Even though the Mwinika believers are facing challenges and are not yet exactly sure how all they know about God fits into their life, we also see positive changes!
One of the most recent examples is when Francois was invited to “sweep the graves” of the ancestors of the people in our community. This is a yearly custom, possibly centuries old, in which everyone is obliged to sweep his dead ancestors’ graves to honour and appease them. Even after a spiritual manifestation the victim often says that his ancestors require him to go and sweep, as a submission exercise. Afterwards a grain offering is made in which, historically, the ancestors are prayed to and “kept happy” by offering them this symbolic food. It is very important, they think, not to forget their ancestors unless they become angry and send them sicknesses and pestilence.
It’s usually a great community event and people laugh and talk and joke with each other while they sweep the graves and clean the grave yard. This year it was no different, but when it was time to do the grain offering, the great chief of many clans (or king of kings) told everyone that they are going to do it different from now on…
Moma (the great king, sitting on the right) has been very involved with our being here from the beginning. We officially fall under his clan jurisdiction and we have recognised his authority often when we had decisions to make. He has been a literacy student last year and is now one of the readers at the Bible teaching in our village. He does not know the full truth yet, but he is very open and for what the Word says.
He told the people at the grave yard that, although they have prayed to and were afraid of their ancestors in the past, things are different now. “We now know the truth from God’s Word that when our ancestors die they are dead and gone. They cannot touch us anymore. They are without any power over our lives. “
“On the other hand,” he continued, “we know now that God is the Creator of all and that He is worth our honour and praise. We are not going to pray to the ancestors anymore.”
The amazing thing is that everyone, without exception, agreed to it and did exactly what the chief suggested! They poured out the grain offering, but this time instead of praying to the ancestors they prayed to God, saying: “Here is the food”. In this way they acknowledged God’s authority over the dead and the living… and if the dead should need the food, God can choose to provide for the dead as He does for the living… 😉
Although we are not there yet, this is a giant step in the right direction for the Mwinika people!