Steve and Susan Waller have been living in Indonesia since September, 1998. Indonesia is the fourth largest nation in the world
with a population of over 220 million people. Indonesia consists of approximately 17,000 islands which straddle the Equator in
southeast Asia. Jakarta, the capitol, on the island of Java, has a population of 15.1 million. Java has the densest population of any
place in the world. Indonesia is also the largest Muslim nation in the world with 88% of the population being Muslim. The Wallers
are excited about this opportunity to teach others the gospel of Jesus Christ and help young Christians and young churches develop
according to the New Testament pattern.
Steve has been a gospel preacher in America since 1966. These years of experience in local church work have served to help in
the work that he and Susan are now doing as missionaries in Indonesia. Susan has taught Bible classes of women and children in
the church for many years. She also has taught full-time in both public and private schools on both the elementary and secondary
level. She has a degree in History, Political Science, and Secondary Education.
The Wallers travel to various islands in Indonesia to fulfill their mission goals. This mission work is unique and different in some
ways from what one thinks of as the usual mission work. They are working primarily in the area of Congregational Development.
This involves the following activities and works:
1. Work with local churches which have already been established and with individual brethren.
2. Teach and train in the area of Church Leadership: help develop men to become elders, deacons, and preachers; help the
women to understand their role as the wives of such men; show how to blend these areas of service into effective leadership for the
local congregation.
3. Congregational Development: Day-to-Day activities of the local congregation: Business Meetings; Church Finances (the
treasury, budgeting), Preacher and His Work, Church Planning, Congregational Outreach in the Community; Spiritual
Development of Members in Christian Living; Problem-Solving; Benevolence, etc.
4. Develop members to become Bible Teachers of both adults and children; Develop Bible School programs and classes;
Materials and Methods: help show how to utilize ordinary and commonly used tools and products to use in teaching children.
5. Help develop a library of religious books in the Indonesian language which can be used over and over by the Indonesian
brethren in guiding them in the "whys" and "how to" of church work, and in gaining a better general knowledge of the Bible. Steve
is accomplishing this through writing his own materials, and through obtaining authorized permission from American authors who
are Christians for the purpose of translating their materials into the Indonesian language.
6. The Wallers are teaching any number of other topics where they see a particular need within a local congregation. Steve and
Susan have studied the national language, Bahasa Indonesia. This is an ongoing process. They are very fortunate to have the
Hilldale church of Christ in Clarksville, Tennessee as their sponsor. For further information, please contact the Hilldale church of
Christ via telephone or regular mail.
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