A Shaman's Salvation

The Tepic team flew six pastors and church leaders into one of the villages we serve. They brought blankets and supplies for the people, but most importantly, they spent their time witnessing, teaching, and encouraging the community. A week later, we shuttled them back out. While they were there, one of the pastors had the opportunity to lead a local shaman to the Lord.

We have asked you to pray for shamans to come to Christ before. Because of their roles as spiritual leaders within their communities, their conversion is a powerful testimony of God’s power and a strong witness to those around them.

Often, when a shaman comes to trust in the Lord, they demonstrate their faith in a very tangible way by burning their tools for witchcraft. These items are often family heirlooms, passed down through generations. By burning them, they show that they cannot return to their former life—even if they wanted to. This act represents a complete conversion: leaving behind old beliefs and fully choosing to follow Christ.

Luke 14:33 says, “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

Please pray for this new believer—that God would strengthen and grow him in his walk with the Lord, and that many others in the community would come to faith through this powerful testimony.

As we begin a new year, it is a good time to remember that we are called to leave our old lives behind. In this season of new beginnings, consider what you may still be holding onto, and choose to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

Written by Naomi Koranek, UIMA field missionary