“Everything but the kitchen sink,” I believe are the English words that describe our activity here yesterday! It was exciting and I missed getting even one picture to help pass on to you our prayer team what took place. Early in the morning I phoned the Gerai tribal recording team to see if they were ready for the driver to pick them up and bring them out to town. “We are ready!” was the response. Little did I understand at the time how ready they were.
After arriving in a car with the rack on top loaded around 2 o’clock pm, they began unloading. I’m not really sure how they fit 7 passengers in a car with that much stuff. Probably at least 50 kg of rice, pots and pans, and a whole lot of other stuff that filled the porch of the guesthouse next door! I should have known when my dear friend Inei’ Asa made a special trip last month on her own penny to check out the rooms and kitchen at the house. She knew exactly what she would need to prepare to house and feed the recording team for the entire 6 weeks!
So my measly questions were barely out of my mouth before she filled me in. The conversation went something like this:
Me: “So, I bought some kangkung (swamp greens) and sprouts at the market this morning in case you….
Her: “No, we brought eggplant out with us…
Me: “Well, this afternoon I could take you to buy some necessities like coffee and sugar if you w…
Her: “We brought some, enough to start us out for the first few days.
Another guy pipes up: “She even brought salt that originated from here in town, sold interior…
At that point I gave up and decided they were way more ready than I was to begin with this project. So yesterday afternoon, after she cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom and made sure the stoves were all in working order, (and that was after a 6 hour trip from the village…) the whole team came over to the recording studio (my office) and discussed schedules, roles and a lot of how we would be working together over the next six weeks. The recording team, Happy and Rina, received verbal affirmations that they would be willing to stay here in town for the next 6 weeks from ALL 7, both as readers and as proof-checkers. A quick summary of some of the Gerai team roles are:
- Inei’ Asa – cook and general manager (the first one is true and I wish the second one was)
- Kei’ Asa – proof checker and reader of Apostle Paul
- Kei’ Dede – main proof checker and eventually will read a small portion
- Pa’ Cunat – proof checker and reader of Gospels and Acts narrator, also Exodus and Levitus
- Pa’ Ema – proof checker and reader of Jesus’ voice in the gospels through Revelation
- No’ Asa – proof checker and reader of a female part later
- Gotes – 12 yr old son of No’ Asa reader of Jesus as a boy in the temple and Paul’s nephew
We still have 7 more team members coming out for various reading parts later on this month, 3 women and 4 men. We should know more once the project gets underway when that will happen.
We do have several prayer requests for this project that we would like to pass on to you:
- Pray for the readers to read with clearness and proper intonation even when they get tired and are asked to repeat what they are reading several times.
- Pray for good communication and working well with the Javanese/Batak recording team here from Jakarta, Happy and Rina.
- Pray that the whole team will stay well and encouraged.
- Pray for wisdom about whether they (or who among them) should go home to vote on the 27th for a brief trip.
- Pray for me as I work on getting some of the files they need for printed material ready for them to take home.
- Pray for the project of getting their smart phone digital Bible application made and able for them to use.
I want to end this update with a special need for prayer: Our dear co-worker and friend for many years, Ke’ Camy, has been diagnosed with advanced liver cancer this week. The hospitals and doctors here cannot do anything to help him. This morning they flew to Jakarta and will go straight to the cancer hospital there. Please be praying for this dear family and especially for their financial needs during this time. Pray for special peace and comfort for the whole family and extended team here.
On a happier note, I had a wonderful time in Java with my two brothers and Greg’s family! We enjoyed exploring some beaches and islands and coral and fish and each evening we devoured the delicious grilled fish that the locals prepared for us. The sunsets were a beautiful part as well. Times with family are always so precious.
Thanks for your partnership in the gospel,
Darcy Berglund
Hopefully I will be able to share pictures next time!
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