On May 13, 2018, Wenny Angelina Hudojo went to Santa Maria Catholic Church in Surabaya with her two young sons. As they were walking towards the church, a bomb blast brought them to the floor. When Wenny tried to reach for her boys, she found them severely injured. Her sons died later in the hospital.

Her eldest son Evan would have turned 15 this year on August 29. Instead, on this date, the would-be celebration was marked only by prayers and flowers placed on his grave.

“Happy birthday in heaven to my angel Evan. Always be happy with Nathan in heaven. Best wishes from papa and mom who always miss you,” Wenny wrote on her Instagram, paying tribute to both of her sons Evan and Nathan.

Wenny told South China Morning Post that she could not hide the fact that she was still “100 per cent sad”.

“How can a mother not feel sad over the loss of her children? I can never hold or hug them again,” she said.

Yet three days after the suicide bombing attack, Wenny forgave the two perpetrators. It helped to lessen her burden.

“My son doesn’t want me to be sad, so I have to be strong,” added Wenny. “I love them very much and they definitely love their mother. Moreover, our Lord always teaches us to love the bad people. That’s true love.”

The grieving mother also felt sorry for the young suicide attackers and viewed them as victims of their father’s extremist ideology.

Source: Persecution.org