{"id":3828,"date":"2023-03-31T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-31T08:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.persecution.com\/stories\/?p=3828"},"modified":"2023-04-10T16:52:36","modified_gmt":"2023-04-10T16:52:36","slug":"indonesian-churches-attacked-by-isis-suicide-bombers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.persecution.com\/stories\/indonesian-churches-attacked-by-isis-suicide-bombers\/","title":{"rendered":"Indonesian Churches Attacked By ISIS Suicide Bombers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Day of the Bombings<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>More than a year after suicide bombers killed 15 people at three Indonesian churches, the survivors continue to heal from their injuries and question why they were attacked \u2014 even as they hold fast to their faith in Jesus Christ.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before sunrise on May 13, 2018, Wenny Hudojo hurried to get herself, her two sons and her niece dressed and ready for the second service at Saint Mary Immaculate Catholic Church in Surabaya, East Java, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.persecution.com\/globalprayerguide\/indonesia\/?_source_code=VSLEG02I2\">Indonesia<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She and the children then made their way through the busy streets of the second largest city in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.persecution.com\/globalprayerguide\/indonesia\/?_source_code=VSLEG02I2\">Indonesia<\/a> to gather for worship, as they did every Sunday. \u201cIt was a typical morning,\u201d Wenny recalled. \u201cWe went to church every Sunday, but my husband wasn\u2019t able to come with us this time because he was sick.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\r\n\t<div class=\"wp-block-vom-subscribe-ad\">\r\n\t\t<figure>\r\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/plugins\/vom-custom-block-subscribe-ad\/assets\/magazine-cover.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\r\n\t\t<\/figure>\r\n\t\t<div class=\"text-button\">\r\n\t\t\t<p>Request your free magazine<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.persecution.com\/free-magazine\/?_source_code=VSTORYM1\" class=\"wp-block-button__link\" aria-label=\"Subscribe to our free magazine\">Subscribe<\/a>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\n\n\n<p>As they walked through the church gate, her sons, 8-year-old Nathan and 11-year-old Evan, talked excitedly with their 11-year-old cousin, Evelyn, about the games they would play after church. After passing the church security guard on their left, Wenny heard a motorcycle zip past them on the right. She turned to see two young men on the bike heading straight for the church building &#8230; and she braced for the worst.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>6:30 a.m.<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The two young men, ages 16 and 18, detonated their explosives about 12 feet away from Wenny and the children, immediately killing a woman, a child and a security guard. \u201cI didn\u2019t hear the sound of an explosion,\u201d Wenny said. \u201cIt was like my ears weren\u2019t there, and then slowly I could hear a very low sound. I saw this bright light and there was a force that pushed me down on the ground. In my heart, I prayed, \u2018God, help me find my kids.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wenny held her bloody hands in the air to make sure they were still there. Then, amid the screams, smoke and chaos, she began searching for her younger son, Nathan. She could hear his cries of agony but couldn\u2019t see him. \u201cI thought, \u2018If he can cry that means he will be OK,\u2019\u201d she recalled. \u201cAt that moment, I didn\u2019t hear any other sound. I just felt the crying of my son.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/CUS1811AK_1392_pub-870x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3831\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/CUS1811AK_1392_pub-870x1024.jpg 870w, https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/CUS1811AK_1392_pub-255x300.jpg 255w, https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/CUS1811AK_1392_pub-768x904.jpg 768w, https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/CUS1811AK_1392_pub-1305x1536.jpg 1305w, https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/CUS1811AK_1392_pub-1740x2048.jpg 1740w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Wenny&#8217;s niece, Evelyn, has had to learn how to write left-handed because bomb shrapnel severed nerves in her right hand.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Running toward his cries, Wenny found Nathan lying on the ground near Evelyn, who also remained conscious. She yelled Evan\u2019s name but received no reply, and then she saw his lifeless body a few feet away. Unaware of her own injuries, she tried to pick up her boys but her right ankle collapsed. Then she noticed blood dripping from Evan\u2019s mouth as she struggled to lift his limp body. \u201cAt that moment, I felt he had left me,\u201d she said solemnly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wenny pleaded for help from the panicked crowd fleeing the site of the explosion, and a man came to her aid, along with a security guard he had summoned for help. After the two men carried the boys to the man\u2019s car, he rushed them to the hospital. Wenny, unable to walk, collapsed in front of the church gate before another church member drove her to the hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Three miles west of Saint Mary Immaculate, a woman and her two daughters, ages 9 and 12, climbed out of a black minivan with tinted windows in front of a Protestant church. All three were wearing tan <em>niqabs<\/em>, veils worn by some Muslim women that reveal only their eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>7:15 a.m.