Sumba Indonesia

I was once in a Sumba village a few years ago surrounded by 22 heads of family in a community meeting. They all proudly sported their 'Kabeala' sword tucked in their tribal sarong used for cutting every and anything including your enemy. Every one of the glared at me with what I thought was simple curiosity, but I wondered what they really thought of this visitor.

The local Indonesian pastor deliberately whispered in English to me as it was unknown to the crowd,

"Pastor Clive, how many of those Kulumi Audio players did you bring?"

"I brought all I had I have eight."

The colour drained out my my colleagues face,

"Eight," he whispered back, "you had better keep that quiet and let me distribute them later on my own."

"Why" I asked?

"You only have eight, there are 22 heads of families here...unless you have once for each of them there will be blood everywhere....and maybe some it yours and mine."

No committee meeting required - I nervously nodded in agreement with the modified plan. {In time they and others all got a Kulumi player to listen to.}

We have sent many since this event to Sumba island. Many many more would not be enough, but we can do something and trust God to multiply our efforts eh?

Just last week a new request came in to get 50 new Kulumi X audio bibles on the way via a US team in Hawaii, then to Bali, then at the end of the month to be share with a church mission effort and a blessing to a few more families in Sumba.

{Sumba is situated in the Eastern part of the Indonesian archipelago of islands. I have been there three times and I think it gets hotter and dryer each time I visit. But my welcome and joy of seeing some of the poorest people of this country makes up for it.}. This woman below is typical in that they chew but betel nut mixed with lime and it turns a red-staining color in the mouth. Betel nut is a widely available mild-stimulant and an appetite suppressant

This lady is typical sitting on her wooden plank floor house with her new Kulumi Mini NT. She begins in Indonesian to say thank you, then I get lost with her mother tongue of Sumba Kambera, then I understand her to say, "God bless you."