The importance of discipleship in Malaysia

Wesley is uncomfortable in crowds.

As the 19 year old makes his way through the throngs of people in Jalan Alor, a massive outdoor fruit and food market in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, you can see in his eyes that he feels awkward. These moments remind you that Wesley may now live in a major city ... but inside, he's still the young man from a tiny village in the jungle.

“I am originally from a village called Merit Kapit [in] Sarawak State, East Malaysia,” Wesley says, explaining that he grew up living in a longhouse, with 12 rooms in it--each one designated to a family. “Close to my longhouse there are extensive jungles and several rivers. Basically, I reside in a rural area situated away from the township.”

He came to Kuala Lumpur--a city with a metro population of over 8.8 million people--to attend a local university. And the culture shock was immediate. “When I first came to Kuala Lumpur, I was struck by the remarkable development of the city,” he says. “The towering skyscrapers and the urban lifestyle were entirely new experiences for me. I had never experienced such a diverse lifestyle before, and I felt anxious about interacting with people in the city.”

Wesley also finds himself a minority in another way: He's a Christian, living in a city where only 6.4% of the population follows Jesus. Most residents of Kuala Lumpur are Muslim or Buddhist, with significant minority of Hindus. There are mosques all over the city, sprawling Buddhist temples and massive shrines dedicated to Hindu gods.

It could be a recipe for disaster--a young Christian coming to a fast-paced city for the first time, turned from his faith by the influences around him.

But Wesley's faith in Jesus has not been an easy path ... and it's prepared him for his new life and faith in a massive city.

Christian birth certificate, black magic in practice

Wesley's village was made up of mostly people who were identified as “Christian” on their birth certificates. Missionaries came to the small community in the 20th century and shared the gospel. But many of the people who “converted” to Christianity--people like Wesley and his family--never received any discipleship. “When I was younger, I identified as a Christian, but I did not fully embrace or live out the principles of Christianity in my daily life,” Wesley says.

This meant that many Christians simply continued to follow traditional religions, and didn't know basic things about the Christian faith. “Growing up in a rural area, attachment to traditions and cultural practices was engrained in our community's beliefs and lifestyle,” Wesley explains. “In the village, cultural beliefs often included reverence for animals as divine beings and the ritual worship of trees. I followed [these beliefs] wholeheartedly and truly believed in the culture. I was completely immersed in its beliefs and practices, finding great significance and meaning in it.”

Though some villagers attended church and grew in their faith, Wesley and his family weren't among them. “Truthfully, I was never introduced to the Bible or educated about it during my childhood and I had never read it before,” he says. “Honestly, I had never heard about Jesus. I had heard about Bibles, but not about Jesus. In my village, there was so much reliance on cultural practices and beliefs that no one really mentioned [anything] about Jesus. It is difficult to educate children in Christianity.”

This dual lifestyle led Wesley into some encounters with the spiritual world. “[Our traditional religion] involves expressing gratitude for certain aspects of life while also engaging in communication with spirits through the practice of black magic,” he says. “One example I recall from my childhood is witnessing people worshiping the horns of animals as a means of seeking guidance and assistance in their lives. Another cultural belief we practiced was the belief [that a] crocodile was my grandparent.”

Wesley saw some of the rituals first-hand. “I accompanied my grandfather on visits to a witch doctor who practiced rituals associated with black magic,” he remembers. “During those visits I found the experience to be extraordinary, particularly because the witch doctor possessed the ability to foresee numerous events. But when I entered his home, it was very creepy for me.”

Yet, despite the beliefs swirling around him, Wesley was curious about the faith that was written on his birth certificate. He decided to attend church and see what Christianity was all about.

That set him on a course that would change everything.

‘Like being electrocuted’

As Wesley grew and prepared to graduate from secondary school, he began to be interested in attending church. “In hindsight, I realize that God had always been with me even though I didn't recognize it at the time,” he says. “I attended a local church in my area when I was 17 years old.”

