Theo’s transformation from rebellious teenager to compassionate leader began with a mother’s prayer. At 15, growing up in a broken family in Central Java, Indonesia, Theo was nearly expelled for fighting with classmates and teachers.
One pivotal night, as he pretended to sleep to avoid another lecture, his mother sat beside him, laid her hand on his head, and prayed. “For the first time, I felt a deep love that touched my whole being,” Theo reflected. “Something stirred in my heart, an awareness that I was a Christian and my life had a greater purpose.”
Now 35, Theo serves in his local church and as Dean of our Indonesian partner, the Church of Christ Theological School. His responsibilities include overseeing schedules, shaping the curriculum and mentoring lecturers. Recently, he visited Australia with Hery Susanto to share about the school with churches in Victoria and Western Australia.
Theo’s ministry extends beyond academia to evangelism across Indonesia’s many islands. Recently, he ministered to a follower of Isa who, despite reading her book many times, still felt empty and longed to meet Jesus. God led her and her aunt to Theo’s church, and both are preparing for baptism by the end of this year.
Such transformations inspire his greatest dream. “My biggest dream is the whole of Indonesia hearing the name of Jesus, serving Jesus, and accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour,” he said.
Despite challenges across Indonesia’s diverse religious landscape and the shortage of workers for such a vast mission field, Theo finds hope in partnership. “We are not fighting alone,” he said, grateful for the Australian supporters who assist the Church of Christ Theological School in Indonesia’s work.
Theo’s transformed life stands as a living testimony that God’s love never stops working.