Letter to Atonement Boulder

Dear Friends in Boulder

Thank you so much for your prayers of support. I did not know you all were praying for me until recently when I traveled from my home in Lakewood to Boulder for an organizational meeting on how we can support members of our congregation as they face health challenges. Many people at the meeting expressed surprise at my still being in the United States. Frankly, I am also surprised. When I sent the congregation an announcement in July we believed I would be leaving for Indonesia in late August or early September. But here it is October and I do not have a departure date. I am waiting for my visa. Our colleagues at church-wide tell me it is very likely I will be granted a visa sometime this month. To put bread on my personal table I have a temporary position at a costume store and enjoy it very much. Most Sundays I do not drive the hour and half round trip to see you but you all are in my thoughts and prayers as I join with Atonement Denver in worship. There is very little I can do to speed up the bureaucratic process but it is my prayer I will arrive in Balige in early November.

While I am waiting God has blessed me with the opportunity to do his comforting work here at home. Several members of my family have faced unexpected life changing events in these four months. I am blessed to be with them as they walk through these things. Everyone is in their right place. God has a plan and a time.

I have been in contact with my supervisor at in Indonesia and have been preparing for my departure by learning Bahasa, writing some lesson plans, and getting my vaccinations. Please allow me give the congregation more information about what I expect to do when I get to Southeast Asia. I have been invited by the people of Indonesia, the HKBP church, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to serve God at the deaconess school for two years teaching English in Balige, Tobasa Sumut, Northern Sumatra. I will also be designing a curriculum for the school to keep when I leave to use with short term native and near native English speakers.

While studying Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder, I learned about the December 26, 2004 magnitude 9.0+ earthquake in the Indian Ocean. This was the fourth largest earthquake since 1900 and the resulting tsunami was over 10 meters tall when it reached shore in Sumatra. In Indonesia at least 110,229 people were killed and all over the world more than 150,000 people died as a result of the earthquake and tsunami in 2004.

My colleagues who have recently traveled to the area tell me the people of northern Sumatra are recovering well, the communities are coming back from the disaster and most houses in the devastated areas have been rebuilt. But God still has more work to do in this part of the world. I was approved to serve for two years by the Global Mission unit. While I may not be directly working with disaster relief efforts, I believe I will be working with the women in the school to affect long term change so that when future natural events happen they will not become disasters like the tsunami. By empowering the deaconesses to speak with officials at agencies around the world, it is my prayer any future natural disasters will be mitigated before they become a tragedy like the 2004 tsunami. Additionally, by many estimates more than 80% of scientific publications are in English. With greater access to information my students will be able to affect many other aspects of their community lives. They may use their skills to build interfaith relationships, better nutrition, organize rural development, and in the professional fields of nursing and education.

As a church we have been called by God and justified by faith to walk humbly with all people on earth. In preparing to travel I pray for safe travel and health. I pray God watch over and care for my friends and family. Finally, I pray the people who have supported the Global Mission unit of the ELCA know how much hope, joy, and good they are bringing to an area of the world that has been devastated by a tsunami. The people that I have contacted in the area are very excited for my arrival. Finally, I am reminded of what we learned in orientation- mission work goes two ways. I pray my ministry will serve as a witness to God’s promise to the people in Indonesia. Equally importantly, though, when I write home and when I get back our church will be better for the talent, insight, diversity in thinking and challenges our companions bring to us as we walk in accompaniment. God’s work. Our Hands.