Story Time: New Orleans Voodoo Round 2

Well it sure has been a while.  I am back in the United States now and have completed my 10-month internship in the DR Congo.  As much as I like writing and would have liked to share about my experiences, I never could find the time to do so between ministry, coursework, and team-building time.  So now that I’m back and have a little more time, I’ll write posts to catch up on those stories.  I really hope God is glorified through these testimonies of what he’s done.

Here's us sharing a meal with our Congolese brothers
from the Ruashi church--from left to right, 
Joe, Jean, and Jacques.

This one is cool.  I shared a little bit about this in church a couple Sundays ago, but here’s the full story.  You might remember an experience I shared earlier about a guy I met in New Orleans named Lumbar.  In short, while street evangelizing on Bourbon St., New Orleans, I had an opportunity to share the gospel with a man donning a black cloak, white facial makeup, a crystal-topped staff, a top hat embellished with a voodoo skull, and real, filed-down vampire teeth.  Right when I thought about sharing, I felt a strange spiritual force pushing me away, telling me to say nothing and leave.  I discerned that didn’t come from God—however, I found myself saying goodbye and parting.  That really stunned me—why would I obey some dark force like that?  Why did I not say “no,” and just share the good news of freedom in Christ?  I wondered if the events that day happened to prepare me for another encounter with darkness in the future.  As it turned out, they did.

Me and Gael

Another day, one-third of the world away, while passing out flyers for the Ruashi church’s seminar, I saw a man sitting on the side of the avenue.  I decided to go over and invite him.  We struck up a conversation about the church, and then I asked him what he knew about Jesus.  His answer reflected much hesitancy and uneasiness.  “Uh… tomorrow.  No, tomorrow, I will come to the seminar and tell you everything I know about Jesus.”  I found his adamancy in not wanting to talk about Jesus strange for the normally spiritual and open Congolese.  But then I felt something even stranger.  Right as the conversation was about to close, I thought about going ahead and sharing about Jesus with him quickly, but I sensed that same, unholy force I felt before in NOLA, pushing me away from him, telling me to say nothing and leave.  Recognizing that, this time I… did the same thing as before.  I walked away.

David and I had the honor of being cabin leaders

for the teenage missionary kid guys during the Central/

Southern Africa AG missionary conference.

It was a blast!

At home I reflected on the afternoon, wondering with anger and confusion as to why I discerned that same force yet reacted the same way.  I thought of some pointers for next time, and the next morning during our team’s daily devotional time we prayed that I would have another opportunity to meet that guy.  Later
that same day as I was on my way to the church, guess what happens?  I see him walking my way!  I asked him where he was going and if I could walk along with him, and he replied in English “Oh yeah, I’m just f***ing around!  Sure, you can **** around with me!”  Oddly enough… that was almost the exact same thing that Lumbar in New Orleans said when I asked him what he was doing!  He told me his name was Gael*, so Gael and I… walked… around as we talked about the Bible and what Jesus did.  Eventually we stopped at where we met before, and he revealed what I suspected to be the source of that oppressive  negative force.

Gael questioned me about sorcery.  He then explained the deep roots that witchcraft held in his family.  One family member murdered another yet continued to visit with the deceased relative’s spirit.  He recounted times when that same relative convinced him to partake in highly demonic fetish charms. 

We also got to participate in the Lordship and Lostness 
DR Congo field discussion with all of the DR Congo 
AG missionaries and strategy director Scott Hansen 
to assess the situation of the church and 
re-orient for the future.

He then confessed that he wanted to get out of that.  I shared Colossians 2:15 with him—“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross,” emphasizing Jesus’ power and victory over the spiritual powers of darkness.  I encouraged him to make a decision to commit his life to Jesus to cut those spiritual ties to the past.  At first he was a little shaky, but he said he couldn't lie to God.  He said yes to giving his life to Christ, cutting those ties, and accepting Jesus’ forgiveness.  After I prayed for him, he promised that he would come to the rest of the seminar, and I saw him there for the next two days!

Two weeks later I crossed paths with Gael again.  I asked him how his decision was going.  He hesitated, and proceeded to tell me that I didn’t know that sorcery wouldn't let go of someone so easily.  I tried to encourage him to persevere in Christ and remember that he is the one who is victorious, not sorcery. 

Playing football as a goodbye celebration with some guys

from the Ruashi neighborhood.  If you think you're good

at soccer, these guys would probably whoop you.

I can’t even imagine what he faced—what the loosened grip of darkness striving to reclaim a soul looks like.  I don’t know how he’s dealing with that now either.  I can only pray that the Lord places people in his path to encourage him in the truth and that he helps him to persevere in his victory!

So kudos to M10 and whoever was involved in putting together the preparation we received in New Orleans.  I hope this goes as a testimonial to the good that can come out of that!  And big shoutout to God—may you be shown for how awesome you are through what you’ve done in Congo!

*name changed