What he experienced was profound, even if he lacked the biblical knowledge to understand it. “In that service, I felt very warm, like being electrocuted,” he remembers. “I know today that I felt the presence of God.”

It made him realize that he knew very little about God or the faith he was supposed to belong to. “I really did not understand [things like] ‘who is Jesus? What is the Bible? Who is God?'” he says.

Eventually, through Open Doors’ local partners, Wesley was connected to a program called Ground Zero, a training course for students organized and run by Open Doors’ local partners. There, Wesley began to see the truth of the faith he'd never known. Now, Christianity was much more than a simple stamp on his ID card. “The program was designed to facilitate sessions for high school graduates who were transitioning to college,” Wesley explains. “I joined the program. I learned to study the Bible, to say my prayers and to worship God.”

Ground Zero was really the first time that Wesley had had the opportunity to read the Bible. “I had friends [at Ground Zero] and we always had a reflection every morning,” he says. “My friends taught me about the Word of God. I started to read and learn the Word of God ... I got to understand the Word of God day by day, and I am truly grateful for that.”

He also learned who Jesus was for the first time. “We studied topics such as understanding who Jesus is and recognizing Him as our Savior ... lessons that continue to resonate with us to this day,” Wesley says. “After joining Ground Zero, I got my answers to ‘Who is Jesus?’--and I felt my life was transformed after knowing the truth about Him. That's the beginning of my journey as a Christian who believes in Jesus.”

But when he returned home, his faith would be put to the test.

Objections ... and something darker

After finishing the Ground Zero program, Wesley did a Christian internship in a nearby township. And then he returned home. “My father wasn't particularly pleased that I joined the Ground Zero program,” Wesley says. “He hadn't encouraged me to participate in it.”

In fact, Wesley had attended the program over his father's objections, even as his father tried to stop him from reading the Bible. “When I began practicing Christianity, my father would often try to dissuade me,” Wesley says. “He never [would] allow me to believe in Christianity.”

The rest of Wesley's family seemed to care very little one way or another. “My family didn't react much to my decision [to follow Jesus],” he says. “When I talk to them about Jesus, it is very difficult for them to understand.”

Wesley also came face to face with the spiritual baggage of his old life. When he was home, his uncle had a hysterical incident--he was possessed by a spirit. “He [wanted] to jump off a building,” Wesley explains. “My uncle is easily possessed, and we don't know why. Maybe he has his own history.”

Wesley had already had his encounter with Jesus and become confident in his faith during this period. So when he heard his uncle was possessed, he told his mother and uncle that they should not use the witch doctor or black magic to try to end the possession. He explained only Jesus could heal his uncle. “During my visit, I fasted for a day. I felt hungry, but I was very strong that I wanted to pray for my uncle,” he says. “That night, my mother told me, ‘your uncle is tangled up with black magic.’ ‘Who told you?’ I asked her. She said, ‘The witch doctor.'” Wesley found out that his uncle was seeing the spirit of a woman, and that the witch doctor had performed a ceremony that had united his uncle's spirit to the woman's spirit.

Wesley was scared, but believed in God's goodness. His mother told him that everyone in the village was too afraid to even sleep in the same room as Wesley's uncle. Wesley decided he would sleep on the floor next to his uncle's bed and pray throughout the night. “I felt very brave at that moment,” Wesley remembers. “I believed God was with me. If I hadn't known God, I wouldn't have been there.”

Wesley's uncle had been possessed and hysterical for three days before Wesley had come. But that night, with Wesley praying, his uncle slept peacefully. “I praised God!” Wesley says. “I told my uncle that if anything happened, he had to pray.”

Wesley's courageous faith meant his mom also stopped visiting witch doctors for healing. The training he had received at the Ground Zero seminar was already bearing fruit. “When I read the Bible, it always says God is with us and not to be afraid,” Wesley says. “I remember those verses wherever I go. God will never forsake me! That's what I learned from studying the Bible and it helped me strengthen my faith.”

