November 27, 2020.
Christians in the remote Indonesian village of Lewono (a Salvation Army outpost) will forever remember this day when, without warning, Islamic extremists entered their village that morning. In a matter of hours, they had killed four people and burned down six homes and the local church building.
Over the last three years, the worldwide Church has responded to the tragedy, and Open Doors partners have walked with survivors since the beginning. Our local partners rushed to the scene after the attack and have since provided trauma counseling as well as help for new homes and the construction a new church building.
For safety reasons, all of the survivors have now relocated to new homes in the closest village, Lembantongoa. Recently, our partners visited Kandi (pictured above), one of the survivors who witnessed the murders of her father and husband. For the young mother of three, the hope of any future seemed to die that day. Yet the recent conversation with her brings us up close to the power of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 12:25-26:
But God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
With the support and prayers of the global Church, Kandi says she is attempting to rebuild her life.
"Right now, my overall condition is fine. My children, too. The oldest is 15, the second is 13, and the youngest is nine years old. I remarried two years ago as well. Now we live in a new house, in Lembantongoa village, in a house that was given to us as a donation,” she says, smiling as she watches her youngest child play with his cat. “With my new husband, I'm attempting to rebuild my life. We have some land and grow cocoa there. Because our land is closer to my husband’s village, I sometimes stay there to work and return here on weekends to attend church.”
Kandi isn’t the only survivor finding restored hope. Dewi also had to leave her house in Lewono where she had raised her family. Starting over in a new place was far from easy, but she had no choice.
"I am grateful for the new house that was given to us,” she says, adding that she continues to travel back to Lewono village to work and cultivate their land because in her new village, they have no land to farm: “Indeed, there is still fear every time we go there, but from there we build our future.”
Recently, Lewono village has celebrated the opening of a new church building—made possible by the prayers and gifts of Open Doors supporters.
Major Yusmina Obet, the pastor of this Salvation Army church, shared a thank-you message: “I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the donors who helped fund the construction of this wonderful church, as well as the pastor’s house (next to the church building), which is very beautiful. I am amazed by these buildings … that in this mountainous area, 80 kilometers from Palu city, there are these beautiful buildings standing.”
Kandi, Dewi and Yonatan, another attack survivor, return to Lewono on the weekends to attend services in the new building and be part of the church.
"This church means a lot to us because there is a history of our lives behind its founding,” Yonatan says. “In this beautiful church, we can continue to worship God. I believe what has happened is part of God’s plan. So, thank you for your generosity.”
Our local partners ask us to continue to pray and support attack survivors and the church in Lewono and Lembantongoa villages:
- Survivors currently don’t have electricity in their new houses. Instead, they must “borrow” electricity from their neighbors. Electric services have long been promised by the local government, but they’re still waiting. Ask God to move the hearts of the local governments to expedite the situation.
- Earthquakes are common in Palu and its adjacent areas, including Lembantongoa village. A major earthquake in August 2023 created several cracks in the pastor’s new home and need repairing. Ask God to protect the area and pray for the restoration of Major Yusmina Obet’s home, allowing her to live there again.
- Pray that trauma survivors recuperate completely. Ask God to give them His strength and peace.