<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Watching the woman and two girls in tan veils walk calmly toward the Indonesia Christian Church, a security guard sensed something was not right. As he yelled at them and rushed to stop them from entering the building, the woman, who was holding a conspicuous bag, hastened her pace toward the church. Then she detonated the bombs, killing herself and her two daughters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The bombs weren\u2019t powerful enough to kill anyone nearby, and even the security guard, who was just inches from the explosion, survived the blast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"874\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IMG-20180516-WA0116_pub-1024x874.jpg\" alt=\"Entrance to the church is on fire. Black smoke and flames are pictured.\" class=\"wp-image-3835\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IMG-20180516-WA0116_pub-1024x874.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IMG-20180516-WA0116_pub-300x256.jpg 300w, https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IMG-20180516-WA0116_pub-768x655.jpg 768w, https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IMG-20180516-WA0116_pub.jpg 1297w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Shortly after the woman and two girls killed themselves in front of the Indonesia Christian Church, the black minivan that had dropped them off approached another church, located two miles northwest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>7:53 a.m.<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Fenny Suryawati was standing at the bottom of a staircase near the main entrance to the Surabaya Central Pentecostal Church when the black minivan rammed the church\u2019s gate, striking two parking attendants. Five bombs inside the vehicle erupted into a ball of fire, igniting the gas tanks of five cars and 30 motorcycles parked nearby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The initial blast killed two people, and the ensuing flames quickly enveloped the front of the church building &#8230; along with Fenny, who was on her way to pick up her 8-year-old daughter, Clarissa, from Sunday school. She estimated that she was about 10 feet away from the minivan when it exploded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI felt heat all over my body,\u201d Fenny said haltingly as she recounted the horror of the blast. \u201cI was asking the people for help.\u201d The flames scorched 85 percent of Fenny\u2019s body, including most of her face. She said she\u2019ll never forget the feeling of the water flowing down her smoldering skin as other church members tried to quench the flames burning her flesh. \u201cIt helped,\u201d she said with a grateful smile. \u201cI felt the cold and also caught some water in my mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The bombs that struck Surabaya Central Pentecostal killed 10 people, some of whom succumbed to their injuries later, and injured several more. According to the Indonesian National Police, they were of a type known as \u201cMother of Satan,\u201d the explosives of choice for the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the third bombing was the most powerful and destructive of those carried out that morning, the carnage could have been much worse. A bomb disposal unit later discovered and defused two additional explosives near the church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As flames consumed the church entrance, Pastor Yonathan Biantoro Wahono led 1,300 worshipers inside the building toward the back door. \u201cI heard a big explosion, but I thought the fire was electrical,\u201d he said. \u201cI saw the fire coming inside, but I could not see anything because of the black smoke.\u201d After police told Pastor Yonathan that the church had been attacked and people had been injured, he helped organize transportation to area hospitals for those still waiting for an ambulance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fenny was moved to an evacuation area, where she was reunited with her daughter, Clarissa, her husband, Erry, and her mother-in-law. At the time of the blast, Erry was inside the church and Clarissa was standing near the top of the stairs, on the second floor. She suffered burns to her forehead, stomach and hands, and her mouth was bleeding from a shrapnel wound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI was not near the fire, but when I was walking it hurt so bad,\u201d Clarissa said. \u201cI felt the heat on my skin. I didn\u2019t have water, so I was just running and my grandma splashed water on my face. I was feeling so scared and so worried about my mom.\u201d Fenny broke down in tears when she saw Clarissa\u2019s injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A church member helped Fenny and Clarissa into the back of his car and sped toward the hospital, not knowing whether Fenny would survive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em><strong>Fighting to Live<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"907\" height=\"572\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/INDONESIA_-_0516_Wenny-and-sons_pub.jpg\" alt=\"Bombing victim and her sons in a hospital.