Indonesia Missions

Orphans No Longer

Mission Details and FAQs.

Mavis and a team of 9 are heading off to the Bukit Karmel Orphanage from the 29th of June to the 8th of July. Each member of the team comes bringing the gifts the Lord has given them and asking to be used in whatever way the Lord chooses.

This year’s team includes Mavis, Jim, Carol, Ally, Sheila, Nev, Bron, Monica, Annabelle and Catherine (from Knightsbridge). The team will be ministering to the children through teaching sessions, activities, games, craft, music, sewing and mentoring. We will also take part in their Chapel services, share mealtimes and just get to know these beautiful kids.

I caught up with Mavis recently to hear her insights and sense her passion and heart for the work at Bukit Karmel.

Some might ask the question, “Why are we going? Wouldn’t it be better to send the money instead?” Mavis’s answer is, “Come and see…

More than anything, we want the children to know that we love them and that we are not just passing through as one-off visitors, we want to be a steady constant in their lives. I believe that God called me to do exactly that and He has been with us in Bukit Karmel from the very beginning until now.

Another reason is that kids want to be proud of something. Most other kids think of them as being just orphans and not having anything to be proud of. Knowing someone from Australia is something special and something most other kids in Indonesia don’t have.

We want them to know that they have a God-given hope for the future, that they are not stuck. Two kids have just graduated this year, which makes us very proud and grateful to God. They feel proud too.

The contact with Australia is important. The children meet weekly and are asked to help out with projects in Australia. They donate some of their pocket money to help others. In the past we have supported two families to relocate to Israel and we are currently supporting two children in Australia through the Smith Family. This shows the children that there are other children in need, even in Australia.

In the baby’s room, children, who have never known their mother call out in their sleep “Mumma”. We can’t be their mother but we can give them the very best that we can.”

This trip will include a visit from the Bukit Karmel Board and an opportunity for them to farewell Mavis and for Mavis to say her goodbyes, recognising that this will be her final Mission Trip to Bukit Karmel.

“This is a faith-based mission, we take our needs to God and He moves on people’s heart to give. Because God is a generous God, he sees the needs and meets them through various people, both here and in Indonesia.”

Please continue to pray for the kids, for the staff and for the volunteers that come from Australia, that they will continue to come and that many more may be added to them.

Indonesia Mission Trip Activities & FAQs.

Activities in support of Mission.

If you cannot go, we understand. But we would dearly love and value your support. Psalm 46:10 says:

“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honoured by every nation. I will be honoured throughout the world.”

Whether you are going, or you a supporter of the Missions Trip, we would love you to pray. Would you consider being a prayer partner for someone who is going on the trip? Would you join in prayer than while in Indonesia, the Lord would be honoured and exalted. Prayer is essential. Prayer is the first way to be involved.
Maybe you cannot go, but maybe you want to support someone else who would like to go, but cannot afford the costs. A sponsorship sort of arrangement might be the way to show support and help someone else go.
Or rather then going, would you consider investing into the Bukit Karmel ministry and the orphanage and its activities. Maybe a contribution to the facility or some of the renovations that are taking place is a way you can support the Missions Trip.

If you are interested in supporting in prayer or financially, please speak to one of the Church Leaders.

Giving can be done through our Mission Envelopes at Church, or giving online noting your giving as either:

sponsorship for an individual to go (sponsorIndo); or
investing into the ministry according to what is most needed (investindo).

However if you can go, then we would love you to come and see.

Activities on Mission.

There are four primary activities scheduled for the mission trip:

Repairs & Build - this includes helping with minor repairs, gardening, painting, cleaning, replacing and moving. There are plenty of buildings and grounds that need TLC and that means lots of practical activity. And this also means teaching and showing the old children how to do things!
Mentor & Encourage - this includes spending time with people and hearing their story, sharing wisdom and encouragement and providing some mentoring and support in everyday living, key life decisions, spiritual and practical matters. This includes showing kindness and giving a listening ear. This includes sharing the word and reading the bible together and discussing what it means in application. It also means prayer and sharing together.
Show & Teach - This is where we impart our skills and show and teach others the gifts we have been given. It might be showing someone how to pray, how to sew, how to draw or play a game. It might be showing how to prune or garden or fold sheets. It might include how to cook and bake and prepare food. It might include various crafts and even my favourite - origami! It might include teaching the gospel or showing how to read the bible.
Play & Be - There is nothing better then playing and being with others. This includes organised activities that are fun including sporting events, group games and skits, singing or just sitting in a group playing Uno. Or just being and talking. It might mean being with the staff and shadowing and assisting them. It might mean cuddling the little kids and playing with them. Having fun is the way.

