Traffic Jams and Boxed Milk

Dear friends and family,

Greetings from Jakarta! I'm settling in nicely here. I have been welcomed by Pastor Dave Kenney and his wife Gigi. I live in a lovely apartment across the hall from them which makes this 20 something year old white female, feel very safe. As you would expect, I dealt with time zone changes by sleeping for a few days off and on during very random hours. If you know me at all though, I was ready to be put to work almost immediately upon arrival.

Because I'm new to the church staff and have a very broad job description (until I decide what my focus will be for the majority of the time here) there was not much yet for me to do the first few days. So I spent that time adjusting to life alone, learning to cook my own meals (I miss your taco salad Mom and breakfast sandwiches Aub), manage my time, and trying every once in a while to go out and experience the life lived on the edge of the street. Food trucks, mopeds, and little shack stores line the streets up to my apartment, parades go by with music and costumes, and of course my favorite place close by is the coffee shop just yards away from my front door. 

I'm trying my best to observe EVERYTHING; how people dress, how people act in groups vs when they are alone, what people buy in the mall, what foods to eat and where to get them, how to talk to the house help and drivers, how to bargain with taxi drivers, so on and so forth. Friends; you may not be able to recognize me here, the amount of talking I have done in the last 13 days is the equivalent to one day in the states. I don't know if it has to do with culture shock or what but shockingly I have very little to say. It's good though, it has forced me to watch, take note, and slow down my pace of life a bit. 

I have now started to do lots of little jobs at IES (International English Service), the church I work at. I have been working with the hospitality team for weekend services, doing random jobs for the orphanage ministry, and last week joined the pre-teens class. I have met some truly wonderful people. I'm amazed at the sense of community I have seen within this group that work so diligently to reach the lost in the community surrounding. I have sat in on staff meetings and listened to discussions in car rides and they are constantly discussing ways to most effectively reach individuals, families, and the church as a growing body; what worked last year, what didn't work, how can we engage the church more, how can we excite them and encourage them with stories from God's word, etc. It is a joy to sit at lunch and chat and laugh with these people. They enjoy life and they enjoy life even better, when in fellowship with others. 

What is new/different/odd to me:

- Traffic seems to be such a big topic of discussion here. It is mentioned multiple times each day and is the deciding factor when making any sort of travel decision. 

(Point of reference: From our house to the Church is 8 miles and on average takes 75 minutes each way) 

- Boxed milk 

- Having helpers! Don't get me wrong, I enjoy it, but having someone open my car door for me, take me to the grocery store, wait at the store for me, drive me home, and unload my groceries is a very weird experience. I keep feeling bad, like I need to apologize or give them a gift because of how I'm putting them out. The helpers we have are truly so kind. Although we don't speak the same language, we smile and nod and for now that's enough :)

- Things that used to take 30 minutes for me at home, can take all day. During week one, just getting the courage to go outside and down the street a few blocks to buy some shirts took me over an hour. It can be unnerving to walk down a crowded street, while people stare and cars buzz and honk their way by. I walked down the street thinking these types of questions in my head; "Is it okay to be wearing a short sleeve shirt? What if the name of the store is in Indonesian, will I find the store? did I bring the right amount of money? Should I be holding my bag in front of me so no one can grab it or will I look silly? WHERE IS THE CROSSWALK?? Oh okay so I just have to cross the street and anywhere is okay? Should I wait for someone else to cross at the same time to watch how to do it right? How do I get these cars to stop while I cross? When someone starts yelling to me in Indonesian, should I smile? is it rude to ignore them? When someone ends up stopping the cars for me to cross, should I pay them for their service?" ....

It can be exhausting but the feeling of accomplishment when I got home was very rewarding and I finally bought some long sleeve shirts... yeah you heard me, everywhere you go they blast the AC. So much for all the T-shirts I packed! 

My favorite things so far:

- I love how the staff at IES collaborates. I sit in sermon prep meetings where one pastor or the speaker for the week will present their interpretation of the scripture for the weekend service. They break down the scripture, what it meant back then, what was the context, and how we can share it to the people at IES. It is encouraging to see that each of them, spend time really studying God's word and then come together to learn from each other's perspective and ideas about the text. 

- I see lots of room for growth in myself; in my confidence to speak with other adults, my attitude when things take longer and results come slower, my motivation to go out and try new things even if I do them wrong or get stared at, and even the little stuff like learning to cook and learning to give directions to taxi drivers. All are things that I can grow in and I have plenty of time to do so. It's been a nice humble reminder that no matter how prepared you think you are to move to a foreign country, when it comes down to it, all you can do is rely on Christ to walk you through the challenges that come up. 

