Posted on Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Focus UPG: Dondo of Indonesia

My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD Almighty. (Mal 1:11)

Who are they?

The Dondo live in the districts of Baolan, Dondo, Galang and North Dampal in the Toli-Toli regency of Central Sulawesi. They tend to live in groups which are scattered over this entire area. Generally, they prefer to live by the riverbank in the jungle. The population of Dondo is about 16,000 people. They are one the Least and Unreached People Groups in Indonesia.

What language do they speak?

The Dondo speak the language of Dondo. According to the Dondo people themselves, this language is different from the Toli-Toli language. The Dondo language is part of a larger linguistic grouping called the Nothern Tomini subgroup which also includes the Lauje and Tomini languages.

What do they do for living?

Farming, fishing and hunting.

How their lives look like?

The traditional house of the Dondo is built on a raised platform and made from wood, bamboo and rattan. Houses are raised off the ground as high as two meters. The houses are rectangular, roughly five by seven meters. Usually they have only one door and a ladder at the front of the house. Roofing is made from the leaf of the sago palm. In the past, Dondo was a sultanate. The Dondo sultan and his nobles and aides were chosen through their ancestral lines. During those times, there were four classes among the people: royalty, nobility, commoners and slaves. At 16 years old, a Dondo person is considered an adult. This status is symbolized by the young person having his or her teeth filed in a community ceremony. After marriage, the new bride and groom may choose to live with either the husband’s or the wife’s family. According to the Dondo custom, a man may have more than one wife. Divorce is permitted if the couple is no longer compatible. However, the divorce has to be witnessed by a traditional leader (Kapitalau).

What do they believe?

The Dondo have embraced Islam for many generations. However, many Dondo continue to practice animism, especially those who live in the highlands. Historically, the Dondo kept the body of a deceased family member inside a sago palm trunk that had been scraped out. The burial took place in the yard of the family residence and the family members bid farewell to the spirit of the deceased by sleeping around the grave for several days.

Do they have God’s word and resources?

No.

(source and for more detail: Joshua Project)

How can we pray for them?

Ask God to send His workers to reach out and share the Good News with the Dondo people.
Ask God to prepare their hearts, open their ears and show to them Himself.
Ask God to rise up His churches to go and reach out to them.
Ask God to open the way and make the way for His workers to go.
Ask God to make the way that the people of Dondo will have His word in the language they understand best.
Ask God how He wants you and your church can be part of His work to reach out these people.

(More prayer ideas you can visit: Prayerguard)

Thank You for praying for them today!

Posted on Monday, September 23, 2013

Mission Emphasis Weekend: Salvation Is For All People

Last weekend, 9/20 – 9/22, our local church, Grace Baptist Church, held a Mission Emphasis Weekend. There were two other couples who are missionaries shared about the passion God has put in their hearts to serve Him.

We are so thankful for all people who are praying for all the people who have not yet heard the Good News in all nations and asking God to reveal His glory and reigns among the people groups.

We represented the work of Wycliffe for Southeast Asia (where we will be going) and were given an opportunity to share the update of what God has been doing in the last 1 year to the Church. There were some friends came from Michigan and Kentucky and it was wonderful to see them again. We also made new friends with the other couples who shared God’s works through them in other countries.

On Friday evening, we had a pot luck dinner together at the church, meeting and greeting the guest missionaries and getting to know them.

On Saturday morning, the Ladies for Mission of the church also blessed us, missionary wives, by taking us for a day out with them, had lunch and went shopping with them at a nearby mall. We had a blast. And the Men of the church hosted a BBQ a.k.a. grilling night for the husbands, at a member’s house. Dave, my husband, gave a short devotion there.

On Sunday Service, God encouraged each of us with the Word of God, testimonies, and fellowship of the Body of Christ! The Pastor reminded us that the message of the Salvation of for all people, those who live in our neighborhood, in our county, state, country and to all the all nations! God is unlimited! His grace is for everyone!

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

Romans 10:9-15

Maybe those verses is so popular, or you have read many times, or heard many times from many preachers and missionaries, but would read them again and pray?

There are about 200 Million people are waiting to hear the Good News of salvation God has provided in Christ Jesus. They are living without God and hope. They need to know that they have HOPE!

That was fruitful and wonderful weekend.

He will draw people to His own glory and save them! He is God! He reigns!

Posted on Friday, September 6, 2013

Let’s End It Now!

