Her church is a feeding center both spiri-
banks and five-star hotels one sees the
tually and physically to these suffering
makeshift tents filled with homeless peo-
souls. It is also an orphanage. The chil-
ple who face hunger every day. Despite
ENGINEERING
dren are beautiful and easy to love. But
their extreme poverty, they smile and dis-
GROWTH
they have been hurt beyond belief. One
play a certain air of respect toward others.
5-year-old stands and worships and seems
But their needs surpass food and cloth- Pastor Timothy Arifin is a civil engi-
happy enough, but the workers remem-
ing. Many are sick, and the Church of neer, but he only practices his profession
ber when he first arrived at age 2. He had
God in Indonesia daily provides tents now when helping plan the construc-
been painfully abused by his parents,
across the city staffed with doctors and tion of new churches. He gives himself
who dipped him repeatedly in scalding
nurses who are there to help. It is deeply to full-time ministry as pastor and evan-
water. His legs bear the scars of cigarette
moving to stand at the city dump as peo- gelist. Mentored by
burns, while the deepest scars, those of
ple sort through the garbage for some- Pastor Alex Tanisaputra
the heart, cannot be seen. His story is
thing to eat, or to walk into one of their in Surabaya, Pastor
much like the story of many of the inno-
tiny, boarded-up homes where an entire Timothy came to faith
cent children who have been painfully
family of 10 or 12 people lives in a single in Christ after a miracle
harmed by the world they inhabit. But
room—yet to look outside that pitiable of divine healing in
God has sent the church to love them,
place and see a host of tents reaching 1979 when he was
restore them, and teach them about a
across the area bringing food, clothing, prayed for by an evan-
loving heavenly Father.
water, and medical help. This is Gereja gelist from Jakarta.
Every day in Indonesia, Church of
Bethel Indonesia. Pastor Arifin’s first
God missionaries and native workers arise
The faces of care in Indonesia are church, Surabaya Praise Center, was
in the early morning hours to prepare
reaching beyond the borders of this established in 1986, but he was sent to
food for these feeding centers. It is obvi-
nation to Indonesians who have migrated Bali in 1989 to plant the church there.
ous they are tired physically, but it is also
elsewhere. In the city-state of Singapore, Full-time in ministry since then, the Bali
obvious they are spiritually strong of
the church reaches Indonesian Muslim Church has grown from 15 people to
heart. These faces of care in Indonesia are
maids who work in posh hotels by help- more than 30,000 with 145 branch
illuminated with smiles as they watch
ing them get an education so they can locations.
hundreds of children eat their bowls of
better themselves. Many of these maids Early in his ministry in Bali, Pastor
rice with a boiled egg in the middle as if
accept Christ as Savior. Gereja Bethel also Timothy was confronted by a demon-
it were a feast. These caregivers are our
helps the scattered network of Filipino possessed young woman who practiced
Church of God brothers and sisters!
people who have migrated to Indonesia. witchcraft. The church saw her saved,
Every street in Jakarta reveals the poor
Perhaps the reason God is pouring out delivered, filled with the Spirit, and
and needy. Standing next to towering
a spiritual revival of unprecedented pro- called to be an evangelist! Miracles like
these help account for the tremendous
R L
growth of the church in Indonesia. Pas-
EACHING THE EARNING DISABLED
tor Timothy’s vision is to plant 1,000
churches for Gereja Bethel Indonesia.
Dr. Dwidjo Saputro is a child psychiatrist and an ordained minister. He is also an
The newest was just started in Dubai
assistant national overseer, and his wife is a medical doctor in private practice. In 1984,
with 80 people.
when asked to plant a new church in Jakarta, he asked the Lord how
he should do it. The Lord spoke to him to seek unreached people.
“But,” he asked the Lord, “what unreached people groups are in my portions on the Church of God in Indone-
area?” To which he heard the Spirit say, “Parents of children with learn- sia is because the church is following the
ing disabilities.” divine mandate to reveal to the watching
Dr. Saputro then established Patmos School for children with learn- world the many faces of God’s care.
ing disabilities and began sharing the Gospel with them and their fami-
lies, many of whom were Muslims. The school now has 100 students.
He built his church, Gereja Bethel Indonesia: Patmos, which now has
Donnie Smith is the interna-
400 attendees, on five pillars: leadership development, theology, evan-
tional director of the Church of
gelism and missions, family and youth ministries, and community development.
God Division of Care.
EVANGEL • JUNE 2009 15
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