Andreas Andoko is chairman of the Sumatra Team ministry in Indonesia and director of Imanuel Hospital in Bandar Lampung, Indonesia, a former missionary hospital founded by American missionaries.

The political situation in Indonesia increasingly worsens due to the government’s plans to raise fuel prices in early April. In many places, students and the community have held demonstrations on the streets.

In spite of the country’s troubles, I praise the Lord that the ministry is going well. I will be one of the speakers in the regional Baptist women’s conference of Lampung, where 200 women from various cities of Lampung will attend. I will lead the closing revival sermon. My wife, Dewi, will also speak on children’s ministry.

On March 31, the new building of Imanuel Hospital will be unveiled, and the mayor of Bandar Lampung will inaugurate it. With this new building, the Luke building, Immanuel Hospital will have 200 beds, allowing it accommodate 100 people and making it become a private hospital with the largest number of beds to serve the poor in this region. Several new service centers will be also unveiled, including a diabetes education center, new haemodialysis unit, and general check-up center.

On the same day as the inauguration, the morning worship service will feature the vice president’s inauguration. For the first time, the hospital will have two vice presidents. I am truly grateful for the two vice presidents, as they are doctors who love the Lord and the hospital.

The training of pastors will be held April 10–14. About 25 pastors from Lampung, Bengkulu, South Sumatra, and Jakarta will join the training at the Training Network, a leadership training institute. Through its branch offices in Singapore, it will help the ministry in Sumatra by training the pastors every three months for four years.

In the meantime, I will be taking my son, Dito, to Singapore the first week of April. A couple weeks ago he was diagnosed with keratoconus, a corneal disorder that causes low vision. His right eye can see only a meter away. Doctors in Indonesia say he needs a corneal transplant. The success rate of corneal transplants in Indonesia is 80 percent. In Singapore, an alternative medical technology called cross-linking is available, and the success rate of corneal transplants there is 91 percent. With these considerations, I decided to take Dito to Singapore. It is not an easy experience for my son, who just turned 20 years old this year.

I have a very busy month ahead. Please pray for my health—may God bestow the strength and health for all my activities in the near future. Please pray for the speakers and participants of the Training Network. Pray for the inauguration of the new building and service centers of the hospital. And pray for my son, Dito—may God give him strength to carry out the whole process of examination and treatment.

I am truly grateful to have colleagues who support me in prayer. I really appreciate any time that you make to pray for my ministry and my family. May God always bless us all.

Andreas Andoko, MD
Chairman of the Sumatra Team, Indonesia