Opportunity Of Mission

There are many helps out there that you can get if you want to get involve in mission works like evangelism, orfanage, etc. The best thing to do is find some promo videos on youtube. most of those promo videos have address that you can use to connect to the sources of help. If you are interested in Discipleship Training School (DTS), just click DTS on youtube and it will show various campuses of DTS that you can join. Even better, sometimes when you get connected with the website of DTS, it contains some additional training that you can be exposed to them like training to be worshiper, training to be frontier and much more.

One of the known organization that deals with DTS is Youth With A Mission (YWAM). One of the YWAM campus is in Bali and that's where my focus is on this coming year. If you have not exposed yourself to this kind of training, i encourage you to do so. I've been involved with missions with unreligious people, Buddist, Islamic people, travelled almost all over the world, about to finish my last semester in Bible school, and I still believe that I need to go through this training. There are some training that you receive from school that you don't get from DTS, unless the school is offering the curiculum of DTS.

DTS is a hands on training. They will be on 3months lecture and right after that, they will receive additional 3months training which is practicum to what they've learned in class. What makes this better, is that the trainee will be exposed to many different types of works and be able to find out and also confident what field of ministries is for him/her. Even better, sometimes a trainee will not come back home, but continue serving after training. If you will be graduating and not planning to get DTS and already have a plan to particular field of ministry, I encourage you to have a mind of a learner. Don't impress with what you've learned in class. There is a transition of lecture to practicum and if you don't go through those, you can hit the wall hard. Every mission that i've been to, I always set my mind to be a learner. It helps me grow and learn the environment and the people that i serve in that mission field.

Let's Make a Difference

For many years, Missioaries that came to serve in the islands have been praying and wanted to see Micronesian Missionaries sent out to do mission abroad Micronesia. This last summer, the answer of their prayers happened. I was one of the four Micronesia that was sent out to do mission work in Indonesia. With this mission trip, I learned a lot about these three teammates of mine. They were all about mission. Even before i depart from Guam, two missionaries that been involved with mission work over here in Micronesia told me this going to Indonesia is the answer of their prayers that they've been praying for over 20years. I was blessed to be part of this work.

With that said, once the work starts, it should never stop, but must continue growing and expanding, especially when it comes to the spreading of the good news and expanding the church of Christ. My home church in Palau started their mission fund and the first collection was made in July. The fund will continue growing because there are committed Christians who've been waiting for this type of ministry (funding for Mission) to happen and they are giving faithfully every month.

The initial establishment of connection of the church happened this summer by the team that I was involved with and the those three leaders that went there two weeks earlier than our departure. Next month, there will be a great meeting and there will be representative of my church to go and attend that meeting. While attending there, they will establish the Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) and our church will work together with the churches in Indonesia, mainly in Papua.

Before we left on a mission trip to Indonesia, there was one phrase that I said and been saying it until now. THINGS ARE COMING TOGETHER. This mission trip is also the beginning of the answer of my prayer. I've been praying for two years that Micronesians will be sent out to do mission work. But the biggest thing in my mind was Mission Organization centered somewhere over here in Micronesia. I aproached many leaders like Steve Stinnette, Director of LM Germany Martin Auch, Director of LM US Bill Schuit, and couple more people and talked about this. I found out that this is not a new idea. There are some church leaders that been wanted this to happen.

Realizing that, I convinced myself that I will make this happen. If i cannot make it happen, I will find a person who have a VOICE that can help me with this. After one year of praying, God provided a man name Roger Doriot to come to PIU and made connection with the school. I did not realized that that was the sign of God that there is hope for Micronesian Missionary to be sent out abroad Micronesia. A year after that, I was asked to join the team to Indonesia. When Steve told me that I was going and mentioned that there is a great potential of doing scuba diving over there as a ministry, once he mentioned SCUBA, I started crying because I've been praying while i was taking diving course that this will be used in my mission. God is working in amazing way.

With all of these said, and knowing that God already reveal to us that the work already start, we have a big responsibilities on our shoulder as God entrusted us to do it, which is sending out local missionaries from Micronesia to Abroad. The work has started and it must continue. The work that have been accomplished will be in vain if we give up right now. At the same time, it would be selfish if God already sent missionaries to Micronesia and share the gospel to us and we don't do the same by sending out some of our own to share who God is and what He has done for us. I say, let's send someone out, and if no one want to be sent out or hesitating to be sent out, send me because this is the voyage that i will never hesitate to jump on a boat and ride in it. I have a vision regarding our churches in Micronesia that I believe that it will make our ministries more stronger if it happens. But i cannot do it on my own. I need your help. It would be a great blessing if you will be part of this. There are people crying for help but have not heard the word Bible or the name Jesus. Let's make a difference.