- LIfe groups. I love getting together with big groups of people, eating dinner, worshiping, hearing God's word from a new perspective, having discussion time with new friends and praying for one another. What a beautiful time to be refreshed by God's love. Even after a long day, that can be the most energizing experience. 

Thank you for your prayers, your encouragement, and your support. This is going to be a fruitful year and a rich time spent walking in the Lord's leading. I'm excited to start sharing with you the work that is being done here and how blessed I am to be involved. 

Thoughts About Community From a Jet Lagged Brain

Today marks my third day in beautiful Indonesia. I've spent most of my time at home, allowing jet lag to run it's course, unpacking my life from three suitcases, and battling the ants that congregate when a single crumb is left on the counter. I'm afraid those ants are the least of my worries when it comes to insects. It's been a little weird being alone in an apartment with no children slapping me to get up, I almost miss the wakeup call :) I did have time to meet a few of the volunteers and staff of the church as we shared dinner together the first night. While talking with them, they shared with me that Indonesian culture is about being together with one another. When it comes to the success of one versus the success of a whole group, the latter takes precedence. This reminds me of an apartment rule a friend of mine made, "if one member of the household succeeds so it is, the whole house is successful". I've experienced this with Indonesian friends before; they have served me and others before ever considering their own needs. I've seen some give up their whole day even, to make sure that everyone's needs were met. 

Isn't that interesting? The American culture is to strive to the top as you push down others who may be getting in your way. It's about personal success and achievement, and letting everyone around you know it. When I first heard all of this, I felt my body tense up. Is that how I have been living? Have I made my "journey" all about myself? Can I have a conversation with someone else without bringing my own interests or experiences up? Although these are tough questions, they make me hopeful for new growth. I want to be someone who without question will serve others first. I want to be someone who works with the the people around me and looks for ways to build up the group without constantly looking for areas where I can gain something for myself. In my case here in Indonesia, it will be the Church; what is the vision that God has for the people and surrounding communities of Jakarta and how can we as a church work to see that come into play? After all isn't that how we were created to operate; in community?

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself. Philippians 2:3

A Full Heart and a Packed Bag

I have postponed writing a blog post for many weeks because honestly what I have been occupied with is just what you would expect from someone moving across the world; I'm packing, I'm shopping, I'm stressing (only mildly), I'm visiting friends, and doing fun things for the "last time". It has been an exciting two and a half weeks. 

I had a BBQ at my house this week to say goodbye to people and thank them for supporting me over the next 11 months. What a wonderful time I was given to honor and serve those who are giving of their hard-earned resources so that I can go and serve the people of Indonesia. There was laughter, prayers, fellowship and rich conversation. After the BBQ I looked on the kitchen table and people had brought me gifts! I can't imagine why people would deem it necessary to bring me a gift after they have already given me the gift of going to Indonesia but there they were; gifts of money to help pay for the BBQ, hand written cards that eloquently described my personality, and letters of encouragement for when difficult challenges arise on the field. 

Not only are my friends outdoing themselves, but my family as well. For the last month, my sister and her husband have paid for every single one of my needs, without hesitation. My mom and dad have also paid for special things to pack and gifted me handmade comfort items for while I'm away (coming from the Hopkins line of family, I promise you I'm more than prepared for anything that will come my way while overseas). 

Recently, It has been a whirlwind of emotions. At times I feel very sad to leave my family and friends behind, and uneasy about leaving what is comfortable to pick up a very different lifestyle. Other times I'm eager to go and ready for any challenge that will come my way. That is all a part of the adventure right? :)

But mostly, I have felt so joyful, so undeserving, so blessed, so loved, and so treasured. Thank you to those who have so richly given without expecting anything in return, I'm forever grateful. 

I'm only 8 days away from departure, Indonesia I'm coming for you! 

Dear family and friends

Dear family and friends,

Im not sure all of you have had a chance to read my blog but I wanted to share with you what the Lord has been doing in my life. As many of you know, I graduated with my Masters Degree in Teaching in July of last year. Although I know I'll be involved in teaching at some level one day, God has been stirring me to move overseas and serve the people of Indonesia in this season. 

This will be my third time going to Indonesia and a fulfillment of something the Lord put on my heart to do at the age of 14. In the past, I have served in Indonesia on short term missions but this time I will be going for 11 months which I believe will give me a greater opportunity for impact. 

Indonesia is the largest Muslim nation in the world, with 79.8 % of the population devoting their lives, their families, their work, and their prayers to Allah. It's a hurting place but God is on the move and is working in the hearts of many. I had the opportunity to work with urban poor teens last time I was in Indonesia. My team and I spent a weekend retreat with over 40 students, teaching them about the character of Christ and the power we have over evil when we call on His name. This was the moment that I fell in love with the people of Indonesia. I had  the opportunity to go and share the story of grace to a people that had not yet heard His name. 

