When you move to a city that is surrounded by two large volcanoes you think they look really cool and never ever imagine that day they will start erupting and cause mass panic.
7 years ago when I moved to Indonesia I moved to the city of Berastagi, in Tanah Karo, North Sumatra. It is a beautiful place up in the mountains. On either side of us there is Mt. Sinabung and Mt. Sibayak, seemingly harmless for 100’s of years, but huge volcanoes.
After returning back to Indonesia from Canada I spent a few days in other areas and then on Friday, Aug 28th I went up to Berastagi. I was shocked to get a news report that said Mt. Sinabung had erupted a large cloud of ash out.. and then warned us to start preparing for earthquakes. The next day some of my students and staff came up to start our school tour in that city.. and that is when the real adventures began.
I will never forget how the students had just quieted down on midnight on Saturday night.. everyone had been so pumped up from an exciting youth service we’d just had. Just when I thought I could get some sleep before an early service on Sunday I got an text message saying the volcano was erupting right now and we had to get out in case of a quake. I woke up the students and ran outside. There is a big hill right behind my house, directly blocking my view to the volcano.. everyone was driving around the hill like crazy! And I began to feel ash falling on me.. soon it was falling like rain…
The next day our town was covered in white sulfur dust.. it stunk and after another eruption again the next morning the air was so thick I resorted to tying a bandana around my face to try to ease my breathing.
Berastagi, which usually is packed with tourists on a Sunday was a ghost town. Except for the village meeting places.. which were packed with 1,000’s of evacuees which had fled their homesthat are right on the base of the huge volcano.
Our ministry for the day was canceled in another city.. we decided it was a God time for us. He had gathered 1,000’s of people right there in front of us, ready to hear the good news of His love for them. So we took the students down and spent all day in 2 refugee camps. We passed out their food, cleaned up their place, and sat with them sharing God’s love. We then bought the food they were lacking and as we brought it in I asked to use the microphone for announcements.. and made my own announcement to the people.. an announcement of what Jesus had done for them.
I was so proud of my students as they went from person to person, village group to village group, sharing with all of them. Giving them all new hope in the fact that God loved them.
We continued our tour that week.. and unfortunately the volcano also continued to erupt. Causing to all the people to run again.. forcing them staying in the meager shelters for 2 weeks.
By the time I got a chance to come back up to Berastagi I was shocked at how much the situation had changed.. there was not the same panic in the air. The evacuees had gotten some belongings and had “moved in” to the shelters. But.. after living outside in the cold, mountain air for 2 weeks their health was quickly deteriorating. In 7 years I have never felt it so cold there.. the ash seemed to have blocked the sun’s rays.
Again we volunteered however we could.. and spent time visiting the people and praying for the sick. We met one beautiful Muslim woman who was so filled with worry she had stopped eating. We found her in a sick condition and managed to encourage her back to health. She remembered me from bringing help and speaking a week and a half before. She grabbed my face hugged me, “Your words touched my heart so much she said”, hugging me again and again.
I realized just how badly these people needed to hear good news. That their creator wasn’t mad at them or punishing them.. but how He had already paid for all their sins by giving up His own son for them.
As we left refugee camp run by soldiers the committee approached me and asked me to do a service there. So on the Saturday night our students made the trip up the mountain again and just as all the people came into the shelter to eat their dinner;Over 1,000 of them from all religions. We held a quick service for them, with songs, short drama, the gospel, and prayer. I could not believe the smiling faces that just seemed to be in awe of the joy we were bringing to them..
As I shared the gospel they ignored the call that dinner was ready! And they seemed to cling to every word that came out of my mouth. When I asked who wanted to pray with me to receive Jesus hands shot up everywhere. Christians and Muslims alike all cried out that they needed their Saviour!
After that I said that if anyone was sick to place their hand on the part of their body that was sick… without me saying it a second time they immediately responded. And my heart cried in compassion as almost every hand reacted.. even the small children responded as they too were becoming so sick.
It was probably one of the best responses I have ever seen a crowd make to the gospel message. It was a God ordained moment.. and I will never forget it.
Even though the volcano has shot out ash as high as 3 kilometers, spewed lava and created earthquakes I want to assure you that until now there have been almost no deaths or injuries (only a few from respitory problems).
Until now Mt.Sinabung continues to erupt. Maybe the news has gotten tired of reporting it.. but the longer these poor people (numbered up to 30,000) live out in the open the worse the conditions and their health will be. So please pray for our area of Tanah Karo!
Our God works all things for good!!
Susan Joy
Pics below. (the last one I took of the internet. But the rest are from me)
hopefully you can tell what they are by the titles
