Young Marguerite* had a very dark secret that not even her parents knew: she was a child witch. Often when the northeastern Congolese city hushed for the night, Marguerite slipped into the open night air and quietly made her way to the graveyard where she met other young people from the city. Without fail, the spirits were there in the burial place to personally teach witchcraft.
The meetings were always held at night to avoid suspicion. In the post-war setting of the mid-2000s, spiritual darkness rested over the country like a thick blanket. Witchcraft was accompanied by very real, demonic manifestations that included deadly curses and fearful abilities where witches could “disappear” to the human eye. Parents and other locals in the city were terrified of witchcraft—for good reason.
Night after night, the demons met with the young children and taught them witchcraft. Until one night.
“This is strange,” Marguerite asked a fellow student in the graveyard. “Why aren’t the spirits here? They’re usually waiting for us.”
Beams of light enveloped the group of child witches as their eyes squinted and hearts pounded. Heavenly angels had met them instead. “What are you doing here?” one of them questioned. Not a child answered. The angel continued: “You do not have time for this. Jesus is coming soon.”
When the angel light faded, a new light flickered in the hearts of the Congolese. “I’ve decided to be ready for Jesus,” Marguerite broke the silence. The young people left their days of witchcraft behind. In the weeks that followed, the ex-witches visited every church in the area to share the Advent message.
When Adventists visited the city to hold an evangelistic series soon after, they found that the ex-witches had paved the way for their arrival. The people of Kisangani and beyond were eager to hear more about the Second Coming. Marguerite and her family were ultimately baptized together into the Seventh-day Adventist church, along with many of the ex-child witches who will never forget the night that angels intercepted demons to tell of Jesus’ soon return.
While our team continues to see the spiritual battle in Congo waging, we know Who wins the war. The year 2020 has brought many unexpected developments, but God has used each one to further His work. As this year draws to a close and Christ’s soon return is eminent, thank you for supporting the work through your prayers and financial support. Together, let us partner with angels to visit the Congolese with a message of hope from our loving Savior.
*pseudonym
