Transformation: Tinekpier Kuuyan to Elijah

In previous posts I talked about mt time with the team from Gandy's Cove, AL. Our last medical clinic was in Lawra where in two hours we saw 70 patients. One of them was Tinekpier Kuuyan. He came because he had some wounds on his left knee. Tinekpier saw Karen, a registered nurse. After she did her medical consultation with him, she asked Tinekpier, "Do you know Jesus?" He responded, "No, but I would like to." So, Karen spoke with him and prayed with him. Then, the translator spoke with him.

I cleaned his wounds and noticed the juju on his leg. So, I called one of the translators over. He was a little ball of Holy Ghost fire! He talked with Tinekpier, asking him why he had so much juju on him, more than ten bracelets, several rings, stuff around his neck and even around his leg. He believed if he wore the juju around his leg, the spirits would heal him.

Tinekpier had agreed to take the juju off. The bracelets were removed with people surrounding him in prayer, praying in Jesus' name. The leg juju was removed as well as the juju around his neck. Tinekpier was taking a huge step. He chose to trust Jesus instead of the spirits connected with the juju. Later, we found out that Tinekpier was a juju/traditional priest, so this was a VERY big step for him. After all the juju was removed, we praised God for a new name written in the Book of Life.

Tinekpier had some concerns. What would he do when he went back home? What would "they" say? We all assumed he was talking about his family members, when if fact he was not worried about them - they were all Christians! He was worried about what the spirits would say. So, we went home with him.

When we arrived at his room, there was plenty of juju around. All kinds of things to wear to ward off spirits. There were things in his room on the wall, in the floor, on the roof. A big pile was collected and burned. Jesus is stronger than any juju!

Tinekpier is a skinny man. He hardly ever ate because he would have to ask the spirits if the food was safe to eat. Most of the time, the spirits told him it was poisoned, so he would not eat and he would believe that people were trying to kill him. He also hardly ever slept because the spirits would visit him at night. But, even in the midst of all of this, there was a cross...Jesus was preparing Tinekpier for this day!

While the juju was burning, we talked with Tinekpier about going to church, praying, studying the Bible. His concern was going to church with his hair the way it was. He wanted it shaved off. So, one of the guys cut his hair, shaved his head and shaved off his beard. It was amazing to witness the love of Christ that this person had for Tinekpier.

Now that Tinekpier was a new man, a new creation in God's sight & in ours, he needed a christian name. Elijah was "born!" Elijah..."My God is the LORD!" How fitting!

Elijah has had one experience with the old spirits...the first night, they came into his room, felt his head and his hair was gone! The spirits knew that Tinekpier was gone and Elijah was here. Elijah has been eating everything offered to him and has begun farming. He attends church, Bible study, morning prayer. He was baptized, too! He is hungry for God! He says that he knows that he has to do these things because if he doesn't, the spirits will return and he doesn't want to return to that life.

There was a series of things that happened to bring about this change. The Holy Spirit was working overtime! And, praise God that Karen asked the question, "Do you know Jesus?" Maybe we should listen to the Holy Spirit's more often and open our mouths to ask, "Do you know Jesus?"