Visitor report: Luke Beston

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My name is Luke Beston.  I am a black belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu under Royce Gracie. My wife, Angela Gracie, is the granddaughter of Carlos Gracie who, along with his brother Helio, were the creators of the martial art of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

Angela and I recently travelled to Bali for a holiday, and to visit the academy of my good friend Paul ‘Mat Rat’ Haffenden, who teaches Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in Bali. Paul introduced us to Geoff and Erma Collins who run Akademi Kristus (AK), a charity organisation focused on helping underprivileged children and families in Bali. Read more →

Visitor report: Trudi Kirchhofer

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In May 2016, I went to Bali for what was my fifth trip and I can honestly say it is the one that has had the biggest impact on me in so many ways. This is due to meeting Geoff and Erma Collins, their beautiful daughters and the rest of the Akademi Kristus (AK) family.

It was by chance that I reconnected with Jamie Murray from Renegade MMA in Melbourne and I just happened to see that he had posted a link to the AK newsletter on Facebook. As soon as I saw the words ‘Bali’ and ‘martial arts’ together, I had to read more. Read more →

Visitor report: Matt Williams

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I had visited Akademi Kristus (AK) on my previous holiday to Bali, so my expectations of my return were informed by my prior experiences. Sitting in the airport lounge the day after my second visit, I considered how my buddy Peter Sheather might have been feeling about our maiden scooter ride through a foreign metropolis and a thunderstorm to a place entirely unfamiliar. Read more →

Visitor report: Fabian Hamm

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My name is Fabian, I am 20 years old and come from Germany. I finished high school two years ago and after a time of social and missionary work in Europe and Africa, God led me to do a Discipleship Training School (DTS) course at the Youth With A Mission (YWAM) DTS in Bali.

Of course, I wanted to continue to go to church and find a Christian community I could join. After checking out some churches in the surrounding area I came to visit the C3 Church in Denpasar. Quickly, I felt very comfortable with the way things were happening – I could see a deep passion for Christ in worship and a hunger for truth in the message, so I decided to make C3 Bali my home church for my time in Bali. Read more →

Two days with Akademi Kristus (Academy of Christ) in Sanur, Bali

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The slum
A privilege to harvest new souls

I was skeptical when we were entering this poor housing area, especially when I saw the ignorant attitude of the two young men who were sitting on the porch in front of the first block. They did not even care to greet us back when Akademi Kristus’ Geoff Collins greeted a woman who came out of the house. She, however, came out and greeted Geoff warmly while carrying her little daughter, who was sick.

The child looked ill and weak. I felt sorry when I saw the condition of the child. I realised there are many children in Indonesia who were born in a poor condition. They suffer malnutrition, illness, or are born with physical disability. Some are abandoned by their parents and have no education. However, according to the mother, the condition of her daughter had improved compared to Geoff’s last visit. Read more →

Visitor report: Bethany Ross

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The streets are no place for a 14-year-old, as Australian man Geoff Collins experienced firsthand. “My father committed suicide. There was nothing for me there,” he says.

After deciding to visit his older brother in Indonesia, Geoff never went back. A couple of years later, he instead found himself falling in love with a young Javanese girl. Read more →