A New Open Door for Ministry

Reading Houses

Children are learning to read and write in English. Many families open their homes for reading classes because they want their children to do well in school and value education. The Bible is used along with other reading materials to teach the children to read.

“We are thankful for the great support from API -- as the cooperation and collaboration for doing Kingdom Business. The Pandemic never stops us from sharing the GOOD NEWS in the midst of bad news. May God stir our hearts to do the Great Commission with Great Compassion.” “I just returned from East Java, Indonesia where young radical Muslims try to intimidate kids to confess M as their prophet and say Isa (Jesus) as just prophet NOT Lord. How fragile are these kids, under poverty, lack of education through intimidation. The Muslim leaders manipulate these kids to give a full scholarship as long as they want to study at their schools (which is radicalism and is very risky for these young ones). Please pray for those areas which we have Houses of Reading, may they become *Houses of Salvation.*"
Thank you, Dedy Ginta.

Relief Ministries

Java experienced two earthquakes recently. Both were close to where Dedy lives. Their homes were not damaged but many homes close to the epicenter were totally demolished. The building codes and laws for Indonesia in the smaller villages are non-existent. Only in the major cities like Jakarta and Bandung are building codes enforced, therefore the homes in these villages collapse because there is no reinforcement rebar in the walls. Consequently over 300 people were killed and the most tragic part is that most of them were children.

API was able to send funds to Dedy and he immediately put together a team of workers to bring tents, water, food, medicine, blankets and diapers to those impacted by the earthquake. Dedy recruited many seminary students to work along side of him in providing help and comfort in the name of Jesus. The villagers were overwhelmed by the love and supplies that Christians provided. The community and local officials do not have a plan to respond to disaster and they have to wait till the government arrives. Carrying out the Great Commission by implementing the Great Commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves is a to show Christ’s transforming power.

Ministry Retreats

These retreats are designed to help the children of Indonesian missionaries and pastors who are sharing the gospel in very dangerous places. The constant pressure and threat of violence against their parents have a devastating toll on the lives these young people. Dedy provides biblical guidance and Christian counseling to help these young men and women to cope with the pressures caused by Christian ministry in a dominant Muslim culture.

The Challenge of operating in a Muslim Culture

Indonesia is at a pivotal point in terms of Christian growth. The atmosphere in Indonesia has been growing more tense each year. Open Doors Ministry shared recently that there had been “4 people beheaded by extremist Muslims in Central Sulawesi on May 11, 2021. This is the same region where four Christians were beheaded in Nov. of 2020. The government fails to bring these individuals to justice.

Suicide bombers injured at least 19 people in a terrorist attack at a Roman Catholic church in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, right after Palm Sunday service 2021. Police say the suspects are two men on motorbikes, both of whom died after triggering the suicide bombs, they were wielding.” (Open Door)

“Indonesia rose two spots on the 2021 World Watch List in comparison to last year’s list. This is primarily due to the fact that more pressure against Christians was reported, resulting in an increase of pressure in most spheres.” (Open Door Statistics)

API is committed to help train national missionaries, evangelists, church planters and Christian Educators to reach Indonesia for Christ. Men and women equipped by Dedy have the courage to lay their lives on the line to share the Gospel of Christ. Your prayers and support allow us to fulfill Opa’s dream of “Reaching Indonesia for Christ.”

Church Planting

API is very committed to church planting. The Great Commission is to make disciples. Evangelism is the first step in the process but once men and women come to know Christ as savior they need to be nurtured and discipled. The gathering of believers in churches for fellowship, teaching, and preparation for mission is what has sustained the impact of Christianity over the ages. Opa Williams, our founder was responsible for over 300 churches in Kalimantan. It is the goal of API to keep church planting as a major focus of our efforts.

Church Planting: Lukas

Lukas is an Evangelist and Church Planter in a remote rural area.

Dedy writes about Lukas: Lukas was raised by a single mother. For a long time, he asked himself why he looks different from his siblings. He found out later when he was a teen, he overheard the story of her mother when the mother told her relative that one of the other relatives raped her after her husband died and left the scars and pain. And later she was pregnant and a baby boy was born, who was Lukas. Lukas never told this story to others and keep this shameful secret for a long time. I prayed for him before going to another province as a local evangelist. God stirred up my heart to ask him personally: “What is the issue of your life that you still struggle with?” (I didn't want that issue to become a barrier in his mission and ministry). Lukas told that story with tears. The struggle for Lukas and his mom, is that the perpetrator is still alive and lives close by his mom where she now lives alone.

God has a wonderful plan for Lukas. I met him when he was as a seminarian who did an internship at School of Theology in the area of earthquakes several months ago at West Java. Since then, I have mentored him. I heard of a church in another province that had just lost their pastor and was in need of someone to come and provide leadership. I asked Lukas and he responded right away. He had never pastored before but was willing to take on the leadership of this loving congregation. My prayer is that his scar would be changed by God to be 'a star' of testimony. The messy story becomes the message of hope and healing.

Recently Dedy visited him and found out that he didn’t have a light in his little house. So we bought a battery so he could have a light to read and study at night. We hope to be able to purchase a generator for him and will be delivering it soon. It can be used for his house and for the church.

Children's Camps

The Lord has opened the door for holding children’s camps as a way of sharing the gospel with young children. Dedy has shared that:

"By the time a child reaches junior high school they are already being influenced by Muslim radicalism. We have to reach the children at the earliest possible age. Children’s camps reach out to many Muslim families to experience an environment that they have never experienced before."