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By Ritha Matta, INDONESIA
At five years of age I went to live with my uncle on the island of Kalimantan. My parents, rice farmers, lived on another island with our large family—six boys and four girls. When my uncle asked to take me, my parents agreed thinking I would have a better life and a better education with him. He worked for the gas company so had a good life.
For the first three years I had a wonderful time because my uncle and my grandmother, who also lived with him, treated me like a daughter. But my uncle married and the situation changed completely. My new aunt did not like her husband’s relatives, so we saw a lot of difficulties. I especially suffered because my aunt treated me like a maid. I had to do all the work that needed to be done before I could study. I would sometimes rise at 4:30 A.M. to clean the house, prepare the breakfast and do the laundry by hand before I left for school at 6:30. More work was waiting for me when I came home.
As the four children came along, I also took care of them. I rarely had time for myself. Sometimes I would escape to the bathroom or storeroom to weep and weep. I didn’t want to tell anyone because it would not be good for my relatives. So I just kept it to myself. It was a very hard and painful thing to do. I didn’t know what it was to be loved. I had no time to play with friends. If I went out then I had to take the children with me. Because my aunt also hated my grandmother, I had to take care of her, too. My uncle saw what was going on, but it was very hard for him. He did not want to choose between his wife and his mother and niece.
During this difficult time, I learned to pray. I knew there was a God because my family were nominal Christians. In Indonesia we have to have a religion on our identification cards. My grandparents chose the Christian religion, but they were actually pagans. To them being Christians did not mean they were followers of Christ. My uncle and aunt were also nominal Christians. They were elders in their church for some time. My uncle knew a lot about the Bible but he did not practice it.
I am very grateful to my uncle for sending me to school and paying all my school fees through primary, secondary and high school. We had religion classes at school, one for Christians and one for the Muslims. At a Christian class I was invited to attend a Bible Camp in another city. I am so glad my uncle gave me permission to go and paid the fee because at the Camp I learned about Jesus. I knew of Him, but it was the first time I heard that He loves the world and that He loves me. No one had ever loved me; I was amazed to hear that Jesus did.
During the service, the preacher explained that Jesus died on the cross to pay for the sins of the whole world and that He loves sinners, not the self-righteous. He continued, “Because Jesus loves you, He wants to reign in your life. Maybe you know about Him but have never invited Him to come into your life to be your personal Savior and Lord.”
My heart was touched. I said, “No, I have never asked Jesus to be my Savior and Lord.” I felt convicted of sin and felt I should dedicate my life to Christ. Some camp workers came to me to share Scripture verses. One verse said: “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” I didn’t tell the camp workers everything about my life, I just confessed the sin of hating my aunt for the way she treated me and my parents for sending me away. Then I asked Jesus to be my Savior. I was so happy to know Him and be loved by Him.
After that experience my life was changed. Back at my uncle’s house the situation did not change, but my perspective (view) changed. No matter what happened to me I knew I had Jesus and He would be with me. Now when my aunt spoke harshly to me and called me a liar, messed up everything or slammed the door on me, I would just pray for her. I would say, “Lord forgive her. She doesn’t know what she is doing.” God would comfort me after such painful experiences.
I began to attend a non-denominational church in our community. My aunt didn’t like that. She said I was wasting my time when I should be working. Of course, I had to finish all the work before I went.
I continued my studies and graduated from high school. I hadn’t had much time to study so I didn’t have very high grades, but they were good enough to graduate. My uncle wanted me to go to the university so I could get a good job. But I wanted to go to Bible College. I wanted to give my whole life to Jesus; I had nothing else to give Him.
My uncle did not agree for me to go and said I should get a job so I could help my family. He refused to sponsor me or even lend me his suitcase. But God provided everything, even the small things. My church gladly sponsored me. The Lord touched the hearts of the people in the church and several asked what I needed. One of the young men in the youth group bought me a suitcase; another friend provided my ticket. I had not shared my needs with anyone, so this provision assured me that I was in God’s will. Matthew 6:33 became real to me: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all of these things shall be given to you as well.”
