Two Shamans, Two Village Chiefs, Two Sons of God!
From Death to Life!
When we first began teaching the message of the Bible to our dear friends, many from distant villages strongly opposed us. Many felt we had been sent by evil spirits and that whoever embraced this message also turn into evil spirits. And so several of the shamans went to work to sing their power songs to ward off all “evil” they believed was emanating from us, and to create protective barriers around their villages. One of those guys was a fellow we’ll call JP. He was both an influential village chief and spiritual leader. Well, as time passed, this dear fellow came to understand that we truly cared for him and his people, and that the message that we brought wasn’t one of death and destruction but rather one of of life and truth! What a beautiful thing it was to see this guy really take interest in the teaching and then put his faith in Jesus, and what He did as his Substitute on the cross. It was glorious indeed to watch! And now this dear brother is in Glory! It wasn’t so long ago that we heard that he had graduated, that he had been promoted, that he had put off the old dwelling and headed for divine turf! How we praise God for the bigness and greatness of the Gospel Message, for this dear brother arrived there with the very righteousness of Christ put to his account!!
Transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Light!
Another shaman who was not too excited about the teaching when we first began was a guy we’ll call Monty. He was a wild man and always getting into trouble with his own people. He was also a 
village chief who believed very strongly in all that the ancestors had taught. I remember going to the village one time, and he was about to to lead an all-night singsong to communicate with the gods, the ancestors, and the good spirits. However, there was a vicious storm brewing close by that was threatening this out-door event and so Monty quickly pulled out a stingray barb from his palm satchel and pulled the sharp jagged edge across the front end of his tongue, ripping it wide open. Well the blood began to flow and he right away blew / spit this blood up toward the heavens to placate the god of thunder, in order that the storm might not be sent their way. Yes, Monty strongly believed in and acted upon the teachings of the ancestors.
As time passed however, this ardent believer in the old ways became a close friend and eventually began listening to the teaching and put his faith in the Payer Jesus who paid ‘interveningly’ with his blood and death to the Judge of the universe who was demanding the payment. And how sweet it was then to see him teach his own family the eternal truths of Scripture. And now this dear brother, well he too has moved on to better things. He has joined his Heavenly Dad, as well as his Older Brother Jesus, arriving there with no-condemnation status!!
SOS
- We just heard that a malaria epidemic is sweeping across the state where the P people live, and that many are getting sick. And what is so sad is that there are no prevention meds available, nor the needed remedies. This is serious indeed!! Please be praying for God’s protection of the P. nation. We truly are needing our great Lord-Owner-Boss God to intervene here for His great Glory!
- Please continue to pray for our Host Country as things continue to worsen. Many there have written saying they never ever imagined that they would see their country get so bad but they are living in that horrible reality right now. Many are fleeing the country and some of our coworkers are trying to leave as well to take their kids where they can secure jobs, and just to get a time of reprieve themselves. So thanks in advance for spending time in the Throne Room on behalf of the many Language Groups there, and for the whole country, that God’s solution be brought about.
Thanks again so very much for your partnering with us and for your prayers as we continue to revise the Bible lessons for the P. churches.
new little flock. Just recently a group of violent men moved into the area saying that they would now be the ones in control of their village, and that this also meant deciding what was taught in the schools. They met with the village leaders and pastors to tell them that the people weren’t to embrace foreign ideas but rather stick with the teachings of their ancestors. So who knows where this will all go but yes, the battle rages on ….and yet we praise God that He will indeed build His church among this special people group!! Thanks so much for praying for these dear new brothers and sisters in Christ!
So many of you have been tracking this work for many years and we thank you for your participation in so many different ways. So we want to give you an opportunity to hear a bit of God’s story as He has worked among this dear People Group. Recently we were able to share a mini-history of what God has done among the P. and specifically regarding the translated Scriptures, and how they have powerfully impacted them.
