CONSTRAINED BY CULTURE

CONSTRAINED BY CULTURE

Safira and Ezekiel with their four children.

By Dena McMaster - 2009.04.07

As the mission plane sped toward a Yanomami village in Brazil to pick up a sick child Saturday, the village witchdoctor was performing a ritual to heal the child.

Missionary Brenda Poulson sent out an urgent request for prayer for the child and for his parents.

Ezekiel, the father of the child and a strong leader in the Yanomami church, sobbed as he stood helplessly by, unable to prevent the witchdoctor from chanting over the child. The father-in-law took his 19-month-old grandson to the village roundhouse for a healing ceremony. In Yanomami culture, Ezekiel's father-in-law has the final say in reference to the children.

Ezekiel and his wife, Safira, wanted to take the child to a hospital for treatment and were waiting for the plane's arrival. Their baby boy had the symptoms of a rare disease that had killed another baby recently.

Ezekiel went to the home of missionary Brenda Poulson to share his heartbreak concerning the ritual being performed over his very sick little boy. Other Yanomami believers joined Ezekiel and they all prayed together for the healing of the child.

As the screaming of the witchdoctor ceased, Ezekiel went to the roundhouse to take his son and wait for the mission plane to arrive.

Pray for the Yanomamis who remain constrained by their beliefs in witchdoctors and spells. Pray also for Ezekiel and other believers in the Yanomami church who desire to rely on the Lord for help.