Here is a letter I ran across in traveling to and fro. Since there is a dearth of missionary literature out there I am going to share it with others. Here in N.America we are not so removed as we like to think, from what you are about to read here. We need to encourage one another to share experiences of the power the Lord. It gives a surge of power and faith into other believers like a domino effect. That is what we need in times like these to fight against the spirit of Anti-Christ and the spirit of Unbelief which are waging battle with us whether we like it or not. I have not been able to reach the authors of this letter, since they are in the back hills of Haiti, but if it means more prayer for the effort and work in Oriani, Haiti I believe they will suffer us the liberty to publish these excerpts of their letter. I mainly left out their personal info and kept to the interesting experiences that happened to them in a month’s time. The Headings are mine to brake up the text. The letter is written from the missionary’s wife’s viewpoint. Enjoy and don’t forget to pray for all involved --they are real brothers and sisters in the fight!
SISTER M’S EXPERIENCE
My heart is full tonight, so I'm going to empty it out on you all tonight. I wish I could even begin to convey the spirit of the work up here at this point and time . I won't be able to do it justice, but I'll do my best. If only you could be up here, among these mountain peaks with us, and walk around and meet your brothers and sisters in their very primitive settings, some so poor that they can't even buy a tiny bar of soap in the market for 5 cents, and yet with amazing spiritual vigor. I am going to tell you some stories tonight that are amazing ... mostly good ones, but also a bad one. It seems that the victories for Jesus are incredible here ... as well, the victories for Satan can be awful, too.
Around a month and a half ago, Fre SL's younger sister got over-taken by an evil spirit, as well as a complete mental breakdown. She had been coming to church, and was saying that she was going to come through all the way, so that left her kind of in our responsibility when this came on her. She totally lost her head ... began talking 24/7, wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep, kept trying repeatedly to kill her mother by choking her or else stoning her, as well as trying to kill herself, too. They had to keep her hands and her feet tied tightly, and someone had be with her all the time, because even with being all tied up, she could do an amazing amount of damage.
The family kept calling us to come and pray. Some of us went over there one evening. We wanted to pray, but Fre SL, nor the missionaries felt very open to it, because we knew that M's mother has lived her life steeped in witchcraft as well as always trying to say that she is a Christian. Actually, it was her that forced her daughter to partake in ceremonies for the devil, and that was why the devil took a hold of M, even though she is 19 years old. We explained this to the mother, how we didn't feel open to it when we knew that the rafters of the house could hold all sorts of things for the devil. But she was ready to clean house right away, because she said she knew the devil couldn't do anything to help them now, only God could. So, she crawled up onto the bed and began pulling stuff out of the rafters. Then she went outside and crawled up onto the roof of her little cook shack, and pulled down the rod that was named Zaka, the spirit of the yard. She had a dress, very intricately made by a witch doctor that had cost her 200 dollars, as well as numerous scarves that are used at the ceremonies, and a fancy bag that is also used. It was quite a pile ... SL took a machete and splintered the rod up, and the mother put it all in a pile and lit the match. It was hard to burn, but eventually it was a pile of ash.
Then we went into the house and prayed that the devil would leave M for good. And she did sleep that night for the first time in a long while, but a few days later, the devil had her rolling the floors again. This time it was worse than before. Every once in a while she'd moan, "if only mama would get converted, then I could be delivered!" Fre SL explained the situation at our weekly council meeting, and everyone felt that we should all go over and pray again with her ... but due sickness at our place, it ended up being about two weeks till we got back there. By then they had the room where she stayed completely emptied out, and she was just lying on the dirt floor with her hands and feet tied. Loose rocks were lying all over the floor, from her pulling them out of the walls. It was so sad. We were a large group of brethren, maybe 20 of us, and we all filled that tiny room right up. We sang quite a few songs first, while she rolled all over, talking. Then we prayed ... and some very heartfelt prayers. At one point in there, she stopped talking nonsense, and was quiet, except when she whispered a response. SL was sitting on one side of her, and I was on the other. .. all of a sudden she just relaxed completely and laid her head on my shoulder. She was completely spent. We laid her down, covered her up, and we all left .