50th Anniversary of the Gospel in Ninia

It was 50th Anniversary of the Gospel so hundreds of people in highlands traveled by foot to Ninia to celeberate it. Some people from the main city which is Sentani flew ona small plane. I flew from the main city to highland. This woman on top is wearing traditional wear just for this event.

These are the kids who also traveled long way here with their parents. Now, this is how they wear.

This place is about 45 degrees and the ground is wet cold, but they just bare-foot. If they atmosphere is 45 degrees, you could imagine how would it feel if you put your bear feet on that wet ground.

Holding had is very common in Papua. Holding hands symbolize that they are very close friends or they accept one another's company. There are some time you will encounter a person holding another person's arm with two hands. that can tell that these friends have not seen each others for long time and the one who is holding don't want to let go of the friend.

This girl have bag hanging on her head. This is normal. There are about four or five different types of bags and they are used in different ways.

Even men wears bags. There are some bags that are very obvious for women.

The first time I tried to take people's pictures over here, i was kind of scared because i thought they might get offended. But they actually really like to be on pictures. Does not matter what age are we talking about, they all like to be on pictures. They are very humble people.

If you know how to speak Indonesian or their tribal language, you will be able to connect well. There are some that are very easy to tell that they are friendly.

They don't care what kind of clothes they wear. As long as there is something covering them.

When they walk, women usually hold sticks. I don't know if they do that to protect them from the wild pigs or what. We usually carry stuff with our arms and shoulders, these women use their head as their tool to carry anything in the bag.

This group are chanting and marching to gather grasses and herbs for underground cooking, preparing for this celeberation of the Gospel.

The sticks on their hands are the spear that they use to hunt their meal or fight their enemies back in the days. This group of people actually martyred two missionaries who brought the gospel to this place. 50 years ago, they were chanting as warriors with anger and killed those missionaries. This day, they chant and shout with joy that they are blessed to have the Gospel. They also cry out (cry of joy) saying, that the missionaries were the enemies back in the days, but today, those missionaries are their heroes.

In the highland, they barely take shower. The reason for this is because it's cold and they don't have enough money to afford water heater. So sometimes they just wipe of the junk of dirk on their feet and legs and go to sleep. Other highland like Wamena and Dekai have access of water heater.

The guy at the back is wearing a Marmar made out of rooster's feather.

This is a men's traditional wear for this part of the highland. The name of this tribe is Yali.

A lot of times you come across children like this one on the left with runny nose and don't wipe it. I don't understand about that and i don't want to say it like this but it's pretty normal to see something like this over there. When you come to mainland, it's not like that.

Here's another woman wearing two bags haning on her head. One contain herbs and the other contains... looks like taro to me on the other side that we barely see.

Hygene is very poor if we compare it to ours. Which really trouble my heart. These people are very close to my heart.

When mother is traveling with a child, they usually carry their toddlers like this and walk for miles and miles.

The guy on the right is wearing bag and that's the way they wear them. They don't wear them like women.

Putting arms over shoulder is also very common over there and tag along to the destination.

Makes me think that touching is one of their cultural values. I did not really study more about it so i don't want to speculate.

Sweet potatoe is very common food for them and you can see this guy eating one of potatoe. He's actually eating it raw.

We usually see only guys putting their arms over other guy's shoulder and walk somewhere. But over here, you can see on this picture that even women do that. But I think this is only for young generations because i did not see elder women doing it. they only hold each others' hands.

I really enjoyed taking pictures over here in Ninia because the lighting was perfect so i did not really adjust the settings of my camera. Even these pictures, i did not really edit them. I only cropped them and put my watermark. That's it. Hope you enjoyed. Pray for these people so if it is the will of God, they will be independent from the Government of Indonesia.

Best Team I've Served With

Best team I've ever worked with in mission trip. The are strictly mission minded even though they don't speak alot about it. I wish Mac Alfonso is in this picture too because even him is also very strictly mission minded.

Three of the leaders that I was blessed to work under their wings.

