A folk healer becomes a believer

Being back in the Philippines has been nothing short of spectacular! In just a short time, we have seen many come to know Christ, two churches planted, and many people healed.

The two Summer of Service (SOS) church plants were a success. The grand opening services each had about 40+ people who came to hear the pioneering pastor preach! I stayed nearly two weeks in Naujan, Mindoro, and then just over a week in Victoria, Mindoro. Both churches now have a core group of members who have been water baptized and are already serving God. It was such a great time partnering with these local pastors and helping to evangelize their towns!

I got to witness to many professionals, including at the police station, the fire station, and in influential homes. Since these are small towns, we had all agreed to win over the people of influence.

The first time I met the chief of police, I didn’t think he liked my testimonies, or even me. But when I was out eating lunch the next day, he paid for all of my team’s meals and left before we realized what had happened! Later that day I introduced the pioneering pastor to the chief of police, and I watched as they both bowed their heads to pray to Jesus in the police station’s main hall.

The fire marshal was another man who didn’t seem to take me seriously when I asked if I could pray for him. He told me that drinking alcohol had messed up his stomach with some sort of sickness, and then he chuckled as he told me he still drinks. I told the marshal that God would heal him anyway, and that it would be ‘the kindness of the Lord, that leads him to repentance.’

After we prayed, the fire marshal was speechless and nearly in tears. Everyone there witnessed a radical change in his countenance! I believe God healed him, but I didn’t get the chance to visit him again myself. Later, the pioneering pastor was given the chance to hold a Bible study right there in the fire station!

The next story really blew me away. I was caught off guard when a folk healer came to pray for the same woman we were praying for! This lady would see a demon every Tuesday morning, so I made sure to bring the team there at that time. We prayed the night before, and as far as I know, she has not seen the demon since!

While we were there, her folk healer arrived. I didn’t know any other way to gently preach to him and his apprentice than to use Scripture. I first asked him if he believed the Word of God, and once he said yes, I knew it would pierce his heart. I read an Old Testament passage that speaks very strongly against those practices, and immediately the young apprentice’s face became angry. They seemed to accept Jesus as Lord of their lives, but I wasn’t sure they really meant it, since sometimes people say yes just to be polite. The real change happened when we visited their home.

The young apprentice invited us over to pray for his father, who had suffered a stroke. When we arrived, they were both there, and they witnessed the power of God heal his father of his serious pain. We all watched as the father stood up without pain for the first time in years! He still needed assistance and much prayer, but he was making great progress.

The ex-folk healer later said he was quitting his practice and becoming a fisherman! To me that sounded very prophetic, and now time will tell. The Word of God truly doesn’t return void! Even when we think the Word won’t be received, say it anyway.

(Update 2016: The ex-folk healer did indeed become a fisherman to the Visayas region a year later! All glory belongs to God!)

God kept doing radical miracles, and it’s all because of your willingness to send forth missionaries where the Gospel had not yet been preached! Let us all continue to do our part to fulfill the Great Commission. I am so blessed by each of your lives, and I am praying for you all! I’ve had many struggles since coming back, but my focus is truly only on the good things. Please be praying for my housing situation and my safety as I travel by motorcycle to all the other pastors on the island. It’s a spiritual battle here, but we are on the winning team!