On the Road Again

Hi Everyone!
Wednesday provided one last opportunity to do a VBS with some kids. Wow what a trip! So many wonderful opportunities for ministry in a variety of different areas!

The team is presently checking out of their rooms and packing the last minute items as we prepare to leave for our long trek back to the US.

Please pray for traveling mercies and safety. Some of the team have sniffles, coughs etc, so we would appreciate your prayers that we could get through security smoothly.

Thanks so much for your prayers and comments they have been a blessing and encouragement to the team. We hope to see you all very soon!

Blessings to you.
CCSB Indo Team.

Tuesday's Orphanage Visit

About 50 members of our team got up early to head over to Singaraja, where there is an orphanage with about 120 kids. Many of the kids were on holiday at the time so the team got to spend some one on one time with the 30 kids that were there and did a VBS craft.

Many of the kids who come there are not Christian, but it was inspiring to hear how there are weekly Bible studies and discipleship offered to the kids.

Children are taught life skills here: how to garden, how to make batik, how to make tea, etc. The orphanage grows the ingredients for their own special tea that they make from start to finish, including sewing the tea bags one by one!

The drive was over 3 hours each way so the team was able to stop and see a waterfall one way.

We did have one bus break down on the way back which provided a bit of adventure, but the wait was not long and all are ok. We thank you again for your prayers!

More to come soon!

Monday in Bali

The team was exhausted after running hard four days straight morning, noon, and night in Kupang. There were two different ministry opportunities this afternoon.

One group left to go to the TPA or dump. There they spent time with the people who live there and did a small VBS. The team was pleased to find out that the response was the best response they had ever had.

Another group went to minister to some non-Christian kids through a VBS in a different area of Bali. They ended up having a great time as well.

More to come soon.

Sunday Church in Kupang

The team ventured from our hotel at various times to attend different churches around Kupang. Some had to rise early and be ready in the lobby as early as 5:15am for a 6am service! Overall it sounded like things went well in each church although it was a different experience to be sure, especially with worship.

One of the ways people are greeted or thanked in Kupang is by touching noses…a new thing for us!

Then it was back to the hotel for quick packing, lunch, many tear-filled goodbyes and then off to the airport to head back to Bali.

The flight went smooth and many happy exclamations were made about: warm running water, sinks, toilet seats, showers and flushing toilets upon our return to Bali. Thanks for praying for our safe travels!

Day 3 Of The Crusades

This is the time where the theme song to “Rocky” or the “Eye of the Tiger” song starts kicking in. After two massively full days of ministry, the team is starting to feel tired and a little weak, but God is sufficient for very needs of our team!

The team pushed on with another awesome day of ministry specifically an outreach that was done on the University campus in Kupang. Many gave their lives to the Lord and many committed their lives to being leaders for Christ in the lives and the community of Kupang! We got to see a great message from Mike Silva followed by a great one on leadership with Ricky, and then some youth testimonies that really to connected with the students.

The final Crusades went very well, about 7,000 people attended and about 1000 came forward to accept Christ. Praise God! Thank you again so much for your prayers!

Tomorrow ten members of our team will be speaking in ten separate churches. Our team will be split to attend these ten churches, then we will head back to Bali by plane later in the day.

Night 2 at the Crusades

Hey Everyone!
Sorry we did not get a chance to make a post yesterday. Thanks so much for your prayers! Our God is an amazing God! We had an even bigger turnout for our second night of the crusades. With about eight hundred people coming forward to accept Christ. Our youth worship team got up and the crowd loved it.

The next day, we were touched to see, a group of Indonesians singing the songs our youth team sang the night before at the crusade, with the hand motions. They were so touched by the song that they had written it down word for word so they would not forget it and then were using their journal to remember the song and sing it together.

Another action packed day filled with VBS, Community Outreach, Service Outreach, Construction, a Medical Clinic, Youth Outreaches and yes more Crusades!

The sound and lighting equipment ran much smoother the second night! Thank you for your prayers!

Relationships have been so sweet between our team and the team of volunteer translators!

More to come soon!

Please Pray for the Crusades!

Hi Everyone!
Here is one more photo of the Crusade from last night. Please pray for hearts to be soft and ready to receive the Gospel tonight!

Thanks team for praying!

Crusades in Kupang

Wow what a big day of ministry! Yesterday was amazing! The team started the day around 7am and finished around 11pm! Whew! God is doing an amazing work through the team and our awesome team of volunteer translators! The sizes of our VBS groups have been more than anticipated and salvation is going forth! Over 200 kids raised their hands to accept Jesus in their hearts in the morning sessions alone, not to mention we had afternoon sessions as well! There was a shortage of string to make salvation bracelets in one VBS group so they started using the lanyards from the team nametags to make more!

