The Nelson Family Indonesia

It was an early morning today. The first worship of the day was at 7am. Michael has come down with a head cold so I volunteered to preach at the earlier service so he could sleep in. Rabindra drove us out of the city and into the countryside.

The ever-present dust and smoke and pollution in the air makes the sun vibrant in the mornings and evenings particularly.

The road is narrow and unpaved most of the way. It takes us maybe 30 minutes to reach the church – probably less than 15 kilometers from the hotel. There aren’t many people on the road at this hour, just a few stirring outside their homes and watching us with curiosity as we pass.

The church is, as the others, a simple stone building. But this one benefits from actual glass windows as the pastor is also a local business owner. As we begin our worship a guitar (minus the high E string) and a local drum accompany the singers and keep time. These rhythms are unfamiliar, though there are other times when I recognize the tune as a popular worship song from 30 or more years ago. Visitors are greeted, and prayers intersperse the music.

Nepali communal prayer means a prayer leader starting things and then everyone joining in. Not speaking in tongues but praying aloud on their own as opposed to reciting a common prayer together. This will continue for a minute or two and then subsides, with only the prayer leader continuing and then finishing the prayer to a hearty communal ‘Amen’.

I’m invited forward to preach with Rabindra my translator at my side. I’ve chosen for the text Matthew 15:21-28, where Jesus at first refuses to heal a foreign woman’s demon-possessed daughter. It’s a challenging text but one with many implications as a foreigner preaching, and as people living as a minority in the midst of a dominant pagan (Hindu) culture. Does God love and care for even the dogs?

My only problem is my sermon is much shorter than the locals are used to! There are some quizzical looks as I conclude with Amen and return to my spot on the floor. But they are gracious. The service concludes and there is much conversation and fellowship afterwards before people begin walking back through the fields of tomatoes and corn to their homes.

Rabindra and I return to the hotel as the next service isn’t until 11am and the church is closer. Michael joins us for this one after a short time of rest. However I preach again as he’s still feeling under the weather. This time the sermon is slightly longer, but not by much. I’m thankful for the graciousness of God’s people. I’m not sure if they’re used to a greater amount of material being preached on, or simply preachers who talk a long time, or local styles of preaching that reiterate key points repeatedly. I’m happy with what I had to say, but still cultural norms are interesting things and something I apparently need to work on accommodating more in this respect!

After this we take a short trip outside of town to Rabindra’s home village. It’s a very humble affair, primarily wood and mud houses instead of the more modern brick and concrete structures of the city. Rabindra comes from the lowest caste in the Hindu religion, and God’s providence in providing him with an education and then leading him to faith and now leadership is nothing short of miraculous. God is very much at work in Nepal, as He is everywhere. But here that work seems more readily discernible.

Please continue to pray for Rabindra and his family, many of whom are now Christian. Local sentiment against Christians can sometimes be violent as Hinduism is viewed as a cultural component of being a Nepali. Outsiders (or even locals) leading people to another faith is prohibited in terms of public evangelizing and still dangerous even in private. Pray the Holy Spirit would continue to work mightily here that many more might hear the good news of the Son of God’s incarnation, death and resurrection for them!