{"id":48712,"date":"2024-01-09T15:00:42","date_gmt":"2024-01-09T06:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=48712"},"modified":"2024-01-09T14:50:37","modified_gmt":"2024-01-09T05:50:37","slug":"vomk-report-285","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2024\/01\/09\/vomk-report-285\/","title":{"rendered":"Indonesia\/Mindanao: Former Drug Dealer Turned Evangelist, Beaten for His Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”48714″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”At 21, Mehfri `{`last name withheld for security reasons`}` enrolled in a Bible school in Indonesia with no intention of studying the Bible. Although he had grown up in a Christian family, he enrolled in the school only to hide from the police, who were after him for selling drugs. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” el_class=”headline”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cI was not in the Bible school to get born again,\u201d <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> told Voice of the Martyrs<\/span>. \u201cWhen I was in the Bible school, I was thinking how I could sell drugs to the students to get money.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]According to Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr<\/span>.<\/span> Hyun Sook Foley, <\/span>Mehfri\u2019s<\/span> efforts to avoid jail were unsuccessful, but they did ultimately lead <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> to Christ.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>After a few months at the school<\/span>\u2014and after <\/span>three years of selling cocaine and Ecstasy<\/span>—<\/span>Mehfri<\/span> was arrested and put in jail<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>Then, one day, a pastor who visited the jail every Friday gave <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> a Bible. As <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> began to read the Scriptures, he recalled the few lectures he had paid attention to during his time at the Bible school. The lessons on God\u2019s love spoke to him in his time of need, and his heart was softened toward the Lord.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cI read Romans 10, and at that time I confessed that Jesus is my Lord,\u201d <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> told Voice of the Martyrs<\/span>. <\/span>According to Representative Foley, t<\/span>wenty days later, <\/span>Mehfri\u2019s<\/span> father, who had always struggled to make ends meet, came up with the money to pay his bail. Following his release from jail, <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> decided to return to the Bible school \u2014 this time to study God\u2019s Word.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to become someone God sends to share the gospel,\u201d <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> said. \u201cWhen I became a student at the Bible school, my heart was not quiet because I wanted many people to know Jesus. There was a fire in my heart to share Jesus with other people.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”48718″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]According to Representative Foley, a<\/span>fter two years in school, <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> arranged to begin ministry work on an island in the Philippines, where he served with a house church for two years. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>He then moved to Mindanao, a region in the southern Philippines known as a radical Muslim stronghold and a difficult place to share the gospel<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>The government has ceded control to Islamists in some parts of the region, and attacks on Christians are not uncommon.<\/span>\u201d<\/span> \u201cNot many people want to go there,\u201d <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> told Voice of the Martyrs<\/span>, \u201cso this challenged me.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says that <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> quickly joined a house church of three families who cared for and supported one another, working together to share the gospel with their neighbors. \u201cThese were not rich people,\u201d <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> told Voice of the Martyrs<\/span>. \u201cThey were farmers and fishermen. During the two years [I was there], God stayed with me and provided everything. I saw God with me completely.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]After two years with the families in Mindanao, he moved to the Indonesian island of Borneo to study at another Bible school.<\/span> \u201cH<\/span>e dug deeper into the Scriptures and focused more specifically on evangelism<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cH<\/span>e <\/span>realized <\/span>he had to know the Bible better in order to share the gospel in Islamic areas.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]On Fridays and Saturdays, students from the school shared the gospel with local Muslims. \u201cI shared the gospel with many Muslim people and baptized them,\u201d <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> told Voice of the Martyrs.<\/span> Remembering how God had turned his criminal life into a witness for the kingdom, <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> said he often wept with gratitude when he baptized a new believer. \u201cI was thinking about what had happened in my life,\u201d he said. \u201cBecause how beautiful are the feet that bring these things?\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]According to Representative Foley, <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> formed friendships with students at an Islamic school during his time in western Borneo, even starting an anti-drug group to help them avoid the destructive traps that had once ensnared him. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>As he shared his anti-drug message with the students, he also gently shared the need for salvation through Christ<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Later, <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> returned to <\/span>Mindinao<\/span>. \u201c<\/span>Mehfri<\/span> said that when he <\/span>was a student in Bible school, he had a <\/span>\u2018<\/span>fire in his heart<\/span>\u2019<\/span> to share the<\/span> gospel<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>He <\/span>returned <\/span>to Mindanao<\/span> because he knew it<\/span> was a difficult place to share the gospel and not many people wanted to go there.