was officially sent, with eleven members which is Didit and Astri (a steady couple whose lead the Solo team), Yanto and Olvi (married couple), Dedy and Elvi (married couple), Yuli, Vidya, Rangga, Agus and Indra.

And the journey begins...the journey of eleven disciples who have a huge dream for God. Since the first time we stepped on this city we directly fall in love to this city and its people. We build a huge dream for God's movement in this city. All of us start from the beginning even from zero but it is not makes us hold our steps or even steps back from our huge dream for the mission in Solo.

The first Sunday service was attended by eleven visitors and all of them are willing to study bible regularly. Week by week our service keep growing, even we can't say luxurious yet, but in a simplicity of all the people's heart that attended the service make it warm and so close. And after three weeks in Solo we are adapted and enjoying this city more and more. But the most important thing is God delivered us to many people who have an extraordinary heart who wants to know and loves God deeper. Until today we already have seventeen people who willing to study bible including twelve ongoing study bible.

We met a girl 15 years old, named Dita, who longing for a community that can help her get closer to God. And just right she's a niece of a sister from Jogjakarta church named Wiwin. Dita has a good comprehension concerning to bible, even her parent never took her to go to the church but she really show her willing to know God deeper.

God also let us met a man around 40 years old named Sholeh. He is so attracted in God's Word and every time he sharing bible he's always exciting and he admit that he found so many new things that he never found before. He learns how to love God through His Word, he learns how to put God in his first priority of life and he also learns how to make his wife attracted to bible like him.

Many good news comes more and more to Solo, there is a married couple whose in a restoration process. For six years they leave church and this is the day that they are waiting for. They are very enthusiastic to go back to God and guided by His Word. This story is not going to stop here, we're blessed so much by God with many souls who thirst of God's Word and sigh for a pure love in kingdom of God. Our goal is in the early of the next month we will baptize four disciples and we believe it will happen soon because God want it.


Reported by: Didit & Astri

Makassar - "First Baptism (Part 2)"

Ronal became a disciple of Jesus while in college in Surabaya. It was precisely in December 2003. He had a dream and always prays for the city of Makassar. Ronal parents asked him to return to Makassar after he finished his college. However, because there is no church there in Makassar, Ronal just went to Jakarta to open a small business. And after a mission to Makassar are going to be send, Ronal then decided to go even has to leave his steady. In Makassar, Ronal had been helped Burhanudin*), an old friend since they were study in the same Elementary School. More than that, there are also six of Ronal friends and family who were now studying the Bible. Ronal is a brother who is the most highly grown in the Mission Team Makassar.



*)Burhanudin was a single. He is a friend of Ronal who at the first time meet with Makassar Mission Team at the airport Hasannudin. Since that time, Burhan never missing attending church service even only sit on the floor of a modest house. Until finally he took the decision to be disciples of Jesus on September 19, 2009. Burhan previously was a very worldly and not interested in God but he has repented and changed by the word of God.

Makassar - "First Baptism (Part 1)"

Mrs. Silvana (51 y/o) is the mother of Revi*), a member of the Makassar Mission Team who strongly supports the mission team in that city. Before the Mission Team arrives there, Mrs. Silvana experienced a serious accident when accompanied by Revi’s brother named Cello. However, it does not make Mrs. Silvana stop giving and supporting the team. He prepared all things as finding a place to stay for the team for three months and the needs such as beds, appliances, cooking utensils and others. In fact, Mrs. Silvana has prepared a place to stay for the team for the next one year.

After studying the Bible with the Mission Team, Mrs. Silvana decided to become disciples of Jesus and states that she wants to devote the rest of her life for God. Because of the attention and concern for the members of the Mission Team, Mrs. Silvana seen as a mother figure for the team members and also as a prayer in the church.


*)Revi experienced bitterness toward Mrs. Silvana before she became a disciple of Christ. But after studying the Bible, precisely in 1996, Revi apologized to her mother. She prayed every day for Mission Team to be sent to Makassar. Revi also been fruitful that is her sister, Delia, and her brother-in-law from other religion backgrounds, too, now was studying the Bible. Revi is very oriented to the Lord.

