My newsletter

Again, Nia?

Yes, I know it isn’t a long time ago when I sent out my second newsletter. Yet, there is a reason –important one – why I am sending out the third one so early. I hope you sit back, relax and read my third adventure.

Almost Finish

I have been working for OMF Netherlands for almost 10 months. Can you imagine that? It seems like someone stealing the time. I had a feeling that I’ve just started my internship. Wow!

I am so glad that I can end my internship, but on the other hand it is a pity to leave my colleagues and my office desk. It has been a great fun working here. I have learned a lot of things that are related to communication, and also spiritual education. My colleagues are always supporting me. Francis Bezemer, my supervisor, has hardly given up guiding me through my internship period; yet my Dutch was not perfect at all, she kept talking in Dutch (which was really good for me). She taught me things about communication, writing letter, articles, and many more. Arie Baak, Henk van Vught, and Ton Hattma were the nicest people in the world, because I could drive along with them almost every morning J. Serve Asia team is still alive too. Crew Family and T&T Breugem are still the fun buddies. If I should conclude my internship period in OMF NL, I would say, GREAT!

In contrast, I was so sad I had to leave Veenendaal. I’ve stayed there for 5 months, and I have already had many friends; For instance the Baak family near my house, with the kids, or other people from the Bible Study club from Regentboog church, but the most important is my landlord and –lady: Theo and Joke. I would certainly miss them so much. But, right, there must be moments when we have to unleash things behind.
I remember the sermon from a couple weeks ago. The speaker said that if we keep holding on the old things, if we could not unleash things we should, God couldn’t work in us. He couldn’t do new things in our lives. Yes, I agree. I have to move on towards Him, and certainly walk with Him.

However, because I love OMF and my colleagues so much I will still work, part-time, or you can say as a volunteer in OMF NL next year. I would still be Serve Asia webmaster and OMF assistant webmaster. Please pray for my work in the OMF NL next year so that I can help and be helpful here.

The IMPORTANT reason

I am sending out my 3rd newsletter this month is because I want to announce as well as to thank everybody.
For what, Nia?
For allowing me going to Indonesia. Yes, I am going to Indonesia on 27th June 2005, which is this month. Surprise? Me, too!

It was the end of May 2005 when Ruan Crew and Tamara Breugem brought me to a serious discussion about Serve Asia Team to Indonesia. I’d wanted to join this team since a long time ago: going back to Indonesia, doing orientation in mission fields and experience a mission trip; however, my financial situation wasn’t really good. Thus, I tried to forget it. When Ruan Crew brought this conversation, I was really surprised and happy at the same time. I was, first, confused, because I didn’t expect that conversation. Moreover, I couldn’t stop thinking how I should cover the fee; and how about my study, works, and many other things.

Yet, shortly, yes, I am going with the team to Indonesia.

It wasn’t easy to make that decision. Although I’ve been dreaming to go for a long time, there were a lot of things I had to organize beforehand; for instance I had to find a room in Amsterdam to stay and put my stuffs while I am in Indonesia. I had to discuss my trip to Indonesia with my boss in the supermarket where I work as part-time cashier (I’d promised her to work full-time during my summer holiday and now I am going to Indonesia). I found things were so stressful.

I was worried if I couldn’t pay my fee; I was also scared that I couldn’t book a ticket, because it was a little bit last minute. I would certainly get one, but how about the price? Or maybe the date? Finance was the main problem at that time.

Thankfully, my God never sleeps. He knows me very well. He showed me the right path. Praise the Lord, everything was going fine. The central moment was when I realized I couldn’t bear my burdens alone. Once, I found a DVD, a present from my dad. It was a Don Moen praise and worship DVD. I watched it and suddenly I cried; I bent on my knee and asked for forgiveness. There was a song that went something like this: “…just take a rest, and He shall do the rest…” I remember that Jesus had said, ‘Come here those who are burdened,… so that I can give you rest.’ God wants me to come to Him, ask for His grace and BELIEVE in Him. These are things that I didn’t do properly. I came to Him, prayed, but I still kept the burdens. Then, I tried sharing my burdens, my problems; yet I didn’t fully trust Him.