The Crusade was amazing! There were about 5000 in attendance and somewhere between 250-300 came forward for the altar call some of which was our team, we hope to get a more accurate number soon. We have a few things we would like to work on for the sound and setup for tonight’s Crusade. Please pray for salvation to continue to go forth and for the logistics of the Crusades, that God would give us wisdom how to set things up for tonight and that all of the equipment would work smoothly.

Thanks so much for your prayers and comments of encouragement on our blog, it is such a blessing to know that you are lifting us up in prayer and standing beside us!

More to come soon…

Wednesday, Day 1 in Kupang

Today the team hit the ground running! It all started with devotions in the morning, then the team was introduced to their translators for the various ministries that start on Thursday: Youth Outreaches, Medical Clinic, VBS, Building Projects, Community Outreaches, and Service Outreaches. Many laughs and giggles were shared as God blessed our sweet time of fellowship with over 100 Indonesian youth volunteers who will help the team translate in the next few days. They are such a blessing to the team! These volunteers are so excited for us to be here and have such a desire for the people of Kupang to truly know Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior. Many are raised in “Christian” homes and go to church because it is tradition and their family goes, but do not have a personal relationship with Jesus. We hope to share what it means to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, to have a relationship with Him.

Then after lunch, the team went to the Soccer Field where Hillsong United played last year and where the Crusades will be held. The team spent time together along with the translators praying all together and then in small groups we covered the field in prayer.

The next amazing thing we did?! Try being escorted by police on motorcycles through the town with a van that has loudspeakers proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ and the information about the Crusades! And if that isn’t enough?! Then be in open top Jeep’s passing out flyers to the people of Kupang and personally inviting them to the crusades! The faces of the people lit up as you made eye contact with them. Please pray that many would come to the Crusades on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Please pray for the team, Mike Silva & Nate Wagner as they prepare to deliver the Gospel message to the people of Kupang tonight. More to come soon!

Now The Real Adventure Begins

The team traveled to Kupang on Tuesday, and now the real adventure begins! Our hotel here has a “different” style of bathroom….one where there is a toilet but it does not flush with a handle…instead, there is a bucket and a tank of water like a bath tub. The bucket is used to put water into the toilet and flush it. Showers are a whole new experience and very refreshing! There’s a drain in the middle of the bathroom floor so you use the bucket and pour water over yourself. Want to know the cool thing about it?! The bathroom is all tile on the floor so you don’t have to worry where that water splashes…NICE!

The team was personally greeted with a special ceremony as they exited the plane. The weather here is definitely warmer and more humid than at home, but many are saying it is not as hot as they thought it would be, praise God!

Day 1 in Bali

The team woke early to walk on the beach and check out our surroundings, we leave soon for Kupang, on the island of West Timor. Yes can you believe it!? After all those hours traveling it is that joyful time yet again to get on yes, you guessed it…ANOTHER plane! Thankfully it is a short trip over to Kupang. Please pray for safety and that all the bags would make it over there today with us, as well as the Crusades. The team will be prepping for them in the days ahead.

15 hours time change is a bit of a jet lag war, but we seem to be doing pretty well. We hope to get internet access in Kupang and will be there through Sunday. We hope to make more posts soon.

The Team Has Arrived!

All here, and accounted for! The team has arrived safely in Bali! Lots and lots of hours travel time, and yes I must admit there was a gigantic cheer when that plane landed in Bali….resulting in many people staring at us but yes we are thrilled to be here!

Thanks so much for your prayers.
Above are some journey photos…enjoy!!!

The 1st Bus Has Left the Building!

Hey Everyone! Thank you for your prayers and support! Half our team has already left CCSB and is on the bus to LAX. Please pray for safe travels, and that all the flights and paperwork would go smooth! We are all very excited for this awesome opportunity to serve the Lord in Indonesia.

The second part of our team will be meeting at CCSB shortly to board the second bus leaving for LAX.

We thank you again for your prayers! More posts and photos to come soon!

...Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

Less than 48 hours till we go!!!

It is almost time!!! We will be leaving CCSB in less than 48 hours, can you believe it?! Please pray for our team as we prepare & pack. That God would give us peace and that we would pack the important things (like passports and paperwork). Also please pray for the hearts of the people in Indonesia, that even though we don't speak the language, God would be speaking to their hearts through us. That He would be glorified through us!

CCSB is Going to Indo!

The time is almost here! Our team of 70 are about to embark on a long adventure starting June 20th! We say long because it is a long 14.5 hour non-stop plane trip for the first leg of the trip alone! Whew!

Please pray for us, that we would be filled with the Holy Spirit and ready to minister to those around us, even in the airports and on the planes! Please pray for the hearts of the people of Indonesia that they would be soft, ready to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ at the Crusades.

We are excited to represent Jesus Christ wherever we are. We hope to make posts daily as much as we can while on the trip...there may be some times that we do not have access to the internet.

"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."