I was 19 when I left my uncle’s house. At the Bible College I learned that students were not accepted until they were 20. I asked to work at the College for a year, but they offered me work at their Bible camp. I really enjoyed the fellowship and Bible study there.
During my time at the camp, my young cousins came over to visit me because they missed me. We had a wonderful time. One of my sisters was looking for a job, so she came over to my uncle’s house after I left. She was a college graduate and did not like to be treated like a maid. So she quarreled with my aunt. My aunt sent me a letter saying, “Your sister is very different. She is not like you.” My aunt must have missed me, too.
The following year I went to the Bible College where I studied for 5 and 1/2 years. We students had a month’s vacation every year, so I visited my uncle’s family and my parents to witness to them and to share God’s Word. I was especially glad to visit my parents as I had visited them only three times during the 14 years I was with my uncle.
While I was in Bible College, God called me to cross-cultural service. We pray for the countries in the world each week. When a lecturer showed slides of the work in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa, my heart was touched. I prayed for over two years to know if it was God’s will for me to serve there.
After graduation I returned to my home church to serve as an assistant pastor. The church wanted me to remain on staff, but in my heart I knew God wanted me in Africa. However, my call was tested. Just a few weeks before I left to join WEC International, a problem arose between my parents and they nearly divorced. I said, “Lord, is it your will for me to go to Africa or stay here and serve my family?” I struggled with that.
Just three days before I was to leave, a visiting pastor, whom I had not met before, preached to our youth fellowship. His text was Matthew 10:37, “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.” I had my answer. I asked the Lord to give me one more opportunity to serve my family before I left Indonesia.
When I heard that my grandmother was very sick, I went to be with my parents. My uncle called while I was there asking me to bring water from my grandmother’s village. I knew he must have gone to a fortune teller to see if Grandma was going to die, so I refused. He got very upset. When he called again, I apologized and said, “Uncle, please wait. I am going to pray for Grandma. If it is her time to die, she can die in peace and go to Heaven.”
That evening I went with my father and sister to visit Grandma. All my family was there, even the Muslims. I was glad my leader was with me. She and I prayed for three hours. Because Grandma had a lot of black magic things, we broke down all the magic in Jesus’ name. For three hours I sang in her ear, read the Bible and prayed. She could hear and could respond, but she couldn’t speak. Then we asked her to pray to Jesus to forgive her and be her Lord and Savior. She agreed.
I knew some of the relatives did not have good relationships with Grandma so I told them to go ask forgiveness of her. All of them but my aunt asked her forgiveness. I went to another room and prayed for the Lord to strengthen me to speak to my aunt. It was very difficult for me because I am younger than she. But I went to her and said, “Aunt, this is the last opportunity for you. You know what you have done. You have to ask forgiveness.” She was surprised, but she obeyed.
Then Grandmother sat up and asked for food and water! The relatives thought this miracle was because I prayed, but I said, “It is because of Jesus, the Lord.” Three days later Grandmother passed into His presence. When all the relatives began to weep I said, “Don’t cry for her, she is happy with Jesus. Cry for yourselves. Where are you going after you die? Accept Jesus as Lord while you have the opportunity.” I did not weep, I just praised God.
When I told my uncle I was leaving the next day, he hugged me and cried like a child. He begged me not to go to Africa. I said, “Uncle, I have to obey God. What I want you to do is to come to Jesus. He loves you.” But he continued to weep and hug me.
After a year of language study in Brazil, I am finally on my way to Africa. My burden is to serve children and young people, perhaps have an orphanage. A lot of children lost their parents in the recent civil war. I want to teach them the truth about Jesus and His love so that they can face any circumstance in life.
To those of you who live with relatives, even if you are mistreated and not loved, you can love and forgive if you have the love of Jesus in your heart. You can be a witness to them. Don’t argue; don’t get angry. They must see that you are different. That is the way you will win them to Christ. Remember you have Jesus to comfort and defend you!
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