The Work of God in Indonesia

Indonesia is a kaleidoscope of cultures. Over 17,000 islands make Indonesia the largest archipelago in the world. With over 700 living languages, Indonesia one of the most linguistically diverse nations, second only to Papua New Guinea. Many geographical, cultural, and spiritual barriers keep Indonesians isolated from the gospel.

Like every spot on the globe, there is darkness in Indonesia. Without the light of God, people wander without a moral compass. Their lives are full of deceit. Their ambitions are self-motivated. Their goals are short-sighted. They grumble, complain, and dispute. There is no hope in their fight for survival. For many, there is no guarantee that relief will ever come.  

For those who follow Christ, the Spirit of God is leading us, directing us, and spurring us on a path of righteousness that leads to eternity with the Triune God. How rich we are! Paul tells us that because of this truth, we shine like lights, holding out the message of truth like a beacon on a stormy night. What a great responsibility, to give our all to bring hope to the dying world.

We’ve been privileged to live in Indonesia for 20 years, proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. For 17 of those years, we translated God’s Word and taught chronologically through the Bible to those with prepared hearts. What a blessing! What a priceless experience to see his Spirit and his Word sweep down the valleys and change an entire people group for his glory and pleasure. The price has been steep, but worth every penny. Here are a few snippets that bring tears to our eyes as we remember the work of God.

Pengucci grew up in the mountains of Indonesia. When he was a toddler, he came down with an infection that wouldn’t go away. His mother carried him to a nearby clinic for help. Pengucci was given an injection that was either administered with a dirty needle or at an unclean injection site. This botched treatment left him fighting for his life. The Lord spared him, but he was left with a leg that never grew properly. He walks with a limp. After a decade of gospel proclamation in this mountain village, Pengucci’s mother told me the long story of his childhood. She concluded that all this was the Lord’s plan. As a teen, he couldn’t run off to the nearby towns and get into trouble. His handicap kept him close to home. He couldn’t keep up with his friends as they navigated the mountain trails. As a result, Pengucci heard God’s Word clearly taught in his own language and came to know Christ as his Lord and Savior. Pengucci later became a capable Bible teacher. He was eventually sent with a team to a faraway village among his own people group. Since he was not yet married, his mother accompanied him. He and a group of other Bible teachers have invested years in this village. For Pengucci, the work of God in Indonesia gave purpose to his deformity and ultimately saved his soul.

Ira was a second wife. She lost two children and then one day she learned her brother had died. She gathered up her two living sons and they started the three-day walk to the village. She cried with her mother and siblings. Less than 36 hours after arriving in the village, her baby son fell ill and died suddenly. The grief was unbearable. She declared she would stay in the village where to lay bother her brother and son to rest.

We lived in that village. Ira was still there months later when we began teaching the Bible. She came to every meeting, soaking up every drop of truth. She was so thirsty to know and understand. After a few months, Ira came to know the Lord. Sometime later she testified, “It was the Lord who brought me down the path to this village. It was the Lord who had plans for me to stay here while the gospel was presented so that I would be saved.” It was a path drenched in sorrow. But Ira was convinced that her suffering was not in vain and that the Lord had used it for good. For Ira, the work of God in Indonesia turned her mourning into gladness.

Mari is from a different part of Indonesia, but she lives in our village. Her father died when she was young. Without any parental oversight, she led a promiscuous lifestyle as a teen. Even though she excelled in school, she ran wild in the streets. Then she and her widowed sister were simultaneously married to the same cult leader. When asked about her past, she simply said, “It is a sad story.” Mari has consistently come to listen to the Bible being taught clearly and meaningfully. She often cries when she talks about what she is learning and what she believes. For Mari, the work of God in Indonesia is changing her life, cracking through a dark worldview and bringing light to her soul.

The work of God in Indonesia can seem like an impossible task, challenged by an unending amount of red tape. I can practically see the slideshow on loop, of flashing faces that are moments away from an eternity apart from their Creator. But the work of God in Indonesia will carry on. It keeps us trudging through the jungles, reaching new islands, and breaking through barriers for the sake of those who have not heard the good message of Jesus.