For awhile now I have followed the work of Micah Bournes, a powerful spoken word artist. I came across this video recently and it touched my heart.
The statement that caught my attention was this, "It is one thing to wonder if someone else is worth fighting for." So many ask me why I am going to serve long-term in Indonesia. In many ways it is hard question to answer but maybe it is because they are more than a number to me and worth fighting for. While my role in Indonesia is not one that seeks to bring justice, it is one that seeks to bring relief from suffering. In many ways they are a similar task. In both you tend to lose as many if not more than are saved (or at least some days it feels that way). In both it is a never-ending battle. In both the answer to the question, "is it worth your time?" is a resounding yes. The key is in identifying with that someone else. When you see their face, hear their voice, and hold their hand during their suffering they become much more than a number.
I remember the first time this really sunk in. It was December 26th, 2004. I had been in Indonesia almost 2 years. Our first cell phone tower had been finished earlier that month and we were all excited about having cell phones that connected us with the outside world. That morning all the phones started ringing with phone calls and text messages. They told us there had been an earthquake and tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia. We turned on the one TV we had hooked up to a satellite and watched the images streaming in. I could understand what the people were saying and watching them suffer brought me to knees. It reminded me of the morning of Sept 11th, 2001, when I was also brought to my knees with grief for the American people.
That morning in 2004 I realized that in those two years of serving I had come to know and love Indonesia and her people. It brought new purpose into my work and life there. Whether I was in clinic or the hospital I learned to not just focus on the physical needs but see the patients as people and listen to their struggles and their joys. I could fill a blog post with pictures. Pictures of people who are more than a number to me. Some lived and some died. Some are of us laughing and some bring me to tears. All of them, their family, and their friends are worth being there for.
Here are some videos and stories from Indonesia during the earthquake and tsunami. You can hear them speaking Indonesian but it is also subtitled in English.
