Indonesia 2005

El Paso Kings Kids team brings hope and help to Tsunami survivors

Picture a tropical paradise covered in exotic plants, smelling of fresh rain and sweet fruit, with gorgeous views of the open ocean and mountains. You are on the island of Nias in Indonesia. Now picture rubble, piles of tile, drywall, broken wood, and the faces of people who have survived devastation. Some have lost friends or family, others have lost homes, and some have lost hope. In December, a massive earthquake rocked the seabed a few miles away from Nias island. The extreme vibration birthed massive tsunami waves which caused havoc as far away as Africa. The wrecked buildings, ruined water supply and struggling survivors were evidence to the quake's massive power.

In spite of the devastation, the people live with smiles and staunch perseverance. For a startlingly brief five weeks, our team of 11 had the incredible opportunity to live in Indonesia, experience their culture, their humidity and their food. We were ready and willing to show the love of Christ in any way we could. We painted walls, cleaned hospital rooms, played games with children, delivered clean water, visited with adults, taught English, spoke at churches and worked on construction projects.

A favorite activity was water distribution. One of the biggest problems on Nias is finding clean water. So, a center was built that has an ultraviolet purification system. Some of the permanent YWAM staff realized that many people did not have the transportation it took to get to the center, so we would take water to these tent colonies in a truck.

For the first two-and-a-half weeks of our trip, we were on Nias . Then, one dark ferry ride plus a long mountain bus ride later, we went to Pekanbaru on Northern Sumatra. We lived there for a week in an orphanage surrounded by smiling, fun kids. We played, sang with them and took them all out to eat the last day we were with them. While the children were at school, we visited churches and worked on construction projects. The last three days were spent in the nation's capital, Jakarta.

What sticks out most in our minds are the things God taught us about how valuable people are to Him and also how He is always taking care of us, even when things don't go the way we had originally planned. As our team leader said, God is organized, sometimes we just don't see it right away.

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