Happy New Year 2025!

Please have a look on the map to see where is Atambua, in West Timor, Indonesia. We were able to spend 10 days there, taking part in a Christmas distribution program, with a lot of help from other co-workers: primarily our missionary friends from Jakarta & Bali, along with 2 or 3 4×4 vehicles with local drivers each day to distribute 5.5 tons of rice and 300 kgs of beans to 600 elderly people. Also toys & school supplies for children in these remote villages.

As we’ve organized many such projects in Fiji & elsewhere, we are familiar with the tremendous amount of work involved, so are thankful that on this occasion, all the organization, fund-raising & co-ordinating was done by others.

Probably our first surprise carrying out this project was the roads: the main roads that criss-cross Indonesia are mostly pretty good, but as one travels deeper into rural areas, it’s a different story. In fact roads & tracks still exist, but often, large sections have subsided or fallen away. On one occasion we had to drive through a river to get to the village where we needed to go, as there was no bridge. Another problem is that the heavy rains fill up the huge pot holes, making it difficult for the driver to estimate the depth of the water! And in the rainy season, landslides are common, leading to delays & road closures.

The area around Atambua is one of the least developed parts of Indonesia & is close to the border with the newly created country of East Timor, that gained independence from Indonesia in 1999 after a long war. The villages we visited are mostly made up of refugees from the war who settled here but who struggle to make ends meet.

(to be continued in part 2)