Big city, big challenges

After the Ground Zero training, Wesley made the trip to West Malaysia where he began studying in a university in Kuala Lumpur. He was no longer grappling with a father opposed to his faith or demonic possession, but he was starting to encounter new challenges. “The Bible has been incredibly helpful to me in Kuala Lumpur,” he says. “If I never knew the Word of God before coming here, I could easily be swayed by friends onto the wrong path.”

Wesley came face to face with the religious diversity of Malaysia when he began school in Kuala Lumpur. Legally, all ethnic Malays are regarded as Muslim, and it's nearly impossible to officially change one's religious registration. If you are an ethnic Malay and a Christian, your children will also be automatically classified as Muslim.

Christianity is a minority religion, and is largely tolerated---unless there is any suspicion of evangelizing, or suspicion that someone from the majority people group would convert to follow Jesus. There are also some advantages in Malaysia to leaving faith in Jesus for another religion, including better treatment and financial rewards. The city is a swirl of religious expressions, and there can be constant pressure for followers of Jesus.

One of Wesley's non-Christian friends provided a good test for Wesley's faith in Christ. “My friend asked me: ‘Who is the Holy Spirit?'” Wesley recalls. “I told him ‘The Holy Spirit is my helper that is sent by God.’ He asked: ‘Who is Jesus?’ I said: ‘Jesus is my Savior who was sent by God.’ I asked my friend, ‘Do you believe in Jesus? Jesus is God.'” There was no response from his friend--but rather than Wesley being drawn from his faith, his friend began to respect Wesley's knowledge.

Another friend would be annoyed when Wesley would say “God bless you” and started to mockingly call Wesley “child of God.” “I replied to him, ‘you are a child of God too!'” he says with a smile.

“The Bible provided me with the most valuable knowledge I could ask for,” Wesley says. “That's how the Bible helped me when I came to Kuala Lumpur. If we don't strengthen our faith, we will be easily influenced.”

Wesley now serves in his church and his strong faith is a testimony to a changed life. “When I started serving God in church, it gave me so much joy and fulfilment,” he says. “All I want in my life is to serve Him. My dream is to serve God.”

An ongoing need

Wesley's story isn't over. It's still difficult for a young Malaysian to follow Jesus--there are always pressures, some unique to Malaysia, others common around the world, and some that many persecuted Christians experience every day. But thanks to your gifts and prayers, Wesley has been strengthened to face the challenges head on.

Wesley knows he is fortunate. He knows there are many others in Malaysia who don't know the truth about Jesus---or who don't have access to God's Word or the tools to understand it. That's why he hopes that Open Doors supporters will provide ongoing support and prayer for ministries like Ground Zero.

“In my opinion, [Open Doors’] Ground Zero program is very helpful for people that haven't believed in God, or people that don't know about the Bible,” he says. “Ground Zero is very helpful and I hope many young people will join programs like this. Their lives will undergo a transformation from old to new.

“The important of these programs is that they teach more young people about the Bible,” he continues. “So if you can support them financially, we can reach out to more youth, or we can prepare a bigger place to organize the program so that more young people can join and benefit.”

For now, Wesley continues to live for Jesus. And he's seen miraculous results--even his dad, who was so opposed to Wesley's spiritual growth, has now begun to follow the Lord. “My favorite bible verse is from John 15:3-4 which says: ‘You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me,'” Wesley says. “That is my favorite verse, that I am clean because of the word spoken to me.”

Wesley asks us to continue praying for him as he studies in Kuala Lumpur and lives for God in Malaysia. He's getting used to the crowds and the skyscrapers--but he knows that the challenges to his faith won't end anytime soon. “Please pray for my family and studies,” he shares. “Pray that my faith will be strengthened so that I can overcome any challenges in my life with the help of God, and I will always be on the right path toward Christ. My hope for my future is that I want to be a child of God and follow God for the rest of my life.”

Open Doors works through partners around the world to provide Bibles and discipleship resources to persecuted Christians who experience pressure and persecution for their faith. A gift of $10 today can help provide a persecuted believer with a copy of God's Word and the tools to understand it.