Written by FEBA South Africa
Article originally featured in the October issue of JOY! Magazine
FEBA’S MINISTRY TO THE OUTCASTS
Afia* is about to drink detergent. She will leave behind three children, but she is desperate to end her misery – her scalp is full of open wounds that itch and sting relentlessly, the result of an allergic reaction to water and an immune system compromised by years of living as a refugee in Indonesia. As she reaches for the deadly concoction, she hears a gentle voice speaking in Dari, her native language. Then she sees Jesus. “Don’t drink that cup,” He tells her. “Give your burdens to Me. Leave your problems and illness to Me.” She obeys. She knows who Jesus is. She has heard about Him on the radio.
‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me…’
Indonesia is a transit country for refugees awaiting resettlement elsewhere. They are not allowed to work or settle, and they lack access to many public services. Unfortunately, resettlement is often delayed, leaving refugees unable to build a life or care for their families for years.
Hope through radio
Since 2015, FEBA Indonesia has reached out to refugees through Radio PARS, a Farsi-language broadcast that airs on FEBA Indonesia’s station, Heartline Radio. The broadcast, which reaches an estimated 14 000 refugees in the country, aims to offer a Biblical perspective on refugees’ unique struggles and needs. There is also a weekly, two-hour podcast called Voice of a Refugee, which focuses on evangelism and discipleship. FEBA’s PARS ministry leaders, Mustafa and Maria, are refugees themselves. They not only share God’s Word but also provide practical help where they can. In Afia’s case, they provide her with a monthly food package and pray for her. Afia believes that their prayers made it possible for her to see Jesus. Today, Afia’s living conditions have improved. She is glad that she is still alive.
‘I was sick and you visited me…’
FEBA Indonesia defines its ministry to marginalised communities as “serving those who have long been overlooked by society, including the church. These are those who lack access to public infrastructure, even within the church.” About 30 km west of Jakarta, in Tangerang, lies the Sitanala leprosy community. The village developed organically around the Sitanala Leprosy Hospital and harbours patients, their families, and survivors. Indonesia has the third-highest number of leprosy cases in the world. While attitudes around the world have improved as people have learnt that leprosy is treatable, curable, and not as contagious as previously believed, there remains a deep-rooted stigma attached to it in Indonesian society. In addition to physical suffering, patients and their families carry a heavy psychological burden as outcasts.
‘We feel God’s grace’
Pastor Ruben, who recovered from leprosy, currently pastors the POUK Maranatha Church, which has about 150 congregants in the Sitanala leprosy community. They are faithful listeners of Heartline Radio. In 2025, when FEBA Indonesia learnt that the church’s radio had broken, the team visited Sitanala to distribute more radios. Pastor Ruben said, “It’s true that we are sick and poor, but we never beg for anything. We believe Jesus cares for us, and we feel God’s care through Heartline FM.”
Sharing God’s love
Following a successful visit in November 2025, the FEBA team returned to Sitanala in March for a Sunday service. This time, listeners could participate in a live broadcast by sharing their stories on air. Listeners testified to the power of hearing God’s Word every day. During the visit in November, a loyal listener named Hartono shared how he strives to be an instrument of Jesus’ grace, even though both his legs have been amputated and his hands are growing weaker. “Through radio broadcasts, especially spiritual ones, I feel the presence of Jesus accompanying me during my days. Even though I have been isolated, I want to continue to share God’s love with this world.”
‘I was in prison and you came to me…’
FEBA Indonesia’s ministry to marginalised groups mirrors Hartono’s sentiment: it wants to share God’s love with those who have been isolated, even if this is due to their own choices. Over the past few years, FEBA Indonesia has cultivated a strong relationship with prisons in Tangerang, Takalar, and Makassar. The team regularly conducts worship services, discipleship training, and pastoral counselling. In their words: “Ministry within correctional facilities is more than just a religious routine; it is a bridge to restoration for those who have lost hope.”
A bridge to restoration
The ministry’s impact has led to the signing of a co-operation agreement between FEBA and the Takalar Correctional Facility, which makes FEBA’s spiritual support an integrated part of the rehabilitation programme. FEBA Indonesia has started producing a radio programme called Letters from Prison, and it partners with church leaders to conduct discipleship training with inmates at a Tangerang detention centre. During a recent apologetics class, the discussion turned to the nature of salvation – whether it is a gift of grace or something to be earned through good deeds. The teacher’s question, “What is the difference between someone who does good in order to be saved and someone who does good because they are already saved?” started a lively conversation. Afterwards, one participant said, “The apologetics class has strengthened the foundation of my faith and made me more certain about being baptised.”
The power of the Gospel
The refugees. The sick. The criminals. These forgotten figures, always existing at the shadowy edges of society, were at the heart of Jesus’ ministry on earth. As Paul writes in Romans 1:16, “[The Gospel] is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…”
This article appears in the October 2026 issue of JOY! Magazine. Read the digital version of this magazine here: joygifts.co.za
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Date published: 28/09/2026
Feature image: Sourced from original article published in the October issue of JOY! Magazine
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