Sianipar Tile Project Update

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April 20, 2003: Easter Sunday we went over our goal for the Sianipar Tile Project collecting a grand total of $2025. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this effort and especially to those individuals who took it on as a personal challenge to bring the project to a timely conclusion before the end of the school year. You made it happen. Our friends in Sianipar will be able to start putting down their new floor this coming summer.

Huria Kristen Batak Protestan (HKBP) Sianipar

In October of 2002, the ULC Church Council approved of a new sister church relationship with the home congregation of ULC member Esther Sianipar, the Huria Kristen Batak Protestan in Sianipar, North Sumatra, Indonesia. We have recently received a letter from their pastor, Jahidin Banuarea, confirming their desire to begin this relationship with us and we hope that the mutually beneficial connections we have had with our other sister congregations around the world will develop with our new friends in Indonesia.

Pastor Banuarea, went on to say that he serves seven congregations in the Parsambilan region of North Sumatra. HKBP Sianipar was built in 1946. The name of HKBP Sianipar originated from the majority of the people living in the village called Lumban Sianipar, Parsambilan with the family name of Sianipar. Esther is actually the granddaughter of the first HKBP deacon, Konstan Sianipar, of the HKBP Silaen congregation.

On the left is Pastor Banuarea and the deacons of the other HKBP congregations. HKBP Sianipar church has 360 people and in the same village is a Catholic Church that has 160 people. There are no Muslims residing in the village. The relationship between HKBP Sianipar and other HKBP congregations is very close, involving sermon exchanges and common bible study groups. HKBP Sianipar also has a good relationship with the Catholic church in the village.

Esther reports that the Parsambilan region is primarily an agricultural area with most people living by small-scale subsistence farming. They are trying to maintain their aging facilities and are at the present time wanting to put ceramic tile down on a deteriorating concrete floor in their sanctuary. Say, weren't we at ULC in that same place a few years ago? The difference, of course, is that their resources are meager and in this primarily Moslem country they face many hurdles to doing projects like these that we in the USA don't encounter.

The ULC Social Ministry Committee is requesting that members of our congregation consider helping HKBP Sianipar with this project. They need about $2000 to complete the work. Over the next few weeks you will be hearing more about HKBP Sianipar and what they are trying to do from Esther and other members of the Social Ministry Committee. Please, think of all that we in the USA have to be thankful for and maybe even take for granted, and remember our new friends in Indonesia in your holiday giving.