It was our second trip to Kg. Bambangan, Pitas. I have not upgraded myself to a GPRS system but I have a fairly good idea of where it is located that I had put it on Google Earth. Just type "Kg. Bambangan, Pitas" and you will see its approximate location.
Twelve of us went this time. A medical doctor (Bobby's sister in law), and a dentist (our G.I. Jane) came along. This was the Powerhouse (the Youth of our church) mission initiative. Way to go, Bob!
We always find going into the interior as a challenge. I for one is very particular about toilets. I am not asking for a "five star" toilet but at least a descent one at that. So much so that each time I go deep in the interior, I will tell my system to "behave". No "business" until I say so. It works everytime!
But its not that bad at all. If you cant get a "five stars" toilet in the interior, there are many stars toilets available!! And there are all around you! Behind a big rock, under a tree, behind some srubs... you get the idea!
Bathroom? Mandi sungai la ! We go to the river la.. Christine and her species were downstream we were upstrem.. What will happen if one of us decided to do his business in the river right there and then? Imagine that!
Dr. Alice and Dr. Jane were superb. They did what they do best. The small church building and the house we stayed in turned health and dental clinic respectively in no time ! It was truly Christ's love in action!
All went well except during the ministry of the Word. I sensed that these people may have a religion but not a relationship with Christ. They may come to us for the goodies we brought to them and not for anything else. We truly need to penetrate into their world views as to penetrate in with the life changing power of the Gospel.
I shared on the importance of being receiving Jesus as persoal Savior and Lord by using the examples of Nicodemus and the Samaritan Woman. The first was a "very holy man" and the latter was a "very sinful person". Both needed Jesus for salvation and entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven. I stresed that we didnt come all the way to bring them goodies for we cant be doing that all the time. We have come for the love of Christ's compells us to come...
The next day word sharing was on the crucifixion. Jesus was crucified alongside two very notorious criminals. Both the accounts of Matthew and Mark related to us that both crooks ridiculed Jesus, but Luke wrote it quite differently. I used these texts first of all to show forth the richness and extend of God's mercy and forgiveness.. Secondly I used the comparisons to penetrate into our Dusun worlview of appeasing the gods for spiritual and physical wellbeing. Now that Christ has shed His blood and died we need not offer animal sacricifes any longer. The response from the floor was "Tiada lagi bah kami sembah berhala sekarang pastor...." and it was said by a man seated at a corner. I sensed something amiss but I couldn't identify what was it. On the way back, a brother told me that the man whom responded earlier is still practicing his animistic belief. He told me that the person went to a big tree and asked his son to be healed from the spirits of the woods.. O brother! No wonder he was the first to respond saying that they no longer practice their animistic belief and rituals... God have mercy...
Am I dissapointed? Not at all. Jesus loves them all the same. The time will come when God's Spirit will sweep through that area like while fire! Just wait and see...
Twelve of us went this time. A medical doctor (Bobby's sister in law), and a dentist (our G.I. Jane) came along. This was the Powerhouse (the Youth of our church) mission initiative. Way to go, Bob!
We always find going into the interior as a challenge. I for one is very particular about toilets. I am not asking for a "five star" toilet but at least a descent one at that. So much so that each time I go deep in the interior, I will tell my system to "behave". No "business" until I say so. It works everytime!
But its not that bad at all. If you cant get a "five stars" toilet in the interior, there are many stars toilets available!! And there are all around you! Behind a big rock, under a tree, behind some srubs... you get the idea!
Bathroom? Mandi sungai la ! We go to the river la.. Christine and her species were downstream we were upstrem.. What will happen if one of us decided to do his business in the river right there and then? Imagine that!
Dr. Alice and Dr. Jane were superb. They did what they do best. The small church building and the house we stayed in turned health and dental clinic respectively in no time ! It was truly Christ's love in action!
All went well except during the ministry of the Word. I sensed that these people may have a religion but not a relationship with Christ. They may come to us for the goodies we brought to them and not for anything else. We truly need to penetrate into their world views as to penetrate in with the life changing power of the Gospel.
I shared on the importance of being receiving Jesus as persoal Savior and Lord by using the examples of Nicodemus and the Samaritan Woman. The first was a "very holy man" and the latter was a "very sinful person". Both needed Jesus for salvation and entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven. I stresed that we didnt come all the way to bring them goodies for we cant be doing that all the time. We have come for the love of Christ's compells us to come...
The next day word sharing was on the crucifixion. Jesus was crucified alongside two very notorious criminals. Both the accounts of Matthew and Mark related to us that both crooks ridiculed Jesus, but Luke wrote it quite differently. I used these texts first of all to show forth the richness and extend of God's mercy and forgiveness.. Secondly I used the comparisons to penetrate into our Dusun worlview of appeasing the gods for spiritual and physical wellbeing. Now that Christ has shed His blood and died we need not offer animal sacricifes any longer. The response from the floor was "Tiada lagi bah kami sembah berhala sekarang pastor...." and it was said by a man seated at a corner. I sensed something amiss but I couldn't identify what was it. On the way back, a brother told me that the man whom responded earlier is still practicing his animistic belief. He told me that the person went to a big tree and asked his son to be healed from the spirits of the woods.. O brother! No wonder he was the first to respond saying that they no longer practice their animistic belief and rituals... God have mercy...
Am I dissapointed? Not at all. Jesus loves them all the same. The time will come when God's Spirit will sweep through that area like while fire! Just wait and see...
