Good News from the Surabaya Congregation - Hodlin

Striving to Build a New Life for Jesus, Who Had Fought for Him

Hodlin's childhood, for this man born in Padang in 1986, was a beautiful time. He was always doted on by his parents, and whatever he wanted was sure to be given to him. His academic grades were outstanding, so Hodlin always ranked among the top students in elementary and junior high school. Not only that, this fourth of five siblings was also skilled at playing soccer. His father, hoping that one day Hodlin could become a famous athlete, enrolled him in a well-known soccer school in Surabaya. 

With talent and hard work, Hodlin managed to achieve a number of accomplishments in the world of soccer. However, to play on the main team, Hodlin had to give a substantial amount of payoff money to certain individuals. Because his father refused  to give a bribe, from that time on, Hodlin only sat on the bench. This caused him to lose his passion for playing soccer, and he eventually left the school. 

Disappointed with his father, whom he felt did not support his dream, Hodlin began to come home less and less. Entering high school, in a period of searching for his identity, Hodlin looked for attention and acceptance from outside. Bad company and wrong understanding led Hodlin to be willing to befriend only children from wealthy circles in order to gain popularity. He became the naughtiest student at school, got involved in brawls, and began to get acquainted with drugs.

From mere experimentation, Hodlin eventually became addicted. While studying at one of the prestigious universities in Surabaya, he used various kinds of drugs. His studies fell apart, and one semester later, he dropped out. Surrounded by increasingly bad company, Hodlin began using high-dose illegal drugs. At the age of 25, he even became a dealer together with his friends, gambled, and built up large debts until his affairs involved his family.

In 2014, Hodlin was sent away to Kalimantan by his family. The goal was for him to leave behind his bad company. A year later, he returned to Surabaya to continue his studies while working at a law office. Driven by a desire to know God more deeply, he began faithfully going to church, after almost 15 years of never worshiping. 

However, because he met his old friends again, Hodlin's commitment to live rightly lasted only a few months. In fact, when he was looking for a community that could lead him to God, he instead met fellow addicts. In the end, he became ensnared again in illegal drugs.

This situation left Hodlin living in a confusing dilemma. He worshiped, but still served his addiction. What is more, he saw how even his own spiritual mentor could not break free from alcoholic drinks and cigarettes.

In October 2018, while staying at the home of Daniel, his cousin who had become a disciple of Jesus, Hodlin joined him for worship. It was then that a sentence from the preacher kept echoing in his mind: 

“I am no better than you. Let us struggle together” 

Those words left Hodlin astonished. Wasn't a preacher supposed to be identified with holiness and freedom from sin? Why was this preacher saying that he was no better than anyone else?

Curious about this, Hodlin finally studied God's word for three months. However, his learning stopped because of the many problems and trials in life. Hodlin then decided not to go to church anymore. He returned to his old community and associated with addicts. 

At that lowest point in his life, Hodlin regularly used addictive substances. Every time he woke up, all he thought about was how he could use illegal drugs. Hodlin blamed his parents as the cause of all the chaos in his life. Whenever he was in withdrawal, he would ask them for money. He also became paranoid and trusted no one. 

In March 2019, when his cousin Daniel died suddenly, Hodlin met again with the Surabaya congregation. At that time, a brother approached him and said that they wanted him to continue his study of God's word. 

Three weeks later, Hodlin studied the Bible again—this time, with a broken heart. He spent most of his time gathering together with the brother, whether he was in withdrawal or sober. He never allowed himself to be alone so that he would not fall back into addiction.

More than that, Hodlin learned to look at the example of the cross, how Jesus had fought to redeem his sins. He was convinced that if Jesus was able to go through all of that, then he surely could as well. Although he went through ups and downs during the process of studying the Bible, on October 19, 2019, after proving his repentance, Hodlin was baptized. 

Now Hodlin has good control over his emotions; he is more patient, able to respond to problems wisely, and puts the interests of others ahead of himself. His dream is that people trapped in drugs as he once was, who feel there is no longer any hope for their lives, may come to know God. Because in the Lord, our hope will not disappoint. Amen!

And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:5,8