INDONESIA: Bold Witness for Christ

In the past when travelling alone, he had always felt fear, but because God had given him peace that morning as he prayed, he was not afraid. "I kept going and when I was about three or four metres from him, I smiled and beeped the horn of my bike as a sign of greeting.

Then the man turned and swung his machete, aiming for my neck!" Santoso quickly ducked down, but the blade struck him across the mouth. He kept riding for several metres and then fell off his motorbike. Two men started chasing after him, while another two attacked Santoso's friend who had been following him. His friend managed to break free and ran to get help. Santoso struggled to follow, holding his jaw as he ran and trying to stop the bleeding. As the two men chased him, Santoso cried out, "God help me!"

As he prayed with every step, he felt a power come over him and he seemed to become stronger and was able to run faster. "Amazingly, while I ran, I didn't feel any pain from my wound at all," Santoso said. "I didn't feel dizzy although I was bleeding profusely. I kept running until I reached the village, about a kilometre away. I saw a man and asked for help. He happened to be a pastor." The pastor wept as he prayed for Santoso. The villagers put Santoso into a van and took him to the hospital, about 20 kilometres away. Santoso was in hospital for two weeks. His mouth and tongue were cut and he lost 10 of his teeth, severely limiting his speech and ability to preach. The police made no effort to apprehend Santoso's assailants.
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