I want to tell you about my friend Fajar. This is Fajar:
Working at a camp for orphans in Ukraine, there were a few things I expected. I expected to teach Bible lessons. I expected to play games. I expected to be surrounded with children who warmed my heart. I did not expect Fajar. This one was just a nice surprise from the Lord.
Fajar is a college student from Indonesia. He came to Ukraine on a sort of cultural exchange (which I still don’t completely understand). I think the purpose of his visit to Ukraine was essentially to promote tourism to Indonesia. The thing is, if your purpose is to promote tourism to a foreign country, I’m not sure why you come to a summer camp for orphans, none of whom have the means to tour Indonesia. Literally the only reason I can think of for Fajar being at Camp Dream this summer is the fact that God is undoubtedly pursuing his heart. It is so apparent to me that God brought Fajar to the Russian border simply to call His heart to Himself.
From my understanding through conversations with Fajar, he comes from a family that practices Islam, though not very strictly. Fajar did not share very much about his religious past or upbringing, but he did share that he had a lot of questions. Good, I thought. Honestly, I have a lot of questions too. Fajar has experienced “religion”, but he knows there is something more. Really, I think we all know that there is something more, but Fajar has started listening and questioning. Fajar wants to find that something more.
Like I said, I have a lot of questions. One thing I don’t question though is that there is something much more than hollow religion. There is something so much deeper than purposeless rules and laws. I know, without question, that there is a God who calls us to a life of freedom, not a life of law. He calls us to experience the relentless love he has for us- a love that breaks chains and brings peace. And I truly believe that Fajar, with all his questions, is on the verge of diving into this love.
My team and I have spent a great deal of time praying for Fajar. We pray that he would find the answer to his questions, because we know that there is one true answer. There is only one answer that brings peace. Recently, nearing the end of our time in Ukraine, our team spent some time with our ministry contacts and translators praying and worshipping at the top of “the panorama”- a beautiful lookout spot across the river from Russia. Fajar came along too. As we sat overlooking creation, each member of our team would pray out loud in what us Christians like to call “popcorn style” (you know what i’m talking about). As we prayed, I felt Fajar put his hand on my shoulder. I looked over to see tears rolling down his cheeks. Soon, Fajar was praying out loud- crying out to the God of heaven to hear him. He spoke words of praise about God’s creation. He asked God to meet him. And God heard him.
I believe that Fajar’s experience in Ukraine will be a life changing one for him. I believe that he is being relentlessly pursued by a God who loves him and just wants to be in relationship with him. He wants Fajar to know freedom from the rules of religion. He wants Fajar to experience the embodiment of Love Himself. Fajar’s experience in Ukraine won’t just bring change for him, though. His experience has opened up my eyes as well. Watching Fajar has opened up my eyes to the fact that I serve a God that does not give up on us. He is a God that will take an Indonesian college student halfway around the world to “promote tourism” at a camp for orphans, really just to call him into relationship with himself. And He is a God who will take a girl like me all over the world just because he wants me. He wants all of me, and He will not let me settle for giving my heart to anything else. He has called me out to the wilderness to pursue me- not because he wants me to be miserable and uncomfortable, but because He is in love with me and He will not settle until He has all of me. That’s the God I serve.
So, I ask you to pray for Fajar. Pray that He would come into real relationship with THAT God- the true God. The God that will not relent until He has it all.
