In February, a group of 24 believing men and teenage boys chose to leave the noise and confusion of their busy Yanomami village and go on a retreat together. They desired to focus on God’s Word, examine how their personal lives and culture were matching up, and foster more unity in Christ.
Four missionaries, including Joel Hartman and his older brother, Mike, also attended.
“The three days we had together with these men surpassed my expectation,” Joel said. “God was with us and moving in the hearts of the men.”
“Brais just amazed me day after day,” said Joel. “He brought to light the bad aspects of their culture showing the lies and deceptions that they unfortunately cling to [even after salvation] which hinder them and showed them they needed to turn to God and to believe only what lines up with His Word.”
Joel had taught the church leader how to teach by contrasting Scripture with their Yanomami beliefs. But seeing Brais put it into practice with such authority, skill and ease, left him astounded.
“Mike and I could hardly believe what we were hearing. He covered every major topic and exhausted it.”
Ademar, another church leader, also taught the group. Since he had been a witchdoctor and everyone remembered his previous life in drugs (used heavily in their animistic culture and rituals), his insights and knowledge carried weight. Ademar exposed specific deceptions of the witchdoctors and showed that they can’t do what they claim.
“His testimony and condemnation of the spirit world in relation to how the Yanomami see it was very powerful,” Joel said. “He condemned their beliefs and encouraged any man with any lingering thought that the witchdoctors know what they are doing, to give it up.”
The oldest attendee and also a former witchdoctor was 62-year-old Jose. He often forgets what he’s learned or gets mixed up because he can’t read. But for the first time he openly declared what he believes.
“I was fighting back tears when he spoke,” said Joel. “He condemned his life of witchcraft and lies. He said now that he believes he wants to know more about God but forgets so quickly .... This showed me the difference in generations. It is so hard for those who have spent 80 percent of their life in the spirit world and drugs to catch on quickly.”
Yet Jose is not giving up.
Thirty-three-year-old Reinaldo “has been an off-and-on believer” and “lukewarm” for years. But the retreat “lit a fire under him,” said Joel. “He revived in the faith and wants to serve the Lord.”
A young man, Laercio, based on the teaching about marriage in Genesis, now plans “to move out of his house that he lives in with his in-laws and make a small house for his wife and kids and live by himself.”
Eliel had been saved and growing for years, but was now facing a difficult personal situation. His father was sick and had called in the witchdoctors. Strengthened and encouraged, he told Joel, “I needed to hear that stuff!”
In the lush Amazon rain forest, much more is flourishing than just plants and vegetation.
“We do not know all that is happening in the minds and hearts of the believers,” Joel said, “but we do know the Spirit of God is working to build His church here among these people and it is happening.”
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