Bangka - "Bangka Church Growing 4 Baptism"

Recently, God has added four new people in the Church of Bangka. Here, in the Church of Bangka, there was a 3rd grade junior high school teenager named Jordy. He is our neighbor who is very adept at playing music and very helpful in Song Ministry. His father and mother also adept at playing music and active in their church. However, they strongly support the Church of Bangka even always lend a keyboard to be used in the event our services.

In the church of Bangka there is also a man named Luken. He is the cousin of Ahen and Alfon that was recently baptized. Although opposed by his family and relatives, Luken did not waver. His wife named Vivi even support Luken because of course she can see the change of the personality and the life of her husband. More than that, she also was studying the Bible until now. She wishes to be baptized in the month of October this year.

Besides Jordy, Luken, Vivi, there are also A Lim and Renita who were actually preparing their wedding, but, it is God's plan because A Lim studied the Bible with the Church of Bangka. And not long after that, he took Renita to study the Bible together with him. Approximately 1 month of studying the Bible, they finally decided to be baptized to be disciples of Jesus and of course they will become the new married couple and the first in the Church of Bangka this year.

Pekan Baru - "First Baptism"

Mission team members Pekan Baru evangelize people anywhere in the city. At malls, markets, stores, houses, and various locations.

On the way home, Juwita and Princess, two members of the mission team met a man who asked a specific address to them. After answering those questions, they invited him to attend to the meeting of the Bible discussion on the next day. On the day, the man came with 3 of his friends as he had promised.

One of them is 24-year-old man named Irvan Hurray who worked as a construction supervisor. He followed the Bible lessons and stop smoking habit which is very difficult for him to left it. Once he understand the love and sacrifice of Christ through the study of the Cross, Irvan Hurray finally made the decision to be disciples of Christ and was baptized on September 27, 2009.

Surabaya - "Our father finally got baptized"

We are joyful because one by one of our family members become disciples of Jesus. Starting with my oldest brother, Muksin who was an occult believer. After a former school friend invited him to church, he studied the Bible there, and then he repented and was baptized in 1993.

Muksin experienced a very radical change in his life. I was very inspired to study the Bible and was also baptized in 1993. Then I took my sister, Akhim, to study the Bible in the following Sunday. She was baptized two weeks after that.

I wrote a letter to the oldest sister in Jakarta. I share my life story, and about God's plan. She responded well and also studied the Bible and became a disciple of Christ in 1995.

In 1996, when the mission team sent from Surabaya to Pontianak, Muksin, Akhim and I decided to go to reach our parents and our youngest brother there. He became a student a year later when he was in high school in 1997. My mother also studied the Bible. Although she could not read the Bible in Indonesian, she studied with my sister in law, Lily, by using Chinese language Bible. Mom finally was baptized in 2001.

My father was the last member of our family who became Disciples of Christ. He is our prayer for 16 years. During that time, Muksin, Akhim and her husband Doni always shared about how to live like Jesus. Once he was arrogant, irritable, and hard-hearted. However, in the mid of year 2009, he started visiting our church consistently. He studied the Bible every week with church leaders Surabaya, Alin and Johnson, and on August 9, 2009, my father finally got baptized.


Shared by: Ching Yong

Makassar - "First Church Service"

Makassar Mission Team has arrived on Thursday, August 20th, 2009 at 15:00 in Makassar, which has a population of 1.5 million people. They were picked up by Mr. Reinald, the brother of Ronald and Burhan, who is currently studying the Bible.

Although they were faced with hot air temperature, and a somewhat different language-accent-dialect which was a bit unusual for them, our team is still on fire for God.

The first church service held in Makassar was on August 23rd, 2009. It was conducted by sitting on the floor and an attendance of 26 people, including 5 children. Their first Bible Talk was attended by 28 people. Until now the Makassar Mission Team has had 7 people who were studying the Bible.

Keep praying for the Makassar Mission Team!