We Will
Circumcise You Below The Waist Or Above The Neck
I
sat among some of the most brutalized people I have
met. I had heard stories of the attack on the village of Lata Lata but was not ready for the victims
account of what happened. We had just been seated under
the tarp in front of the small house now home to several
families from the village of Lata Lata when the stooped over patriarch of
this group came and sat in front of us. After we greeted
him with the morning greeting--Selamat Pagi--he began
to share with great passion what happened to him and
his village.
He
began by saying, " My
name is Robert and I am 71 years old." He related
how the attack began on February 26,
2000
with about 20 boats filled with Jihad militia. They
threw bombs on the beach and after that a large number
of jihad militia numbering over 5,000 came out
of the jungle and attacked the village. Robert
looking away said that about 150 people from the
village were killed including the burning of 40 children
in one house. The rest fled to the jungle where
they survived for three weeks and eluded capture. He
then spoke about how they had no chance to get off the
island and how in anguish they knew they would
need to surrender. Robert teared up when he spoke
of the murder of Pastor Patiacina. He told how all the
villagers were taken into an Islamic cleansing ceremony
to begin the process of being force to convert to Islam.
They were told Christians were barbarians. After
they bathed us he said, "We did no know what it
meant, we were just doing this to keep our lives."
His deep eyes began to fill with tears as he shared
how they all left that ceremony and walked with tears
flowing to their shelters. There homes had all been
destroyed and now they lived in makeshift shelters.
He
looked us straight in the eyes and leaned forward when
he told of his circumcision. He was 68 years old and
was told--he could choose where he wanted to be circumcised. Those
performing the circumcision said, "We will circumcise
you either below the waist or above the neck."
This was a death threat to force compliance with this
act of humiliation and terror. He was circumcised and
suffered infection and swelling. Robert put his hand
around his forearm illustrating the extent of the
swelling. He told of woman who suffer with
months of infections. Some woman had to be carried on
chairs because the pain to too much to even walk. The Indonesian
Military were also involved from the beginning.
He told how they saw military soldiers involved in the
attacks from the first day. The military soldiers stood
with the jihad militia as they threatened to kill them
if they did not convert to Islam.
These
people were held captive in their own village for almost
two years. They faced daily torment and terror.
They struggled with wanting to retaliate to avenge the
brutal murder of their loved ones. There was a mother
who was found dead with her baby still nursing from
her blood stained breast. Think of the restraint they
used.
Robert
told how they kept their faith in Christ in spite of
being force to covert to Islam. They would slip away
to a secret place to pray and worship. These brave ones
would go to the jungle and put leaves over themselves
to hide so they could pray as a Christian. How they
must have cried out to the Lord.
They
escaped with the help of three Christian Indonesian
Military soldiers. The details are to be kept silent--but
we rejoice that 1,700 of the people from the village of Lata Lata are now safe. They are now able to
worship the Lord freely and pray openly. They left with
nothing. IFC is helping with some of the basic needs
of this group. They will not be able to go back to their
village. It is too dangerous and they will need to begin
a new life.
In
North Sulawesi there are now 101 families from this
village. Please pray for their needs. These are people
who came out only a short time ago and have nothing.
Please pray for a new village site for them. These people
were fishermen and they are struggling trying to be
farmers. IFC is helping as we can. Please open
your hearts to these ones who need our help. Robert
is 71 years old and he has survived the terror of the
last two year and I believe we need to help make the
next years of his life filled with praise to the goodness
of God. Please pray and help these our brothers and sisters.
Shamed
In The Golden Years Of Her
Life
There
have been thousands of Christian's force to convert to Islam
inthe last three years in the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. There have been thousands of the
forced converts who have been also forced to be circumcised.
Men, woman, and even children have been forced
to accept this or be killed. But of all the stories
I have heard this one stands out.
She
was frightened and sat before us with the wrinkled
marks of the many years she has lived in this land. This
nameless saint was born in the year 1916. Summer
had passed 88 times in her life and it was etched on
her weathered body. She was a mother. She was a
grandmother. She was a great-grandmother. She was a
widow. She was a survivor. She was a victim. She was
a resident of the village of Lata Lata which was attacked by Jihad militia
in February 2000.
She
was 86 years old as she was laid out on a table
while the Indonesian military soldiers guarded the doors.
She was disrobed and she was cut. She was
robbed that day in 2000. She was shamed. In
the golden years of her life she was force circumcised.
