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| More than 650 listeners to one of HCJB Global's partner stations in Java, Indonesia, crowd into a tent for a night of praise, reports and cultural performances by local groups. |
(Feb. 8, 2013 - by Derek Kickbush) Traveling during the monsoon season in Indonesia, no one in our party was prepared for what we would find that dark and rainy night at the end of a lonely, potholed road that seemed to lead nowhere.
Moving toward our destination on the island of Java, we were treated to a most spectacular sunset-short-lived though it was. Soon enough giant storm clouds crashed and flashed overhead and the deluging monsoon rain did its best to impede our journey.
Our Indonesian partner was keen for us to visit a" listeners' meeting" at a small, 300-watt, community FM radio station that HCJB Global's Asia Pacific Region had helped establish. He wanted us to witness what he deemed "real-life" radio in a community populated mostly by Muslims.
We expected to meet perhaps 10 or 12 community members supportive of the station. As we drew closer, a lone motorbike rider became our escort, and together we bounced and bumped across a broken road surface. The black night ensured we saw no further than our headlights could penetrate.
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| A local choir sings praise songs for attendees at the meeting. |
Given the seven-hour journey we had made to get there, I questioned, Is this really worth it, and who would possibly come out on a night like this? Aussies certainly would not. On top of that, we were told the meeting was to be held in a tent.
"There's a light up ahead," one of my traveling companions said. We drew closer to this growing light, and peering through the blackness we could see a few vehicles and the obligatory gaggle of Indonesian motorbikes. At least a few people with whom to meet, I thought.
What occurred next, however, blew our minds. Here in this rain-sodden district in Java on a wild, stormy night, more than 650 people had gathered in a large tent waiting our ministry partner and his Western visitors to arrive so they could start. How incredible. How wonderful. How humbling.
We came to realize that to get there, many of these people had walked several kilometers in the wet and the dark. Then for the next three hours we witnessed the joy of a listeners' meeting-a blend of praise and worship and local dance and culture. The name of Jesus was freely spoken and honored. Even Muslim community leaders demonstrated their support by participating in the evening's program.
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Amazing. How does this happen? It happens when our mission and its partners catch a vision to plant stations just like this. It happens because indigenous Christians operating a radio station amid a majority Muslim population find gentle and appropriately cultural ways to engage their local community and help them become followers of Jesus. They develop values-based programming that touches the needs of people, whatever their faith. It takes time and it takes building loving relationships with the local community.
We had come that night to bless and encourage the radio station workers, but we went away feeling both humbled and truly blessed. We also realized that the tiring effort in getting there paled into insignificance after witnessing Christian brothers and sisters working tirelessly to help achieve God's growing kingdom in Indonesia.
Editor's Note: Derek Kickbush, based in Australia, shares his responsibilities between the HCJB Global World Office in Australia and the Asia Pacific Region where he serves as director of programming and training.
Source: HCJB Global
Colorado Springs, CO 80949-9800
800.873.4859