Welcome to Indonesia. The streets are filled with motorcycles, the people are filled with smiles, and cockroaches don’t die the first time you step on them.

When we arrived at the bus station our host picked us up and took us to lunch. The table was spread with tea, rice, fish soup, chicken. We filled our bellies and went to our ministry location-a local school. The children lined up to greet us by shaking our hands and placing our hand to their forehead. My tired spirit was overcome with eagerness and excitement.  

After the children left we settled in to the classroom (where we would be sleeping). I laid down on my sleeping pad at 4 pm to take a nap, which turned into sleeping off and on until 3:30 am. 20+ hours of travel will do that to you.

When I woke up I was filled with discomfort and fear. It was 3:30 pm at home. But here I was laying on a floor in Bandung, listening to the endless sounds of city life right outside the window. Tears streamed down my face as I asked God over and over again, “Why am I here?” After the tears subsided I noticed the small amount of light coming from the window. In that moment, I felt Him speak to me, “To bring light into darkness.”

I know God is already present here. He’s already working here, so I asked Him to show me where He is. “Where can I make your light shine brighter, Lord?”

The sun came up and our first day in Indonesia began. We took a walk through the narrow walkways between homes and it was then that God answered my question. As we passed by people walking with their children, standing outside their homes, and selling dragon fruit and little bananas, they smiled at us with light and kindness in their eyes.

God is here in every single one of those smiling faces.