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In 2021, Miriam fell seriously ill with malaria. She sought treatment, but things kept getting worse. And in Indonesia, where around 800,000 people contract malaria each year—and more than 1,150 people die from the disease—a worsening case of it can be cause for concern.
But then one night Miriam had a dream. And in that dream, she saw a familiar figure: Jesus. In the dream, she was filled with warmth and peace and when she awoke, she felt a hope she'd never had before.
"I know that God has a beautiful plan for my life, and I believe He will give me strength to face this."
Miriam*, Indonesian believer
Miriam had only seen Jesus' face in a picture at her husband's workplace. Her husband was a Christian, which made it surprising that Miriam, who came from a devoutly Muslim family, had married him. She'd been taught to hold firmly to the teachings of Islam, a tradition passed from generation to generation in her family. Even when she fell in love with her now-husband, she remained convinced of her Islamic faith.
And then, the dream.
When she awoke, she asked her husband if she could join him at church the following Sunday. Still wearing her headscarf and modest Islamic clothing, she stepped into the church with uncertainty. But as the congregation began to sing songs of worship, a wave of peace filled her heart. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she sensed God's presence embracing her. From that day forward, she decided to follow Jesus as her Lord and Savior and was baptized seven months later. She also recovered from her illness!
But it didn't mean things were easy.
Miriam had to keep her faith hidden from her family, who were still deeply rooted in Islam. Living in a Muslim-majority community, she wrestled with the tension of protecting her faith without creating conflict. "I [wanted] to share this faith, but [I was] afraid it [would] hurt my parents," she says softly. "They [were] old, and I [didn't] want to grieve them with this news."
For a time, she lived as though nothing had changed—selling vegetables picked from her family's garden to small food stalls ... and secretly attending church every Sunday.
But secrets rarely stay hidden. Eventually, her family and neighbors discovered her faith. Their response was painful. "They didn't say much," she recalls, "but their acceptance toward me grew cold—not just toward me, but also toward my husband and our child, their own grandchild."
Friends in the community turned away as well, and some shop owners who had once bought her vegetables refused to do business with her. Others from the community told her bluntly: "You will go to hell." With tears in her eyes, Miriam admits the hurt was deep. Yet her faith remained firm. "I know that God has a beautiful plan for my life, and I believe He will give me strength to face this," she says.
Following Jesus' command to pray for those who persecuted His followers (Matthew 5:44), Miriam continues to nurture a deep hope for her loved ones. "I pray that my family can see what Jesus has done in my life," she shares. "I want them to know the greatness of God's love that has saved me. I want them to know Christ as I have come to know Him." Every night, she lifts up this prayer with faith that one day her family will also encounter God's transforming love.
Today, she and her husband are building a small livelihood to sustain their family. With financial support from Open Doors' local partners—made possible through your gifts and prayers!—Miriam has opened a small shop from her home.
"Praise God for this support," she says with gratitude. "This shop helps us survive. Every day, we earn some additional income, aside from my husband's work as a motorcycle mechanic."
Though the road ahead is uncertain, Miriam's heart is unshakable. She believes that with God, all things are possible ... even a change of heart for her family.
Here's how you can stand with Miriam in prayer: