“Why can’t I connect with God like that?”
August 2025 UPDATE
“I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest” (John 4:35).
It is [finally] time for a long-overdue ministry update. I apologize for my silence over the past few months. It is crazy how fast time flies!
Four months ago, I officially returned home from the United States to the very special city of Jogja, Indonesia! If that statement sounds backwards to you - calling Jogja “home” - it’s probably because you haven’t had the opportunity to experience just how deeply special this place truly is...and that’s not just my opinion.
Over the past few months, our team has had the exciting privilege of hosting five short-term Chi Alpha teams and two summer interns from the U.S. One of my favorite things has been watching all of them fall in love with this city and its people. So rather than just hearing from me, I want to let a few of them help tell the story of what God is doing here and why your support and prayers matter so much.
“What is God doing in Indonesia? He is moving! That’s what he’s doing! Prayers are being answered every single day. You have non-believers in Bible studies just because they’re curious. It’s like the Holy Spirit is being sneaky, but in a good way” (Abby, Texas State University)
I get to see this openness that Abby described on a regular basis. Just a few weeks ago, a Muslim friend of mine came to a worship night at our church. Afterward, he quietly admitted to me and a few others that he felt jealous of the joy that Christians experience in worship. “Why can’t I connect with God like that?”, he asked.
That same friend has also been coming regularly to Bible studies and has even begun sharing what he is learning with other Muslims. I recently overheard him talking with a group of fellow Muslim students, and he said, “I am Muslim, but God is teaching me amazing things through the Bible.”
“There is a generation of people here that are hungry for a real love that they can hold onto, and I think Jesus is reaching that generation through friendships that people who love him are willing to initiate”
(Aathira, University of Texas San Antonio)
During a recent prayer walk at one of Jogja’s Islamic universities, two team members felt led but the Holy Spirit to talk with a Muslim girl sitting outside the campus mosque. She immediately opened up to them about several personal struggles that she was experiencing. They offered to pray with her and gave her encouragement from the scriptures. Afterward, through tears, she said, “I have never had Christian friends before.” She felt loved, seen, and encouraged.
“Our friend smiled so hard as he read the Bible in front of the mosque. You could feel God’s love for him”
(Rachelle, California State University Stanislaus)
Another team had a divine appointment with with a philosophy student from a Muslim background who has been on a deep journey of spiritual searching. As they walked together, he opened up about his struggle to find peace and fulfillment in Islam, and how he has been exploring different religions, searching for peace. As the team gently asked questions and shared their testimonies, his curiosity began to deepen. One team member offered him a Bible — which he joyfully received. He began reading the Psalms aloud right there in front of the mosque, smiling as the words resonated deeply with him. At one point, he asked, “Wait...is this the truth I’m searching for?”
God is on the move here in Jogja in many mighty ways! He is working through friendships, conversations, worship, and simple acts of obedience. There is a generation here that is desperately seeking the truth, and we have the privilege of walking with them on that journey!
Thank you to all of you who have partnered with me through prayer and giving to get me back to this city where I truly feel at home. I am so grateful, and so excited to see what God has ahead!