dreams, visions, and burning idols.

Aside from working on the stories, we’ve been spending a lot of our time learning the testimonies of the few believers in town.

One day I was talking with Ruth, Pastor Sam’s wife, and asked her how long she’s been a believer. She said since she was 12 years old. Ruthie is from a different village, and when she was younger there was a pastor in a nearby village and for 3 years he would visit Ruthie’s family and talk to them about Jesus, especially with her father. But her father was intent on keeping his idols, and refused to listen to what the pastor was saying. But one night, Ruthie’s father had a dream, and it was Jesus telling him to follow Him. So that night her father got up and walked to the next village where the pastor was staying, and he told him about his dream. And the pastor went back with the father to his village and talked to the family about Jesus. Then that same night they took all their idols and burned them. As they were burning them a voice spoke from the fire, it was the idol. But as terrifying as that was they kept burning them and that night Ruthie and all her family became followers of Jesus.

Pastor’s story was a little different. He saw the Jesus film and liked what he heard and for some time after that would talk with some believers to learn more until he finally believed. He was in his 20s. The reaction of his family was definitely different from Ruthie's family. Pastor was outcast from his family. When his mother passed away they said it was because he became a believer. So when he went to his village during that time his family grabbed him and beat him blaming him for his mother’s passing. Then they chased him out of his village. For a long time he was not able to go back to his village. And even lived out in the street, cause no one would take him in or give him food. When he got married and moved to the town they’re in now, he tried to move in where his family was, but they wouldn’t let him there either. So he had to make a home for himself and his family in the other part of town and has been there since. Eventually his family regretted what they did to him, and he’s been able to visit his family again, but he still hasn’t been able to let his wife and kids go to his old village.

Right now Pastor has one of his teenage nephews staying with him from his old village. He’s said he wants to be a follower of Jesus but is afraid of what his dad might do to him when he becomes a believer.

There’s a lot of fear when the Maninka people are first deciding to believe or not, and there’s still pressure and persecution when they finally believe. Those that stick it out have had the strongest faith I’ve seen. They would have to in order to believe something everyone around them is telling them not to.

Please lift the believers up, ask for strength spiritually and physically, as they endure all the trials and persecution, and for the courage to speak up about what they believe and what Jesus has done for them.