|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
Joy finally came
Debra Kumar
I first met Helmi through a friend of mine, Agnes.
Agnes works for an Islamic organization that assists war refugees at the barracks where Helmi and her children are trying to restart their lives in the wake of the military conflict in Aceh Province.
At first, Agnes was concerned about Helmi’s complaints: She said that her 11-year-old son, Anton, was naughty and difficult to discipline. Thinking that Anton needed a counselor, Agnes invited me to meet Anton.
On my first visit I found out that Anton really was not the problem. The reason why he always went out and never enjoyed being at home was his mother’s own statement: Helmi told him once that if she died someday, he would be responsible for earning money simply because he is male. Listening to her advice, Anton went out often collecting bottles and other garbage made of plastic to sell.
On this visit, Helmi also told me about her dark experiences, wounds and sorrows. I could see many layers of trauma resulting from family problems, the tsunami catastrophe the military conflict in Aceh Province.
One Agony After the Next
The first wound she got was from her unfaithful husband. He cheated on her, and this often caused quarrels between them.
During the conflict between the Indonesian army and the Acehnese separatists, she often heard explosions and the sound of gunfire. She said that she was accustomed to the sound, but I could see on her face the bitterness she felt in her heart.
One night during the conflict, some men barged into their house and tortured her older brother. They cut off his penis before her very eyes. The men carried him off, and she never saw him again. Several months later, the naked body of her younger brother was found in a river, also with his penis cut off.
The next sorrow came when her husband disappeared suddenly.
One day, she saw her husband leaving in their rented car, which the family usually used as their source of income. He left and simply never came back.
A month later, some men in uniforms took her to a spot on a river where she could see her husband’s body lying. The men apologized to her, but right there, she begged the men to kill her and her children, as well. “I can’t live without my husband!” she cried. Before going home, the men gave her some money, which she used to start a small shop.
Then the tsunami came and laid waste to all her hard work.
In the middle of this conversation, she interrupted me: “Excuse me madam, may I know what your religion is?”
I told her that I was a Christian. Unexpectedly she replied, “Oh… I like Christians. They are nice and good.”
She told me that she was living in the barracks to straighten up her life again. Fortunately, a foreigner who worked for an NGO saw her one day and offered her a job in his organization doing housework and cooking. She accepted and now is with the NGO. She has learned a lot from them, and she can feel their love. Her life started to be restored.
Telling the Good News
On my second visit to the barracks, I shared the Cross with Helmi.
I told her that the Cross is a symbol of reconciliation between man and God -- the sacrifice for our sin was nailed to the Cross so that we can be forgiven. “That is the difference between Islam and Christianity,” Helmi said. It seemed that my story was not strange to her, so that encouraged me to continue.
At the end of my visit, I hugged her, expressing my love for her. She said “God bless you.” I was surprised to hear her say this, because that expression is usually used only among Christians. I smiled and replied “God bless you too.”
The Friendship Deepens
One week later, I visited her again at the barracks. Again, she was very hospitable.
We started the conversation with a little talk about Anton. I reminded her about our conversation the week before. I asked about her opinion on the differences between Islam and Christian and her reason for saying that Christians are good and nice.
She said that the Muslim people around her are not really serious about their religion—they follow the rules or rituals mostly because it has become a tradition.
Then I brought up the Cross again—why there should be cross at all and who Jesus Christ is. She listened to my story carefully without being uneasy or offended. After the explanation, we talked about her son again for a while.
On my fourth visit, I asked her to show me Anton’s report. While she was looking for it, I saw an ant crawling on the floor.
Ants, People and God
Pointing to the ant, I asked her, “If one of the ant’s legs were wounded or broken, what would you do if you really wanted to help it? Would you lift or hold it with your big hands? If you did that, you could hurt it more badly, or you could even break its other legs.”
Then I explained to her that the best way to help ants in need is to be an ant, to speak their language. It is like what God has done for us in Christ. God, who is Spirit, incarnated to be a man. He did this because He loves us. He wants to heal our wounds and redeem our sin. That is the reason why He came to the world as a man and was crucified for our sin.
Listening to my explanation she said, “I understand more now.”
I continued. “To get the forgiveness, you have to accept Jesus Christ in your heart. Do you want the forgiveness of your sin? Do you want to accept Him?” She said, “Yes I want to.”
So I asked her to pray and repeat the words after me, asking for forgiveness and accepting Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. After praying, I asked her what it was that she said in her prayer. She admitted that she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord.
We were both very happy. I saw her face was filled with joy. However, I advised her not to tell anybody about this. I wanted her to be strong in Him first and know Him deeper so that she can share the Good News with her neighbors.
After that visit, I decided to review a verse from the Bible in each of our future meetings. As I follow up on her spiritual growth, I will ask her to memorize them.
I was so grateful to God for giving me a chance to share the Gospel with Helmi. I believe many people have been praying for Helmi and some of them had preached the Word to her before. However, God gave me the privilege of being a reaper. I was really thankful to reap the harvest.
