Intro to the Mission

The following are excerpts from my prayer letter to my home church, Faith Community...

I have accepted the opportunity to serve at Jakarta International Christian Fellowship in Jakarta, Indonesia.  Jakarta is the capital and largest city in Indonesia with almost 15,000 people per square kilometer.  JICF is a non-denominational church of about 1,200 members from all over the globe whose mission is “to live out their lives in full obedience to the Lord, and to reach out to encourage others to be fully devoted followers of Christ.”  The church is led by a team of elders, with no paid professional staff.  I will be one of a few full-time volunteers.  

I will serve as a mentor to youth in grades 7 through 12, building relationships with them as individuals and in small groups, and discipling them in their relationships with Christ.  I look forward to spending time, both at church and outside of it, encouraging the youth to follow Jesus with a passion that compels others to pursue Him as well – just as the mission statement for the youth program states.  In addition to working with the youth at JICF, I will have the opportunity to participate in some of the 20+ ministries the church supports throughout the country including services for street children, orphanages, refugees, and ESL classes.  I have committed to one year of devoting myself to this position.

I believe that God has been preparing me for this adventure for many years.  While attending Wheaton College (BA Spanish), I spent two months in Guatemala teaching in a school for children who lived in an area surrounding the city dump.  This sparked my interest in teaching and added to my love of working cross-culturally.  I continued my education at Wheaton, earning an MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and finally completed an MA in Teaching from Aurora University.  Since then, I have held various positions as short-term teacher and substitute in the area, submitted what feels like thousands of teaching applications, but never landing a permanent position.  I knew God had plans for my future and was trying to be patient in waiting for His guidance.

This spring, I felt led to really take a step out in faith.  I started by changing my lifestyle – cutting out things that were not edifying in my relationship with Christ, becoming more committed in my daily quiet times, and even exercising more and eating healthier.  During this time, I was involved in a women’s Bible study that really started to tickle my spirit.  The sessions were on the subject of faithfulness – both ours and God’s.  That message really met me right where I was, and I knew God was speaking to me.  The next topic was abundance, using Ephesians 3:20-21 as the key scripture.  The lessons during that week were so vivid in my head it was almost uncomfortable for me to continue, knowing that God was going to surprise me – and He was going to do it now!  

That Sunday, May 1st, I heard three different messages.  The first was from Pastor Jeff on Going Beyond.  He taught us that God uses ordinary, humble people, to do great things.  He gave us the example of William Tyndale, as well as Biblical characters such as Moses, Jeremiah, and Peter.  All of these people gave excuses as to why they were not the right choice, but God used them despite their lack of confidence, proving that He had strategically chosen each one.  The second message came as I was teaching a lesson to the kids in Sunday school on John, who dropped what he was doing and left everything and everyone behind in order to follow Jesus.  Finally, I heard from Pastor Jesse, my brother, who spoke in the Spanish service on how to be Christian light to others.  I knew I was close to something big.  That same evening my parents and I met with friends of the family who are missionaries in Jakarta.  They wondered if I would be interested and available to serve the youth at their church.  There was little doubt in my mind that this was exactly what God had been preparing me for.  I immediately sent out requests for prayer, my tickets were purchased four days later, and I leave on May 24.

As you can imagine, I am overwhelmed with last minute preparations, purchases, and farewells.  However, I have never once questioned my decision to embark on this journey.  God has provided an abundance of peace in such a nerve-racking situation.  I know how important the prayer support of my church will be in the success of this mission and ask that you pray for safety in travel, wisdom and discerning in mentoring the youth, as well as my own spiritual and emotional growth.