So while we were out in the African bush in Zambia, we were exposed to something that I have to say, was no where near on my radar for this trip, this year or even during my life. Demon manifestations. So back in 2017, when I went through that deep depression and I was reading any literature I could get my hands on to try to figure things out, I read “The People of the Lie” by M Scott Peck, the author of the best seller “The Road Less Traveled”. In his book, Peck writes about his experiences with demonic possession and with the deliverance process. While in Zambia I had forgotten all about reading this book and that this is even a possibility, in fact I didn’t remember reading it until I was writing the update about Zambia and debating whether or not to even mention the demon manifestation. So there is that, I feel He was prepping me for these moments I am about to write about. First in that book by Peck, and also from what I eventually read in the Bible later in 2018. So there is the setup to this and here is my disclaimer. I am only going to write what I saw, it is what it was for me. Was it supernatural? I believe so. Do I care if people think I am crazy? No, many already do. I feel people need to hear about this as a reality, and what they do with the details of my experience is for them to decide. I didn’t feel right about keeping this to myself.
So back in South Africa we had a moment while in the school teaching. We were walking to the next classroom and there was a mob of people coming up the stairs. Once we got closer we could tell there was a girl being carried. As the group of people passed us, they set the girl on the ground, at first it appeared like a fight taking place as we saw arms flailing about and the commotion around all that. We stepped in and realized no one but the girl was making any of the crazy movements. I really had no idea what was going, I could not call for a “Rapid Response” like I could do at the hospital, so I went in and prayed over her, laying my hands on her shoulder. I think I said something like in the name of Jesus I command healing or to stop, something like that, I cannot remember to be honest. The next thing we knew the girl was able to walk with very little help to the nurses office at the school. Like, instantly went from flailing around to being able to walk. The Bible says we have authority over spiritual realms and to be honest, during that moment this was the last thing I thinking about, however I acted like praying was an instinctual response of mine (Maybe prayer is our true instinctual action, we have just found others ways, mostly harmful, to suppress that response). The effect of the prayer was obvious, something clearly changed. We continued on our way to the next class like nothing happened. On the way home from school, there was a discussion about manifestations, and that we should be careful running around as Christians declaring every little thing a manifestation of a demon. I agreed with this, as this could be certainly be damaging to our witness. Nonetheless, what happened that day happened, and was only setting up future events on this trip.
We get to Zambia for month three and we are taken out into the African bush to assist in planting a church. The first Sunday we were there, we attended a church service put on by our ministry hosts. Things were going well, we were in a hot building with a metal roof, I was in the back of the room sweating. After about an hour, this pregnant lady in front of me falls onto the floor. At first I was thinking she must be dehydrated or something and someone should maybe get her a Gatorade, then one of the members of the pastoral team come over and start praying over her, commanding the demon out of her. At first I was super skeptical but joined in on the prayer. As we were praying over the pregnant lady, another young girl falls onto the floor and starts flailing around in ways I have never seen. I stepped back, and sat down on the edge of a table in the room and started praying. I prayed and asked God why was I there in that moment, why was I seeing that and if this was legit, show me. The next thing I knew I was standing over one of the girls and I was talking to a demon. Apparently I remembered that demons have names, I stood over the girl and asked for a name. The girl, who doesn’t speak any English normally or something inside of the girl, answered with “you are a liar”. Some of us were very skeptical of what was going on for sure, but after that moment some if not all were pretty convinced we were witnessing something extraordinary. We spent the next couple hours praying over these women and witnessing wild manifestations. These manifestation experiences happened for several days in a row. Every time there was a gathering someone would have a manifestation. These people would scream out, drop to the ground like a sack of potatoes and be flailing around like something I have never seen. And when I say flailing, I mean their limbs would be smacking the concrete floor so hard I cannot believe bones weren’t being broken. One girl tried to get up and walk and planted the side of her head into the concrete wall so hard, I had to leap back because I was certain blood would be pouring out. However, there was no blood, not even a bump, and no acknowledgement of any pain expressed by her. Crazy? Sounds like it for sure, but it is what it is. Those of us witnessing these events occur would try to help or hold down during the manifestation. Frequently, the girls would be so powerful, two or three of us were having a hard time keeping the extremities at bay. It was wild.
So after these experiences my outlook has been completely changed. This has me looking back at times when I was a nurse and patients would be acting out. Though I don’t remember similar movements in patients compared to what I saw in Africa, I still wonder if maybe I was witnessing something more than what we call mental health breakdowns in the US. And I am not sure if strapping patients down to the bed with leather straps and medicating them is the right thing to do. That does nothing if it is in fact a manifestation of a demon. I really do not know. I do believe that if manifestations occur here, they are in the US as well, they may just manifest in different ways perhaps. Again, I do not know for sure I am just writing down questions I have asked myself and prayed about. So this was a brief explanation of some of the things that have happened while in Africa. I will get to writing about my time in Malawi soon and post what happened while there. Thanks again to you who take the time to read and follow along with me on this trip. Hope to hear from you all soon as I enjoy any comments on these posts or any messages I receive on Facebook.