\" class=\"wp-image-3832\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/INDONESIA_-_0516_Wenny-and-sons_pub.jpg 907w, https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/INDONESIA_-_0516_Wenny-and-sons_pub-300x189.jpg 300w, https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/INDONESIA_-_0516_Wenny-and-sons_pub-768x484.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 907px) 100vw, 907px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Between surgeries, Wenny grieved over the bodies of her two sons, Evan and Nathan.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In the immediate aftermath of the bombing at Saint Mary Immaculate, the only pain Wenny had noticed was near her right ankle, where shrapnel had sliced through a tendon. But hospital staff later discovered that she had several additional injuries, including broken ribs and deep cuts on her face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI tried to endure the pain when I was at the church because my kids were the priority,\u201d she said. The emotional pain and anguish she felt for them was far worse than her own physical pain; all she wanted was to hold her sons. Although Evan was already dead, she longed to see his body. Once inside the hospital, Wenny saw Nathan lying two beds away with his legs propped up, but hospital staff soon closed a curtain around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While waiting in the operating room for emergency surgery to remove shrapnel from her ankle, Wenny overheard a nurse say the boy in the next room needed a leg amputation to save his life. Shrapnel had ruptured the femoral artery in Nathan\u2019s leg, causing heavy bleeding. \u201cAs anesthesia flowed into my blood, they gave me time to pray,\u201d Wenny said tearfully. \u201cI prayed that God would give the best for my son because I could not do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wenny regained consciousness several hours later, following a successful surgery, and told her family members to go stay with Nathan. She could rest by herself, she told them, but he shouldn\u2019t be left alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The next day, doctors told Wenny that Nathan had died. His body had shut down after extensive blood loss. \u201cNathan liked to run,\u201d Wenny said. \u201cMaybe when he realized that he would lose his leg, he lost his hope. Nathan always told Evan he would go anywhere his brother goes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During Fenny\u2019s 20-minute ride to the hospital, her senses and emotions caught up with her physical condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI did not feel heat anymore but I smelled burning flesh,\u201d she remembered. \u201cAt the moment, I just thought about my daughter and what had happened to her &#8230; why her body was [injured] like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the hospital, doctors placed Fenny in a tub of warm water to stop the burning and stitched up the open wounds above her eyes and on her upper lip. They then took her to surgery to remove shrapnel embedded in various parts of her body. \u201cOne piece of steel pierced my left side,\u201d she said, pointing to the spot. \u201cThank God it did not hit my lungs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/CUS1811AK_1347_Nov19_NL_cover_notext-1-794x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Fenny is pictured with the scars on her face, arms, and hands in view.\" class=\"wp-image-3839\" width=\"355\" height=\"457\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/CUS1811AK_1347_Nov19_NL_cover_notext-1-794x1024.jpg 794w, https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/CUS1811AK_1347_Nov19_NL_cover_notext-1-233x300.jpg 233w, https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/CUS1811AK_1347_Nov19_NL_cover_notext-1-768x991.jpg 768w, https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/CUS1811AK_1347_Nov19_NL_cover_notext-1-1191x1536.jpg 1191w, https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/CUS1811AK_1347_Nov19_NL_cover_notext-1-1588x2048.jpg 1588w, https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/CUS1811AK_1347_Nov19_NL_cover_notext-1-scaled.jpg 1985w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 355px) 100vw, 355px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fenny Suryawati was severely burned on 85 percent of her body when suicide bombers attacked her church in<br>Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Doctors spent hours dressing her burns. \u201cAt that moment I started to feel the heat again,\u201d she said. \u201cThe pain came back, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over time, Fenny\u2019s skin hardened. Every four days, she was given anesthesia so a doctor could slowly peel away the dead skin. She underwent that procedure 21 times; doctors could not perform skin grafts because she didn\u2019t have enough healthy skin left. During Fenny\u2019s three months in the hospital, Pastor Yonathan and members of her church visited her in the intensive care unit regularly to encourage and pray for her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fenny was crushed when she realized she wouldn\u2019t be able to return to work as an administrator for a construction company. \u201cI had been working there since 2008,\u201d she said. \u201cAfter the bomb, I also had depression because I thought with my condition I could not do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After her release from the hospital, Fenny received physical therapy twice a week for several months to regain strength in her hands. Her healing has progressed slowly and painfully. \u201cPersecution is uncomfortable, but what can I do?