Written by Faith Wilson

The year was 2010. I had a job at my university in which my role was to maintain all the lights and sound systems. One night before a major concert, the main spotlight went out. TRAGEDY! This was my main responsibility. The next morning, I woke up at 2:00 AM and drove to a specialty light store. I tried my best to make it back in time to switch the lights for the event. I didn’t make it.

After the event, I approached the worship leader and apologized profusely. With a sparkle in his eye, he looked at me and said, “Yeah there was this one guy in the front row about to come to Jesus, but he saw the light was out and he decided not to.” I laughed, but something in my heart began to stir. I thought to myself, “Could I be doing more with my life?” In that moment I experienced a sense of calling, a push towards a greater purpose in life.

Soon after, Paul and Cyndi Richardson invited me to join Mustard Seed in Indonesia. In 2011 I got on a plane to join the work God had called them to do. What started out as a two year commitment slowly became three, then four. Now here I am seven years later, and I am continually amazed by all that God has taught me.

During my time in Indonesia, I have witnessed many situations that have weighed heavy on my heart.

One of my friends is a third grade teacher on the Island of Promise. He loves to take the children outside and help them learn through nature walks and hikes. He shared this with me. Years before, donors had sent books for the library. However the teachers would tell the students, “No taking the books out of the library! If you take the books out, we have to put them back, and that’s too much work for us.” The books sat in the library and slowly got eaten by rats.

After my relocation to Indonesia I’ve learned that the problems of education and sharing the good news are so COMPLEX. In order to truly reach a child, we needed to train up the next generation of teachers who are willing to go out and be that teacher who says, “YES! READ THAT BOOK!”

Here is another experience. I was staying with a family in a village on the Island of Promise when I decided to go for a walk around the block to get a sense of the village. The family I was staying with said it was dangerous for me to walk by myself, and sent their three-year-old boy as my chaperone. Barefoot and rambunctious, he led the way as we traipsed around the neighborhood. It wasn’t long before his five-year-old friend from across the road joined us. We continued to walk and I started to hear commotion behind me. I turned around, and there were ten children laughing and giggling behind me. “Belajar! Belajar!” they all chanted. “Learn. Learn.” These precious children were begging me to teach them something, anything.

Indonesia is a nation full of children. They come to school every day in hopes that someone will show up for them, love them, teach them, and invest in their future. The problems are complex, but Mustard Seed is not just a relief organization providing temporary solutions. I am invested in Mustard Seed because it is training nationals on the ground to become the long-lasting, sustainable, solution-providing teachers that will transform the future of Indonesia.