Ministry in a Time of Crisis: COVID-19

Dear Family, Friends, and Colleagues,

“The best-laid plans of mice and men oft go astray…” Jesus said that following him would be costly and that we should count the cost before committing to him. He told a parable about the importance of planning for costs, before building a tower or going to war. If you plan well enough, then you have good prospects for success. But in a paradoxical twist, Jesus concludes that his disciples must give up all they have in order to follow him (Luke 14:26-33). How do you plan for that? In a time of crisis, with a virus sweeping the world, loving our neighbors can mean giving up even our most cherished plans.

Planning is key in development work. Villagers’ lives flow back and forth between the need for modern planning and traditional practices of day to-day subsistence. Some hope that modern, rational planning will help them escape poverty and lead to a better life. Mr. Mardi repeatedly said to me, "Ibu (mother), we want to change. We want to plan for the future, but we don't know how to begin. Please show us the way forward." Mardi is a cultural leader in the village of Sidoharjo, high on Menoreh Mountain. Mardi asked, how could they plan to change their future in light of government plans to promote the beautiful area for tourism? Together with 14 friends, Mardi formed the Sunrise Menoreh Trekking Group to guide tourists to visit six beautiful, historical sites in the mountains.

The idea grew out of research that was funded by a grant from Presbyterian Women. Ms. Tutun, a lecturer at Duta Wacana Christian University (DWCU), and one of her students studied how villagers in the area could respond to globalization and government development plans. They designed a trek to connect and integrate activities associated with seven important tourist destinations.

The tour begins at a mountain coffee plantation, in the coffee kitchen of Mrs. Marwiyah. The second destination is Ngapura, the historical site where a great Indonesian hero, Prince Diponegoro, parted ways with his family to continue the struggle against Dutch colonialism in the 1820s. Prince Diponegoro almost defeated the Dutch in the Java War of 1825-1830. Last week, the King and Queen of the Netherlands visited Indonesia and apologized for Dutch violence against the Indonesians. After 200 years, the Dutch monarch finally returned Prince Diponegoro's sword to the President of Indonesia. Last week I was honored to attend a state dinner for the Queen and King of the Netherlands, as a representative of Griya Jati Rasa (House of Authentic Sense (HAS)), our interfaith NGO for empowering village development. The dinner and dialogue with Queen Maxima were held at Prambanan Temple, a huge complex of Hindu temples built in the 9th Century after Christ.

The third destination is Watu Tumpeng, a site of mystical power where historical figures, including Prince Diponegoro, are believed to have gained enlightenment and power. The fourth destination is the nearby cave of the Virgin Mary, where pilgrims from all faiths come to pray and meditate. The fifth destination is Tirto Lanceng, a sacred place of worship for Hindus, which also draws pilgrims from other religions. The sixth destination is Watu Jengger, a mountain peak with beautiful panoramic views of the sunrise and sunset, as well as of the city of Yogyakarta. Those who wish can continue their trek to a seventh destination, Borobodur, a 9th Century Buddhist temple that is the largest ancient Buddhist monument in the world and a UN World Heritage site.

[ngg src="galleries" ids="786,850" display="pro_horizontal_filmstrip" show_captions="1"]Tourists who go trekking with Mardi's group, don't have to cover all six or even seven locations in one day, although it is possible. They can also elect to stay overnight in a village homestay to talk with the people and experience the majesty of the Menoreh mountains. At each of the six village locations, tourists are treated to traditional food, and offered classes on things such as making bags from woven bamboo or hats from pandan leaves. They can learn about coffee production in Java at the first destination. At the fourth destination, they can spend as many days as they wish to learn Javanese dance and play with the gamelan (a Javanese percussion orchestra). During the trek, they can discuss interfaith relations with villagers and see practices for harmonious living between people of different faiths, while enjoying delicious local Javanese dishes.

On March 3, 2020, I led a workshop for leaders of several different working groups in our House of Authentic Sense Co-op. Each group of villagers was encouraged to formulate their business profile. We discussed how they can explain their vision, mission, products and/or services. They learned to describe their production process, identify segment and target consumers, map the competition, develop a promotion strategy, clarify their team composition and calculate their investment needs. Every working group wanted to grow like the first group, which has successfully moved from selling raw coffee beans at rock bottom prices to a large corporation, to producing their own coffee, including growing, harvesting, processing, packaging, and marketing coffee directly from the home of Mrs. Marwiyah.

Participants in this workshop were increasingly excited because we planned to hold an international conference in June 2020 at DWCU. The title of the conference is “Innovative Commodities and Creative Community-Based Businesses: Preparing Indonesia to become the Fourth-Largest Economy in the World by 2030.” At the conference, villagers will be able to meet with international participants with prospects for exporting their products with international certification as free trade, organic products. International participants will visit the villages that received funding from Presbyterian Women and learn how the villagers' lives are transformed by participation in the Co-op of Griya Jati Rasa. Much of this planning was stimulated and encouraged by a visit from Hery Ramambasoa, the Presbyterian Regional Liaison for Southeast Asia, who saw how fair trade and international contacts could empower villagers. The Dean of the Business Faculty at DWCU, along with faculty members, graduate students and board members of HAS, all got involved in planning the international conference. Tea and coffee farmers, goat herders, handicraft makers, food processors, batik textile artists, homestay managers and trekking guides all joined in the planning.

Students from other parts of Indonesia, such as Papua, hoped to learn how this planning could empower their own communities. Then came the Coronavirus. A few days ago, the government declared it a national disaster and all conferences, both national and international, were canceled. Non-essential travel is discouraged or forbidden. In Yogyakarta, all the major universities have shut down classes and reduced face-to-face meetings. The tourist industry is in severe doubt for the next couple of years.

We make plans, but God's ways are a mystery. The passage referred to at the beginning of this letter encourages us to plan but also teaches us to release all our plans into the hands of God. God nurtures us and works for good in all circumstances. HAS Co-op has worked for months towards achieving international Fair Trade certification. Fair Trade Indonesia planned a final auditing visit to our villages on March 17-18, 2020. However, due to COVID19, the auditors from Bali have postponed their visit until at least October 2020. A world pandemic upsets our plans, but our overtaxed earth may heave a sigh of relief, as the production of fossil fuels, pollution, CO2 emissions, and worldwide consumption could be drastically reduced. Human suffering, fear, and death are inevitable parts of a pandemic, but this too is a test of our faith. Are we willing to leave all that we have, including our plans, to follow Christ?

As a deadly virus sweeps around the world, we are reminded of how much all communities in the world are connected. During this time of Lent, we are waiting for Christ's resurrection. As a sign of this hope, I am fasting every Wednesday until Easter. Then on April 23rd, I will join in solidarity with our Muslim sisters and brothers to practice dawn to dark fasting during the month of Ramadan. We all share in the suffering of the world. Christ reminds us that our response need not be fear, but rather to give all of our time, energy and resources in love for God and our neighbors. Bernie and I thank you for your prayers, love, and support. We need you. We also pray for you, that in the mystery of God's sovereignty, out of death will come life. Out of a pandemic our communities in the U.S.A. and Indonesia, as well as our suffering ecosystems, will experience the marvelous grace of God.

Grace and Peace to you,

Farsijana and Bernie Adeney-Risakotta