DO YOU KNOW AMBON? everybody.
2. Long before the first general assault was made on January 19, 1999, three
Do you know Ambon? Have you heard about a province in Indonesia
where it is said a war had been erupted between Christians and Moslems? Have
you read the Indonesian newspaper recently, or some articles in your local
newspaper which quoted Indonesian newspaper? Here are some examples of
what you will read in Indonesian newspapers or the articles quoted from them:
 . . . both sides launched attack, using guns, hand grenades, swords, etc.
Casualties fell on both sides before the armed forces could separate them . .
. God. One day while she was sleeping, her parents saw a brilliant light
 . . . the Christians retaliated evenly, resulting burnt mosques on the village
while the casualties are yet to be counted. A source says that more than 50
Moslems are killed in one day . . .
 . . . they are praying inside the mosque, when suddenly bullets sprayed
from outside . . . those who are able to flee from the mosque were chased
and executed cold-bloodedly . . .
Not only what was written in the newspapers, a lot of photographs and
“eye-witnesses” are also available for whoever care enough to really enquire.
*****
Hearing and reading those kinds of news undoubtedly will makes us think
that there is really a vicious war in Ambon, both Moslems and Christians burnt
with hatred seek to see the annihilation of their opponents. It is difficult to say
who started it, but it would be easy to understand the Moslems; to fight back
against any oppresion from the infidels had been their sacred “God-given” task.
But what about the Christians?
Doesn’t they ever read Luke 6:28-29: “Bless them that curse you, and pray for
them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one
cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take
thy coal also.”?
If you ever have these questions in your heart, here below is a testimony
given by someone who came from within the heat of the “battle.” As any other
testimonies, this one also governed by the Holy Spirit, so each and every
account is true. May it be a blessing for you.
1. My name is Monica, S.Th., I am the head reverend of a church in Ambon.
Let me start by stating that what is now happening in Ambon, came as no
surprise for us. It had been prophesied beforehand, and it is a part of God’s plan
to establish His Kingdom in Indonesia. So despite all the persecutions and
horrors, repentence and baptism happened, and miracles are shown for
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reverends came to Ambon and prophesied about it. Morris Cerullo and Lies
Saodah also gave the same prophecies. Mr. Cerullo said that when his plane
was above Ambon, he felt very-very hot and got a vision that the city of Ambon
is in fire. So he admonished us during the Revival Meeting in Mardika, “Be
prepared for God’s visitation, for His visit will be a great one.”
3.A 14 years old girl, Enona Laetemia, was given a special message from
shone upon her bed from above. They couldn’t fathom what happened, so
they called a priest who prayed together with the parents. The child woke
up, and said that she was told that God will give her a special message the
next day at exactly the same hours (around 11:00 am).
The next day at the appointed time, they saw the same light shone from above
upon the sleeping child, and her body was lifted up from the mattress, hanging
in the air. Afterwards she woke up, and here’s what she got to tell: “I was
brought up by Jesus Christ, and He gave her four visions.
4. The first one, Jesus brought her to a round table. The surface of the table
was full of dust, and He told her to wipe it. She did it, but although the dust was
swept away by her hand, the surface of the table remained full of dust. He told
her that just as it is with the sin of human, you can’t clean it because every
second new sins are committed.
5. On the second one, Jesus brought her infront of an iron cage, with an old
man pushing something like a wheel. Jesus told her, “The old man you see
inside is Muhammad (the Moslems’ prophet), and he is now being punished.”
6. On the third one, Jesus shown her each church in Maluku province that
will be burnt, complete with the date and the hour when it will happen. All
places in Maluku will be afire except two: the area of Halong and the area of
Lateri. “Those two areas will be your safe heaven,” said Jesus.
7. On the fourth one, Enona saw Jesus holding the globe in His hands. But
the globe moved to his palms, and then to the edge of His fingers. “Behold,
soon I will release My hands from the world.”
8. When she woke up, Enona Laetemia told what she saw. Not only to the
churches she testified, but also to some mosques. Some of the mosque
condemned her, but several believed her message, repented and baptised. But
strong opposition came from the Christians. At that time Maluku was very
peaceful, and relation between Moslems and Christians were very warm indeed.
9. When the first assault happened, not one Christian in Maluku was
prepared for the attack. No one even guess that it will happen, let alone
prepare any weapon of any kind to fight back.
