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Volume. XXXIV, No. 44 Batam Missions (Part 4) Editor’s Note: This week’s article is the fourth of a series written by Elder Michael D Lee on our Missions Team’s trip to Batam in January 2020.
Reports from team members
I had the opportunity to visit Filadelfia B-P Batam for the first time from the 16th-20th January 2020 together with the team and it was indeed an eye-opening experience. This was not my first missions trip as I have previously been to Cambodia twice as a university student, but it was my first trip to Batam.
I had the privilege to meet up with Preacher AL, her husband Deacon A, and their congregation as well as workers in both the orphanage ministry as well as primary school. I was asked to prepare a Bible Study on the Book of Haggai and it was kindly translated by our own brother EL so that the notes could be printed in Bahasa Indonesia, for the church leaders who attended the bible study.
Going to Batam also allowed me to discuss with them the needs of the ministry over there. I was also able to see first-hand the fruits of the kind donations of the Hopefuls, such as the school fence as well as the laptops available to the school children for their computer classes. Currently there is a need for a new orphanage van as their current 7 seater is being used to transport the orphanage children as well as the 2 orphanage workers (2 adults and 14 children!), is more than 10 years old and getting too small as some of the orphans are in their teenage years. Please continue to pray for them for God to provide for their needs.
People in Batam are mostly living in poverty and the environment and hygiene there is not great. There is almost no public transportation. In the mission school, the number of students is larger than I expected. All of the children are lovely. Almost all the teaching staff are Christians. The classes that I observed were lacking structures. Sister AL advised that the school is financially restricted so that they could not afford to find teachers with more experience. The orphanage looks humble but clean. The children who reside there all seemed satisfied and they all know the Lord. Everybody we met in the facility serve the Lord in their own way.
I mostly participated in some teaching activities. I taught two English classes. The children in my class know some English but mostly the classes were conducted through translation. The children all have good manners and hospitality. They shook my hands and pulled my hands to their heart or head every time when classes finished. Sister AL explained that is a way to say that the children would remember me in their heart, which is very touching. Aunty A, J and I also held a special session for the children. We gave them the “wordless book” and showed them how to fill the books with bible verses. It was incredible that they all made their wordless books with sincerity. By the end of the session, every child was gifted a Koala stuffed animal, candies and stationeries. They all loved their Koalas.
Participating in this mission enables me to reflect on my own spirituality. I realize how privileged I am and how bountifully God has provided for me along my life's journey. I was really touched that although the environment in Batam is not great, the Christians we met there all serve God with love and passion. I think going on a mission trip is not about how much I can do physically. Rather, it enhances my personal spiritual growth and it delivers the message to missionaries there that we care for them as we treasure God’s Kingdom. If in the future, there are further mission opportunities coming up, I would go again. I would also encourage people to go as we can witness God’s work with our eyes.
The scripture that specially encouraged me is Romans 5:2 as it tells that no matter where we live and who we are, we have access to God’s grace through our faith in Jesus Christ and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
“By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” - Romans 5:2
To be continued………
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