Each year (as of post-Covid) the Southeast Asia Region gathers as a family. Not just called workers but spouses and children all meet up together for a time of reunion and reconnection. Each year it’s in a different location. Our first one – last January – was in Cambodia. This time it was in our home town of Medan.
We helped pick up people from the airport and connect them with transportation to the hotel in town. We also were happy to provide dinner and connection time with a team of volunteers from Roanoke, VA who came to minister to the youth during the gathering.
Tracy, Connie-ing, Caroline, Caleb and Mark enjoyed a selection of traditional Indonesia dishes with our family and good friend, Yuni. Although they were tired from their long journey (they arrived the day before in Medan), it was great to learn a bit about their lives in the States as we shared a bit about living in this part of the world.
We also arranged an outing to one of the few tourist destinations in Medan, a palace built by a Sultan about 150 years ago. We were blessed that there was a young man present offering tours in English – he was very talented and very enthusiastic!
These gatherings are a source of confusion for some. Why bother with the time and expense of gathering together in person each year? Why not just do Zoom? Or why not just focus on the workers? Some people find the expense of time and money to be unnecessary.
Then again, when you are living as minorities in host cultures – both ethnically as well as culturally – gathering with familiar faces is a huge blessing and morale boost. These family gatherings are intentionally designed to minister to these workers and families whose lives are lives of service to others in their particular locale. We have worship in the morning and evening, including Holy Communion at least once. We can sing our familiar hymns together which is very much a comfort. The region also brings out a pastor from the States to provide preaching and teaching each morning of the gathering. Afternoons are time to relax, connect in smaller, informal groups, see some of the local sites, and just be.
There’s also a brief opportunity to meet some of the local church partners in the area, and we were blessed to have a delegation from the GKLI attend worship with us. Rev. Matthew Wood, whose focus is on the GKLI relationship and work in Indonesia, acted as the translator as they expressed their appreciation of the LCMS and a bright future as partners sharing the Gospel in Indonesia.
Of particular joy to us personally was to see the older youth really connect well this year. It was harder last year when we were new and didn’t know anyone. For teens to be thrown together with other teens they don’t know or barely know can be quite intimidating. So our boys made it their mission to ensure nobody was left out and everyone was encouraged to the utmost to spend time together. Their perseverance and kindness paid off, and the teen group enjoyed a great deal of fun together. Those connections are particularly important in remembering that peers are also faithful followers of Christ.
We’re not sure where next year’s gathering will be held, but we look forward to seeing our friends and church family again!
The Nelson Family Indonesia 