WATI* NEVER KNEW HER PARENTS. The only family she’d ever known was Merpati, a woman in her 80s who found Wati when she was very young and raised her in various cities in Indonesia.  Merpati worked as a washerwoman, while Wati became a garbage collector. They earned very little--just enough to buy food--and lived on the streets, taking shelter in a hut they built from cardboard.
Merpati shared Christ with Wati, and He gave them the strength to endure their difficult circumstances. Together they shared both joys and sorrows.
Devastating Loss
But everything changed on November 12, 2004, when Merpati died at the age of 102. Overcome with grief, Wati wanted to give up, but the Lord’s power sustained her.
After Merpati’s death Wati longed to find another family. She eventually joined a church, and found some comfort in the church’s community.
She continued to earn a living by collecting garbage and selling newspapers. But her earnings were just enough to buy food and pay the interest on a loan she’d taken out for Merpati’s funeral. With no money left for housing, Wati lived in the public gardens.
A New Friend
She became friends with a local postman who was also a Christian. One day he told her of a place she could live--an empty, dilapidated house next to his. She moved in, and began to cook and clean for her new neighbor as a way to thank him for his friendship.
Although she still lived in extreme poverty, Wati never lost hope. On the contrary, she trusted in the Lord even more! But she was lonely for a real family.
The Power of RadioOne day while listening to the postman's radio, she accidently tuned in to a Heartline (FEBC-Indonesia) program. The program gave her strength and encouragement in the midst of her grief and loneliness. She later told the Heartline staff that she listened to the broadcasts “from night until morning.”
Making Contact
After regularly listening to the Heartline broadcasts, she decided to share her problems with the Heartline staff. “The drive to contact them was very strong,” she later explained.
At first she sent text messages through the postman’s cell phone, but she eventually found the courage to write a letter.
“The contents of her letter were very dramatic,” explained Ms. Melasari, a Heartline counselor. “She told us of the struggles she’d had since Merpati’s death."
Wati was shocked when Ms. Melasari wrote back to her. When the two finally met, she wept with joy, and was thrilled with the gift of a wind up radio.
A New Home
Not long after that, the Lord began to open more doors for Wati. A group home in Jakarta that helps people in need accepted her as a resident and gave her a job. The director of the home began to counsel Wati, helping her to heal from the pain of the past.
Ms. Melasari has stayed in touch with Wati, and reports that she is now at peace. At the group home she has found a new family, and she looks forward, with hope, to a whole new life. * Name has been changed
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> Listener Walks for 3 Days to Get a Radio
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