Indonesia... Indonesians...

This blogging business is reminding me that i'm such a big time procrastinator...

I said i wanted to be back in the blogging business last october, and it's already january 2007 for goodness' sake. I said i wanted to seek help in uploading the video of the crows in klang, but hey, what have i done?!?!! Sigh...

Anyway...i have something to share...

I went to Indonesia during my holidays for one week. It was a medical mission... It was good and rewarding. We went to Berastagi, Sidikalang and Medan. This was my first time going to a place outside of Malaysia, my first international flight, my first time handling foreign currencies. You should see how 'jakun' aka 'sua pa' aka 'orang kampung' i was at the airport. Didn't know what to do at a machine in KLIA. And, i was having a tough time calculating the currency convertion... Summore, this is a flight long enough for me to visit the lavatory... i took pictures also!!! :)

Facilities that they have were really basic. For example, toilet bowls without flush, no shower but pails of water, no heater but cold freezing water in Berastagi and Sidikalang, no toilet rolls etc. It really helped me to appreciate and enjoy the simplicity of life once again.

Few things i've learnt:-

1) Got convicted of my prejudice towards people not my 'kind'. This was my first time worshiping in a service where majority of the people are of other races. And we were singing in bahasa indonesia. As i was singing, i started looking at the people on stage and started commenting on them. And, it hit me that i'll be seeing these 'different' people in heaven, worship God together with them. I ought to love them as God does and see them as God sees them. Thank God He reminded me fast enough in the beginning of the trip.

2) When i was asked to pray for them during alter call. I prayed for 3 girls and as the spirit led, i felt that one was limited in her service to God by unbelieving parents, the other by the lack of intelligence and she wanted very much to pursue a degree in bible school, and the other was limited by lack of finance. I was so sad knowing that they have such a great heart to serve but yet such a limitting factor that keeps them from fulfilling their call.

That night, during devotion (Thank God for my boyfriend. He reminded me before the trip that i ought to do my devotion every day) God reminded me that 'Wait and Prayer" is the right thing to do. And the next day, during my devotion, i read a sentence in EDWj which says "despite the appearance to the contrary, God's hands is upon the whole situation and a devine plan is being worked out". Well, pray pray pray is the answer... :)

3) During our first medical session, i was stationed to play the doctor role. I was to talk to the patient, come up with a diagnosis, and give medicine to the patients. OOoohh....this was my first time giving medicine to people and can you imagine the great sense of responsibility i felt on my shyoulders??!! Anyway, it went on well with the first 3 patients, but the fourth patient was a 2 years old girl with kidney problem. Her face was puffy and her legs were swollen. It's something called "Nephrotic Syndrome". Nothing in our medicine list could help her. All we had was vitamins, pain killers, cough syrup, calamine ect. Remember, referrals to hospitals will not work for these people because it's too expensive for them and they'll not go to the hospital at all. I didn't know what to do and consulted a doctor beside me... he calmly replied, "Ask Pastor to pray"..

It dawned upon me. YES. Prayer is the answer. Prayer should be the answer. Medicine can cure, but in circumstances where medicine fails, my God will not fail, my God never fails. How could i be so ignorant about the power of prayer in such situation?!

4) Always, people who have gone somewhere, they'll bring back a message that says "i went there wanting to bless, but i was blessed many folds in return". This is exactly what i felt.

I'm all set for another mission trip. :)