Arriving in Indonesia, we felt very expectant – expectant of how God would work through us to reach those in need the most. Driving through the busy metropolis on the Island of Batam, knowing we finally made it after 3 days of travel and coming to the realisation that this was going to be our home for the next few weeks was daunting yet thrilling at the same time. The HEAT is no joke. Trying to function in it has been an interesting one for sure. We’re super close to the equator over here, which definitely comes with its challenges. 
After getting over the jet lag as best we could, we went to visit the children’s centre that we would be working very closely with for the next few weeks! For just a couple of pennies, the local kids have somewhere to unwind and play. They do amazing things, from teaching BJJ to English classes…they really try to give the children an insight in to some key extra curricular activities that we do so often take for granted back home. This is a luxury for most of them, and usually would cost a lot more! But our servant hearted ministry partners see the bigger picture and have a long term strategy in place to be a constant light in the lives of these youngsters who really do need some stability from somewhere, if it can’t be found at home.
We took a walk through the village where the local children live with their families – it was the most humbling and heart breaking experience I have ever had. We saw the smiling faces of the kids we were just playing with, amongst heaps of rubbish and tin roofed shacks they call home. They don’t know any different. As we walked, our hearts broke even more – a mother was rocking her child to sleep in a mini hammock made only out of cloth and a coat hanger. The village kids followed us all the way, trying to anticipate which way we would turn next. We were coming to terms with why we were here – to serve those less fortunate than us, but to see it with our own eyes made us realise that we would fall short of helping or supporting everyone here in desperate need, and that was a sad and disappointing prospect. However God will work through us to bring a touch of hope and love to His children, in whatever way He has in store for us…
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