The Idol began to dance



We are heading top right for our first outreach today

The Days First Outreach

After a breakfast of rice, fried fish and vegetables we were able to head higher ground up the narrow mud rock tracks than we ever had before on account of the new tyres. Joy has replaced a degree of anxiety but the level of nervous prayer has also dropped since the vehicle no longer slips perilously close to the sheer edge on the mud.

Yoli, the clear evangelist that we met here first trip is travelling with us and directing us to find and meet another sister called JoJo that would be willing to join the work here. So, the plan is to find her and the community she lives in and JSP (Just Stop & Preach) so perhaps a house church can open there that she could lead. Eventually, we find Jojo and she is more than willing for any evangelical assistance she can get in these gospel starved hills. She advises that the custom for any activity in this small enclave respectfully requires the permission of the Purok chairman, who happens to operate a very small store from her banana leaf shack, front window just a few metres away from JoJo’s shack.

The high road to the days first JSP

Having obtained the chairman’s permission and despite the Morning Prayer it began spiritually hard and rained intermittently throughout. This purok was just a few shacks lining a rock dirt track high up the wall of the mountain and close to the entrance of one of the many mining tunnels.

A few came out of their homes somewhat bemused and sheltered from the rain their banana leaf canopies, for the most part seemingly disinterested.

  

The Typhoon Pablo had caused much destruction here and most homes showed signs of damage.

Including the large hut that was once the Catholic Church, it remained partially roofless and few remaining walls.

After several of the team preached one gave the invitation for salvation – Most bowed their heads and followed the simple prayer of repentance. Maybe five or so came forward for prayer. It feels like a place we should return to and pray & preach again.

"My mommy & daddy doesnt love me so why would Jesus"?

JM spoke with a young girl spectator and asked her if she knew that Christ loved her? She replied with a sad little voice "I dont think so because my mommy & daddy do not love me so why would Jesus"? She later gave her life over to Christ. JM spoke with another young girl and simply felt led to say "you know Jesus hears your prayers", to which the little girl responded with floods of tears and sobs.

Another Church Plant

Again, we asked this community also if they would like to have a regular bible study in their place and all agreed enthusiastically. One woman offered her home as the venue. I was impressed to ask her if she had idols in her home. Her reply was fast “yes, many”! So my friend you are a catholic? “Why yes, and when the church was destroyed by the storm the priest asked if I would take idols into my home”. Ah! Ok but we cannot hold a church service in a home full of idols! “But” she replied “I can’t let the priest down”. So we shared some verses

 The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.26  Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing. Duet 7v25,26

Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. Ezk 36v25

But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. Acts 15v20

8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

The idol began to dance

These are good verses to keep for sharing with our catholic friends. You will be surprised at how strongly they will hold to idols. The father -in-law of one of our team was phoned by a new catholic convert he’d led to Christ and a few days later in terror they explained to him that they decided as a family to burn the idols, but, as they reached for the a “Santo Niño” (a child Jesus), for burning, the idol began to shake then dance and wave at them.  One of our team members father-in-law went to the home took the idol to his farm and smashed its head and buried the remains. A few days later, one of his goats gave birth to a kid without a head. Probably a coincidence right! But having heard and seen so much from the dark side here not much surprises us anymore though this one was kind of funny?



This is the remains of the woman in the pink hoodies home
She lives under this - With her idols - And her 4 children!

 

One of the remaining though unliveable houses

So, the lady explained about keeping the churches idols at her home “hmm! I don’t know what to do?” So someone in the group said “quite simple – do you want to go to heaven or hell”. She still wasn’t sure.