By Pastor. (Em) Bambang Sumbodo (Board-in-charge Stube HEMAT)

Morning greetings from the eastern part of Indonesia #2, Raja Ampat, West Papua

The first day of our foot set on Raja Ampat was in Kapatlap Village, the northern Salawati Island. In this village Pastor Grace Nanuru serves the members of the Solideo Evangelical Christian Church. The Sunday school children at this church were very happy to see us. We prayed them all to be children of God and to be blessings for the welfare of their island, country, and church. They live in the midst of limitations of school facilities and economic conditions because their parents work as traditional fishermen. But they are very happy with the atmosphere of their family, community, church, nature of the beach and sea. We felt so glad when they sang about the coming of the Lord Jesus. For me, it contained a deep theological understanding because there is no social difference. From Kapatlap village, we sailed across the sea to Yenanas in Batanta Island.

We felt the hospitality of the people there. We witnessed the extraordinary warm welcome of the people also the culture of cooperation, no suspicion, we were always welcomed by having meals together. When we left they took us to the beach pier even though it was hot or rainy. The waving hands became the romantic bond of a close brotherly that we felt, even though we just met for the first time. This kind of attitude is difficult to find currently, maybe it almost disappeared in urban communities or other areas.

We remembered the Words of God in Romans 15: 9-13, '.... and to enable the nations, that they might glorify God for His mercy, ....'. So, if the aim is glorifying God, of course, there will be a sense of brotherhood, solidarity, one heart, and one soul. We experienced what the Papuan people did, what the Papuan felt, and that's what we saw from island to island. ***