Dear Friends,

Janice and I send you greetings from Jakarta. We trust that this letter finds you doing well. We do appreciate your faithful prayer and financial support for the ministry here in Jakarta. News wise, Indonesia is still in the process of electing a new president with the final run off set for the 20th of September. Yet, it seems few folks are excited about this election, most are apathetic, feeling the election will not significantly change the problems faced by this nation. Praise the Lord, we are not apathetic about the ministry here in Jakarta. We have many things to share with you folks that, we trust, will encourage and challenge you.

Pastor Yusuf and the folks at Cibubur are making plans to build a building they can use for their services. This is not going to be an easy project as a new mosque is going up right behind their property. The Cibubur church also has just sent Kriswanto, one of our Bible school graduates, to start a new work down in Central Java. Kriswanto has already won several folks to the Lord, baptized four new believers, and started a Sunday school in two different places. The Cibubur work is supporting him Rp 100,000 (about $11) each month. Obviously, he can't make it on that much but he is finding some work using his computer skills that he learned at the Bible College. Please remember the Cibubur church and Kriswanto in your prayers.

Another of our Bible school graduates, Christina Sari, called us on the phone the other day. Christina is married to Formil and they are ministering on the island of Nias. Christina was raised here in Jakarta, she loves to eat tahu and tempe (popular soybean products here in Jakarta), she is a brilliant, totally cosmopolitan girl. Yet, today she is ministering in a situation totally foreign to everything she has ever known. Only on rare occasions when she goes to the main city can she eat her beloved tempe and tahu, the place where they minister is often cut off by floods, bandits control the roads at night, an earthquake collapsed a part of the church building where they live crushing Christina's leg, she longs for her beloved Jakarta. Yet, through her tears, she told Janice that she knew she was where God wanted her. She has learned the Nias language, teaches English, teaches the ladies and helps with the Sunday schools. She sees what can be done, not just the problems. Remember to bring Formil, Christina and the whole work on the island of Nias before the Lord.

The Bible school has begun a new semester, and I am back to teaching several subjects. There are many new students and I will once again be teaching the basic Bible classes that I love so much. Pastor Tambuan, the head of our school, recently gave me the report that the Bible school students were responsible for over 100 new coverts during the months of June and July. Pastor Markus has several new students at the Mampang campus also. Pray for the students as they seek to prepare their lives for the ministry.

I also plan to continue developing a computer education program for the students and pastors here in Jakarta using the linux operating system. This semester, I will once again run the program on Saturday morning. Pray that I will be able to help a couple of the men develop the skills to take over and run this program effectively.

Janice and I are doing fine. It took a bit to get adjusted back to the pace here in Jakarta. We do appreciate your love toward us. Also, please note our new Indonesian email address: tjcford@telkom.net.

We are truly thankful for your faithful prayers and financial support.

In Christ,