On August 19th morning before we flew back to Ohio, we were invited to share about Bible Translation and the needs with the Elementary students of Canyon Creek Christian Academy, Richardson, TX. We were honored to share with them about the vision, the Bibleless people’s needs, how they can be part of this mission work and prayed together with them and the teachers at their Morning Assembly Meeting.

And Couple of days ago I got a text from my friend, Stefanie. She sent us this picture from one of the class from their Lower School Mission Project 2013-2014. The 3rd Grade students and teacher adopt us as their mission project! They pray for the country, for the people group we will be living with and for us, too. How amazing is that? We are thankful, humbled, honored and blessed.

I bring praise to Him only! Our God is the unlimited God. He is resourceful. He also can use school students to bring the Gospel to those who don’t have any verse in the language they understand best.

These people group in Southeast Asia will hear God’s Good News. Because I have full confidence in Christ that God, our Father in Heaven, is listening to these students and teacher’s prayers every time they lift them up. God will provide the way for this people group to hear and to have the Bible in their language.

But there are still about 109 Million people around the world who speak about 2000 languages who don’t even have 1 single verse in their languages. This is not fair! We have more than 20 version of Bible in English, but they don’t have even 1 word! We have to end it. They need God’s word. They need to hear about Jesus. They need to know who the true God is. So that they will come to trust in Jesus and worship God in His holy name!

But how will they hear? Where is our part in this plan bring them the Gospel?

Together we can end this spiritual poverty. Together we can END THE BIBLE POVERTY! I would like to encourage you to start praying. Pray ask God how he wants you to get involved and ask Him which area He put in your heart.

The Seed Company, a partner organization with Wycliffe Bible Translators, has a new website called, End Bible Poverty. It not a new organization. This is a website where you are offered an AMAZING opportunity to make a huge impact in the efforts to end Bible poverty in around the world. You can start up a campaign to raise the fund for Bible Translation projects. And every dollar given through a church campaign will be matched!

START HERE to start your campaign in bring the Living Word to the Bibleless People Groups in the world! You also can find some resources and videos here.

I will have my first New Testament in my first language in early 2014! That the most amazing news I ever had in my whole live! God speaks my language! I cannot wait to have it in my hand and to read it! This is the joy that I also want the other 109 million people to experience and to know. The joy we have in our Lord Jesus Christ when we can read and hear His life changing word in the language we can understand best in our hearts.

This is why we join Wycliffe Bible Translators, to go to Southeast Asia. This is the reason why we do what we do. This is why I want to meet you, talk with you and share with you what God has put in our hearts for these people groups in Southeast Asia. To know more about us you can visit our website here and over there you also can subscribe to receive our newsletter and to pray for us.

Won’t you be a part of this amazing journey to see more and more people to come to know Christ and worship our God?

Would you join us?

Posted on Monday, August 26, 2013

Paul and Me

Last week we learned from Paul. His life totally changed when he encountered with Jesus. He got a new life. He had new identity. His identity was Christ.

Learning from Paul last week was an eye-opening lesson to me, though I have read Acts 9 few times. I am blessed that I could read the my first language, second and fourth. That is great blessing to grasp God’s word and given understanding of what He had done in Paul’s life, chose him for specific purpose of His will, and to made His name known to the nations. God got all detail layout for him.

Jumping into week 2 of this Fall Challenge, I have been thinking a lot about the “WHY” God chose me since the beginning. That got to me really deep. Knowing that God has predestined me to be His child way before the foundation of the world, that changes my life totally. I feel secure. I have a guarantor, the Holy Spirit. I have Him, the God!

God gives me the security that I cannot find in the world. He is with me and my family as we walk with Him in our journey to go to the field as missionaries.

God is already there before us.

I am praying this week God will reveal more of Him to me and you as we come to seek Him and His word every morning.

Posted on Monday, July 29, 2013

Writing In Action #2

“Why do I want to write?”

I’ve been thinking this question for over a week.

But I am still thinking about it. I wrote down some reasons, revised it again and again.

I came up with these 4 reasons: to testify, to encourage, to motivate and to mobilize.

That is why I have a blog. That is why I am improving my writing skill. That is why I am here.

Denise says in her book that there is no wrong answers to that questions and our reasons why we write blog might be change later.

But for now… Those are my reasons. I pray God wil lead me as I write, give me wisdom what to write and understanding how He wants me to testify, to encourage, to motivate and to mobilize.