Kids of Courage

Clarissa was at church in Indonesia with her mother, father, and grandfather when bombs exploded in a black minivan outside the church. The van belonged to Muslim terrorists. Flames from the blast spread across the front of the church.

“I was not near the fire, but when I was walking it hurt so bad,” said Clarissa, who was 8 years old at the time. “I felt the heat on my skin…. My grandma splashed water on my face. I was feeling so scared, so worried about my mom.”

Clarissa’s mom, Fenny, received serious burns from the blast. Clarissa had burns on her forehead, stomach, and hands. Thankfully, she is nearly pain free today. She wants to be a doctor someday to help people who suffer.

More than a year after the attack, Fenny is having a more difficult recovery. The worst part, Fenny says, is that she can no longer hug Clarissa because of her fragile skin. But when people ask her about her burns, she eagerly tells them about Jesus. She wants Him to use her story for the advancement of His kingdom.

Their pastor, Pastor Yonathan, encouraged his congregation to continue gathering for worship. More than 1,000 people attended church the Sunday after the attack. “We wanted to show that we love God, and when we love God, the less afraid we are of persecution.”

Pastor Yonathan continued, “Our Muslim neighbors said, ‘When Christians have problems like this, they are not afraid; they are still faithful to God.’

“I am sure that God is still good,” said Pastor Yonathan. “The main point is that we forgive the people who did what happened. We pray for others like them, that God can give them grace to repent.”

(Source: The November 2019 The Voice of the Martyrs magazine. Edited for length, clarity, and age-appropriateness.)

Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world. But Christianity is growing! As more hear about the freedom of the gospel, they turn to Christ and surrender their lives. With the growing number of Christians, the need for Bibles is great. The Bible encourages Christians to focus on God in the face of obstacles and persecution. The Voice of the Martyrs distributes Bibles in Indonesia to help meet this need.

The photo shows some children who were very happy to receive the Bibles.

Twelve-year-old Evelyn has visited doctors many times in the past year. She had a broken right wrist and severed nerves in three fingers on her right hand. Because of her injuries, she learned to write with her left hand.

Evelyn also went through three operations to remove shrapnel from her legs and feet. The shrapnel and her injuries came from a bomb blast at her church in Indonesia on May 13, 2018. Muslim terrorists attacked three churches in the area on that day.

Evelyn’s aunt, Wenny, and her cousins, 11-year-old Evan and 6-year-old Nathan were also injured in the attack. Men at the church took them to the hospital, but sadly, Nathan and Evan died of their injuries. Evelyn had lived with her aunt, uncle, and cousins for six years before the attack, and she misses her cousins very much.

Wenny asked her pastors for help in forgiving the attackers. She finds healing in sharing her story. “Some churches and groups invite me to share my testimony with them,” she said. “And I am happy to do that to be a blessing.”

Wenny will also help Evelyn as she continues to heal from her physical and emotional wounds. Will you pray for them?

(Source: The November 2019 The Voice of the Martyrs magazine. Edited for length, clarity, and age-appropriateness.)