The assault was made all over Ambon, and without God’s intereference, no
churches in Ambon will be left standing, and no Christians in Ambon will be
left alive. Why? Because the attack was made using automatic weapons and
explosives. Would it be possible for anyone to fight back using bare hands
without getting killed first?
10. The attack was so well organized, and the surprise could not be more
complete. No Christians have had a chance to think what is happening, let alone
to find a weapon to retaliate. What we can do was only to run into the jungle
and hide, or, got killed on the spot. The prophecies came true in a wink of an
eye. That day, Ambon became a sea of fire.
11. But God was and is there in the midst of us. There is one crippled woman,
who can’t move without her wheelchair. After she heard about the prophecies,
many people admonished her to leave right away. She refused, even though if
her house burn, there will be no way for her to flee.
And then the fire came. By the time the houses around hers lit up, and the fire
spread nearing her house, she stay put and pray, “Lord Jesus, You are the One
who holds the key of the four winds. Now with Your authority and Your power,
I lock up the north-wind, I lock up the south-wind, I lock up the east-wind, and
I lock up the west-wind. Praised be Your Mighty Name. Amen.” The wind
stopped and the fire all died down right before reaching her house.
12. If this lady’s house can’t burn, all except two churches were all burnt to
ashes. But let me tell you one thing, brother and sisters . . . in all churches that
were brought down by fire, not one pulpit and not one Bible that was used in
those churches, could be touched or damaged by fire. The building went
down, but the Words of the Lord stood up.
13. In some of the churches that were burnt or some houses that were
destroyed during the night, when the Christians flee to the jungle, it was pitch
dark and you can’t even see your own hands. However, God uses insects. When
the people formed a line, at the front and at the end of the line, these fireflies
built pillars of “fire” which will show the way and protect these flocks to the
place appointed. The wonderful thing is, in the middle of the jungle, the
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fireflies provided enough light for them to read the Bible. They may have lost
their home and possessions, but the Words of the Lod stays with them.
14. There have been polemics about the armed forces. Some accused that
they’re helping the Moslems attacking the Christians when they’re stationed in
the Moslems’s area, and vice versa. What has really happened was not so
simple.
Many of the armed forces who are Christians, came to their commanders, took
off their uniforms, surrender their weapons, and said that they were told by the
Lord to help their fellow Christians. Some groups protect the Christians with
the life, and yet, some other groups or companies, shot at a church during a
funeral service.
15. Do you know what kind of forces are the “Jihad” forces? Many a time
these forces will consist of several lines. The frontmost line will be children,
just as fanatics as the adults shouting “Allahu Akbar.” Behind them in the
second line, it would be females. Now, if you are a member of the armed forces
assigned to protect the Christians, you will have to shoot these children and
women if you want to stop their advancing movement.
If you don’t shoot, your own life will be endangered. Why? Because right
behind these children and women, the third line would be the shooters bearing
weapons. The fourth line will be the looters, who will do their job once the
shooters have taken the life of every men, women and children, including the
armed forces.
The next line, the fifth, would be trucks and other vehicles, to transport
anything they looted. The last line will also be vehicles, which would be their
dressing station for the wounded. Looking into this, could we say that the
attacks were just out of spontaneity? No way! Each have been well planned and
with a specific target.
16. Let me tell you about one group of soldiers trying to protect a community
of Christians, and facing another kind of “Jihad” force. They stood their ground
facing the force, who are dancing the traditional dance of Maluku, advancing to
their line, and shouting “Allahu Akbar.”
So the soldiers shot the three warning shots, unheeded, then shot at them. To
their horror, they saw their bullets fell to the ground and the “Jihad” kept
coming. One of our youth ran to them and said, “If you believe in Jesus, He
will help you. Would you like me to call my priest?” The commander said yes,
so the priest was summoned. He brought a basin of oil, consecrated the oil, and
came to the Marine troop saying, “This is the annointment oil of God. He will
help you, but only if you believe in Jesus. Do you believe in Jesus?
Do you believe in Jesus? . . .” he asked the soldiers one by one, annointing their
weapons when they said yes. Then they fire again to the advancing Jihad
forces, and their front line collapsed. Their protecting walls could not stand
against the power of God.
17. That’s why, brothers and sisters, repentance and baptism keep happening
in uncountable quantity. Many of the soldiers and the member of the Jihad
forces, after they witnessed the miracles performed by the Lord, give their lives
to Jesus and stopped whatever evil things they are doing. And God indeed
works wonderfully in many ways as you will see.
