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In Indonesia, hope comes in degrees
GUNUNGSITOLI, Indonesia — She dug sand out of a riverbed and sold it to construction workers to pay for her school uniform.
Selin Samselinar
Selin Samselinar’s story is common on the island of Nias, and is “an excellent example of why Jochebed’s Hope exists,” said Shawn Tyler.
Tyler, missions coordinator for the Quaker Avenue Church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas, recently visited the ministry, which provides housing and support for Indonesian students to finish their studies. Its name comes from the mother of Moses, who made the heart-wrenching decision to hide her baby in a basket in hopes that he would live.
The ministry was born out of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and an earthquake that devastated Nias three months later. Relief funds sent by Churches of Christ were used to rebuild damaged church buildings and schools. Missionaries used the remaining funds to address the island’s long-term needs, including educational support. Scott and Tracey Cate oversee Jochebed’s Hope, which includes programs that serve orphans and the poor in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta.
Samselinar completed her bachelor’s degree and found a job as a math teacher. Now she works with Jochebed’s Hope as an administrator.
“She understands the hardships of students who enter the dorms,” Tyler said. “She knows how to encourage the students, and she has passion to help.”