The Haitian brethren and [we] all felt in our hearts that God had done a
work. .. His spirit of peace was so strong in that room. But the next day it was back. Sister MLE, as well as brother JZ both had dreams that night that were very similar ... and the meanings that we took out of them was that we should not give up. We needed to go back again the next day and pray again, and do it as many times as it takes to get victory. The family also admitted that they had had an appointment with the witch doctor that same night we prayed there ... so the brethren figured that that was probably why the evil spirit was right back. Everyones conviction was that M needed to get out of her mother's house if she was going to find deliverance. Se MLE is single, so she offered that she would take her in, if we could give her till the next day to get a spot ready for her at her house. At five o'clock that afternoon, around 15 of us went to M's house to pray again. We did the same as we had done the night before. Stopped at Fre SL's and first had a time of sharing and numerous of the men prayed that God would go with us. When everyone had spent their hearts, we went on down to her house, and once again, filled that tiny room right up and shut the door. All of M's un-converted family listened from outside the door.
We loosed her bonds, and some of us sat beside her and the rest stood around and sang, and then numerous of the brethren prayed for her. She was absolutely wild, and that evil spirit was talking a blue streak. It was saying all kinds of awful things. I won't bother writing much of it, but it kept declaring that it wasn't going to leave until M was dead, and that they are a team of them, and they have lots of power, that M loves the missionaries, but they hate them, and then much more. The odd thing was, that even though it was obviously the devil was talking, it was almost like he was talking from the outside of her body, if that makes any sense. There were lots of prayers prayed, but it seemed that devil would not leave.
It was finally obvious to everyone that she needed to get out of that house. We had already been praying for three hours, but no one felt that we should run from the devil. It was already 8 o'clock, and of course pitch black, but we got her ready to walk the walk up to MLE's house. To start with, we almost had to drag her out of there, and it took till we were halfway to MLE's before she calmed down. As she calmed down, she became like a scared little girl, that didn't know what was happening to her and where she was going. She also started to feel pain ... something she hadn't felt for a long time. She was so banged up, and bit and chewed up, so when she started to feel again, she was in a lot of pain. We got her to Madeleine's, us ladies washed her up and dressed her in a big dress of Madeleine's and put her to bed. Her back hurt her so bad that she couldn't lay down. We all gathered around and sang a song and then prayed again, and the peace
and power of he Lord were so real to everyone there. Fre SL spent the night with her there. But this poor girl has been out of her head for over a month ... hardly slept at all during that time, eaten about nothing, and she has big infected sores all over, and is running a fever. The missionary called one of he Haitian ministers in the morning, cause it was obvious that the fight was not over, and he said we've prayed, and he believes that the spirit is out of her ... Now, since God chose not to heal her body completely, we need to bring her down to a doctor to take care of the physical problem. So we listened to that council, and the Missionary brethren brought her down to the doctor. We’ re very thankful that we have older, more experienced ministers to call, because we are very inexperienced when it comes to all of this kind of thing. The whole experience was a real time of spiritual searching for all of us ... and it was awesome to see how our little congregation pulled together in this .. .it seemed they felt a real duty to see this thing through to the end, and their commitment to M was amazing. They were going to do whatever it took. We felt like we learned a lot from them, as this is so new to us, but to them, they have seen this kind of thing all their lives. And the other amazing thing, is that most of M's family has decided to leave the life of witchcraft and turn to God. They all are in church every service now, and with M’s mother, the change is the biggest. Her whole face looks altogether different...she has a light in her eyes, and a calmness that has never been there before. She says she feels like God has forgiven her. The rest say that they want to get converted, and serve God with all their hearts. What change…. .
