What is God Doing in West Papua? Interview with Shamow’el Rama Surya

John Lathrop interviews award-winning photographer Shamow’el Rama Surya for PneumaReview.com about his art and what he has seen God doing in remote places in West Papua.

John Lathrop: You are a photographer. How long have you been doing photography?

Shamow’el Rama Surya: My career in photography has already spanned more than 25 years. Starting in 1990, I studied photography in Bandung, West Java after I graduated from High School in my hometown in West Sumatra, Indonesia.

Lathrop: I know that you are also a Christian. Please tell our readers how you became a believer in Jesus.

Surya: I became a Christian on May 10, 2012. On that day, there was an event by a church in Jakarta who was doing a mass baptism service, about 500 people registered. I came there to take photographs of them. It was colossal to see so many people being baptized in this ceremony in the water. And it looked great on camera.

But, when I was there, God’s Spirit touched me and I felt a strong desire that I wanted to get saved as well. So, I spoke with an old lady beside me, telling her that I wanted to be baptized also, like others in this place. The lady’s response was to go quickly and register me. And she asked me, “Have you ‘new born’?”

I replied, “What’s that?”

The lady answered, “Okay, just follow my every word and at the end say Amen.”

So, I followed her instructions, I repeated the words and I said Amen.

I received a Bible as a gift from the lady’s friend, and since that day I started reading the Word of God.

God’s truth has set me free!

Lathrop: In 2014, you made a trip to West Papua. What was the purpose of that trip?

Surya: A Christian ministry called Pelangi, “rainbow,” sent me to West Papua as a teacher. Pelangi ministers to street children from scavengers’ families in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Because the school has no English teacher, they requested that I teach English for the students there.

Before they sent me to Papua, I worked in Jakarta for five months.

After I came back from Papua, I worked with a publisher to produce a book named A Certain Grace. Lathrop: While you were working on your photo book about West Papua, which came to be called A Certain Grace, some amazing things took place. Please tell our readers what happened.

Surya: I was excited when came back again to Jakarta because I had seen miraculous moments of God’s work among His people in Arfak Mountain, West Papua.

That’s a grace! A very very sure grace, no kidding, no tricks.

So, I told the publisher to use the title, A Certain Grace.

Besides this, there is another reason for the title, Sebastiao Salgado was my favorite photographer in the beginning of my career in photography. His recent book is Genesis.

I met him in 1997 and I gave him my first book (just published in 1996) and he gave me his new book Workers.

He hired me as an assistant in Jakarta for 3 weeks. Another of his books is entitled, Uncertain Grace. But at the time, I didn’t get the real meaning of this title. After I become disciple, I had more understanding about God’s grace.

God’s grace has never failed! I have no doubt about it because that’s His promises to all mankind that’s written in the Bible. And my life, after I received the Lord Jesus Christ as my only savior, is a grace itself.

Lathrop: What kind of healings did you witness there?

Surya: I witnessed local people from toddler to the elders, even their pastors healed from malaria fever, internal organs sickness, broken bones, and headaches. Besides taking photos, I made video recordings as well. I have a lot of video footage, and I need to hire a video editor to unite them into a documentary testimonial video.

Lathrop: Had the children been instructed how to pray for the sick?

Surya: Yes! In the beginning, I gave instruction and taught them to pray in Jesus’s name and let them read Mark 16:15-18. Also, I instructed them to read Psalm 91. I told them not to worry about the result after they pray. Do not feel guilty if the sick are not healed instantly. Let God decide. Healing is God’s responsibility and we do our part to pray with trust in Him and with love for others.

Later, after they began to the testimony from the sick who had been healed, they had more confidence. We gave thanks and joy each time God answered their prayer immediately.

Lathrop: How did this trip impact your faith?

Surya: Well, this trip made my faith grow. But I also need to be careful of myself, I pray to God to keep me humble as I serve Him.

I know that the miracles happening is God’s work and not mine. God gives me the chance to glorify His Name through testimony.

And the photographic book, A Certain Grace, is a proof of His favor to His people who seek Him, especially in the Arfak Mountain, West Papua, Indonesia.

Lathrop: In closing it there anything else that you would like to say about your book, A Certain Grace?

Surya: What I want to say for the last word is about selling this book to common people in Indonesia is not easy. The price of this book is quite expensive for them. The publisher tried to find sponsor from a Christian company but did not succeed. It seems the businesses he approached were afraid to support a gospel book and have their name listed as the sponsor. So, the person in the company is nice and they say, we will buy some copies, but not give sponsor.

Well, I knew we couldn’t depend on man, we can only depend to God. Thanks be to God! The publisher owner, Mr. Lans Brahmantyo, he took the risk of having the book printed with his own money.

Later, I saw he was not driving his car anymore. I didn’t ask him what’s going on, but I learned that he had sold his car. Well, he produces many books, and I don’t really think he would sell his car only because of A Certain Grace. Perhaps he had other reasons.

PR

From the publisher:

When you take the first steps on a journey of faith, the grace of God will be with you. Many miracles beyond the reach of reason will happen. Perhaps this is the true nature of a mission trip—a spiritual journey that shapes you, as a living witness to the greatness of God. This was certainly the experience of international photojournalist Shamow’el Rama Surya, when he was called to serve the glory of God, the Creator of all of heaven and earth, in West Papua. This photobook is a humble attempt to give readers a glimpse of the extraordinary grace that was revealed to the photographer with his Leica camera during his West Papuan mission.”

Publisher’s page: http://www.afterhoursbooks.com/a-certain-grace/

To see the content of this book at a glance, watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjBb33KZyr0