Serving Orphans and Single Mothers in Indonesia

Director of YANA Indonesia: Hyunho Cho

Rev. Hyunho Cho (left), Mrs. Nayoonyoung Cho (right)

Sending Organization: The Assemblies of God of Korea

Current Ministry Location: Purbalingga, Indonesia

Beginning the Journey: Starting the Orphanage Ministry Following God’s Will

In 2004, I was sent to Indonesia. After spending a year studying the language, I moved to my current mission field, Purbalingga, where I taught Korean for about four years as a means of evangelizing Muslims.

In 2009, I received government approval to establish an orphanage, which I have been running ever since. I named the orphanage Boaz to reflect our mission of helping those in need, much like Boaz supported Ruth.

When we began the orphanage ministry, we started receiving newborns abandoned by single mothers. Initially, I had no plans to take in infants, but a hospital contacted us, asking if we could care for a newborn. Though I was initially hesitant, after prayer, I became convinced that this was God’s will, and we began accepting newborns. We also welcomed children who could not be adopted through adoption agencies.

"Like Boaz Helping Ruth, We Strive to Support the Orphans and Single Mothers."

In Indonesia, children automatically inherit the religion of their parents at birth. The mothers of the children who come to Boaz are Muslim, but by coming to our orphanage, they become children of God. In this way, God is using our orphanage to save and nurture these children.

Currently, we have 32 children, ranging in age from 3 to 17, living in our orphanage. To ensure that they receive a proper biblical education, we established a school within the orphanage, offering classes from kindergarten through high school.

All of our children receive their formal education within the orphanage. In addition, they participate in extracurricular activities outside the orphanage, such as Taekwondo and music. Our goal is for each child to learn at least one musical instrument. They are learning the violin, cello, and guitar. Moreover, they are studying both Korean and English.

Our Vision for Future Ministry—Seeking Out and Supporting Orphans and Single Mothers

Our vision for future ministry is to continue receiving abandoned newborns and raising them in the love of God. Additionally, we aim to nurture the children of Boaz to become individuals equipped with spiritual maturity, competence, and physical strength for the expansion of God’s Kingdom and the evangelization of Indonesia. We are also preparing to launch a ministry for single mothers. Just as Boaz helped the struggling Ruth, we hope to continue seeking out and supporting the modern-day Ruths—orphans and single mothers—in their times of need.

Indonesian Mission Ministry

YANA Indonesia