The first house-church has been consecrated in Eastern Indonesia, as part of the Impact Papua initiative!
The facility for this church is a miracle, and reminds us that God is with us.
This facility is strategically located near one of the largest universities in Eastern Indonesia. Thousands of young people from all the surrounding islands are around us. This is a great opportunity to reach our nation, and the surrounding islands, with the Gospel!
Looking back, we can clearly see God’s hand on the preparations for this church. From the first meeting with Pastor Abraham who donated the land, to the end of the building work, we saw God act in a wonderful way. When Abraham and I went to do the price survey on building materials, we were looking for supplies compatible with our limited budget. By divine coincidence, the owner of the hardware company was in the shop and heard us talking about our plans and budget. Suddenly he lowered his head and started tapping the paper in his hand, changing our initial plans to double their size, including structural calculations. Then, he gave us an enormous discount by providing the extra materials at a price that was within our budget!
We had received a miracle, but now faced the even greater challenge to hire skilled labour, particularly now that the building was twice the size that we initially planned. Here begins miracle number two: Ferdinando. When we hired Ferdinando as construction manager, he immediately began to clear the land with heavy machinery. The same week, he hired building professionals from Java. Throughout the process, we asked him about the cost of his service, but he did not reply. I confess I was apprehensive! Eventually, Ferdinando shared that he had made a pact with God that his next building project would be his love offering to the Lord. Praise God! Not only did we receive the building materials at a significant discount, we also received the labour for free.
This miracle facility will serve as the base for our East Timorese pioneers. As such, it marks the beginning of the NPI ministry in this young nation. Through this church, our pioneers will be empowered to impact East Indonesia by establishing a new generation of self-sustaining churches amongst the Papuan people. Read more about our East Timorese pioneers here.
Thank God for His miraculous provision for our church building, and please pray that our pioneers and the church in East Indonesia would be empowered to reach many for Christ.