Joy Finally Came
Helmi’s Story
Names have been changed
Helmi’s Story
Names have been changed
Editor's Note: This is a personal testimonial from a woman in northern Sumatra who works with Muslim people.
 | |
|
The December 2004 tsunami in northern Sumatra killed an estimated 240,000 people and left tens of thousands of survivors homeless.
|
I first met Helmi through a friend of mine, Agnes.
Agnes works for an Islamic organization that assists war refugees at the barracks where Helmi and her children are trying to restart their lives in the wake of the military conflict in Aceh Province.
At first, Agnes was concerned about Helmi’s complaints: She said that her 11-year-old son, Anton, was naughty and difficult to discipline. Thinking that Anton needed a counselor, Agnes invited me to meet Anton.
On my first visit I found out that Anton really was not the problem. The reason why he always went out and never enjoyed being at home was his mother’s own statement: Helmi told him once that if she died someday, he would be responsible for earning money simply because he is male. Listening to her advice, Anton went out often collecting bottles and other garbage made of plastic to sell.
On this visit, Helmi also told me about her dark experiences, wounds and sorrows. I could see many layers of trauma resulting from family problems, the tsunami catastrophe the military conflict in Aceh Province.
One Agony After the Next
The first wound she got was from her unfaithful husband. He cheated on her, and this often caused quarrels between them.
During the conflict between the Indonesian army and the Acehnese separatists, she often heard explosions and the sound of gunfire. She said that she was accustomed to the sound, but I could see on her face the bitterness she felt in her heart.
One night during the conflict, some men barged into their house and tortured her older brother. They cut off his penis before her very eyes. The men carried him off, and she never saw him again. Several months later, the naked body of her younger brother was found in a river, also with his penis cut off.
The next sorrow came when her husband disappeared suddenly.
One day, she saw her husband leaving in their rented car, which the family usually used as their source of income. He left and simply never came back.
A month later, some men in uniforms took her to a spot on a river where she could see her husband’s body lying. The men apologized to her, but right there, she begged the men to kill her and her children, as well. “I can’t live without my husband!” she cried. Before going home, the men gave her some money, which she used to start a small shop.
Then the tsunami came and laid waste to all her hard work.
In the middle of this conversation, she interrupted me: “Excuse me madam, may I know what your religion is?”
I told her that I was a Christian. Unexpectedly she replied, “Oh… I like Christians. They are nice and good.”
She told me that she was living in the barracks to straighten up her life again. Fortunately, a foreigner who worked for an NGO saw her one day and offered her a job in his organization doing housework and cooking. She accepted and now is with the NGO. She has learned a lot from them, and she can feel their love. Her life started to be restored.
Telling the Good News
On my second visit to the barracks, I shared the Cross with Helmi.
I told her that the Cross is a symbol of reconciliation between man and God -- the sacrifice for our sin was nailed to the Cross so that we can be forgiven. “That is the difference between Islam and Christianity,” Helmi said. It seemed that my story was not strange to her, so that encouraged me to continue.
At the end of my visit, I hugged her, expressing my love for her. She said “God bless you.” I was surprised to hear her say this, because that expression is usually used only among Christians. I smiled and replied “God bless you too.”
The Friendship Deepens
One week later, I visited her again at the barracks. Again, she was very hospitable.
We started the conversation with a little talk about Anton. I reminded her about our conversation the week before. I asked about her opinion on the differences between Islam and Christian and her reason for saying that Christians are good and nice.
She said that the Muslim people around her are not really serious about their religion—they follow the rules or rituals mostly because it has become a tradition.
Then I brought up the Cross again—why there should be cross at all and who Jesus Christ is. She listened to my story carefully without being uneasy or offended. After the explanation, we talked about her son again for a while.
On my fourth visit, I asked her to show me Anton’s report. While she was looking for it, I saw an ant crawling on the floor.
Ants, People and God
Pointing to the ant, I asked her, “If one of the ant’s legs were wounded or broken, what would you do if you really wanted to help it? Would you lift or hold it with your big hands? If you did that, you could hurt it more badly, or you could even break its other legs.”
Then I explained to her that the best way to help ants in need is to be an ant, to speak their language. It is like what God has done for us in Christ. God, who is Spirit, incarnated to be a man. He did this because He loves us. He wants to heal our wounds and redeem our sin. That is the reason why He came to the world as a man and was crucified for our sin.
Listening to my explanation she said, “I understand more now.”
I continued. “To get the forgiveness, you have to accept Jesus Christ in your heart. Do you want the forgiveness of your sin? Do you want to accept Him?” She said, “Yes I want to.”
So I asked her to pray and repeat the words after me, asking for forgiveness and accepting Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. After praying, I asked her what it was that she said in her prayer. She admitted that she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord.
We were both very happy. I saw her face was filled with joy. However, I advised her not to tell anybody about this. I wanted her to be strong in Him first and know Him deeper so that she can share the Good News with her neighbors.
After that visit, I decided to review a verse from the Bible in each of our future meetings. As I follow up on her spiritual growth, I will ask her to memorize them.
I was so grateful to God for giving me a chance to share the Gospel with Helmi. I believe many people have been praying for Helmi and some of them had preached the Word to her before. However, God gave me the privilege of being a reaper. I was really thankful to reap the harvest.