That experience in 2012 is what stirred me to go back to Indonesia and do more ministry with unreached people groups. In July of this year, I will be working with Dave Kenney, an Assemblies of God missionary,  at International English Service (IES), his church in Jakarta, Indonesia. Ministry opportunities will include but are not limited to; education and medical programs, sports outreach, and discipleship groups. IES’s vision is for the believers to be the hands and feet of Jesus to their neighbors; helping provide them with the resources they need so that they can become people of influence.

I will also have the privilege of working alongside Rosemarie and Waldemar Kowalski as they start a church plant in Bandung, Indonesia. This will be an English speaking church in the heart of the Sunda culture. the Sundanese people are one of the largest unreached people groups in the world, with about 20,000 believers out of a population of about 35 million people.

There are two ways that you can partner with me as I spend the next 11 months in Indonesia:

1. Prayer - pray for the people of IES and the surrounding communities; that they would be open to the message of Jesus. Pray for the Kowalskis as they go into a world of hurt, build relationships and share the love of Christ. Lastly, pray for me; that God would direct my steps, my ministry, and my heart for this country. 

2. Give - If you feel in your heart that you would like to support me on this journey you can support me with a one time gift or you may support me monthly for the duration of my assignment. The amount I need each month is $950. If you are able to support me on a monthly basis would you consider one of the following amounts: $25, $50, $100, though I would be blessed with any amount you could provide.

You can write your checks to AGWM and put my account number  (#2838381) in the memo. 

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If online giving is easier you can always donate to my account using AGWM's online giving page at: Giving.AG.org

Thank you so much for partnering with me to fulfill the Great Commission,

Avery Hopkins 

Indonesia

The time has come my dear friends and family! If you could see me as I write this, you would see a smile ear to ear on my face as I think about all of the dreams in my heart beginning to play themselves out. So here's the back story....

 In January of 2013 I felt a stir in my heart to go back to Indonesia. I spoke with professors, missionaries, pastors, friends, and family, asking that they would pray with me for the right opportunity to go. At the same time I was also three months into to my Masters in Teaching  program at Northwest University. Sure enough, many doors swung open that were necessary so that by the end of my program, I could move to Indonesia! I was offered a job at a preschool in Surabaya and began right away applying to become a licensed pastor and a Missionary Associate; both necessary qualifications to get overseas. For the next 6 months, I worked hard planning the details, talking with the owners of the preschool and keeping busy in my teaching program; it was a lot of work but, I trusted in the Lord and was more than excited to graduate in July and move to Indonesia in August.

I presented my final research project for my program at the end of July, quit my job, and moved out of my apartment in Kirkland, all in preparation for the big move in August. Soon after my program was complete, I got an email saying the age requirement to teach at the preschool in Indonesia had changed to 25 and I was no longer able to come and teach.

I will skip the part where I tell you how difficult this has been for me. But I will say that I have learned more about trust in the last six months than many people do maybe in a lifetime. I've learned that my identity is not in my calling to "go" but in my relationship and life in Christ. I've learned that what I thought was a waste of time, was actually so vital because in those "wasted times", I found holes in me where Jesus was not the center, and walls that I wouldn't dare let Him tear down. I've recognized and will always need to be reminded that my timing is not when He works and life does not play out according to my ideals. Thank you Jesus for reminding me what life should be like if it is truly lived in unison with you.

And while we are on thank yous, I would like to sincerely thank my family. Thank you for your listening ears when all I could do was complain, your steady encouragement when all I wanted to do was sleep, your prayers over the phone, and your reminders to me of how good God is even when I didn't see it. I'm not sure where I would be without each of you.

Fast forward to now.... I'm headed back to Indonesia! Yes there have been quite a few more bumps along the way but I just keep moving forward and I just keep thanking Jesus.

I will be working with Dave Kenney, Rosemary and Waldemar Kowalski, and others in Indonesia for the next 11 months. I will be a part of a number of ministries including working with the urban poor of the city and church planting in Bandung. I dont have many details and no budget yet, but June is my target month to leave. I will keep you all posted about more details and how you can give as soon as I know more.

Will you please pray with me and for me? I'm so excited to see what the Lord has His hand in, in Indonesia, and so very thankful to be a part!


Thank you,

Avery

What to expect when you're expecting

If you read the title and now you're wondering what Im talking about....I'm pregnant! Just kidding. How wild would it be if this was the way I decided to announce my pregnancy? On a blog that three people read!

This post is going to be less organized than the last three because as I'm sitting here writing this one, I'm actually processing thoughts that I haven't processed fully yet. I have some tough questions that I've been asking myself recently and this post will hopefully help me come to some conclusions or maybe just confuse me more. Regardless, if you're looking for bullet points and a nice clean cut off at the end you won't find that here.

