Witchcraft in Karamoja
Dear Friends,
Witchcraft continues to be widely practiced in Karamoja.
Just this week, some of our own workers and friends believe that they have felt
its effects very deeply.
A woman named Kodet Martina suddenly and unexplainably “went
mad” and then died. When she first became ill, they took her to the hospital
but no particular illness could be diagnosed. Martina was the cousin of Cosmas,
a worker and good friend of our Mission. Cosmas is also a brother in Christ and
member of our church. Apparently, there had been terrible enmity between
Martina and her nearby neighbor. After much severe quarreling, this neighbor,
whose husband is a witch doctor, threatened to cast a spell on this woman. Now
mourning the loss of their loved one, the entire family is convinced that “that
curse” is what caused Martina’s sudden death. And there is fear that the spell
may yet affect others in the family.
A man named Loumo Gabriel also recently became severely ill.
As with Martina, this sickness came quite suddenly. Gabriel is the husband of
Lucy, another worker of the Mission. His illness has also proven difficult to
determine and likewise seems to have caused psychotic behavior. Gabriel also
had enemies involved in witchcraft and his sickness is also being attributed to
“those herbs.”
Countless are our friends and neighbors in Karamoja who live
in great fear of witchcraft. This whole realm of evil is in many ways still so
foreign and mysterious to us. On the one hand we tend to want to find a natural
explanation to such stories. “Was this sickness cerebral malaria that was left
untreated?” And, indeed, that is possible. On the other hand, the powers of
darkness are real and are active in so many different ways. So I am never quick
to discount the true power which might be behind these “spells” just because I
may not understand them. I’m inclined to believe my Christian Karimojong
friends who have told me – “Those things are real!”
However, I always remind my friends that the power of Christ
is far greater. By his death and resurrection, Jesus has conquered all powers
of darkness, sin and death. So those who trust in him need not live in fear of
witchcraft. Nor should they ever give into the temptation to fight evil with
evil by seeking the help of a witch doctor to “break the spell.” I am thankful
for the testimony of Cosmas. When I asked him how he plans to encourage his
family to fight this, he was quick to reply – “by praying to Jesus.” “I would
rather die than go to the witch doctor.”
I would ask you to pray:
- For the Lord’s protection and mercy upon the family of Cosmas.
- For the healing of Gabriel, Lucy’s husband.
- For the bold testimony of believers like Cosmas who take a stand for Christ against witchcraft.
- For many instances where believers publicly stand firm in their faith in Jesus and the evil of the witch doctors are shown to be utterly powerless against them.
- That God would use such testimonies of His people to bring many to faith in Christ
In our Triumphant King,
Dave Okken
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