#112. There's No Shortcuts in Compassion

Our Urban Voices

Anita Rahma currently lives with her family in the slums of Jakarta, Indonesia. She discusses discipleship, incarnational urban ministry, and loving Muslim neighbors.

Book: Downward Discipleship

Book: Beyond Our Walls

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

• Definition of "slum"
• What downward discipleship is
• Building relationships in Jakarta

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Anita’s high school years were spent as an American TCK in the Philippines. For the past decade, Anita and her husband and two children have lived and served in a slum in Indonesia. She enjoys learning piano, playing in the rain, and devouring good books. She is the author of Beyond Our Walls: Finding Jesus in the Slums of Jakarta and Downward Discipleship: How Amy Carmichael Gave Me Courage to Serve in a Slum.

RELATED LINKS:

• Servants Asia Website
• Email Anita Rahma

TIMESTAMPED SHOWNOTES:

00:39 - Introducing Anita Rahma

03:22 - Anita's choice to live in the urban slums of Jakarta

03:33 - ...grew up in the US as a child of pastors in a modern Mennonite home

03:49 - ...loving God could not be separated from loving those struggling with poverty

03:56 - ...moved to the Philippines during high school

04:06 - ...God working on her heart - her middle-class life vs the homeless around her

04:27 - ... felt that Jesus was saying that He is with the homeless

04:36 - ...desire to return to encounter Jesus while serving the poor

04:51 - ...in college years, went to Urbana Missions Convention, Servants to Asia's Urban Poor

05:10 - ...God is with the poor; we want to be too

05:24 - ...over 1B people live in urban slums

05:59 - Definition of "slum" and why live there

07:06 - ...incarnation: live in the community in which you are serving

07:21 - ...really experience the community to know their needs

07:38 - ...follow Jesus to serve the poor

07:58 - ...great place to learn the language and culture

08:13 - What in Anita's background helped her connect with impoverished people?

09:12 - ...initially, did not want to leave the Philippines and return to America

09:36 - ...God taught a lot about poverty in America

10:09 - ...felt God calling her back overseas

12:19 - Explanation of "downward discipleship"

12:30 - ...bombardment of messages to seek success

12:47 - ...Jesus sets an example of downward mobility - left heaven for earth

13:21 - ...taking the position of a servant

13:37 - ...a disciple is someone who follows

13:55 - Anita's books

13:58 - ...First Book: Beyond Our Walls: Finding Jesus in the Slums of Jakarta

14:04 - ...Second book: Downward Discipleship: How Amy Carmichael Gave Me Courage to Serve in a Slum

14:09 - ......tying in stories of Amy Carmichael

14:44 - ......the struggle of downward discipleship in the American church context

14:57 - ......discipleship happen overseas in the process of learning

15:05 - How to communicate the concept of downward discipleship to the local church

15:27 - ...moving from the need to control to compassion

15:58 - ...compassion means to suffer with

17:23 - Some of the biggest challenges in impoverished urban ministry

17:31 - ...physical - adjusting from comfortable middle class to slums:

17:56 - ......sickness and illness

18:26 - ......fires

18:47 - ......floods

18:50 - ......eviction

19:04 - ...spiritual & emotional:

19:24 - ......Jesus is the Savior, not us

19:29 - Jeremiah 29 : 7

19:41 - ...tying our welfare to that of our neighbors

20:31 - How to build relationships in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world

20:45 - ...choose to live in the neighborhood

20:57 - ...come as learners

20:59 - ...as a single female, was "adopted" into many families

21:07 - ...run a free school for the kids

21:22 - ...through the school came knowing families, visiting, praying, doing Scripture studies

22:57 - ...sow seeds and trust God to bring the growth

24:57 - Experience as a woman and a mother helped minister to Muslim women

25:05 - ...as a single woman was "adopted" into families

25:45 - ...being married and becoming a mother opened doors

26:01 - ...passionate about prenatal care

27:02 - Advice for fellow laborers with small children

27:08 - ...things get easier as the children get older

27:11 - ...be gracious with yourself and your children

27:28 - ...be on mission as a family

27:43 - ...addressing family needs

28:05 - ...self-care is important and not selfish

30:00 - True poverty is a very foreign concept

30:17 - ...before going to another country, learn in your own context

30:25 - ...what are your walls that separate you from people?

30:45 - ...wherever you're going to minister, go as a learner and encounter Jesus

31:10 - ...recognize that service is a life-long and long-term

31:29 - ...live lives of compassion

31:56 - Join in praying for communities around the world

32:23 - Getting in touch with Anita or finding her books

32:33 - ...go to amazon.com or servantsasia.org or email [e-mail]

DID YOU APPRECIATE THIS PODCAST?

Checkout previous episodes, leave a review, drop us a note or support the mission here: oururbanvoices.com