Siawi believers in Papua New Guinea faced a difficult situation concerning another believer, Kwaelom, who died recently.

Before his death he had urged his family and friends to celebrate his passing as he knew he was going to meet Jesus, the One who died for all. But when his oldest son, Timoti, became ill the same folks who pressured his father to go to the local witchdoctor began pressuring Timoti.

They said, “Your illness is caused by the same thing your father’s was (meaning black magic). And if you don’t call in the witchdoctor, you are going to die, just like he did.”

Then they tried to shut down the church service saying, “You can’t meet now. You have to quit all your teaching and meetings. It is dishonouring to Kwaelom to continue to meet.” However, several believers did meet and the elders shared from the Scriptures and tried to encourage those in the meeting.

“The fact that Kwaelom himself, before he died, told them not to go back to the old ways helped them to resist these men,” wrote missionary Linda Krieg. “While the traditional way to deal with grief, guilt, or any big burden is to turn your back on God and go off by yourself, this is not what God’s children should do.”

Okweb, one of the believers, told Linda that some of the stronger believers were going house-to-house to encourage the others thru the Word, helping them to see that they need not fear Satan or the spirits and that God’s protection is sufficient.

They intend to do this every week to help the weaker believers to stand strong against this latest assault. Pray that the Siawi believers will continue to trust in God for protection and strength.