18. Even on the event that their attack were successful, God is still performing
His miracles. Ambon’s terrain are not like what you commonly have in
Java. We have hills and valleys, while many of our congregation works as
fishermen. So we have bells in our churches. The first bell will usually
ring at 5 am.
It will reminds our people that they need time to wrap up their works and
prepare for the service. The bell will ring again at 6:30, reminding them that
they will have to start leaving. The third one will ring exactly at 7 am,
indicating the start of the service. One of the document shown to us by one of
the converted “people” shows that the target of their “project” is to have all the
bells in Maluku silenced by the beginning of the year 2000.
The church at Tulegu also had this bell. After the church burnt down, the
attackers took away the bell and put it as a trophy at their camp. But to their
horror, although no one touch the bell, it still sounding at the usual hours -
only with different meaning, because each time the bell sounding, there will be
death among them.
So they named it “the bell of death,” and thrown it into the sea. End of story?
No! Even under the deep water, the bell still sounding! The deaths still
happening! They can still hear the bell sounding clearly, as if the bell is not
under the water.
19. Another assault was made to the GPM (Gereja Protestan Maluku/the
Maluku Protestant Church) of Sulii. At the time of the assault, the congregation
were inside the church having their service. They knew that the attack will be
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made, but they sing and pray even louder, trusting their lives in the hands of the
Lord. You know what? To the astonishment of the attackers and the
congregation, no sound was made by their guns and explosives! Soon the
attackers dispersed and flee.
20. Later on, several of these attackers repented and accepted Christ. Then
they told us what happened that day. When they shoot and throw the
explosives, they saw a “Bapa Bule” (Ambonese term for a white man), a
“Kapitan Orang Kristen” (Commander of Christians) appearing out of nowhere,
standing between them and the church, and each and every bullets and
explosives they shot and thrown to the church, were catched by this “Bapa
Bule,” and he put all the bullets and explosives into his chest! No wonder they
lost their nerves and ran!
From the revealed plan we also knew that one of their main targets are the
seminaries. They intend to cut the roots from where the trees grown. So,
there is one seminary in Kate-kate. One day the students and the faculties
are shocked to find the Jihad force is already standing right infront of their
gate, ready to attack.
Their first reaction was to run away and hide. But the head of the seminary
suddenly heard a clear voice instructing him to bring out all the students to
stand behind the gate, face to face with their attackers, to hold up the Bible
in their hands, and sing the song “Yesus yang termanis buat jiwaku” (Jesus
is the sweetest thing for my soul).
To their joy and wonderment, the attackers in front of them got confused. They
walked all around them shouting in anger to each other, not seeing the seminary
building or the inhabitants! The seminary and the Christians vanished just like
that from their sight! Soon they got tired and left.
22. Indeed God is present among His people and when He is present,
unbelievable things happened as would be witnessed by a taxi driver,
who is a member of my church.
Taxis in Ambon now operates only from the morning until 3 pm. One day, a
taxi driver was approached by a “Bapa Bule” (white man). The man asked the
driver to take him to Hila, a destroyed church in the hill. The are where this
Hila church is located, had been controlled and inhabited by the Moslems. So
quite obviously the driver refused.
But this man smile and said gently, “Don’t worry. No one can harm you when
you are with me.” Strangely, the driver suddenly felt a wonderful peace in his
heart. So despite the logic, and despite the protest of all his fellow taxi drivers,
he took the key from his friend’s hand, and drove the man to Hila. On the way,
when they were passing the Christians area, everything was normal and he saw
people doing their normal activities.
But to his asthonishment, in the Moslems areas, he saw not even one person!
Instead he saw so many flies everywhere. The flies were in an uncountable
quantities, and never in his life he saw so many flies and words failed him.
After they arrived at the church, the man stepped down from the taxi and asked
him to wait while he walk inside the remnants of the Hila church and prayed
there.
While waiting, he looked around and he also saw flies everywhere. The man
prayed for ten minutes, then asked to be taken back. They arrived back safely,
to the astonishment of his friends. When the man extended his arms to pay the
taxi driver, he saw that there is a nail-hole in the palm of his hand!
23. Jesus works many miracles in Ambon, not only among His people, but
also among the persecutors. If any of you are wondering about the truth that
everything were planned and organised, let me tell you that in the city of
Ambon there are many snipers.
They shoots at Christians and Christian’s ministers for a price. For each
accounted shot of a Christian, the snipers will get a reward of 10 million
Rupiah. For each accounted shot of a Christian, the reward will be 25 million
Rupiah. This transactions will be held at the port. I saw this myself and also
how sacks of money were brought down from the ships and distributed. The
assaults were not out of spontaneity and not a retaliation for an injustice, but a
well made plan.
