Indonesia (MNN) ― Partners International is working with an evangelist in a part of Indonesia that's known for its hostility toward Christians.
Wati, as we're calling her, realized very few of the remote islands of Indonesia had access to the Gospel. She had a heart for these people who were struggling with poverty and began bringing aid to some of the villages.
Initially, the reception was hostile, and Wati's life was threatened many times by local Muslim leaders. But the villagers wanted her help, and some wanted to hear what she had to say. It was a time for preparing the soil, but not a time to plant or harvest.
That changed after the tsunami hit in 2004. Because the remote islands were nearly ignored with the relief efforts, they cried out to Wati, and she responded.
But their needs burdened her. Her faithful testimony and her love opened more doors for her to share the Gospel, and many responded.
Then came nurture. Wati says, "I prayed 'Who will lead them, Lord?' God said, 'YOU must train and send.' Then I started the seminary, and I asked Lord, 'Make me one to preach and have thousands listen to the Gospel' because so many people hunger for the Lord, but there is no opportunity for them. God answered again by the radio."
Partners International strengthened her ministries by helping her train and send church planters to unreached people groups. These workers gain trust by living "incarnationally" in unreached communities, initiating holistic projects that help meet pressing community needs (such as clean water, medicine, and school buildings), and eventually planting culturally-appropriate churches.
As nominal Christians became believers, there was still a struggle to disciple them in high Muslim areas. "All of them hate their neighbors. They say, 'They're evil! They persecute us so much!' I said, 'No, you must love them. If you hate them, you're the same, and that's why you must love them.' 'How can we love them?' and then by the Bible, we teach them what Jesus taught His people: 'Be light in the darkness.'"
As the Christians became more grounded in their faith, the persecution became less of a hindrance to outreach. Today, there's a church-planting ministry with a two-fold goal: to build up Christians who are struggling to maintain their faith under increasing persecution, and secondly, to plant churches among Muslims.
Besides training Christian leaders through the ministry's Bible school, Wati and her team produce Christian radio programs, follow up listener contacts, and go regularly to remote villages to encourage believers and share the Gospel with non-believers.