\u201d she said. \u201cNow I must go on with what has happened.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em><strong>Growing Stronger<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, Fenny\u2019s mobility remains limited by the tenderness of her cracked, purplish skin. The tops of her feet are scarred with the pattern of the sandals she was wearing the morning of the bombing, a constant reminder of that horrible day and everything it cost her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fenny said she has learned to love the scarred face that stares back at her from the mirror, but it has taken time. She admits it was difficult to overcome the initial shock and shame of her disfigurement. She still works to overcome the fear and anxiety that confront her every time she leaves her home, but she said she has chosen to forgive those responsible for her current condition. \u201cI am not a woman who keeps the anger,\u201d she said softly but confidently. \u201cI am a woman who likes to surrender all to God and let Him arrange all for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/smallerCUS1811AK_1352_pub-874x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Burned feet of woman injured in Indonesian church bombings\" class=\"wp-image-4379\" width=\"287\" height=\"336\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/smallerCUS1811AK_1352_pub-874x1024.jpg 874w, https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/smallerCUS1811AK_1352_pub-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/smallerCUS1811AK_1352_pub-768x900.jpg 768w, https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/smallerCUS1811AK_1352_pub-1311x1536.jpg 1311w, https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/smallerCUS1811AK_1352_pub-1748x2048.jpg 1748w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 287px) 100vw, 287px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fenny\u2019s feet are scarred with the pattern of the sandals she was wearing the day of the bombing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Fenny has surrendered more than the events of May 13, 2018. She has had to relinquish control in every aspect of her life. She relies on others, mainly her husband, Erry, to help her get through each day. She requires help bathing and dressing each day, and she is resigned to wearing loose-fitting gowns that don\u2019t cling to her fragile skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The most difficult part of her new life, Fenny said, is the necessity of avoiding physical contact. Clarissa\u2019s hugs are now too much to bear. \u201cIt\u2019s &#8230; so &#8230; sad,\u201d she said, emphasizing each word with a nod of her head as her eyes filled with tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Clarissa, now in middle school, is nearly pain free. She wants to be a doctor when she grows up so she can help the suffering, like her mother whom she prays for daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wenny still takes pain medication every day. She also receives physical therapy three times a week to restore strength and mobility to her right leg, right hand, right arm and shoulders. \u201cSometimes my fingers move uncontrollably,\u201d she said, raising her right hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through prayer, she works to overcome the worst pain of all \u2014 losing her two sons. \u201cWhen they were still alive and I had problems, my heart was comforted by the sound of them playing and the sound of their voice,\u201d she said. \u201cBut now that is gone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wenny said her husband struggles to overcome the guilt he feels for not being there when his sons died, even though it could have cost him his own life. \u201cIt is different for me because I only cry when I miss them,\u201d Wenny said, \u201cbut my husband is always crying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A week after Nathan died, Wenny spoke with her pastors about how to truly forgive those who had taken her sons. She has found healing in sharing her story and said talking about it helps her make sense of it. \u201cSome churches and groups invite me to share my testimony with them,\u201d she said smiling, \u201cand I am happy to do that to be a blessing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wenny remembers Evan as a quiet boy who showed his love for others through his actions. Nathan, who was more outgoing, was a cheerful boy who was always ready to stand up for his many friends. The boys loved to shoot their Nerf guns and play games with their cousin, Evelyn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Evelyn, now a teenager, has lived with Wenny and Erry since she was 6. She suffered a broken right wrist in the bombing as well as severed nerves in three fingers on her right hand. As a result of her injuries, she has had to learn how to write with her left hand. She has also undergone three surgeries to remove shrapnel from her legs and feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBoth feet still have shrapnel, and so does her thigh,\u201d Wenny said as Evelyn sat quietly nearby. \u201cThe doctor is thinking twice about taking shrapnel from her thigh because it could leave her paralyzed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Evelyn becomes more talkative and confident when she shares memories of playing with her cousins. But when she does, she has to try hard not to cry. \u201cI miss them,\u201d she said, wiping away tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/CUS1811AK_1389_pub-1024x720.