Everything we did was all about teamwork. FUNCTION AS A TEAM.

We were all about learning new things and enjoyed exploring things that we've never experienced before.

Like what i said, FUNCTION AS A TEAM.

Whether on the road or water, bring it on because we're all about experiencing new things for our gaining of knowledge.

Yep, we enjoyed working together.

I learned a lot from these servants of God and there is no regret that i can think of. I just wished there could have been more time working with them.

This family was a big blessing to our team also. They arranged boat trip for us and also took us for a tour to Jayapura and all the arrangments that they made was on their cost.

Daniel, the little boy over here was also a big help, especially helping me. He does not know how to speak engilsh so he forced me to try to figure out what he was saying. by the time we ended our day, I gained more Indonesian language because of him.

Joy is a true leader. I enjoyed working with her and I respect her perspective in terms of mission works.

I enjoyed working with them and they were big blessing to me.

They were like two twins who were apart for a long time and finally meet after many years.

First church that we attended after we came from highland. We sang Ach Kilisou and I shared encouragements to the congregation.

Us and students posing for the camera after seminar.

Singing for the student at the youth seminar.

We had our free day and drove to Jayapura and the ladies wanted to take pictures with these beautiful Papuan children.

Just having fun with Joy and Jayv on this golf course in Jayapura.

Standing at the boarder of Papua and Papua New Guinea. The yellow gate is the one that divides Papua and PNG and we're standing on the ground of Papua.

Daniel enjoying this small coconut after a long day.

Man of God I always enjoy doing ministry with. Thanks brother for everything. Thanks for all the times we've spent together whether on campus on mission field and got to know each other. Ai Tong Ngonuk my bru.

Jayv is also another servant of God that I respect the most. Jayv, your joy of ministrying to children brought what i really enjoyed which is serving the youths. I praise the Lord for you and being part of my life.

Me trying to figure out how to use this knife to open this hard coconut because the knife was really dull and not big enough.

This was first time for joy to drink coconut after three or four years so she's really enjoying this coco.

Our first encounter Yali tribal person with traditional wear.

This was free day and us guys just wanted to walk around and browse the stores for some goods.

This was our last dinner with the team in Papua and as you see the leader on my left, he is laughing because i was addressing my last speech to them in Indonesian language. I promised myself that before i leave, i would be able to speak Indonesian language to deliver my final speech and i did fulfill it.

Free day so we wanted to get out of the house and just spend time together as a team.

We were the first official Micronesian Missionaries to be sent out to Papua and make connections aside from those Pastors who went before us a week earlier.

We're leaders but we also like to goof around. Keeps our minds healthy and functioning well. Did you know that laughter is actually a good medicine for those who are in stressful environment?

This couple were big blessing to our mission trip. They helped us by washing our clothes and cleaning the house for us. Though they don't have formal school of Biblical Studies, they have more experience when it comes to evangelism.

This is the way we eat on some special occassions in Papua. They put banana leafs or some grass under it and put potatoes, pig meat, taro, banana or corn on top of them for us to eat. they also pile some herbs/veggies with the potatoes and meat.

Us singing at ground breaking ceremony of the new church that they were about to build.

This was our time with one of the leader and we witnessed baptism and had a chance to perform a song in this church.

It was also my first time to meet her in person and i was blessed to get to know her. It was a blessing to work with you Joy. Even though this was my first time working with you on the field and was our first time to meet in person, I just praise the Lord that there is someone who share the same ambitions (reaching out to the unreached people and people who are in needs) as i do.

This was my second time serving God with Daniel and I am blessed to work with him in both missions. Especially this last mission, we got closer and really broke down all the walls between us and God really worked through us. Daniel, I love you bro and I will sure miss serving with you. We pray that God will put us in another mission together.

On this mission, it is the first time for these two sisters to meet in person and they seem like two twins who were apart from each other forl long time and they finally reunited again. They are very close and i enjoyed watching them how they built their relationship in the mission ground where God appointed them to accomplish.

Like what i said, we ALWAYS FUNCTION AS A TEAM. I was blessed in many ways because of the way each members conributes their inputs to the team. Different perspectives but have same goals and it was a blessing for me. I believe blssing for all of us.

As you see Papa, he's holding my hand on this picture. That symbolize that there's a strong relationship between us. When you see some people doing this, either a very close friend had been gone for long time and they finally met, or their relationship as a family or just a friend is strong.