This woman was violated in the most personal way. The
deep creases on her face, the folded hands, and the
unwillingness to make eye contact were dead give aways
of the shame and uncertainty that filled her life. I
felt like taking her in my arms and holding her until
she felt secure and safe again.
We
softly asked her, "Grandma were you circumcised,
too?" She bowed and nodded her head--yes.
She got infected and had a very hard recovery.
She was now safe and with her surviving family but she
still was missing something. She has lost a piece
of herself. She lost her dignity. She is a victim of
INJUSTICE. This is a load to be carried. Injustice
is like no other weight we could carry. It is like
acid splashed on the soul. It robs the inner beauty
of a person. It shows only the scared tissue of injustice.
Emily
Rose And Her Gift Of Love
I
related in a recent update the beautiful story of eight
year old Emily Rose. She is the oldest child of
Rob and Arlene Koenig who are very dear friends of mine. My
wife, Cathy, and son, Caleb, and I were up at their
home for dinner before I left on this trip. After the
meal Emily Rose came to me with a bag containing
four items. She opened the bag and pulled out one
by one the contents. There was a doll--this was an Eskimo
doll and you could tell it had been loved. It was well
worn. She then pulled out a pair of shoes followed by
a dress. Then a zip lock bag with the jingle of coins.
She took the coins out and counted out $ 5.19. This
was money she was saving. She was offering this as a
gift to the needy in Indonesia. The coin represented all she had.
I brought this important cargo with me to North Sulawesi. I wanted to give it to the right
group and asked the Lord to open the door so I could
transport more than four gifts--but I wanted to transport
the meaning behind the gifts.
After
meeting with the Lata Lata people I made a special trip
back to the mountain area where they are now living.
I knew this was going to be a special time as we
gathered around this group of saints. I sat down on
the bench next to Robert who was the 71 year old patriarch
of this family. I told him the special story about Emily
Rose. How she prays everyday for the Lord to touch their
lives and how she sent some very special gifts to be
given to three of the little girls from their family.
The
family quickly got three small girls and they sat on
the bench next to us. I had the very sack that Emily
Rose had given me before I left. The three girls sat
quiet but wide-eyed as they listened through the translator.
I wish I could have read the minds of these three candidates
for a blessing. I also wish I could have parted the
heavens to maybe see the angels watching this moment
of pure love in such a love parched land.
I
first took out the doll that Emily Rose gave. It
was an Eskimo doll and I lifted it up and handed it
to the smallest of the three girls. She held this doll
close to her. I later found out that she had never owned
a doll. It was a day she will not long forget. This
was a first in her life and she was showered with the
kindness of a child a great distance from her home.
Then
the pink dress was pulled from the bag. I had not looked
very closely to the dress but on the front was a small
heart with the word love embroidered below it. This
seemed to say everything we tried to express. God was
expressing Himself in this single selfless act of this
eight year old American child. The dress was given to
one of the girls and it was too small so another girl
put it on. It was a perfect fit. She wore it with a
big smile. The girl who was too big for the dress was
given some money to get a new dress so she didn't fell
left out.
Then
came the shoes. The third girl got to put them on. I wish you
all could have been there. This was a shower of blessings
on the lives of these refugee children. These are the
ones who survived the attack on their village. In this
village 40 children were burned to death in one house.
I
had one more gift to give--the coins. Emily Rose gave
me all the money she had. It was $ 5.19. This is the
equivalent to about 50,000 rupiah. I then turned
to Robert and told him about the money she had given.
How she had given everything she had and this was the
greatest gift you can give. You simply cannot give more
than all you have. It was like the woman
who Jesus saw drop the two coins into the
treasury. She gave all she had and Emily Rose has
given a small gift but it was all she had. I placed
my hand gently on his back as I gave him the 50,000
rupiahs. He was already in tears as he said,
"Terima Kasih, Tuhan." (Thank you, Lord) This
money will provide housing for over a month for his
family. This small amount of money will provide
some food and will make a difference for them. Terima
Kasih-- Emily Rose. Your childlike faith and
obedience has showered a family with the greatest of
gifts--selfless love.
How
Can You Say, No?
This
is a tribute to the work of Peter and Esther Scarborough
the leaders of the medical project in Manado. They are true Aussies--they have
the full accent and love beet root and vegemite. Their
five children have joined them in this medical ministry.