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says that a<\/span>fter a few months, a student asked <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> for help<\/span>. \u201cThe student told <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> that he had a friend who wanted to <\/span>learn more about <\/span>\u2018<\/span>mercy<\/span>\u2019,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201c<\/span>Mehfri<\/span> agreed to meet the friend, so he <\/span>followed the young man to a cemetery where they were to meet the other friend. But when they arrived, th<\/span>ree young men jumped out from nowhere and <\/span>started punching <\/span>Mehfri<\/span>.\u201d<\/span> Mehfri<\/span> told Voice of the Martyrs he <\/span>considered fighting back<\/span> b<\/span>ut decided that <\/span>it <\/span>would only hurt his Christian witness, so instead he ran for his life.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span> <\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”48722″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Mehfri told Voice of the Martyrs that when he was a student in Bible school, he had a \u201cfire in his heart\u201d to share the gospel. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230f0f0f|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Bleeding from the mouth, <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> said <\/span>he took shelter in a nearby church building, where some people helped him recover and escorted him back to the Bible school. He remained at the school as much as possible for the next six months, focusing on completing his studies.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Soon after graduation, <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> got a job selling water filters and married a young woman he had met at the school<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cS<\/span>he gave birth to their first child in 2018<\/span>, and the couple have been active sharing the <\/span>gospel together in Muslim villages<\/span>.\u201d According to Representative Foley, <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> reaches out to <\/span>between five and ten Muslims a day<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]In 2016, <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> developed a friendship with a teacher at an elementary school for Muslim children. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>After meeting with <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> two to three times a week for three months to discuss Jesus and the Quran, the man came to faith in Christ<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>He eagerly taught what he had learned to his school students, until his superiors ordered him to stop. He then focused on studying the Scriptures and leading his family members to Christ.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says that th<\/span>e next time <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> visited the teacher\u2019s home, he was confronted by the man\u2019s son before he could even get off his motorbike. \u201c<\/span>The son asked him, \u2018A<\/span>re you the one who gave the Bible to my father?<\/span>\u2019, and when <\/span>Me<\/span>hfri<\/span> acknowledged it was him, he was <\/span>suddenly attacked from behind by three men with sticks<\/span>.\u201d His eye was injured, but he was able to <\/span>fle<\/span>e<\/span> the scene on his motorbike, speeding toward home.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]According to Representative Foley, w<\/span>hen <\/span>Mehfri\u2019s<\/span> 2-year-old daughter saw <\/span>her injured father arrive, <\/span>she encouraged him to stay strong. \u201c<\/span>Mehfri\u2019s<\/span> daughter told him, \u2018<\/span>You must stay on fire, for me<\/span>.\u2019 It was a phrase she had learned from her dad,\u201d says Representative Foley.<\/span> \u201c<\/span>His wife<\/span> was over<\/span>whelmed with fear<\/span> and<\/span> began to cry. But after <\/span>Mehfri<\/span> prayed with her, she then prayed for those who had attacked her husband.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Mehfri<\/span> told Voice of the Martyrs that as<\/span> the threats <\/span>against him <\/span>increased, <\/span>he moved his family <\/span>to a new <\/span>location <\/span>in Indonesia. <\/span>\u201cSince arriving he<\/span> has led 10 people to Christ and baptized six<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Mehfri<\/span> told Voice of the Martyrs that <\/span>he has come to accept persecution as part of <\/span>the Christian life.<\/span> \u201cJesus is the example, the model,\u201d he said. \u201cSo we must follow Jesus. We don\u2019t know about the future, but we must face it. We are ready to face more persecution.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Mehfri<\/span> has \u2018stayed on fire\u2019 for the Lord, just like his daughter requested,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cHe knows that the Lord who rescued him from prison will continue to watch over him as he seeks to reach other young men like himself with the message of the gospel, no matter what the cost.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Individuals interested in <\/span>reading other stories about <\/span>local <\/span>Christian<\/span>s<\/span> mini<\/span>s<\/span>tering faithfully <\/span>in the midst of persecution <\/span>in Indonesia and <\/span>Mindinao<\/span> can visit <\/span><\/span>https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/country-profile\/indonesia\/<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span> and <\/span><\/span>https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/country-profile\/philippines\/<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”48714″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”At 21, Mehfri `{`last name withheld for security reasons`}` enrolled in a Bible school in Indonesia with no intention of studying the Bible. Although he had grown …","protected":false},"author":659,"featured_media":48715,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[235,869,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-special-column","category-china-special","category-vomk-report"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ko","en","zh","ru"],"languages":{"ko":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48712"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48712\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48728,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48712\/revisions\/48728"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}