Neat Story

Yesterday morning in Church we had the pleasure to listen to a testimony from a missionary named Roberta. Thanks to Caleb's extensive note-taking ability, I'd like to share this story with you.

Roberta has been a missionary in a small indigenous group in Garifuma for 2 years. Until her arrival this people group was unreached: no Christian influence whatsoever. Roberta was saved 6 years ago. Since then she felt a call to go to this unreached people group in Honduras and tell them about Jesus. "It is not a question of devotion to staying, but a question of conviction." Acting on her convictions, she got training and left for Honduras two years ago.

The trip itself was very hard on her, especially because she was alone. When she got on the bus in Honduras, she quickly realized that everybody on the bus was doing drugs, among other things. It was a hard journey, but she prayed to be comforted and protected, and that is exactly what God did. When she finally arrived at her destination, she got off and waited for her luggage to arrive, only to realize it had all been stolen! She said the Lord would begin to show her that she is going to learn to live by faith. Many other horrible things happened on the trip there, but no one ever laid one hand on her, the Lord protected her.

In Garifuma, she spent the first two months among the people, learning the language and culture. There are about 3000 people in this indiginous group, again with no Christians. Some things that she had to figure out was what was Biblical and permisible, and what in the culture was not. In Garifuma, it reaches around 120 degrees Farenheit, and no fans too! The people asked her many questions like "what are you doing here? We are far away, we live different." Her response is that she came to live with the people, and to tell them about what Jesus has done for her. For the first two nights she could not sleep, for reasons unknown. She would pray for open doors to the people to share the gospel, but found none.

Realize this group of people are not innocent nomads waiting to hear the gospel. One of the first rituals she observed was calld "Duju." In this satanic ritual the people would sing and dance, as well as eat different things and do different rituals. Everyone who participates in this ritual dies within 2 months. One was fishing and just fell over dead. Sexual sin, including insest, is rampant; 30% of the population has AIDS. More suprising than that, they are proud to have AIDS, considering it a desease of love. 70% of the women are single mothers. They deny sin altogether, have no shame, and are proud of their sexual activities. These are the people God loves, and sent His son to die for them, and to whom He has now sent Roberta to spread the Good News. Again it is not a question of devotion to staying, it is a question about conviction.

The Lord revealed to her that the satanic presence in this place is why she could not sleep the first two nights. Roberta's heart was broken because of these things, and broken for these people. She began to pray for them, confessing the people's sin because they would not. She confessed each and every sin she knew they participated in, and asked the Lord to forgive them and provide healing for these things. The Devil has stolen much, but after she began to pray like this, the doors started opening, and not long after people began to get saved. If you ask them when they accepted Christ they will not know what you are talking about. The word Roberta taught them was to be reborn in Christ. People were being reborn into the Body of Christ! At first there were five, and then ten. When she left 13 people have given their lives to the Lord! She never gets tired of giving thanks to God for this!

When witnessing, she would try to use methods like "the Roman Road" to walk through some scriptures talking about how to be saved, but it did not work. The Lord told her to tell Bible stories instead. It was the only way she found to work. Each person who gave their life to the Lord was discipled and trained. She told them that there are people at home offering and praying for them, and that they must as well. The people gave much in offering for missions. She also found out later that from the time they were reborn, they knew who the Muslims were, and were praying for missionaries already! She only observed 13 people reborn, but continued to work as Jesus did. Being fruitful with what she had, she was able to make disciples, not just converts, to the glory of God! A recent update has informed her that these Christians have won two more souls on their own!

One of the hardest parts for her was the Spritial Warfare. Remember the passage "we do not wrestle with flesh and blood, but principalities...?" One of the three demonic experiences she shared with us. One night while she was there, she woke up suddenly, being held down by something on her bed, and couldn't move. Above her she saw two eyes and a smile. She couldn't breathe, her own two hands were on her neck choking her. Then the figure began to speak to her: "I hate you, I lost you 5 years ago, but this is my place. I want to kill you, but now I have you where I want you. You are going to be in a living hell." She looked around and saw demons everywhere. She wanted them to leave, but couldn't speak. Then she began to think of Jesus, and suddenly they all left and it was over. Afterwards she had no energy left in her to get up. While all this happened, she cannot explain what went through her mind. When she reads her journal from that experience, all she sees is Jesus' hand through it all.

The Lord was still with her mightily, but since then times grew hard. Since that time she has had malaria twice. One night she and her friend were inside, and started hearing footsteps outside. There were about 5 to 8 men, cursing them and saying they were going to kill them. They began taking the nails out of the window on the outside, trying to get in. Fear paralyzed her. They talked to to each other, and wondered "Do we run, or pray?" They decided to pray: "We know you have broght us here, and these men do not come to steal, but to harm us. We only ask that what they mean as a curse, You use as a blessing. Dying in your work would be a blessing, but your will be done." After they prayed, the nails stopped being taken out, and the men left. When they looked at the window afterward, all the nails were gone, but they didn't open the window, the Lord protected them!

She has lived through three hurricanes that hit the region. The first to hit was catagory 5 "Wilma." Five days later hurricane Rita hit. About a week later came the 3rd hurricane, which was the most destructive. There was massive flooding, many places were destroyed. The floodwaters washed through the cities, and could easily wash away the huts where they live. However, as the water came to their house, it went around it on both sides, and the house stood. The hurricane washed away the dirt around the houses that was placed there during the satanic ritual "Duju" briefly mentioned earlier. As hard as the hurricanes were, they represented to her a washing and cleansing of this culture that is beginning to take place. Though she said nothing was as hard as those three demonic encounters, through all these times the Lord has protected Roberta mightily and used her to advance the Kingdom!

Lastly, she shared this verse with us that meant much to her:
"Then it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all nations of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I do to them; they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and all the prosperity that i provide for it." Jeremiah 33:9

May yall be blessed by this story, Dios te bendiga!