SISTERS J AND F AND M
Over the last month, we had been visiting with our expelled sister J, and it seemed to us like she had truly repented and found God again, so this same week we were working with M, the missionary called the mission board and told them how it seemed like J had found something. So Minister Nason and Minister Polit came up that Friday to visit with her. They felt too, like she had something to tell the church. The same time J came in, her little sister F decided to come visit too. We had been talking with her before this, and had told her that if she felt to, she could come, so she came. She is the girl that had been delivered of an evil spirit about eight months ago. The ministers were absolutely amazed with her testimony ... and we were again too. She sits there with her face just shining, and she tells how the devil had been in her since she was a little girl. All she knew was fear, torment, beatings, sexual abusing, and wildness. Then, when the church came and prayed for her, she said that was gone. Afterwards, she felt free and yet empty, so she prayed to God to forgive her sins, (even though she had never knowingly committed any because it was the devil ruling her) and to please come into her heart. Then her face glows as she says how Jesus "took" her, and she only lives for Him now. She says she has no thought of turning to sin, because she only wants Jesus. It was the kind of testimony where your eyes can 't stay dry, and you can't help being overwhelmed with God's power. For sure for those of us that had seen what she was a year ago. She is about 22 years old, and has had four children in last five years, but now she looks like a vibrant 16-year-old. The ministers said they had never heard anything like it in their many years of experience. "Truly", they said, "it is a complete miracle!"
That afternoon, we had council meeting, and Se J was re-accepted, and F brought her testimony to the church as well, and she was approved to be put right into the current doctrine class, even though it's almost finished, and we are going to give her classes to catch her up, because everyone felt like she should be baptized with this next group. What a meeting .... truly it felt like the devil was defeated. It almost left us with apprehension, because what we've found with this work, whenever the devil is defeated in such a big way, he attacks with even more strength. And now he had just lost two of HIS children .. both M and F ... what kind of big attack was he going to try next?
And we soon knew what he was up to ... our dear sister MLE is the one member that has made the biggest change of anyone when she got converted. She used to be the biggest fighter in town ... A lot of the brothers and sisters said that they never used to talk to her or walk by her house, because she would yell and make fun of anyone and everyone. She was also big into devil worship, and would run around with red hankies tied on her, and all of that sort of stuff. Now after she got converted, she has changed tremendously ... she will do anything for anyone, including taking people into her home if they are sick or in trouble of any sort, just like she did for M. So one night some of her neighbors got into a big fight and the wife kicked the man out of the house. When the man went to another neighbors house for refuge, his wife came and broke down the door, so he ran to MLE's. MLE's daughter and son-in-law were staying at her house then , so she thought it was okay to take him in. So he spent the night there. He left the next day, and no more was thought about it. Now, just a couple days after our council meeting, this man's wife found out that he had stayed there, and got very mad, and began yelling at MLE. MLE used to love having big yelling fights, and she was very tempted to get going now, because she knew that she had done nothing wrong, but she refrained, and went into her house and stayed there. But, at five the next morning, that lady was back, yelling and making fun of MLE, and saying all sorts of awful things. Found out later that it was a conspiracy ... his wife and another neighbor man decided to just keep provoking her to try to make her get mad and start mocking, so she would have to be expelled. So she kept at it until MLE lost it. And when she lost it, she lost it big time. MLE spent the rest of the day yelling. Just like she would have used to have done. It just looked like the devil had that all planned out. He knew exactly where her weak spot was, and he provoked it until she fell. Oh, were the neighbors ever glad! The stories were soon circulating how she had fallen. After talking with her, the missionary had to call Fre Nason again, and tell him that now we had some bad work to do. He came up the next day, and we visited again with her, and she knew she had done wrong, although she wasn't very repentant, because she was still mad. She had to excommunicated that afternoon , because the sin of mocking is listed among the death sins. The service was so warm and sad ... there were about no dry eyes there, and everyone could hardly do it because we all love MLE so much. Normally, in Haiti, if someone falls into this, they are expelled right away, and with her, this is her third time. The other times, it was felt like she should be given another chance, because of her awful past, but now she fell worse than ever, so we all knew there was no choice. And she said herself that she felt like the Holy Spirit left her that day. She was very, very discouraged .. she said without the Holy Spirit, she had absolutely nothing ... that it felt like now she had no power to do what was right. The next day she walked to the market, and people mocked her all the way there ... many were so happy that she was expelled ... that now she could come back into Satan-worship with them again. She went through a real low ... and on Sunday when we realized how low she was, we went through the blackest day of our time here. We felt so completely powerless, and so unexperienced. For the first time, we felt like running in the face of Satan. We kept thinking of our easy life at home, and every part of us felt like running back, and letting someone with more grey hair take over up here. Thank God he gives strength when we are completely out.
