Delivered from a Spirit Twin
Living deep in the jungles of a particular Philippine island is a tribe of animists, or spirit worshippers. The spirits can be “friends” or “foes” to the villagers, and direct interaction with these spirits is not uncommon. They sometimes go to the spirits for guidance, and along with the help of the local witch doctors, they spend much time, money, and energy trying to appease them.
Titus is a JFA Bible Worker in one of these villages. When Titus’ Auntie Rosa was a little girl, she was always sick. Her mom and dad, like all the good parents in the village, took their daughter to the witch doctor for help. When she and her family arrived, the witch doctor looked at Rosa curiously.
“Oh, your daughter has a twin?” he said.
Rosa’s family was confused. Their daughter didn’t have a twin. They asked the witch doctor what he meant by this.
This was not a biological twin, but a spiritual one, he explained. This spirit, in the form of a little boy, would be a playmate for Rosa, and was someone only she could see.
Rosa’s family was confused. They couldn’t see anyone besides their family and the witch doctor.
The witch doctor explained that the playmate was a spirit, in the form of a little boy, and that only he and Rosa could see it.
Then the witch doctor spoke for the spirit. “Please take care of her,” he said, “because if you don’t, I am going to kill her.”
With great seriousness, the family told the witch doctor they would make sure to take care of her.
Rosa’s family was confused. They couldn’t see anyone besides their family and the witch doctor.
The witch doctor treated Rosa in the traditional manner and she went home feeling better.
As she grew up, Rosa grew close to the spirit twin; the two played together and she confided in it whenever she felt sad or sick, and it always wore the same clothes as she did. Even after she got married and had children, the spirit twin remained her confidant.
But just as she did when she was a child, Rosa became sick quite often. One time she became so sick she thought she was going to die. She called her children and asked them to come and see her one more time. The children sent her to the witch doctor.
When they got to the witch doctor he demanded she give him 13 chickens, including one red chicken, before he would help her. After her family brought the chickens, the witch doctor explained why she kept getting sick. “The spirits are bothering you. They’re annoying you because they want you to be a witch doctor too.”
Rosa refused. She did not want to become a witch doctor. The witch doctor was not pleased, but performed a healing ceremony anyway, after all she had paid him. When the ceremony was finished she was well once again, but it did not last for long.
A few weeks later she became sick again, and again, and again. Each time she would talk to her spirit twin, and it told her to go to the witch doctor. Each time she brought 13 chickens to sacrifice. Eventually she ran out of chickens and out of money. She kept getting sick, but she could no longer do anything about it; she thought she was going to die.
But then Titus, her nephew, came to her house and did Bible Studies with her. He told her about Jesus and the state of the dead. He also invited her to an evangelistic series. As she learned more about the Bible, she decided she wanted to accept Jesus as her Savior, and she was baptized.
After Auntie Rosa’s baptism, she no longer saw her spirit twin or other spirits. Before, she was always sick, but now she is as healthy as anyone else. She is so thankful that she has accepted Jesus, and that whenever she has problems, she can tell God about them. Her faith is growing.
With some help from the local mission, Titus was able to build a makeshift church in his village, and now, along with others, Titus and his Auntie worship together every Sabbath.
Because of the work that Titus and our other Philippine Bible Workers are doing in their area, there are 14 new congregations that are in need of permanent church buildings. The cost is around $7,000 per church, and four of the churches have already been sponsored.
Please pray for the following prayer requests:
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For Auntie Rosa and the other new believers in Titus’s village, as well as the believers in the 13 other villages to continue to grow in faith.
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That these villages will become lights to overcome darkness in their villages.
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That God will send the right donors to help these churches get built soon.
If God is leading you to partner financially to build these new churches, please click the button below.