TORCH TRINITY ANGEL PROJECT 2011: LOVE INDONESIA

        After months of tireless preparations, waking up early in the morning to sell bread and raise funds, relentless prayers of the team and its supporters, the Torch Trinity Angel Project embarked on a short term mission trip to Indonesia, in the small island of Batam, Feb. 7-18. Our team was headed by Dr. Hyung Jin Park and was comprised of Torch students Suwon Kim, Christine Lee, EunHee Kim, Sungjun Brian Bang, Joel Closa, Nurcahaya Sipahutar, Atem Anichari, KyungHee Choi, Erland De Vera Palean, YangSup Shim and KyungAh Jun, one of Torch’s library staff.

        Indonesia, being the most populated Muslim country in the world and having more than 17,000 islands is a country ready for the harvest of souls. However, the enormous work needs to be done with zeal and passion and this was what we had in mind to accomplish in less than two weeks of our stay in Batam Island.

        Our group was hosted by Rev. James Gwangjin Kim, an alumnus of Torch Trinity and a resident missionary in the island, Rev. Enos Kim, missionary in Batam for twenty years, and Cahaya's family. Our excitement to do the ministry built up upon knowing that the work of the Lord is evident in the lives of these two humble servants and in their ministry. The schedule was full packed, yet, the enthusiasm of everyone was apparent as they begin to do the work of the Lord.

       The first day after we arrival, our team headed to Sekolah Tinggi Theologia Injil-Indonesia (STII) which was founded by Missionary Enos Kim. Dr. Hyung Jin Park gave a four-day lecture on the “Journey of the Gospel and the Emergence of World Christianity” to the students of STII. The students were from different parts of Indonesia, and even as far as Malaysia.

        This is the same Bible School, where Nurcahaya Sipahutar, a present student of Torch, and a member of the mission trip, graduated. While on lecture breaks, we shared our journey in faith helping the students understand their backgrounds and learn that despite of having diverse cultural backgrounds, God showed himself sovereign in calling people to himself. The group also serenaded the students with Indonesian gospel songs and rendered a pantomime led by Joel, Atem and Dr. Shim.

        We also assisted in repainting the STII dormitory for two consecutive days unmindful of the scorching heat of the sun. The dormitory cannot even compare to what we have in Seoul and this humbled everyone to help out the students more. Our ministry in STII commenced with an amazing time of fellowship where the team encouraged and prayed for the students and their instructors.

        The Angel Project team then visited SMP Tunas Baru Jin Seung Middle School where 300 middle school students, along with their teachers, were treated to a morning of fun and faith encouraging testimony and presentations. This school was founded by Rev. Enos Kim to help the students stay grounded in their faith as they slowly face the reality of the world. Courtesy of our supporters and sponsors, our group donated vitamins and socks for the students. We also had a chance to minister to kindergartens in a park bringing to them the joy of being children of God.

        Rev. James Kim led then led us to Batam Korean Church, which is located up on the hill but was closed due to an ongoing government project. Rev. Kim laid out the story of the struggle of owning that piece of land so that the Korean diaspora in Batam would have a place to worship. We prayed for God’s sovereign power to act and help the Koreans to find a place to worship and fellowship in this very difficult circumstance.

        The team served a local and a diaspora church on Sunday. One group led the Sunday School in Oikomene Church, Cahaya’s home church, while the other served the Kids in the temporary worship place of Batam Korean Church, where Dr. Park also delivered God’s message during the main service.

        We also visited a church in Lingka Island, which is a boat ride away from Batam. The congregation here is composed mostly of impoverished families whose children have to sail a boat on their own in order to go to school in Batam, which takes them almost four hours to travel back and forth. It was such an eye-opening and an emotional time as the group listened to the stories of the families, their struggles, hardships, and the children’s unwavering aspiration to find a place in the sun in spite of the its seeming impossibility.

        This time provided the team with the naked reality of what the small islands in Indonesia are facing and the need for the family of God around the world to rally behind them in prayers and support.

        We also prayed for the church’s resident missionary from Jakarta, Vandalia Herman, and the congregation, and offered their help by contributing a small amount of their budget to help repair the wood-bridges linking the church and the villages on the island so they can come safely in the church to worship.

        The culmination of our mission trip took place at SMP Tunas Baru Jin Seung Middle School where we conducted the Wordless Book Discovery English Camp. About sixty students participated in the whole day affair and were treated with a whole lot of activities including fun games, action songs, group presentations and exhortations from the team members.

        The Angel Project Mission Trip was indeed a God-ordained event to remember. We saw how God moved from its preparation up its commencement and realized that in the Lord’s vineyard, it takes unity of mission-minded people and their humility to serve, to accomplish God’s work. The group became God’s hands and feet to the people in Batam, prayerfully hoping that in the future, God’s beloved people in the island will in turn be the voice of God’s truth to their fellows for the glory of God and God alone! Soli Deo Gloria!

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This article was published as a report of the Angel Project in the Torch Trinity Graduate School of Theology Magazine, Spring Semester, 2011 issue.
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Video courtesy of Dr. Hyung Jin Park, Angel Project Team Leader