The envelope had a Canadian stamp and was addressed to “DH” in Indonesia. *Dimyati picked the letter out of a garbage can hoping it contained money. To his disappointment it contained only a tract and a letter. As he was about to toss the letter back into the trash, a voice inside told him, “Put the letter in your pocket. It might be for you.”
Dimyati was an everyday laborer assisting in a house renovation project. Later, while at home, he read and reread the letter and tract, which spoke of learning who Jesus was according to the Koran and the Bible. Would he like to know more? Soon tears flowed down his cheeks, but he hid from his wife lest she see his tears and think him weak.
The return letter that came to our post office box was simple: “My friend from Canada, the letter from your far country was sent to this village to this city to this address—to a place of great need. The words in that tract haunt me. My friend, my religion is Islam. But I am drawn to your [correspondence] course. The tract said it was sent to ‘you.’ Yes, that is me. It also said that it was sent to ‘you, a sinful person.’ That also applies to me. My brother, please help me. Guide me to the path of light away from the darkness. —Dimyati”
A letter along with a study guide was soon in the mail to Dimyati. Reading verses from the Koran, as well as verses from the Bible, he learned Jesus was more than a prophet. He was the only sinless prophet. He was the only virgin-born prophet. He was the only prophet who raised the dead. He was the only prophet already in heaven. He also learned that Jesus was the eternal Word who manifested God’s love by dying for sinners. Dimyati had led a young Christian girl to Islam, then married her. Now they had two small children. As he continued his studies, the sense of his sinfulness increased and his faith in Jesus grew. In one of his letters he wrote, “My faith has moved ahead of me. I already love Jesus Christ. Amen.” As Dimyati asked difficult questions, the Holy Spirit brought conviction. Yes, the obstacles were huge; he would be called an infidel. He would be mocked. Even though he was about to make a costly decision, he chose the path of light.
Soon this happy note landed in our post office box: “Brother, a big thank you to you and to the Lord Jesus who chose me and my family to become His children. Once I was in darkness but now I am in the light. Now I have a heavenly Father, Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer and the Holy Spirit is my Comforter and Guide. Brother, I gladly tell you that I have sealed my commitment to Jesus Christ by confessing the Apostle’s Creed and by baptism here in a local church. My wife was beside me as she repented of turning her back on Christ to follow Islam. Our two young children were also baptized at the same time, and we renewed our wedding vows as Christians. Indeed our hearts and souls were renewed as God’s Spirit touched us, and Christ Jesus our Lord illuminated our hearts. Now I shed tears of gladness and blessedness. Do pray that our faith will continue to grow till someday we will stand in His presence. My wife and I continue to open our home to anyone who is seeking after truth. —Dimyati”
Yes, even the Koran’s teaching about Jesus can be a bridge to truth!
(from The Koran-A Bridge to Truth? by Walter Mohr, reproduced from WEC.go magazine, Spring 2011)
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