In the beginning of this month a woman from our village, named Wiwigere, drowned. She was on her way to see her mom in the neighboring village. Between our village and that village is a big river. Wiwigere was alone and she must have fallen into the river and drowned. This river dragged her body onwards for days until she was found. After they brought her body home, they immediately buried her. Her family and relatives were shocked, especially about the way she died.
For us people from the West, we know that tragic things like that happen. This was a terrible death, but that doesn’t mean that it is mystic or devilish. Very different here! The people here grew up hearing horrible stories about the spirits of their dead ancestors. Little children are manipulated by their parents with stories about the devil. To make them behave their parents would say, “Come quick, or else the devil will get you!” The kids (along with the grown-ups) are scared of the devil(s) and spirits and are afraid to go out of their houses at night.
God’s Redemption-story set many of the people here free from those fears and lies. For them to hear that the Holy Spirit lives in them when they believe in Jesus as their Savior is a revolution for their lives. That God is sovereign and bigger than all powers of this world is phenomenal for them (and it is!). Wiwititne (see picture above) is a wonderful testimony of that. She is the younger sister of the woman that died and she is one of our greatest examples of faith in God. She knows that her sister believed in Jesus as her Savior from the debt of her sin and she knows that her sister is now therefore in heaven with God. She also knows that God is bigger than any other powers and that even the death of her sister is part of His good will and plan. But she is very sad to see that some of her relatives are still living in fear of the spirits of their dead ancestors and believe that they caused this death. Wiwititne told me the other day that some people are afraid to visit her because they believe that the sister’s spirit is around her house trying to do bad to them. When they hear a certain bird, they believe that it is this sister’s spirit stalking them. Wiwititne explained to me that their forefathers always told them that those spirits of the dead will come back to do bad things to them. Everybody here in this village knows all those stories.
We talked about how the devil is loving those stories, how he loves it when people are afraid of him and how he is getting a big name through all that. Wiwititne then said, “But when we talk about God and how God is bigger and how God is in control of everything, then we glorify God, then God gets a big name and the devil does not!” Then she goes on to say, “We need to talk about God much more and not talk about the devil, God’s name is worthy to be praised only!”
Please pray with us that the Dinangat will learn more and more to believe in God’s truth and power even in the hard and dark areas of our lives. Please pray that they might be set free totally from those old fears and lies Satan put into their minds.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
To Him be the glory,
The Schlegels.