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Stevie Pattiwan, 18, found himself defending a university in June as government soldiers with automatic weapons and armored vehicles arrived to level the campus. A handsome young man with a shy smile, Pattiwan lost both of his legs after a mortar exploded near him.

"I've lost a lot of friends. I'm not sure how many," he said. "I'm thankful to be alive."

Just half a mile away from the governor's residence, a Christian community lies in rubble—mute witness to an attack instigated by government troops, followed by jihad warriors who poured out of the mountainous forest to torch the homes.

Standing in the wreckage of his house, a man stated that his life was spared because a Muslim friend took a chance to call and warn him the mob was approaching. He had time to hide in the jungle beyond his community.

"Others were not so fortunate," he said.

By the governor's count, more than 20,000 damaged and destroyed homes—both Christian and Muslim—need to be restored, not including schools, hospitals and markets.

"Some children haven't been to school in nine months," the governor said, adding that 78 schools have been destroyed. "We only have provisions for about 5,000 new homes. We welcome organizations who can come and help Ambon rebuild."

Southern Baptist representative Charles Cole, who traveled to Ambon to assess the needs, assured the governor that Baptists in the United States and around the world were ready to lend assistance to Muslim and Christian communities alike.

All sides welcomed the offer for assistance, but offered words of caution.

"Wait until this is over. If you come and build now, it will be burned down again tomorrow," a Christian leader said. "The violence and bloodshed must stop."

Copyright © 2000 Baptist Press

Other current media coverage of the Maluku islands in Indonesia includes:

U.N. Sets up Five Bodies in Maluku, Indonesia—People's Daily (Oct. 2, 2000)

Indonesian Military Operations to Disarm E. Timorese Militias Extended—People's Daily (Oct. 2, 2000)

TNI ready for coercive action in Maluku islands — Suara Merdeka (Oct. 2, 2000)

Previous Christianity Today stories about fighting in Indonesia include:

Indonesian Island Attacks Go Unnoticed | World ignoring plight of Christians in Ambon, visitors say. (Aug. 21, 2000)

Daily Life in the Maluku Islands: Chaos, Fear, and the Threat of Violence | Christians plead for international monitoring to prevent Jihad raids, and more aid for refugees. (Aug. 1, 2000)

Churches Pressure for Swift Action to Calm Maluku Violence | Indonesian army joining in attacks on Christians. (July 21, 2000)

Indonesian Religious Riot Death Toll Dwarfs 30 New Corpses | Death count has passed 1,700. (Mar.3, 2000)

Maluku Islands Unrest Spreads to Greater Indonesia | Violence on Lombok Island may hasten government intervention. (Jan. 25, 2000)

Ministries Intensify As East Timorese Refugee Camps Grow | Evangelicals working furiously to meet physical and spiritual needs. (Sept. 6, 1999)

Dozens Die in New Clashes | 95 killed in religious riots in Maluku province. (Mar. 1, 1999)

Christians Killed, Churches Burned | Muslim mobs vent their rage against Indonesian Christians. (Jan. 11, 1999)

Muslim Mobs Destroy Churches | 10 Protestant churches severely damaged in riots. (Sept. 16, 1996)

Copyright © 2004 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

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November 13 2000, Vol. 44, No. 13