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3836\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/CUS1811AK_1389_pub-1024x720.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/CUS1811AK_1389_pub-300x211.jpg 300w, https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/CUS1811AK_1389_pub-768x540.jpg 768w, https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/CUS1811AK_1389_pub-1536x1079.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/assets.persecution.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/CUS1811AK_1389_pub-2048x1439.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Remaining Faithful<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Days after the attack, small-group leaders at Surabaya Central Pentecostal Church contacted their group members and told them to spread the word: The church will gather on Sunday. \u201cI wanted to encourage the congregation to not leave because this happened,\u201d Pastor Yonathan said. \u201cWe also wanted to show that we love God, and when we love God, the less afraid we are of persecution happening in our life. We must still love God.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Local police and members of Indonesia\u2019s military guarded churches throughout Surabaya on the Sunday following the attacks so Christians could worship without fear. At Surabaya Central Pentecostal, police also blocked roads surrounding the church for added protection. Staff and volunteers set up large tents in the church\u2019s parking lots, and more than 1,000 people attended the church\u2019s two services at 6 a.m. and 3 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although attendance that first Sunday following the bombing was a fraction of the 5,000 who normally attend the church\u2019s four Sunday services, the community was inspired by the believers\u2019 courage and faithfulness. Pastor Yonathan said many of the church\u2019s Muslim neighbors stood outside their homes to witness the Christians worshiping the God of the Bible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur Muslim neighbors said, \u2018When Christians get a problem like this, they are not afraid; they are still faithful to God,\u2019\u201d Pastor Yonathan said. \u201cOne of the men who takes care of our parking said, \u2018I\u2019m surprised by the church. After they are bombed, the church is stronger.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGod is still good!\u201d Pastor Yonathan said, smiling. \u201cMaybe we don\u2019t understand, but I am sure that God is still good, and that is important. His will is perfect for us. Don\u2019t get angry toward God; God is still good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The pastor\u2019s first message after the bombings focused on Romans 8:28 \u2014 \u201cAnd we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.\u201d He also stressed the importance of unity, faithfulness and forgiveness in the face of persecution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe must pray for each other,\u201d he said. \u201cWe must remain unified and we must encourage others. The main point is that we forgive the people who did what happened. We pray for others like them, that God can give them grace to repent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pastor Yonathan requested prayer for the healing of his church, especially for those who experienced trauma. He also asked us to pray that his congregation will continue to be used for God\u2019s glory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The parts of the church building damaged in the blast have been repaired, and a larger, stronger security gate and new protective barrier have been installed at the building\u2019s entrance. The church continues to gather for worship and love Muslims in its neighborhood, and Pastor Yonathan said he doesn\u2019t fear another attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Great Commission is our task,\u201d he said. \u201cWe must share the gospel to other people so they can be saved, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Asking \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the Indonesian National Police, the May 13, 2018, suicide bombings marked the first terrorist attacks in Indonesia\u2019s history carried out by an entire family \u2014 including children. They were members of <em>Jamaah Ansharut Daulah<\/em> (JAD), a local branch of ISIS that in 2016 had bombed a church in Samarinda, Indonesia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Authorities said the parents in this family, who had recently returned from Syria, were among the hundreds of other Indonesians who traveled to Iraq or Syria in 2017 to join ISIS. Indonesia\u2019s National Agency for Combating Terrorism had added their names to a federal terror watch list, but the family\u2019s preparations for the attacks had gone undetected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The deaths at the three churches weren\u2019t the only ones caused by the JAD that day. At 9 p.m., three members of a Muslim family of six were killed when a bomb detonated prematurely in their apartment. They had reportedly planned to attack additional churches. And the following morning, another bomb exploded at Surabaya Police headquarters, injuring four police officers and killing four members of a Muslim family of five. The surviving family member was an 8-year-old girl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In all, 28 people (including 13 suicide bombers) died and 57 more were injured in the sophisticated attacks, making them Indonesia\u2019s most deadly since the 2002 bombings in Bali. Authorities said ISIS ordered the 2018 attacks as revenge for the imprisonment of JAD\u2019s leader, who was prosecuted for his role in attacks carried out in Jakarta two years earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While authorities have discovered the apparent motives for the attacks, the bombing victims continue to ask, \u201cWhy us?