SOUTHEAST ASIA (BP) –- Hunting for wild boars, the four men placed barbed wire traps along the small, dank path lined with palm oil trees in the Southeast Asian jungle. Dian Wulandari* used the quiet moments to share the Gospel with his hunting buddies.
The quiet, heavy air is disrupted when dogs accompanying the hunt lower their heads to the jungle floor, desperate for trace evidence of the rummaging hogs. Armed with five-foot-long, metal-tipped spears, Wulandari and his friends sit on a rotting log anticipating the explosion of howls and thundering feet of dogs spotting their prey.
In these moments, Wulandari’s boldness to share the Gospel comes into sharp focus as the men discuss life, death and faith.
“God does work and is working in those moments. Sharing our faith is what we have to do to obey Jesus, and is our responsibility as people who have been forgiven of our sins,” said Wulandari, wiping his feet with lime juice to ward off hungry leeches lurching toward his sandaled feet.
Wulandari’s willingness to witness is the result of a journey that took him from complacency to persistence, explains Curtis Brink,* an IMB worker who attends the same small house church as Wulandari.
“He had never shared his faith on a regular basis,” Brink said, “so this process of meeting as a house and making a commitment that we will share was very challenging for him.”
Every week Wulandari and the other families at church challenge each other to share Christ with at least three people. In the beginning, Wulandari was skeptical of God’s ability to use him, Brink said.
“He’s definitely someone who thought, ‘I’m not educated. I’m not smart enough to lead someone to Christ,'” Brink said. “But the thing about house church is you don’t have that out.”
The challenge encouraged Wulandari, who seized the opportunity to share with the hunters he spends time with each week.
“The most natural place to start sharing is with people you normally run into,” Brink said, “and that’s exactly what [Wulandari] did.”
Wulandari’s transformation is an example for his family. His wife shares with women in the community and witnesses in surrounding villages, while his son witnesses among his peers at school. Despite taunts and angry responses to the Gospel message, his son continues to share about his faith with those in his class.
Ending the hunt, the men collect their traps and the dogs return to their leashes for the trip home, no boars in tow. But the hunters will try again later in the week, hoping to earn extra income by selling the meat to local butchers.
Wulandari invites the hunters to his house for one last cup of hot tea. Once alone, Wulandari bows his head in prayer for his hunting group.
–30–
*Names changed. Evelyn Adamson is a writer working in Southeast Asia. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp).
