Alberto and Mark are in a place close to the Guahibos. They traveled on Sunday September 16. Alberto is working with Guahibos brothers in updating and improving the content of the biblical lessons (Firm Foundations) and Mark Cain is working with in the last comprehension check of the N.T. before being printed.
As Alberto and Mark go ahead, some very good opportunities arise to share in a natural way how God is working through His Word. The brothers take advantage of these times to share the reality that they face in their daily lives. Birgil (Virgil) one of the Guahibo church leaders shared an event in wich the believers at Raya were put to the test.
“A month or so ago, the cows of many of the people in Raya started to die. Over 15 head of cattle died, including Birgilio’s. Many of the people concluded that the cattle were dying because a witchdoctor had put a hex on the community.
So, the captain called a meeting to see who all was going to pitch in to pay a witchdoctor to come and undo or remove the curse on their community. When he asked Birgilio, he answered, “I am sad that my cow died, but God is the one who is in control and if that is what He wants, I will accept it.”
So, the captain turned to the others to see who else would help. Well, it’s sad to say, but Arcesio (the pastor of the church) said he would give a gallon of gas and another one of the believers said he would give a gallon, too, and Alexander as well. Finally, Nicanor said he would give his shotgun to help with the payment, so it was all settled.
Birgilio said he was very sad and wounded in his heart, but he didn’t say anything. He was thinking to himself, “Here I was depending on Arcesio to go with me on an evangelism trip in three days. Alex was to go along and teach on animism and Nicanor was going to help too. Now we can’t go because it would be pointless, the legitimacy of our message would be totally undermined. How could we go and tell others to trust God, when we ourselves weren’t doing so?
“I talked to my wife, Elsa, and she asked me if I had said anything. I told her I hadn’t, and she said, ‘You should speak up.’ So, the next morning [on the day they were to go for the witchdoctor], I was at home with my wife and our four children drinking coffee and we decided to pray. About that time, Arcesio, Nicanor and Alex showed up. While they drank their coffee, my family prayed again. I didn’t ask our three guests to pray, since they had manifested their lack of faith in God.”
“After we prayed I said: ‘We have all sinned; I sinned because I didn’t say anything, and everyone sinned because they quit trusting in God and agreed to believe Satan and his lies. How can God use us if we are so unfaithful?”
Birgilio continued sharing his testimony and with a big smile on his face, he told me: “The Holy Spirit worked powerfully and they all repented!”
Then Arcesio called another town meeting and explained to the people that he had done wrong and that he was no longer going to give the gasoline. Nicanor also expressed that he had failed to trust in God and that he was not going to give the witchdoctor the gun that God had given him to hunt and provide for his family. One by one they left the house and expressed how they were going to trust in God.
In the end the small group of believers who had been confounded by this trial, put their faith in God. After this, the majority of the brethren in the church also decided to trust in God. There were just a few members of the community who were still insistent on calling the witchdoctor”.
Please pray for these believers as they face the trials and realities of life. God keeps working in many different ways, guiding the believers and His church toward spiritual maturity. May the Lord be praised!
