Mahan and his wfie, Arsisa, went to the village we call Uno this past Sunday to begin teaching the evangelistic phase of the teaching program. Two people from the two families who had said they wanted to listen did listen to the first lesson.
There were a number of other people who said they would like to listen, but they said they can’t do it on Sunday so they asked if Mahan could teach on a different day. So arrangements were made for Mahan to teach there on Saturdays.
The reason they can’t attend Mahan’s teaching on Sunday is because they gather with a shaman. A shaman is a person who leads sacrifices to the spirits and supposedly is told by spirits what they consider to be good and bad behavior, and also what they have to offer as sacrifices for various situations. This is the traditional Manubu’ religion.
Only in this case it has been combined with a church like program – meeting on Sunday in what they call their church, an offering, praying, and the shaman preaching to them about how they should behave according the spirits. When the “service” is over, if enough money has been given they buy a pig and sacrifice it to the spirits. They have been doing this for many years.
It is exciting that some of those people have said they want to listen to the teaching, and have even asked that the day Mahan teaches be changed so they can listen! But, we really need cover this with prayer. Satan, the leader of the spirits, sure isn’t going to want them to listen. It is also likely that the shaman will warn them to not listen.
So let’s lets PRAY that these people will listen to the teaching and not be swayed away by Satan. And, lets PRAY that not only will the shaman not try to stop people from listening, but he himself will listen. This is not impossible. Years ago when we lived for a few years in the lowlands and Gene taught the evangelistic phase to Manubu’ there, there was a shaman who listened because he had been told in a dream to listen. He was in the first group of Manubu’ there who believed and were saved.
Mahan goes to the village we call Uno again this coming Saturday. So, lets pour on the prayer. The evangelistic phase of the teaching is 42 lessons starting from Genesis 1:1 going through the Scriptures to the ascension of Christ. So, teaching it is a big commitment. So, please PRAY for Mahan – that he won’t get discouraged by opposition, but will be steadfast in teaching those whom the Lord has prepared at this time.
Arsisa says there are a lot of people in Uno. As she watched the people go to their “church” last Sunday she became excited about what God can do there. She so wants all of them to listen and be saved. Arcisa and Mahan plan to live sometimes there in Uno, and sometimes here in their home village.
So, please pour on the PRAYER for this new outreach of the gospel of grace. And keep looking UP. HE’s coming soon.