Dear Binga,
Thank you for treating me so well. Thank you for the people that reside within you. Thank you for allowing me to walk upon your dirt roads. Thank you for the jungles we had to maneuver through in order to get to your people. Thank you for allowing us to bring Jesus to you. A special thanks for the story of one of your oldest inhabitants, January.
His story goes a little something like this:
One sunny day we were out evangelizing to the locals. We split into different groups so we could meet more people. Our girls, Madison and Kristine went with a local pastor named, David. They trekked through the rural parts of nowhere to meet a 98 year old man named January and his wife.
Upon meeting him they discovered that January had been a practicing witch doctor for many years of his life. He had certificates, he had taught others how to perform rituals, he was in deep.
This did not hinder my sisters Madison and Kristine from sharing the love of Jesus with January. They shared the gospel with him and when he heard about the love and sacrifice of Jesus he was moved to tears. He wanted freedom from his chains, healing from his past, and deliverance from his demons.
Jesus spoke to January loud and clear and filled him with the Holy Spirit and salvation. He called Pastor Jabulani and asked the team to come back. He wanted us to be there for something special.
A man who had heard of Jesus for the first time on a Thursday, had the team come back on Sunday as the Holy Spirit was convicting his heart. January wanted the team to be there as he burned every last item he had ever used in witchcraft. Tools, instruments, clothes, even money and certificates of his status as a witch doctor.
The team prayed for January, they cast out the demons of witchcraft in the name of Jesus, and anointed the Holy Spirit to fill him and guide him each day. Then, they were an hour late for church, so they told him they needed to leave. January, at 98 years old, started marching off into his mullet field. The pastors asked him where he was going, they didn’t expect him to be able to make the journey. He answered in Tonga, “I’m going to church!”
And he did. And his wife did too. At church, the team saw many people they had met in the villages all week. People who chose salvation of Jesus, people who received healing for their eyes, ears, and bodies, people who wanted to be a part of the body of Christ and live out their new faith. It was such an amazing month for our amazing God.
Binga, since we left you, we have seen photos of January receiving The Word of God in Tonga, his native language, we have seen him being baptized with water by Pastor Jabulani, and we have seen him be warmly welcomed into our church.
Wow our God sure knows how to go after the one. The lengths He went to bring this 98 year old man to him are astounding. To even play a part in this grand plan, what an honor!
Binga, we know that the 32 Tonga bibles you received will speak to your people and we believe and trust the Lord is going to move in mighty ways! I look forward to hearing many more stories to come as to how the Lord is moving in your town!
We pray January’s testimony is able to bring many of your people to our mighty God!
Binga, I love you. Thank you.
Love,
Julie
