Mission: Indonesia 2019

Prepare ye the way

The timing was divine: We were on a spiritual retreat when, first, an email arrived from Finishing the Task. It talked about getting the list of unengaged unreached people groups (UUPGs) remaining in the world from 964 to zero. This was followed by a phone call from the same association of mission agencies and churches. Many of the 964 UUPGs were located in “the hardest places,” which - by definition - is where Climbing For Christ GOes.

We were asked to prayerfully consider adopting some of the UUPGs on the list.

An explanation: More than 32 million lost souls were counted among those 964 UUPGs. Those are people who had yet to hear the Gospel, let alone have a church-planting movement in their midst. No one had been sent to engage them.

“For ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, ‘How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!’” (Romans 10:13-15, NLT)

More divine timing: As we prayed, 13 countries seemed to fit our primary purpose (to take the Gospel to mountainous areas where other missionaries cannot or will not go). But Indonesia stood out, and a few days later we were visited by C4C Indonesia leader Budi Yuwono in the United States. That’s right, Budi was visiting family only about a two-hour drive from the Home Office of Climbing For Christ!

We shared information on the UUPGs in Indonesia, prayed, researched, met to discuss, and prayed some more. What we came away with, we think, was divinely orchestrated direction to two UUPGs. One is located on an island we surveyed during Mission: Indonesia 2018. They are 99.95 percent Muslim, according to the Joshua Project, which states that where they live “the land is mountainous.” The other is on an island where Budi’s home church (and hoped-for C4C ministry partner) already is working. Again, it’s a God thing.

God opens doors, we walk in. “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me” (Malachi 3:1, NIV). We would be humbled and honored to serve as the messengers who deliver the Good News to those who have not yet heard.

PRAY: For the development of a missionary vision for the church in Indonesia. When we told a large congregation about an unreached people we’d surveyed, no one had heard of the group. How can that be? These people are their neighbors. There is a great need for workers.

GIVE: To send staff to Indonesia.

GO: Climbing For Christ was introduced to Indonesia in 2007, when a local group of believers were made our first international chapter. Seven expeditions were conducted from 2007 to 2018. In 2019, two trips were scheduled – in April and in October. The second expedition was moved to April 2020. These trips are for C4C members only. Email info@ClimbingForChrist.org for a mission application and specifics about our expeditions.