24. The Moslems usually prepare their attacks in a meeting in their mosque.
One night, such a meeting was held in a mosque. Suddenly, one of them saw
words written on the wall of their mosque. He told the others and the leader, a
Haj, instructed them to wipe it out. They tried, but the words could not be
wiped out.
So the Haj instructed them to sculped-out the wall. But to their horror, the more
the sculped the wall, the brighter the words shined! It just can’t be wiped out or
erased. Right away the Haj crossed the line to the Christians area and asked to
be baptised! Later on he told his “fellow” Christians that the words written
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were: “Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty
things, which thou knowest not. For thus said the LORD, the God of Israel,
concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of
Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the sword.” (Jeremiah
33:3-4).
25. In my own church, one of two church still standing, the youth usually
gathers and prays in the evening. On one such occasion, the night before the
2nd series of assaults, during the prayer meeting one of the youth gone out and
see brilliant light from the sky shinning on the church.
He called the others and then he came to my my house and woke me up. When
I arrived at the church, from so many people standing there looking at the
church and the light, not one sound was heard. What we saw was indeed
something that will make us speechless.
I saw the skies opened up, and beautiful light coming from the sky onto the
church, so the church was was brightly lighted. One of us suddenly shouted,
asking to turn off all the lights. He wondered if it was a trick of electricity. But
after all the lights were turned off, the light from the sky stayed and suddenly
on all the glasses on the church, appeared Jesus face. It was so clear and
wonderful.
Then it changed into the figure of Jesus holding a trumpet. Now we know that
the trumpet indicates battle. The light was first seen at 11 pm, and it stayed
shinning until 5 am. At five pm the same day, the second series of assault was
launched.
26. A little backwards, after the first series of assaults, people mounted
barricades and nightwatch on their neighbourhoods. Nobody can get to
their house without passing the watching post. In one area, there was a
widely known fanatical family. One night the head of the family, a Haj
by the name of Muhammad Pelu, participated in a nightwatch and
suddenly he saw that the door of his house is widely open and all
lights were turned on like what was usually done when they have a
guest.
He got confused because any guest would have to pass their post and
barricades, but there had been no one passing. So he ran back to his house
and upon entering his house, he saw a “Bapa Bule” sitting on the sofa,
faced by all his family. Too stunned to ask anything he just stood transfixed
while the man turned around. He saw that the around man’s head there are
dots of healed wound. Then he heard the man said, “This city will be like
 Sodom and Gommorah. Safe your family, take them to one of the two
places that will be preserved, Pelum or Lateri.” He then offered his hand for
a shake, and this Haj left.
Later on he took all his families to Lateri and he saw a picture of Jesus and he
exclaimed, “There he is! That is the Bapa Bule who had come to my house that
evening! Who is he?” All of them were baptised.
It is indeed the intention of God to revive all the families of mankind, so that
God will reign in every household. God’s plan never fail. If before the riot
young people gathered in the evening, singing wordly songs and got drunk,
now we can hear gospel songs everyday. It’s the true happiness, and sorrow
can’t overcome it.
27. (There was a question from someone in the audience, “Here in Java, we
heard that there is a war there in Maluku. From your testimony, I heard
nothing of the sort. Could it be true that there has been no retaliation at all
from Christians? If there has been no retaliation, then how come there were
also casualties among the Moslems?)
28. Your heard correctly. There were no organized counter-attack from
Christians. We were taken by surprise and were busy trying to safe our own
lives. Later on, the churches in Maluku receives a warning from the Lord: Do
not fight back, Do not take any thing that doesn’t belong to you (looting), and
Do not say anything that God do not like.
At least among my congregation, I know that none of them trespass this
instruction. However, I also heard that some people who watch how all their
families was brutally murdered, did fight back, but they were killed in the
action. The instruction should not be trespassed, because God says “Vengeance
is mine and mine only.”
I also heard that there were five youths. Four of them take heed of the
instruction and took nothing, but the fifth did take something from the scattered
things. Do you think that it’s just a coincidence that later on the fifth youth was
killed by a bullet and the four others were unharmed?
Let me tell you, each of the bullets flying in Ambon has a name written on it. If
you do not listen to what God had said, your life will be forfeited. Just listen to
what God says, not to the news you have in the newspapers or radio or
television.