He wants me to fully surrender to Him, because if I manage all things by myself, I would never finish them and I would always feel hopeless.
It was a big relief. Everything seemed a little bit easier than before. It didn’t mean that my problems were suddenly gone, but I knew that I have Jesus to walk with me. Problems do always exist, things that made me worried. Yet, when the anxieties come, I remember that I have Jesus!

Like with the financial problem, I just need to surrender to God. I prepared everything without knowing for sure whether I had enough money because I knew, that I couldn’t just stand still, doing nothing; I needed to make a step and do something. In His miraculous way, things were organized; financial supports came on time. I couldn’t even simply explain it in words: it was amazing how He managed all together. Praise the Lord! I am so thankful; I thank God, as well people who support me. Thank you very much.

Yes, I am going to Indonesia.

The team

It was interesting how I met the team members. I went to the training weekend because I had a task to do presentation about Indonesia. It was said to me long before I knew that I would go to Indonesia. Yet, at that training weekend, I announced to everybody that I made a decision to join the team.

The team has 8 members, in which two team leaders: Tim and Tamara . All of them are Dutch, which made me first a little bit afraid. My Dutch isn’t that good, thus I am so scared if I would experience miscommunication or misunderstanding due to my Dutch. However, in the end of the training weekend, we discussed things that we are going to do in Indonesia and I spoke up about this problem. Thankfully, they were really flexible and also supportive.
What we are going to do in Indonesia is still not really clear yet. For sure, we are going to work with students in most of big cities in Indonesia: Jakarta, Semarang, Jogjakarta, maybe Semarang. There is also a possibility to go to Aceh, where the Tsunami happened, to help people there.

Even though we are not sure what we are going to do, please do pray so that in all activities, God’s name will be praised. Moreover, pray so that we can be light and salt to the students and people there.

For the team, itself, please pray so that we have a unity among us: loving and encouraging each other. I am sure there must be a lot of frustration, failure: food, weather, refused from people, discrimination, and many more. Please pray so that we can always experience God’s love and close to Him.

Thank you,..

At last, I want to thank everybody who enable me to go to Indonesia: Crew Family for always supporting me; Tamara for being a good friend (thank you for the honor being the first one crying :P); my family who always supports me from far; Arie Baak and Tante Nieke Baak who pray for me and support me (Arie, thanks for the conversations on the way to the office); Henk van Vugt also for the support (also thank you for teaching me ‘Surabaya’ song), Francis Bezemer for disciplined me and taught me new things; Evelyn Huzinga for the encouragement; and other office staffs; specially for Theo and Joke, your supports and opinions were very meaningful to me, thank you; John Tan, the pastor in my Indonesian church, thank you for the talk we had; Stefy for calling me ASAP from Indonesia, cheering me up and praying for me; Kathryn Baak for her inspirational life (also the kids and husband); Anita who never gets bored listening to my endless stories; the Serve Asia Indonesia team; Mie Tie, my sister in Christ, who never gives up to encourage me; and especially for people, whom I, maybe, have never met, or who always pray for me, and support me financially and spiritually, for everybody – in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Indonesia, everywhere; I want to thank you for helping me putting together my future, piece by piece. Finally, I want to thank my special Friend, my Shepherd and my King! Thank You, Lord!

Please pray for:

• Serve Asia Indonesia team, so that we can work as a team, together with the students in Indonesia.
• Openness from Indonesian people and opportunities to do things with them.
• Please pray so that God will give clarity about my future – studying master, bible college, working, etc.
• Pray so that through my internship and this team, my friends and family can see Jesus and His works through me.

visit the website: www.serveasia.nl/serveindonesia2005

If you want to be a prayer partner during my trip to Indonesia with the team, please contact me. I would be glad to send you a special bookmark so that you will always remember me and pray for me.
Even better, if you want to be a permanent prayer partner, please do. Please always remember me in your prayer.