…Thank God for our Haitian brethren here ... they seemed very clear on what to do ... we needed to bathe her in prayer. So, everyone went over to her house after church, and spent two hours praying with her, and then some of the rest stayed there with her the rest of the day praying, then they took her to another house for night, and some were back at five in the morning to resume the prayer vigil. By time the missionary went there a few hours later, she was completely clear ... she knew very well where and how awfully she had sinned, and she was repenting. Her spirit was so soft, and so humble .. .if fact, more humble than we had ever seen her. She was completely broken for the Lord now. She says she is setting her face forward now, and she's never turning back again. What an amazing answer to prayer ... .I know I'm leaving out details, but she is our sister, and she deserves some confidentiality. The power of holding fast in prayer ... we feel like we are learning about prayer in a way like we've never known before. And it's our new brothers and sisters that are teaching us. We feel extremely small.
And on the same Sunday, we were scheduled to have our first service in T-F at three o'clock. We had to leave MLE's early to get ready for that. God must have been really helping the missionary, because he seemed to have a lot more courage and strength than I did. In fact, we had thoughts of canceling the service, because in our humanness, we didn't feel like telling more people about the plan of salvation when the members we have are in some struggles. But once again, our brethren had clear direction, that it is just the devil trying to block things .. .if we don't go, we are giving Satan victory. And God gave the missionary an extra special amount of grace, I thought, through that service. Four brethren came with our family down there , and went to church. Around 70 people were at that little meeting spot, a little building with no roof, and only one wall, and no benches. We all crowded in and around, and the people drank it all up. Brother D had the opening ... he talked about is personal experience of coming to the church, and what it's done for him, then the missionary had the message, using a lot of verses out of I John 4. Brother JZ had the closing, again relating his personal experience of finding the church. In between there, there was time for questions, and several were lifted up. The spirit of the people felt just like when we had our first service in the outpost ... people just thirsty for the gospel, and listening with every part of them. They of course begged us to come back, and please not wait too long. The brethren feel, and we do too, that the door is just as open there as it was in our congregation .. .in fact, they say it is even more open. So, we left: there with a very warm feeling in our hearts. We didn't make a plan as to when we will go back, but I think it will be soon.
NONACUMULATION?
Now, this is not a story, but rather, just something that I wanted to share. Ever since Alan Schroeder was here and preached a message on "giving'" we have been taking a tithing collection for the members every once in awhile. It is amazing how much these people give .... some the members that live in little stick and plantain leaf houses, and don't even eat every day, will give 200 gds for one time. One of the couples that are a little more well off have given a 1000 gds. There’s no doubt about it, these people know how to give. And they give with all their heart. Actually, for what they have, they are giving a lot more than us at home .... do we ever put so much in the collection that we know we will not eat tomorrow and maybe very little the rest of the week because of it? Same with sharing food, money, anything. Once a beggar lady came in the yard, and was asking for money. One of the brothers was with me, and before I had decided if I "should" give to her or not, he had pulled ten gourds out of his pocket and gave it to her. I asked him later if he knew her...he said "no, but she asked, so I gave her." And this brother is one of the poorer ones here. If I see a lady in the market that has a pretty dress on, and I tell her I like it, she says, "I'll give it to you." And she's serious. So I tell that it fits her so nice, it would be better if she keeps it, because I am not the same shape as her. So these people willingly give, and we always wonder, "should we? Does this person really need it? If I give now, will they just ask again?" Who is following the command in the Bible better where it says to "give to him that asketh of thee, and him that would borrow of thee, turn him not away"
So, now you have a little idea what our last month has been like ... it's been quite the time for us. Lots of growing and learning. Most of the time we were so humbled, and felt so privileged and thankful that God let us be here at this time ... and then for a little while, we wished we could run away. Please remember all these people that I have written about in your prayers. They need all the prayer that they can get a old of. The devil seems extremely unhappy lately about all the ground that he has lost, so he'll be trying all the tricks he can on these dear members and "almost members." Pray for us too, that we will keep looking to God for our strength, and not bottom-out because we are depending on our own. [From a letter from Anthony and Darla Penner in Oriani]
