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 Vancouver-based pastor Yani Lim recently made a considerable impact on the Christian community with Voices Together, a Canada Day celebration of faith which brought more than 8,000 people to GM Place. Just two weeks after, Lim was challenged to put her own faith into action, when a crisis drew her to Indonesia. A mother and son were facing execution by firing squad in Surabaya. The woman, known only as Mrs. Sumiasih, and her son Sugeng, had been on death row since 1989, for the revenge murder of Marine Lt. Col. Purwanto, his wife, two children and his nephew. Following is Yani Lim's account of her last encounter with Sumiasih.
THIS REPORT is to testify about God's extraordinary grace, bestowed to a sinner. The world condemned her because of her past sins. The law issued a verdict for the death penalty, for her and her son. They were executed after 20 years in jail.
Jesus was speaking of people like Sumiasih when he said (in Matthew 9:12-13): "The ones who are whole do not need a physician, but the ones who are sick. But go and learn what this is: I will have mercy and not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
My involvement with Sumiasih started when I saw a photograph of a man who faced a death penalty in 1991. Immediately, my heart was overwhelmed by compassion -- which made me pray: "Lord, send me to these people who face these terminal verdicts, and are not saved yet."
That man was Second Lieutenant Adi Saputro, who was accused of the murder of Lieutenant Colonel Purwanto, committed three years before.
Suputro perpetrated the crime along with Prayitno, his father-in-law; Sugeng, his brother-in-law; and Nanu, a distant relative. But the brains behind this murder was Sumiasih, Adi Saputro's mother-in-law. The murderers were quickly captured and put in jail.
I learned later how Sumiasih and Prayitno ran a brothel. Some financial conflict with Purwanto led them to conspire to organize the assasination.
After Sumiasih entered the prison in Surabaya, she was ministered to by a few pastors, and even got baptized. However, she still held to her old life. Her heart was filled with bitterness, fear, rebellion and anxiety.
On 29 November 1993, she was transferred to another prison, in Malang. I see now that this move was not happenstance, but was in God's grand plan. "This is your time to start my ministry in this Malang prison," I heard his voice so clearly in my heart.
It was confirmed when I got a request from the spiritual division of the prison, to minister to the inmates there. The warden gave me the opportunity to minister routinely. It seemed that it was impossible, but I am sure that what is impossible to men is possible with God.
In my first sessions, I visited them almost daily, or at least three times a week. The grace and mercy of our Lord was preached -- and it must have been removing the carnal side of Sumiasih. The light of his Word illuminated her life, which gradually changed her lifestyle.
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double- edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
At last, in 1995, Sumiasih discovered her Savior personally -- and she testified: "I was jailed, but now I am free, because my soul is saved by the Lord. I was blind, but now I see."
From then on, her life changed dramatically. She became a very obedient inmate. The warden reported how after her conversion Sumiasih never transgressed the prison's rules. She even became a model in her attitudes for other inmates.
She also never stopped testifying about God's great love to her cellmates. Many of them eventually gave their lives to Jesus. She continued to lead those cellmates, to help them live productive lives.
Sumiasih's daily motto was taken from Paul's words, in Philippians 1:21-22: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor."
She did not want to waste her valuable time. She worked hard to create embroideries and bags made from beads; and to cultivate plants, which yielded remarkable results.
Money from the sales of these thing were used for her own necessities, and to support her children and grandchildren. Some were given to relatives, and her own cellmates.
As an expression of repentance, she and Prayitno bequeathed the brothel house to the Council of Churches in Surabaya ,to be used for public charities. Their wish was to transform it into a house of blessing.
In 1996, she petitioned the president for clemency, which was refused. But, praise be to God, her whole life had been changed, so she was able to face it with a brave heart. Her execution was postponed, because her lawyer sent a review letter once again.
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On 27 June 1997, God called her husband back to him, through a liver disease. God's grace was very evident in Prayitno's salvation, as he passed away in all peace.
In 2003, another clemency effort was refused by the President. Sumiasih was to be executed; but once again it was postponed due to the sending of another review letter.
Some 20 years had passed; 15 of those years Sumiasih spent in a new, changed life, guided by the Holy Spirit. Many works were carried out as the fruit of her sincere repentance. She gave her life totally, with a testimony much like Galatians 2:19-20:
"For through the law, I died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself on my behalf."
On July 15, suddenly I heard that Sumiasih had been moved into Medaeng Prison in Surabaya, to be executed as soon as possible. The whole country was in total perplexity, upon learning this execution was still to be carried out after 20 years of imprisonment. Many communities, personalities and legal institutions disapproved this death penalty.
I went rushing off to reach Surabaya. In this high-volume season, it was a miracle to be able to fly from Vancouver to Jakarta immediately. I was also motivated by Sumiasih's final plea to the government, that she would be able to meet me before the execution. This request was granted. It was miraculous -- the way of our Lord.
In my meeting with Sumiasih, she stated how she was very ready to meet her Jesus. Then she left a message for all people who would continue living after she died: "Life is very short. Everybody should prepare themselves, because death arrives like a thief." Sumiasih's death hour had been determined; but most people never know when their time is due.
At the end of our meeting, we prayed -- and submitted everything to the Lord. Due to government regulations, a male pastor was appointed to accompany her during the last 30 minutes. He was Rev. Gatut Budiyono, one of the directors of Bethesda Ministry of Love.
I entrusted my last message for Sumiasih to him. I reminded her of John 11:25-26: "I am the Resurrection and the Life! He who believes in Me, though he die, yet he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
Sumiasih, pastor Budiyono told me, replied firmly: "Yes, I do believe it a hundred percent." As it says in John 5:25, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming -- and now is -- when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they who hear shall live."
Rev. Budiyono said Sumiasih made it convincingly clear that she was more than ready to face the execution -- because for her, this event would lead her to meet and then live together with her Lord, her everlasting love, forever. It was very moving to learn that Sumiasih expressed her readiness with a peaceful, wide smile, filled with a comforting calmness.
At midnight, the 19th of July, Sumiasih and Sugeng, her son, were brought to a field at the Surabaya Provincial Police Headquarters, where they faced a group of 12 shooters. They each wore a white gown, with a black dot on their heart's position. In the next few seconds, everything was over. Sumiasih was at last released -- not only physically, but spiritually. This cruel world is not a place for saints like her.
Sumiasih words lingered on. They were not just spoken, but flowed out of her heart; she was convinced of her coming everlasting life with the Lord Jesus Christ. This was confirmed by looking at her mortal remains; she seemed to be resting, in a heavenly peaceful sleep.
It is indeed true what the apostle Paul said in Romans 8:35-39: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God -- which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
His promise remains as strong as ever, as expressed in John 5:24-25: "Truly, truly, I say to you, He who hears My Word and believes on Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation -- but has passed from death to life. Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God -- and they who hear shall live."
Sumiasih . . . till we meet again, at the heavenly throne of our Almighty God!
For more information about Yani Lim's work, including a photo essay and video from Voices Together, go to www.VoicesTogether.ca.
July 31/2008
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