In my last update, I shared my concern for the evacuation of innocent Hewa women and children who were marked as witches.
After the brutal murder of Mifila, the remaining women and children under death threats were more than willing to leave all they knew.
One family had already been evacuated when I wrote, but another family was facing opposition from the extended family. The family of the accused woman insisted that the wife’s family must first pay a “death payment,” because if their son left it would be as though he were dead to them. And then there would be the loss of the bride price for the young women that were planning to leave… .
It was so sad. Concern for the lives of the women and children was trumped by a desire for material gain.
“It was a close call,” wrote John and Jessi George, missionaries to the Hewa people in Papua New Guinea, “so close that they didn’t relent until the plane was about to take off, but everybody made it out during the evacuations of the last two days except for Mifila’s children.”
Thank you for praying — and please continue to pray for the safety of Mifila’s children.