An open air market in Kuala Lumpur displays exotic fruit, including rambutan and durian, the "King of Fruits."

What happens when chocolate and caffeine become objects of worship? "Theobroma Chocolate Lounge" is created, a temple dedicated to the marriage of chocolate and coffee. A delicious, unholy union.

Our Asia visit comes to a close in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We are here to meet with Dr. Kay Peng Khoo, a longtime Regent University Board of Trustees member, whose recent lead gift helped launch our chapel construction.

Karen and I spent part of the day visiting the famed 'Petronas Towers', massive twin towers wrapped in tubular metal and rising some 90 stories, the spire making them the world's tallest buildings when completed in the 1990s (The photo is taken from an observation deck on the 86th floor. Dubai is the locus of today's tallest structure). The towers reflect Malaysia's aim to be a "modern industrialized country by 2020," though our cab driver grumbled that the government had made a "ridiculous decision" to codify the native Malay language and so "young people today speak little English. We cannot compete with other countries. They want to make us the next France." An article in the local paper featured a prominent educator who worries that "young Malaysians growing up in rural areas will be severely English deficient."

"Kuala Lumpur is Malaysia's Chicago or Los Angeles," commented Dr. Khoo when we met later in the day. "Malaysia is far more developed than people know. Industry is thriving, and our natural resources are expansive. We have a unique system of government; we elect a 'King,' but the system works fairly well."

In our 40 hours in Malaysia, we were struck by the fine roads, modern buildings and multilingual residents. Dr. Khoo and his colleagues Dr. Wong Hong Meng (governing council for Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship) and Mr. James Wong from Malayan United Industries, agreed that Regent University could also recruit some high level students from Malaysia: "Regent is well known in Christian circles as an excellent university," says Dr. Khoo. "We will help you recruit the next generation of Asian leaders!"

A few final photos from our trip.

                             A seaside mosque rises on the oceanfront in Makassar, Indonesia.

Bolts of colorful fabric and 'batiks' (the Indonesian version of the Cuban 'guayabera') line shelves in a gift shop.

            On a bustling avenue, a 'daeng' pedals the famous 'becak,' the pedicab in Makassar.

As the pilot turned the plane in a gentle arc toward the northwest, we look back on the island of Sulawesi and recall the many remarkable moments we experienced this week: Worshipping with thousands of our Asian brothers and sisters at the E-21 Conference;  meeting with top church and educational leaders in Jakarta; a Saturday morning fellowship time with the remarkable team at CBN Jakarta; four Sunday church services that were not constrained by any schedule, but directed by ministry; a transformational Indonesian church that meets five days a week for prayer from 11:30 to 1pm (about 150 attend regularly including the senior pastor); a girl no more than six hawking newspapers on a busy street; a half dozen children trying to flag down a motor scooter for a ride into the city; glittering skyscrapers casting their shadows over a grassy field with a shanty and a herd of goats in downtown Jakarta; the hope and promise in the faces of Indonesian high schoolers longing for the 'privilege' of attending a school like Regent University; the prayers we prayed with Indonesian leaders for The Lord to open many doors for Regent University to impact Indonesia for Christ.

We leave with a clear sense that we have laid the groundwork for establishing an ongoing partner for Regent University. In Indonesia, we have a nation with a growing Christian population, an ethos that places great emphasis on education, and fine students who will add much to the 'global context' we promise in our mission, but more importantly, these students will deepen our own understanding of the Holy Spirit's work in the world and the transforming power of 'every tribe and tongue' focused in unity on the source of all truth. God bless Asia, and continue to help us find ways to connect with your people here.

Karen and I were so blessed to visit the CBN Jakarta offices. Their leadership came in on a Saturday to give us a sense of the work they are doing here in Indonesia.

We learned that their prayer counselors receive thousands of calls every month from viewers suffering with the same issues that Christians everywhere share in common: family strife, economic difficulties and spiritual despair.

But CBN is providing hope and light in this growing nation, as they connect with church ministries and the community to minister to Indonesia. 

Mark McClendon (Director of CBN Jakarta) is on the far right, and his wife Ira is standing next to my wife Karen. There was a beautiful spirit here.

                   A lovely courtyard at SPH, one of the top Christian K-12 schools in Indonesia. 

                                            A street vendor in Jakarta.

                                 Three hands vie for fresh fish hot off an open outdoor grill.

Members of a Muslim political party March in solidarity on the streets of Makassar, Indonesia early on a Sunday morning.

                        These two holy books in our hotel room serve as symbols of social division in Indonesia.

An embarrassingly large billboard announces that I will be among many coming to teach-preach in Makassar. If you look closely, you will see that they have expanded my title!

Pastor Handojo and his team worship together. The words on the screen are in Bahasa. Bahasa Indonesian is the official language of the nation. It is a standardized version of Malay, and has been used as a lingua Franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries. Karen and I learned a few phrases like 'Tuhan berkati', which means 'God bless you.'

On Sunday, we had the privilege of teaching all four services at Filadelfia Family Blessing Church in Makassar, Indonesia. While there is tremendous tension between Christians and Muslims (a dishearteningly familiar phrase) on this island, there is great unity of spirit here among Christians: last night after church service, Pastor Handojo, his wife, and 10 more took us out for an 'authentic Chinese seafood dinner' (there is a huge Chinese community in Indonesia--the food was delicious). Near the end of the meal, a lady approached the table, whispered something to pastor, and he got up and followed her into a private dining room. We later learned that she had asked him to come and pray for her group--they were Catholic leaders from a nearby area. They were so blessed by Pastor Handojo's prayer that they insisted on treating us all to dinner.