The more time I spend with Jesus, the more I realize how much of my relationship must be built upon faith. Just when I think I understand His plans, just when I think I know His next move, things change. Well actually things probably don't change according to Him, but what I was expecting to happen is different from what did. What I've noticed is that the closer I get with Christ, the more stock I put in what I think is His plan is for me. This is where I have gone wrong. When Christ called us to follow Him, He never said focus your time on what you think will happen and hold tight to when you think it will. He said to commit my work to Him, and then my plans will be established. 

Commiting my work to Him means that whatever I'm doing; if I'm across the world where I want to be or if I'm right here, I'm mindful of that call to show His love. I was recently talking with a youth leader that I had in high school and we talked about how as a teenager, I probably put too much of my time and energy focusing on where I would be one day. I was expecting to go and do what I felt Him calling me to do. But what I lacked was a desire to live and enjoy life right where I was. Do you know how hard that has been to accept? I have always walked through life knowing just where I would be in the days ahead and certain that I was doing everything right to get there. So then why did He not fulfill that promise yet? Were all of those years a waste? I don't know. 

These past few months, as I have taken the presure off of myself and God to make something happen that I have envisioned for years, I have had some of the most incredible conversations with people I would have NEVER expected. Conversations that would not have happened if I was teaching in Indonesia. These conversations happened because I found myself caught up in Jesus and not in my future plans. Don't narrow your life down to what you want to happen or what you think will happen. Leave it wide open for new opportunities and encounters that you wouldn't have in your downright craziest dreams. 

So is expecting and believing for the future wrong? Is it not okay to hope for and speak about the plans you know God has for you? Absolutely not. It is however, important to be mindful of the fact that we are not in control. I want to be someone who expects greatness to flow from a life lived with Christ, but not someone who is disappointed when it's not how I envisioned it. Everyday is worth living if it involves sharing His love and telling His story.

 

Thanks for reading

TRUST

If any of you have lived with children - be it nieces and nephews or kids of your own - you know that although much hard work and a large amount of selflessness goes into caring for them, they are an absolute blast to be around (or maybe I feel this way because I'm the fun aunt). I live with my sister, her husband, and their four kids. It can get crazy at times; I wish I could take a photo because Loren my 1 1/2 year old nephew is literally sitting on my iPad screen as I type. 

Kellan is the oldest of the 4 kids and I recently taught him the "do you trust me?" game. You all know the game; one person stands a few feet back and the other person must stand straight and fall back, hoping the friend is a nice friend and will catch them before the fall. It can be rather frightening but as soon as you gain trust in that person, it gets much easier to play the game. 

However, after I taught this game to Kellan, I realized that there is a very vital part of this game that I didn't make a point to tell him. We all know that the very most important part of this game is to make sure that all parties know that they are playing the game. It is so very crucial that the person falling, asks if the other person will catch them. I don't need to explain what happened when Kellan decided to play this game without letting me know. 

But Kellan showed me something that day that I have struggled to learn in my own life with Christ. Trust. Because Kellan and I had payed this game before and I caught him, he put all of his trust in me the next time he decided to play. Kellan knew that I would never let him fall and now he understands that as long as we both know that we are playing, he can trust me.

A lot like our relationship with Christ. The best way to get through life's curve balls is to remember who you know Christ to be. Don't let your situation or what you see to change what you know about Christ. Sometimes it's difficult to say "I trust you and your goodness" because we may not see how things are ever going to get better. 

But what would happen the next time things don't go according to plan, instead of stressing over where your next step will be, you remember that He instructs us and teaches us in the way we should go, that He will guide us with His eye. (Ps 32:8)

How about the next time you are hard on yourself because you made a mistake and you try to fix it alone, remember that He cares for us and actually asks us to release our anxiety to Him (1 Peter 5:7).  

We already know the truth about Christ and the moment we decided to follow Him, we gave him our past life, our current situation, and the unknown future. We cannot pick and choose what we want to faithfully give to the Lord based on how easy it is to do. As Christians, sometimes the hardest thing to do is actually believe what we proclaim. I cannot tell you how many times I have said "I know you will provide for me Lord" and yet that very same day will be tormented  because I don't know how I will get the support I need. 

Recently I have been forcing myself to say the promises I know about a Christ out loud because it has been difficult to trust Him in this season. There is power in verbalizing who Christ is.

My challenge for you is two fold:

1. Take time this week to focus on the promises of God; what He promises to be for us and do for those who follow Him. 

2. Trust Him with everything, every worry, every bill, every anxious thought...seriously give it all to Him, He can handle it.