“Behold, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” -Genesis 28:15 -
It all started on one spring day of April, 2013. While Pastor Sangmin and I were goofing around at Cafe Ecclesia, Sangmin briefly told me that he will be going on a Mission trip to Indonesia that summer. I told him since all the raw materials we use for soap making come from that country, may be we could go together and teach local people how to make soap, and help them somehow start their own soap business. I wasn’t thinking when I told him, but Sangmin, being always a sincere man, he took the idea quite seriously and share it with Ryan and Caroline, our Missionary couple in Indonesia at that time. I guess Ryan and Caroline were both sincere as Sangmin, so they took than idea seriously and conducted a survey with local villagers. And about a month later, there came a request from Indonesia for us to come and train approximately 120 mothers in 2 villages.
So I went to Indonesia as a member of Jubilee Church in the Summer of 2013. For a week, the Soap Team(Stephanie, Karen & myself) met up with 100+ mothers in 2 villages and taught them how to make soap. To my surprise, they were not only fast learners, but amazing soap makers. We were able to make decent quality soaps with local materials. I found hope and potentials in these ladies, if we would be able to continue our training, one day, we may be able to see them start their soap business.
A week later, we came back to Korea. Our team wanted to visit the town once again in the winter season, but that did not work out. We were just hoping to go back once again in the summer of 2014. So that is what is happening right now.
What makes this second trip to Indonesia more exciting is that the mothers in Indonesia, continued their soap making training after we left. And actually they started soap business last winter! They went a step ahead of us, and now they are making both bar soap and liquid soap. Their soap are being sold at the local market, allowing them to create some revenue. They asked us to come back and teach them how make better quality soap. That is exactly what I want to do on this trip. Providing advanced level of soap making techniques. I am humbled and so grateful to see our Lord taking care of his people in Indonesia. How we long for your presence Lord, and how we long for your promises you’ve made for the land of Indonesia. Praise the Lord.