We met Ben at Mi Reto (his church) at 7am to take a chicken bus up to the side of the mountain where a witchcraft ceremony was going on. As we started to walk down the path to the cave, black smoke was already billowing which meant a ritual was going on. Multiple people and multiple witches were up there when we arrived. The sight of the cave blew my mind. Men, women, children, entire families just kept coming in order to practice witchcraft of all different sorts. Whether that was evoking spirits, asking for blessings financially, cursing against enemies, or voodoo. They let us watch what they were doing with sense of arrogance about them. It was almost as if when we arrived the witch wanted to put on a show. These people pay their entire week or months salary in order to have a ceremony imparted upon them, which breaks my heart, for they are only bringing more hardship on their lives. When we got there we gave tracks to the kids since they were off on the side by themselves. These kids read the tracks with open ears and open eyes. 
The youth can be the ones to break the generations of tradition behind this ancient Mayan witchcraft. But how will they know the truth unless someone tells them. “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:14-15 We are sent out to the nations. Sent to the hardest places for everyone is deserving of hearing the word of the good news. Nothing will hold us back, not even witchcraft.
I guess evangelism has taken on a totally new meaning. A complete confrontation of going up to the witches cave as they were practicing instead of just going door to door. We waited until they were done with their ceremony and then approached them. Ben’s testimony involves him being involved in this witchcraft in the past and after he told these men that and how his life has been transformed, they opened their ears to hear. Ben preached the good news to them and how Jesus Christ is the only atonement and only one who can truly bless you. He said idolatry and worship to dark spirits will only promote God’s wrath upon their lives. They actually listened to what Ben had to say and did not run away. Even the witch himself took in Ben’s words. The spirit worked in this place today. The next family that was practicing witchcraft we talked to. They sat there and listened to the gospel as well. For our going up to the caves was not futile and if anything we were able to plant some seeds for these people to realize that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. For no one will enter the kingdom without Jesus. We did not approach the caves in fear, but we know we had a protection over us and nothing would harm us. God would give us the words to speak. For it says in Acts 18 “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you.”
After we got done with the caves we went to the temple of San Simon in order to gain a better understanding of the tradition Mayan practices, especially on a day like today with worship to this specific deity.
Even as I am sitting here writing this blog in our house bombs are going off constantly in reverence to this once man that they made a god. I pray over this city and these people. I pray with our last 10 days here God will give us opportunities to speak life over these people and give them the hope of Jesus Christ over the poverty stricken barren life they are currently living in the practice of witchcraft.