\u201d Pastor Yonathan struggles to understand why his church was targeted when they have intentionally worked to show their love for the neighboring Muslim community. Church members give food to impoverished Muslims following Ramadan, and the church also operates a medical clinic where patients, including Muslims, receive care for a small fee or even at no charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t have any anger,\u201d Pastor Yonathan said, \u201cbut in my heart I have a question: What did we do wrong to them? We do good things to them, so why did they attack us?\u201d On a deeper level, the pastor knows persecution is part of following Christ. And from that perspective, he knows they must be doing something right. \u201cSpiritually, this may be our next step,\u201d he said. \u201cI told the church, \u2018God can use your life in a new way now.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Voice of the Martyrs continues to help pay medical expenses for Wenny and Fenny as well as for others affected by the bombings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After losing her two sons, Wenny said she has struggled to regain her sense of purpose, and she still carries a lot of emotional pain. \u201cWhen I see the photos of my sons, I always ask in my heart, \u2018Why did this happen to my sons?\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cThe time has gone by too fast for me. It is like one day I gave birth to them and the next day I lost them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c<em>Why<\/em> is still a big question for me,\u201d she continued. \u201cEven though some people told me it is part of God\u2019s plan for me, I am still searching for the answer to the \u2018Why.\u2019 By accepting invitations from the churches to share my story, I hope I can get the answer to this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During her own healing process, Fenny said she has moved from asking \u201cWhy me?\u201d to asking \u201cWhy am I still alive?\u201d One physician told her he had never treated someone who survived burns as severe as hers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, Fenny is finding the courage to step out in public more often. When she senses people staring at her scars, she quietly asks God a new question: \u201cHow can I be used in this situation?\u201d When people ask about her burns, she eagerly tells them about Christ. She wants Him to use her story and her pain for the advancement of His kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe first question I had in my heart has disappeared because some people have come to me and said that I will be a blessing,\u201d Fenny said, smiling confidently. \u201cIt is God\u2019s plan for me.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Day of the Bombings More than a year after suicide bombers killed 15 people at three Indonesian churches, the survivors continue to heal from their injuries and question why they were attacked \u2014 even as they hold fast to their faith in Jesus Christ. Before sunrise on May 13, 2018, Wenny Hudojo hurried to get herself, her two sons and her niece dressed and ready for the second service at Saint Mary Immaculate Catholic Church in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia. She and the children then made their way through the busy streets of the second largest city in Indonesia to gather for worship, as they did every Sunday. \u201cIt was a typical morning,\u201d Wenny recalled. \u201cWe went to church every Sunday, but my husband wasn\u2019t able to come with us this time because he was sick.\u201d As they walked through the church gate, her sons, 8-year-old Nathan and 11-year-old Evan, talked excitedly with their 11-year-old cousin, Evelyn, about the games they would play after church. After passing the church security guard on their left, Wenny heard a motorcycle zip past them on the right. She turned to see two young men on the bike heading straight for the church<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3829,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[23],"class_list":["post-3828","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-field-stories","tag-indonesia","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Indonesian Churches Attacked By ISIS Suicide Bombers - Stories<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The bombs that struck Surabaya Central Pentecostal killed 10 people, some of whom succumbed to their injuries later, and injured several more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.persecution.com\/stories\/indonesian-churches-attacked-by-isis-suicide-bombers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Indonesian Churches Attacked By ISIS Suicide Bombers - 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