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Maybe you’ve heard the news that said Christians force had captured a
pregnant woman, ripped open her belly, took out the child and killed them both.
That is a big lie. It was truly happened, but the it was the other way around. The
woman was a Christian!
29. (Another question from the audience: But what had been done to counter
those news?)
We ourselves are wondering about that, but maybe that is exactly why I had
been unable to get back to Ambon. I have tried so many times, but even when I
have a ticket in my hand, I still can’t go back. May be this is God’s intention
for me to give testimonies in many places.
30. As I already said, God is in the midst of us, and He will equipped each of
us with His power to face whatever He sees fit to happen to us. Our breath is
but just a gift from the Lord. If you come to Ambon, you will see so many
crippled young people.
You know why? Because so many of the youths are captured and being tortured
to deny their faith. If they refuse, they will be left alive, but only after they took
out his eyeballs or cut off his arms or legs. But the wonderful thing is, they later
on testified, that when their eyeballs are taken out or their arms and legs, they
felt no pain! No pain at all! If God allows such a thing to be happened to us,
and we remain true to our faith, He will turn the tragedy into a remarkable
testimony.
31. Let me tell you another thing. Our youths and teens are so brave. When the
attack came, they told us to ran and save ourselves. They said, “Let us take the
stand and face them. You have families and you are responsible to take care of
them.”
They made body lines to hinder the assault. Don’t forget that the assaults were
using automatic weapons. But so many times these youths and teens,
sometimes no older than 15 years old, came back home alive! But you know
what? Even though there was not one scratch on their skin, the clothes they are
using are shattered beyond believe with bullet holes!
32. About the casualties among the Moslems or the soldiers, there are so
many times happened during an assault, when the Christians did not fight
back and flee, or stayed and prayed, suddenly, without any understandable
reason, the attackers are fighting among themselves!
They killed each other while the Christians stared at the bloodbath with
disbelief. That’s why even though the Christians are in possession of no
weapon of any kind, there are so many deaths among the attackers with bullet
wound. Churches in Maluku are under pressure to “admit” that the
Christians also lauching attacks, while no such things ever happened.
33. But the most important thing, let me get back to Mr. Cerullo. When he
visited Indonesia and spoke in the revival meeting in Jakarta, I was
told that the President, Gus Dur, attend the opening ceremony. During
the ceremony, Mr. Cerullo asked Gus Dur, “
Mr. President, do you believe that you are appointed by God?” Gus Dur
replied affirmatively. Mr. Cerullo told him that he will only stay in power
for two “periods.” After these two “periods,” he will be replaced by a hard-
hearted President, and the persecutions of Christians will not happen only
in Ambon, but all over Indonesia. Please be aware that this “two periods”
might not be two periods of Presidency (which is 2 x 5 years), but rather a
more uncertain terminology which could mean 2 x 5 years, 2 x 1 year, or
any other meaning. Are you ready for that?
By the time you read this written testimony, which also had been reviewed and
edited by Mrs. Monica, I hope you realize that this testimony had got to you as
no coincidence. So do what you can to spread it out, and let others know what a
wonderful work God has done in Ambon, and what will happen in all over
Indonesia in the near future.
I don’t know what will happen once this testimony spread in the cyber world,
but let me tell you one thing: if because of this it is my turn to be apprehended
and tortured, then it will be just a confirmation of what will happen to any of us
in a very near future.
Let me close this with by asking you to read Luke 21:8-19, 24-36, and also
asking you to pray for us, Indonesian Christians, so that we will not raise our
hands to our oppresor, but be able to love them and give them “the other
cheek.” Praise the Lord!
From your brother in Christ,
Andreas Himawan

****************************************************************
********************************

From the writer:

This testimony was given and written down during a prayer meeting in a city in
Central Java Province, on June 30, 2000. Mrs. Monica had attended by chance,
because another event was canceled for the day.
I myself have had something to do during the day, and upon returning home to
take a bath, suddenly felt a very bad headache and my whole body was shaking
with fever.

If I had surrendered to my condition, I would not have attend the cell group
meeting. But without knowing why, I felt that I have to go. I did not even know
that Mrs. Monica will testify in the meeting, being told by the meeting leader,
that there would only be discussion that evening.

But it turned out that I am the only one in the group that has access to the
internet, and right after I got out of the room where the meeting was held, my
headache and my fever was completely gone. The meeting ended at about 10:15
pm, and when I wrote this line the computer clock shows 5:02 am. I wouldn’t
have been able to do it if I have had a real physical illness.

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