Look at the world we live today Look at the hurting everywhere Let us see mercy and Your grace Overflowed in every place Let us be one with You today And let Your glory fall
We will shine Shine like stars above Shining in Your light Guided by Your love Let Your fire burn in us Burning like the sun As we glorify And show Your kingdom come In all the earth
Teach us to live in righteousness Teach us to love in one accord Guide us to live life everyday As we worship in Your court Let us declare Your majesty and let your glory fall
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matt 5:16)
Over the course of the mission in Bendigo, I was constantly reminded about my desire to be a missionary in Indonesia.
Things were really confirmed for me on Sunday at church when my friend Zoe told me that she was serious about coming with me. She said that we probably couldn't do it this year, and I don't think that God is really calling me there yet, but I think that when He does, it may happen all very quickly. I have no time frame at the moment, but I know God does. Yagh! It freaks me out that there is a possibility that this is probably what God has in store for me, yet it is all exciting at the same time...
Before mission, I didn't want to go. I didn't want the stress, I didn't want to be tired, I didn't think I could do it, and I didn't think I could handle the heat... How ironic, hey? God put that all back to me and said that if I couldn't handle these things here in Bendigo, how on earth would I survive over in Indonesia?
For those who don't know.. I have actually been there before. I went back in 2002 with my school to places now you could only dream of going to (due to the danger). There was so much poverty. I grew up so much. I remember sitting on a bus, going through the city of Yogyakarta (yeah, no exotic trip to Bali), and watching all of the native Indonesians go about their business, and I thought to myself that God has made them, just like He has made me.. But nobody here knows Him. It broke my heart. My heart is absolutely broken for this country.
When I came back to Australia, my friend Kylie described me as a 'fly buzzing around in a jar'. I felt so depressed, and heartbroken about this country, about how they could not see the light of God..
For those who are statistically minded or want to know, Indonesia is made up of: Muslim 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist 1%, other 1% (1998)
The words to this song are TUHANLAH KEKUATAN DAN MAZMURKU DIA GUNUNG BATU DAN KES'LAMATANKU HANYA PADA-MU HATIKU PERCAYA KAULAH MENARA DAN KOTA PERLINDUNGAN
REFF : KU MAU S'LALU BERSYUKUR S'BAB CINTA-MU PADAKU TAK KAN PERNAH BERUBAH HATIKU PERCAYA
WALAU BUMI BERGUNCANG GUNUNG-GUNUNG BERANJAK NAMUN KASIH SETIA-MU TAK PERGI DARIKU
I dare you to try and sing along! And for those who are not Steff (I expect you Steff to know all this... says the girl whose about to get their dictionary to translate this), the rough translation of this is:
God who is strong and my song He is a strong mountain and my happiness Only unto You my heart believes You are a tower and a city of protection
I always want to thank God Because my love is in You It cannot be erased My heart Believes
Even though the land may shake Mountains move Your love is always there It won't leave from me
Does this look like an Indonesian Hillsong to anybody else? Me being against 'shiny christianity', this concerns me for some reason.. I'm guessing these guys would be in the city of Jakarta, but this isn't what Christianity is about? Worshipping God, yes, but it is really hard to imagine it is in Indonesia? After what I saw when I was there?
I found this quote on the end of someone's MSN name. Sure made me think.
