MONIKA: A Testimony from East Bethel - September 2007
Monika is one of my contacts. She is 23 years old, the youngest in her family. She went to school until junior high and never had higher education because she did not want to continue. She lives next door, so as we are getting closer she often comes to my house. She feels at home with me in my house. She regards me as her sister because when she was unemployed and had not any money I told her to eat and drink in my house. Now, she has a job as a shopkeeper.
I have ever told her the story of Jesus in John 14:1-6 that God has already prepared a place in Heaven for everyone who believes in Him. I tried to explain that there are many places to live in Heaven. I added that God has declared: “I’m the way, the truth, and the life, nobody comes to the Father except by me” I inquired her opinion about the term I and the Father in the verse. She answered nothing though. She was just silent to hear my explanation and that was the first time she ever heard about Gospel.
She has an inferiority complex. Her neighbors of her village often say that she is the ugliest among her sisters. When a man mocked her in her very eyes, the inferiority grew bigger not to mention that she also has breast cancer. All these have made her believe that she is not a normal woman. “You are created in God’s image,” I said. “So if you say that you are ugly, you are insulting God who created you.” I comforted her.
After working for two weeks at the shop, she complained of a stomachache. At that time, we had a visit by a Philiphine medical team. So I took her to the place where the team was doing a clinic. Back home from the clinic, Pak Mare and I sent her home. At the street, when we were at the traffic light with red light was on, she suggested Pak Mare not to stop. She told us to keep on driving because she saw many drivers who kept on driving their vehicle without taking heed to the red lights. Then, I reasoned with her, “If we don’t stop driving, it means we are not obedient to the rule. How can we obey God if we can’t obey this simple traffic rules?”
“But everybody keeps on driving?” Monika said.
“Then, what is the sholat(Islamic prayer ritual) for? What are the rules for? What Is the Syariah Police for?”
“Everybody breaks the law,” she was persistent.
So on the way we sent her home, I taught her about obedience.
One day, she cried a lot. She got very scared when much blood ran out of her breast. Indeed, there’s no lump in her breast but she has got a hole on each of her breast. Doctor said it’s just a benign cancer. She has been suffering with the cancer for four years. Many times she has seen doctors but lacking of money sometimes force her to ignore this problem.
She only goes to see doctors when she’s having pain from the breasts or when the breasts are bleeding. For lacking of money, she and her family have never tried to do a thoroughly treatment. The doctor told her to take the medicine he has given every time the pain occurs and assured her that it was just a benign cancer but the doctor remind her to see him regularly to control it.
I’ve ever told her about the story of a woman who suffered from bleeding for a long years in the New Testament. “She was healed by faith alone,” I said. About the God’s kingdom, I told her that it is a gift or a grace from God.
One night Monika had a dream. She saw herself running a race. Finally, she won the race but it was not her who received the prize. Then she asked me the meaning of her dream.
I answered her, “I’m going to Bogor in a few days and when I’m back, I’ll get you some present. What if you don’t want to get the presents? The presents will never be yours because you choose not to take it from me. It is the same with the Grace of God. He gives us, everyone of us the gift of eternal life and it is all up to us whether to accept or to refuse it. It is the same with your dream, you do your ritual prayers and worship but your effort is not useful because you don’t come to the Savior.”
Prayer points:
- Pray for Monika’s willingness to think and ponder the Word of God she has already heard.
- Pray that I can be a faithful witness for Christ in doing the service to Monika and each Acehnese I meet.
- Pray that through her disease, Monika can glorify Lord Jesus and accept Him as her Lord and Savior.