For each of those categories of activities, you might use singing, playing, sport, cooking, sewing, making, craft, drawing, acting, games, talking or any interest or skill you have. You might teach one of the young people how to repair a door handle. You might show a young person how to organise their space. You might show a young person some drills to improve their basketball. You might work with a young person on a wordfind. Baking a cake. Making Jelly. Pruning a tree. Playing spoons. Praying. Reading the Bible. Helping with homework. Being family!

There is plenty of room for ministry, prayer, sharing the word, giving a testimony and praying and believing for miracles as we take a step of faith!

Why go on a missions trip?

A missions trip has a lasting impact by helping us be more awareness of mission work, and assisting and encouraging local mission works. A missions trip provides exposure to followers of Jesus in a different culture, and yet we love and serve the same Lord. Missions remains a practiced and distinctive attribute of expression for CRC Churches. We are called to be a people who go into all the world.

One of the goals of a missions trip is to share the gospel and help others share the gospel. When we say share, we include speaking, serving, showing and being. Essential for our lifestyle, and for mission is prayer and a willingness to serve and give. Whether you have fish, or bread, or both, whatever skills or gifts you think you have, or don’t have, the Lord uses what we bring to Him to accomplish His will.

The Lord can do more with your willingness than your ability. What the Lord can accomplish with you is more than you can ever do on your own. While some people are called to be full time missionaries, we believe that if it is in your power to do so, then go and see what the Lord is doing in another place, and be a blessing. But like Abraham, we need to go by faith and that includes giving and prayer.

Giving - Giving up your time and comfort and resources. Giving your hands and voice and presence. Giving your love and encouragement.
Prayer - prayer and intercession for the mission you are about to do is essential. Going on mission means you are knowingly choosing to engage in spiritual warfare. Prayer prepares you for that. Prayer and prayer partners are an intentional decision to wear the armour of the Lord.

There are so many reasons why a Missions Trip is highly valuable:

Much of what we do often connected to ourselves. A missions trip however is different. It is using your holiday time, your rest time and your resources to go and give beyond yourself. A missions trip reminds us that we are here to serve and that the world does not revolve around us. And a missions trip gives us a taste of what it is like for a missionary who gives their life to go.
When you go on mission, your focus is predominately on others. You go to serve others but in serving others, it is amazing how much you grow. Being placed in a different community, you get to grow in your own confidence and knowledge as you share about the Lord. When we share about the Lord, we also grow in the Lord, and that opportunity is incredibly important.
Being with others means you get to see how much we have, and how little others have. A missions trip creates a moment to reevaluate your needs and reconsider what you do with your resources. And being on mission helps us to be grateful for whatever we have, whether it be little or a lot.
When you are on mission, you have the opportunity to be involved in many different areas of serving and ministry. Part of your involvement means organising, helping, supporting and leading and these things have the amazing capacity to generate personal growth.
Being on missions means all hands on deck. It means travelling and negotiating with locals, and learning local customs and ways. All hands on deck means helping and being on the team with anything that is needing to be done. The idea is that our helping hands and encouraging attitude is the provision for such needs.
Being on mission means we appreciate what being a Christian looks like for others. Following Jesus is never easy, but in some places, it is harder. Many places across the world persecute Christians while others are punished for their faith. Faith has a way of becoming even more real when it is placed under pressure.
A missions trip means you slow down a little and just be. You sit and talk more. Think more. There is more time to not do and be disconnected from social media and TV. Slowing down does not mean ineffective. Slowing down means we can take more in.
On mission, learning about a different culture means you learn about different values, and see situations from a new perspective. This relates to lifestyle, time, food and what makes people happy and what makes people sad. These experiences enrich our own thinking and lives. What you also notice is that you are less aware of your own news, and more aware of the local news. You become aware of the issues of another nation and lose track of your own news.
One of the fun aspects of a missions trip is that you connect and bond with others who you travel with. And in the process of serving together, you create many memories. You share in a deeper connection and in your faith steps. Sharing the journey with others grows your relationships and builds stronger connections.