This kind of unity is so unique that the World Council of Churches convened a gathering in Jakarta two days ago to learn more about the special unity in the Indonesian Christian community--and 35,000 people attended.

We leave Indonesia today, but have developed good relationships here and laid the groundwork for successful student recruitment. We are confident that Regent University will increase the global scope of our student body very soon with fine, Indonesian Christian students.

Praise God for His faithfulness.

Dr. Matviuk, Karen and I visiting SPH International in Lippo Village, one of a system of schools in Indonesia from a Biblical Christian foundation. Their mission is inspiring and familiar, "Proclaiming the preeminence of Christ and engaging in the redemptive restoration of all things in Him through holistic education." The school is one part of a remarkable vision cast by Indonesian businessman James Riady. Mr. Riady--who has been connected to the 'family of ministries' linked to Regent, has created what he calls "The Incomparable City," a comprehensive vision for cultural transformation. In addition to visiting three of his schools today (including a residential university with 9,000 students--most of whom commute) we toured Siloam Hospital, where each floor is named after a Biblical place, Christian counselors visit patients, and they have created a wing for indigent patients that costs $1 a day.

After meeting with the university's Rector, Dr. Jonathan L. Parapak (a humble leader with a loving heart for our Lord), it seems clear that there are many ways for us to intersect with these remarkable Christian schools. 

Waves of skyscrapers in Jakarta almost seem to compete for sunlight the way trees would in a forest. Locals tell us that nearly 80% of the 250 million people in this country live on this tiny island.

Pirates and explorers used to wrangle over spices during a bygone era in Indonesia. Today, Indonesia has become an economic juggernaut with a growing economy poised to compete in the 21st Century.

Spiritually, the country is diverse. Next week, many Indonesians will celebrate the birth, life and impact of Buddha. While Christianity is growing at a rapid rate, nearly 80% of the overall population is Muslim. Tensions are still apparent here, though we have not seen any public protests or other issues during our stay.

In fact, the Christian church here is working hard to find ways to unify the culture using faith. Our hope is that Regent's mission may have a positive impact on this remarkable place. Through partnerships and recruiting Indonesian students, we hope to bless this historic island nation and further God's kingdom.

              A prayer tower with 24/7 prayer on the 12th floor at a local convention center.

                                       Empowered 21 opening night cultural celebration.

                  A phalanx of motorbikes jockeys for position on a busy street in Jakarta.

                                                  Worship led by a team from Singapore.

The throng of Asian faces in this photo--taken at the "Empowered 21 Asia Congress"--reflects the explosive growth of the Christian church on this continent. One speaker estimated that 5-7 percent of the "youth in China" now express faith in Christ. We are praying, worshipping and learning side by side with believers from Vietnam, Malaysia, China (perhaps you can see the Chinese flag in the crowd) Singapore, India, Indonesia--our host country-- and many others.

One of the day's highlights was a prayer of unity and forgiveness for the many issues that have divided the East and the West in the past. We proclaimed together that it is the church--through the anointing and favor of the Holy Spirit--that will bring healing and unity to our countries in the 21st century.

"How good and how pleasant it is when brethren dwell together in unity."

Amen. We are meeting many believers, brethren for the very first time here in Asia's "Ring of Fire."

May 14, 2013

This photo, taken just after takeoff from Singapore, gives you a sense of the 17,000 islands that make up the archipelago known as Indonesia. In our second day here, Karen and I are learning more about this diverse, mysterious (for the uninitiated American) land. Mark, our instant friend from CBN Indonesia, has given generously of his time to greet us and acclimate us to this country he has come to know well in his 27 years here. "Indonesia has it all. Its media infrastructure is huge, and the people are amazing," Mark says. "Java has such history and beauty, and though I did not intend on staying, once I arrived here, I fell in love."

As we drive from the airport through the jammed streets of Jakarta, Karen and I continue to listen and learn about this populous, complex country. We learned that the cost of living can be high; the average citizen in Jakarta can get by on as little as $150 per month. We also learned that there are a dozen government-run media conglomerates like our own ABC or CBS. Jakarta is engaged in a techno frenzy and the citizens are wired to one another and the world. "Jakarta has the second largest Facebook traffic of any city in the world," Mark continues.

As we arrive at the hotel, anxious to shake off our jet-lag, we feel better prepared to engage this bustling city in the days ahead.

May 13, 2013

Karen and I left LAX bound for Jakarta on Sunday, May 12^th at 3:30 p.m.  We are now in Singapore (it’s Tuesday 3:30 a.m. here) with a short layover. 

We hope to achieve quite a bit over the next week or so in Asia – connect with Dr. Sergio Matviuk, Regent’s executive director of global affairs, then with Mark McClendon and our partners at CBN to begin recruiting students from Indonesia; meet with secondary and higher education partners at Universitas Pelita Harapan www.uph.edu to identify appropriate ways to connect our schools; participate in the Empowered 21 Asia Congress, where I will speak on Thursday, May 16th.  I also have a speaking engagement at the Filadelfia Blessing Church in Makassar on Pentecost Sunday.  As always, we expect the Lord to exceed our plans and expectations from His bounty.