Reaching Into Indonesia

In Indonesia, more than 900 churches have been closed or destroyed in the last 15 years and Christians are being imprisoned for their faith. On the island of Bali, Christians comprise only 1% of the population and endure the same persecution as the rest of Indonesia. Now, the Balinese Audio New Testament has been recorded and 100 Proclaimers reached the Balinese last month. Pastor Deborah Lotito of Calvary Community Church in Kailua Kona, Hawaii, shares her heart for reaching the Balinese and people around the world with God's pure Word in audio.

Founding Pastors David & Elaine Reese-Thomas (retired), Executive Pastor Deborah Lotito, and Pastor Kahu Kealoha Kaopua (left to right)

FCBH: How did you get involved with Faith Comes By Hearing?

Pastor Lotito: "It is my heart to see the Word of God delivered to the many parts of the world where missionaries can't go. The church has different denominations and traditions where people can't agree, but if you really are a believer, you can't disagree that disseminating the pure Word of God is the purest form of evangelism. So to find this ministry that feels the same about the power of God's Word to reach the nations was great!

"It's also phenomenal the way FCBH supports the local church. Not only with materials, updates, brochures, etc. but with Audio Bibles that you supply free of charge! The MP3 discs were a huge gift. Now, when someone wants to buy Audio Bibles, I ask them to purchase it from you. Sometimes they say, 'I can buy Bibles on CD from my wholesale club,' or wherever, so I point out that the wholesale clubs don't give proceeds to share God's Word with the nations.

"I really appreciate FCBH, there is something delightfully pure about what you do—it is so without an agenda. This is needed more now than ever in the times that we are living. The technology that you develop really impresses me also."

FCBH: What interested you specifically in supporting the Balinese in Indonesia?

Pastor Lotito: "We are at the core of the Pacific Rim. Hawaii has people from all over the world—even in our fallen state, this is a little bit of what heaven is going to be like. But the culture is primarily Polynesian, which shares an ancestry with the people in Indonesia. We wanted to support a people group that is reflective of the culture here. I also wanted to give to the Balinese because I love a challenge—anything that is naturally impossible. Because Indonesia is a closed country, this is the best way to share the Gospel."

FCBH: Is there anything you'd like to share with other pastors?

Pastor Lotito: "You can't always see the results of what you do as a pastor. You don't always know the outcome of your impact on people's lives—you may not know until heaven. But to support Faith Comes By Hearing, I have the joy of knowing. I have a measured result that my time, prayers, and money are really doing something. It puts God at the center and honors Him. It's just a joy to be a part of this."

Pastor Deborah Lotito, her husband Bob, and daughter Lauren (left to right)

Calvary Community has been helping reach people with God's Word in audio since 2003. They, along with Community Grace Brethren Church in Long Beach, CA; Calvary Christian Center in Mount Washington, KY; Faith Family Christian Center in Longview, WA; Park Baptist Church in Florissant, MO, and many other churches have made it possible for the Balinese people to hear God's Word in their own language.