Hot Tea

“And opening his mouth, Peter said, ‘I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right, is welcome to Him.’” Acts 10:34-35, NAS.

The family we visited was Muslim, trans-migrant Javanese. The husband has worked at the training farm for the past fourteen years. He was at home on work leave after the birth of his first son. Ibu Jenny*, the head of the animal husbandry program at the farm, invited me to go along with her to visit the family. She wanted me to see the inside of a common home.

It was a single story, red brick structure with a corrugated metal roof. The wood door had open slats across the top to allow any breeze to blow through. The windows had no glass, which also allowed for cross ventilation. The construction of the house left a space between the roof and brick, again to allow for air flow. The floor of the house was packed dirt. It was as hard as concrete and swept clean. The furniture was simply constructed from unfinished wood. Inside the house, there was very little light. I later learned that Javanese tend to like their houses dark. The kitchen and toilet are in separate structures outside the house. Most cooking is done over a wood fire and creates too much of a mess to have the kitchen in the same structure as the living quarters.

When we came into the house we were offered sticky rice, bananas, and scalding hot tea. Jenny explained to me that in Javanese culture hot tea meant we were welcomed guests. The hot tea meant that they wanted us to stay a while, since we couldn’t just drink the tea, but had to wait for it to cool. While Jenny and the family talked, I found myself praying for this family that had so kindly welcomed me into their home.

Jenny was busy chatting with the mother. The baby’s grandmother and aunt from the mother’s side had dropped in for a visit. We had come during nap time, so the baby was a peaceful bundle on his mother’s lap. As Jenny talked I started picking out words I understood – Adam, God, and Jesus. I knew she had turned the conversation to some Bible stories, and again I found myself praying for God to open minds and hearts as Jenny shared.

I later learned that Jenny used my presence as a spring board to talk about several Bible stories. She used the food they offered to tell the story about Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit that Satan had offered. She used my inability to speak their language to tell the story of the Tower of Babel. After sharing these and other stories she prayed for God’s blessings on the baby, and on the whole family in the name of Jesus.

This family knows a lot about Jesus. They are interested in Jesus, but they are afraid of how their neighbors will react if they decide to follow Him. Fear keeps them bound as slaves to sin. Fear bars them from the salvation that Jesus alone can give.

*Names changed for security reasons.

Pray that:

The love of Jesus will cast out this family’s fear and they will be saved.

Workers like Jenny will not grow wearing in sharing the Gospel with people who know the truth, but fear to respond to Jesus.

Pacific Rim is a region of the International Mission Board, SBC.