They all speak Bahasa Indonesia and are able to communicate
with ease to the local people. This is a great asset
to have in this kind of work. They are suited for
this ministry with language gifting but most important
they have a strong sense of call to be here.
The
home they live in is a real Indonesian home.
It is very simple and provides a central location to
the refugee camps. It has Indonesian style toilets,
which can be a big challenge to us westerners. There
are now four rooms being built onto the side of this
house. These will be the rooms for the T.B. patients
that are being treated. They have already been
baby delivery rooms and shelter for so many sick and dying
people.
I
went over to see what progress was being made and found
a house full of people. There are the sick and their
families. It is not uncommon to have 20 additional people
for meals at their house. Ester cares for
each one and not only provides medical treatment but
also a bowl of food, too. I watched Ester one night,
she is like an ant she is making sure food is given
to each one. She sat down for maybe five minutes through
the meal time. It can be hard work living with
the gift of mercy.
The needs
are endless and they are giving everything they have.
The work goes on sometimes all night with child birth.
Knocks at the door all hours.
This has happened a number
of times. In the morning a training is held with the 16 health care students who are
being trained to treat T.B. and other common diseases
here. Ester is training this group and setting
high standards for them in their classes. The students
are getting excellent training and will be able
to multiple the work in caring for the sick and diseased.
The
people begin to line up for medical help in the early
afternoon. While she is treating the T.B. patients,
others keep coming in. There are those who need stitches,
a broken arm needs to be set, or malaria needs
treated. It is endless and after 18 to 20 hour days
it can be physically exhausting. I asked Ester, "How
do you do it?" She answered, "How can you
say, no?" How CAN you say, no, to a man who
is dying of T.B. who was is carried in by his family in hopes of saving
his life. How CAN you say, no, to the bleeding
face of someone just involved in a traffic accident.
How CAN you say, no, to an expectant mother who is ready
to deliver a child. How CAN you say, no, to the endless
list of ailments and diseases.
I
asked myself, "Where do you find these kinds
of committed and super charged servants of God?"
How do they go day after day from one problem to
the next? It is not human drive or even devotion,
it is the call to be an extension of the hands
of Jesus. I still want them to get more rest and stay
physically healthy themselves. They are giving all for Him.
Please
pray for Peter and Esther and their five children. This
is a tribute to an awesome family that are
giving everything they have. Many lives have been helped
because of their concern and devotion. The medical project
can use donations to support this family.
They are giving their lives and need many of us
to stand in support of their work.
For
information of where and how to give, please, look at our
web site.
Another
Christian Attacked And Killed In Poso
Today,
June 9th was another bad day in Poso (Central Sulawesi). A 47 year old man named Krisman
Pontali was found dead. His body left in a field near
Poso. Mr. Pontali wanted to reconcile and go back
to his home in the predominately Muslim section
of Poso called Kayamanya. He had been a refugee
in Tentena since May of 2000. His wife died in the refugee
camps. They had five children the oldest being their
17 year old daughter Waris.
There oldest
son said that he, his father, and a nephew were attacked
by three Muslims. They had been in their village for
two weeks in hopes of moving back. But all that has
changed. Just before the attack a gunshot sent police
and military to a different area of town. The absence
of protection made an perfect opportunity for the attack on these three. The son
and nephew fled but the father was taken. The son went
to the police and reported the attack. It was later today
that the body was found and was taken to
Tentena. The body had clear marks of torture on the
hands and feet. The Christian community is bracing for
more acts of terror. Please pray for the now five orphaned
children. Pray for cool heads among the Christian leaders.
Those who do not want peace in this region want the
Christians to retaliate. They want to make a reason
to continue the murders and assaults.
Another passenger
on the bus bombing has died. This brings the total to
five and 15 injured. The recent fatality was 43 year
old Mr. G. Alimbuto. The violence in this region is
growing everyday. We need to have assurances that there
is enough protection for this region. If the security
is not restored in this region then the lives of more
than 60,000 could again be in danger.
Please
get groups to pray for this region. Put this on your
prayer chains and ask all praying Christians to put
this on the top of the prayer list.
For
20 years, Sudan has been a killing ground for Christians
and as many as 2,000,000 have been murdered. Many
of us in the West did not know what was happening there.
There was a media silence. We can not allow that
to happen here in Indonesia. Please contact anyone you think
could help.
A
voice for the voiceless--
Carl
Cady--U.S. Director of IFC
