Written by Lisa Suroso, Communication Coordinator at Mustard Seed International
It began with a journey into the jungle.
In the late 1970s, a woman named Lillian Dickson arrived on the Island of Borneo. She didn’t go with a grand plan or a big organization behind her, but with a heart full of faith. What she encountered there would change the course of her life: children growing up without schools, without teachers, and without hope for something beyond survival.
So, she did what she could. She began teaching, training local leaders, and planting seeds of knowledge, faith, and love.
Those first efforts were bold, rooted in vision and conviction. What began as a single classroom with a handful of students quickly became a growing movement. From Borneo, the work expanded to Papua, where the same heart for teaching, loving, and empowering local leaders took root in some of the most remote and underserved communities.
And from one woman’s faith and action, Mustard Seed International was born.
Why Education and Discipleship Go Hand in Hand
Across Indonesia, particularly in rural areas, access to quality education remains a serious challenge. Many children grow up in isolated villages with no trained teachers, no learning materials, and no clear path forward. Without education, cycles of poverty persist. Entire communities remain overlooked and more easily shaped by forces of darkness rather than hope.
But education alone isn’t enough. Real transformation only happens when it’s paired with long-term discipleship. People and communities grow when they are mentored, supported, and nurtured over time. Discipleship is a slow and steady work. It takes presence, patience, and people who are willing to stay.
That’s why Mustard Seed doesn’t just build schools. We invest in people. Especially those who feel called to go back to hard places and bring hope with them.
We do this through TransformNation (TfN), a teacher training program that equips young Indonesian Christians to become teachers, mentors, and leaders. Over four years, they are trained in teaching skills, character formation, and Christian leadership. Once they graduate, they are sent to serve in communities where education is limited and long-term commitment matters.
These teachers are not outsiders. Most return to regions they already know and love. Our schools are locally led and rooted in community life. We believe this is what lasting transformation looks like: local leaders discipling the next generation through education.
One Teacher, One Turning Point
One of those leaders is Teacher Ari.
He had a stable life in Java, with a position at Mustard Seed's Lab School, a newborn daughter, and a supportive church community. But after weeks of prayer, he sensed God calling him to return to his home island and pioneer a Christian school. He didn’t have a clear roadmap, just a conviction that he needed to go.
In 2017, Ari packed up his motorbike and rode for hours through rugged terrain under the scorching sun. He was searching for a village he’d only heard about. When he finally arrived, he found no electricity, no school, and children sick from drinking contaminated water.
When he asked the elders what they hoped for, their answer was simple: “We want our children to be educated so they can build their lives and this land.”
That visit planted something deep in Ari’s heart: a calling that soon took shape as a single classroom inside a rented house.
In eight years, what began there has grown into one of the region’s most respected Christian schools. Located in the center of the island, today the school is staffed by twelve TfN-trained teachers and serves more than 200 students. It is also a vibrant hub for learning and discipleship that supports and mentors 25 surrounding village schools with 579 students and 52 teachers.
Learning flows. Children walk with confidence. Parents begin to dream again. “What began as a single act of obedience…” Ari says, “has become a stream of living water.”
Walking With, Not Ahead
This kind of work isn’t easy. Many of our teachers face isolation, cultural resistance, and limited infrastructure. Still, we’ve seen God move through faithful people, unexpected provision, and the quiet strength of those who stay.
Over the years, we’ve learned that transformation doesn’t come through quick fixes or top-down strategies. It comes through steady discipleship, deep relationships, and equipping those who are already rooted in the culture. The role of Mustard Seed International is to walk with them, not ahead of them. Because we believe in this simple rhythm: We teach. We love. They lead.
The story is still unfolding.
We pray for more young Indonesians to rise with vision, courage, and faith. To teach with compassion, lead with integrity, and disciple communities that have long been overlooked.
And we are deeply thankful for those who choose to walk alongside us, like The Charis Foundation. Together, we believe that planting small seeds of faith can lead to a harvest that is far greater than we can imagine.
Sometimes, all it takes is one yes. One heart full of faith. One classroom. One teacher on a motorbike.
And just as Jesus said, the smallest of all seeds has grown into a tree where many can find rest, hope, and new life.