Suicide, shamanism are challenging
Missionaries Jeff and Adriana Howe are facing a great spiritual battle as they minister among the Culina people in Brazil.
Several young Culinas have committed suicide recently and others are threatening to follow in their footsteps. Nico, a young Culina man with some Bible school background, told Jeff he was changing his religion and would train to be a witchdoctor.
"Shamanism is very strong among the Culinas, and always has been," Jeff wrote. "Nico went through the training to get the noma spirit power."
Nico desired the spirit power so that he could curse people and make them die. Yesterday he went to the house of a Christian Culina missionary, Edite, babbling and talking nonsense. Edite was very frightened and ran to get missionary John Stoelting. When John put his arm around Nico and told him he needed Jesus, Nico immediately left the house.
Several Culinas followed Nico to make sure he didn’t hurt himself. He told them, "I can’t hear anything about Jesus. If someone talks to me about Jesus, voices in my head shout and get very loud and drown out the words."
Pray for Nico and other young Culina men who are being influenced by shamanism. Pray for Jeff and Adriana and the Culina believers as they go to Nico once again and tell him that Jesus is the only answer to his problem.
Several young Culinas have committed suicide recently and others are threatening to follow in their footsteps. Nico, a young Culina man with some Bible school background, told Jeff he was changing his religion and would train to be a witchdoctor.
"Shamanism is very strong among the Culinas, and always has been," Jeff wrote. "Nico went through the training to get the noma spirit power."
Nico desired the spirit power so that he could curse people and make them die. Yesterday he went to the house of a Christian Culina missionary, Edite, babbling and talking nonsense. Edite was very frightened and ran to get missionary John Stoelting. When John put his arm around Nico and told him he needed Jesus, Nico immediately left the house.
Several Culinas followed Nico to make sure he didn’t hurt himself. He told them, "I can’t hear anything about Jesus. If someone talks to me about Jesus, voices in my head shout and get very loud and drown out the words."
Pray for Nico and other young Culina men who are being influenced by shamanism. Pray for Jeff and Adriana and the Culina believers as they go to Nico once again and tell him that Jesus is the only answer to his problem.