January 15, 2026
Encountering God’s Heart in River Village
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By Anton and Sinta, MSI Site Leaders in Solo, Java
There are callings from God we never plan for, paths we would not choose on our own. Yet the Lord reveals them, not as an invitation to comfort, but an invitation to obey.
Our story traces back to a leaders’ gathering many years ago, where a simple meeting became a spiritual turning point. That was the day we met Pastor Santosa, one of MSI’s site leaders at River Village, Borneo. God used that encounter to plant a calling in our hearts. In God’s perfect timing, the invitation to serve River Village finally arrived.
Reaching River Village was no small journey. From Solo in Java, we boarded a train to the airport, then a flight to Borneo. After landing, we continued for three hours on winding roads. Finally, we travelled by boat and crossed the longest river in Indonesia, Kapuas River, to reach the site.
Though the journey was challenging, we felt the Lord’s presence every step of the way. Each drop of sweat, each moment of weariness, became part of our joy. Our sacrifice was nothing compared to all that God had done for us.
We spent two days leading a retreat for the vocational high school students, sharing encouragement, teaching, and life skills, before sharing God’s Word at a youth meeting and Sunday service. About 200 young people came with open hearts, longing for an encounter with the living Christ.
In this part of Borneo, the rainforest continues to shrink as plantations and mining expand. Many families are left with limited opportunities, relying on daily labor to survive. Yet in the middle of these challenges, we saw something far more valuable than material wealth: a faith that grows strong in simplicity and dependence on God. That weekend, twenty-four teens committed their lives to Jesus.
Among the crowd, one student’s path stood out. This teen, raised in a different faith, came to the school with the intent of disrupting the spiritual wellbeing of the other students. During his time in the dorm and classrooms, the love of God touched his heart in a way that defied human explanation. He repented, surrendered his life to Christ, and after graduation, he has just one dream: to enter Bible school and serve God full-time.
His story reminded us that walking alongside young people shapes the future in ways we may never fully see. When their faith takes root, they carry hope into places we could never reach ourselves.
Truly, no journey is ever too far when it leads to a soul being transformed!
Through this trip, we experienced that obedience often leads us to unfamiliar places. Yet those very places are where we discover more of God’s heart. In River Village, we witnessed how the fire of spiritual awakening can burn in obscure places, and God works powerfully through what the world might overlook.
We returned home with changed hearts: more grateful, more humble, and more convinced that every step of obedience matters. God does not call the capable, He equips those who are willing to obey.
River Village may be far from the world’s maps, but it is never far from God’s heart.
