Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

Once aWitch DoctorNow aRadiant ServantOf Christby Inga Brunvaer, Evelyn SodrenY o u WOULDN'T KNOW IT—but DeborahMtombeni, the tall womanwith the radiant face, was once a witchdoctor. Now she is a joyous, enthusiasticChristian who serves God withall her heart and soul.But maybe you would know it—becauseher voice will always be huskyand cracked from the loud shoutingused in the weird rituals. Besides, shespeaks freely of those days when shewas a slave of Satan. She says:"For years I served the devil, butnow I serve my Jesus. I want to workfor Him and sing for Him. When Iserved the devil, I served him with mywhole body. But now that I am saved,I want to serve the Lord with all thatis within me." Her face shines with thelight of heaven when she tells what theLord has done for her, and well itmight.South Africaleave her lucrative profession, but Deborahprayed and finally got his consent.She asked us to help her burn allthe things pertaining to her work aswitch doctor.The service in her hut began aftershe had brought in all the paraphernaliaof her profession, includingthese: a skirt made of baboon skins,one goat skin to be worn in front andfastened around the neck, animal tailsto be hung on the arms, a tail of a wildbeast to hold in the hand when dancing,other tails and feathers for headgear,horns of wild bucks and goats tohang around the neck, a spear, a rod,and a straw bag full of bones fromdifferent animals.With all this in front of us, weprayed, sang, and preached. Then afire was built outside and all the articlescarried out. While Christians sang,Deborahthrew all her witch doctorDeborah was converted to Christ ata meeting in her kraal in 1953. Atequipment into the fire.This had been her only means offirst her husband refused to let her income, but when she began to raiseEven when she carries pawpaws or otherproduce to market, Deborah Mtombeni,former witch doctor (I.), takes withher the Bible she is learning to read.pumpkins and sell them, her harvestwas so great that she had more thanenough.From that time on, Deborah hasgrown in grace and in the knowledgeof the Lord. Visiting kraals, testifyingfor the Lord, has been her greatestjoy. Others have been saved and regularSabbath services are held in herhome. When no one else can come tospeak from the Bible, Deborah is theleader and preacher. Although she cannotread, she has been called to a MethodistHospital at Ubombo for a weekor two at a time to speak to the patientsand have devotions with them.She says: "I was bound by Satan.I will never go back, no never! Godhas even now opened my eyes so I ambeginning to read the Bible. [One ofher children is teaching her to read.]When I go to hoe in the fields, I carrymy Bible on my head and read it whenI sit alone. I have seen Him! I haveheard Him! May the Lord be praised!'THE MISSIONARYBROADCASTER10 COVENANTER WITNESS