Jeleta– Who’s Your Master?
Jeleta and her brother at their house
It’s seems like just another normal day and I don’t think too much about it--until I do stop to think about it. “This is absurd!” I realize. “I’m laying across a writhing demon possessed 14 year old, with my head propped on a pillow, falling asleep peacefully, like nothing’s out of the ordinary!”
We’ve got it down to a routine—Jeleta’s feet are securely tied and Milette is lying across her legs. Amy holds her wrists, while I lay across her upper body. After awhile Jeleta will stop trying to fight, and she’ll fall in and out of sleep, and we can move off her body and just watch her hands so she doesn’t untie her feet or grab the mattress where she will catapult herself off onto the cement floor.
Holding Jeleta during an attack
Actually, this scene really has become a “normal” part of our missionary life on Palawan these last few months, as we’ve been filling in for our missionaries that have been in the states. It started with some of our students in the mountain village of Cabulnucan becoming possessed, and then the demons came to Jeleta, our Palawano neighbor whose family now lives right next to our project. They moved down from Cabulnucan about a year ago when they were having some trouble and needed work. All of our missionaries have gotten to know them very well, as they work with us every day and Jeleta goes to school with the missionary kids. Satan has had a hold of these ignorant mountain people for so long and their deep cultural beliefs and satanic practices do not easily go away with an occasional Bible study or a weekly visit to church. They need intense prayers from solid believers and frequent, personal Bible studies prepared just for this kind of people.
Jeleta is a very sweet, fun-loving 14 year old girl who loves to laugh and talk and run and read and write (she’s only in 1st grade). She loves learning the memory verses we have given her. Her favorite is James 4:7. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” I made it into a song for her. Her family loves it too. We have taught her and her family how to read and pray and sing and to have worship as best they can each morning and evening. At first I would go every morning and evening and help them with their worships and check on Jeleta. Now we try to keep Jeleta with one of us missionaries at all times and we just have worship with her in our homes. We still have Bible studies with her family a couple times a week.
Jeleta with some of her family getting ready for worship
I am learning several things during this experience. Normally I am so jealous of my personal time, sleep, meals, and time with Dwayne. I realized the last few weeks that when you are motivated enough, you can do almost anything to help someone have a personal, saving relationship with Jesus! I just wish I were always this motivated.
Jeleta and family have suffered a lot under the power of Satan throughout their lives. We have learned many sad things that have gone on under his power. Without going into detail, but letting you know the absolute horrible character of Satan, I will just say there has been separations in marriage, sexual abuse, and even several murders, and attempted suicide in this family under his rule. We pray they will completely understand and accept Jesus’s better Way that He has for them.
Tonight I was reveling in the thought of sleeping in my own bed again with my husband. I slept with Jeleta last night in our living room so she would not feel lonely and to make sure she didn’t have any attacks. The two nights before she had been attacked while we were gone to Puerto.
It seemed like Jeleta was doing well today. The missionary girls are back from Cabulnucan and they do such a great job with Jeleta. She will sleep with them tonight (and no doubt as long as they are off the mountain.) But, not surprising, I hear commotion outside just as I’m crawling into bed. I jump up without a word, change my clothes in an instant, grab my phone and headlamp and dash out the door. Dwayne is right behind me. Milette and Amy struggle to hold Jeleta as she’s dashing for “the tree” where the demons “live” near her house.
We all grab a limb and support her writhing body and with sweat and bare feet stumble past the hangar and into Milette and Amy’s house . . . We plop Jeleta onto the mattress on the floor and we ladies fall on top of her while Dwayne ties her kicking feet. Hardly a word is spoken. We are not upset or discouraged . . . it’s just another missionary day.
I am disappointed that I can’t sleep with Dwayne tonight. We all wish we could sleep in our own beds without a writhing body underneath us, and a bright light in our eyes, but we are all happy to help in this important work. Dwayne prays for Satan to flee and Jesus’ angels to be with us before he leaves. I ask him to bring my pillow and ipod (with my Bible on it). And I take my place, sprawled across Jeleta’s body. I’m so thankful for peace and the knowledge that Jesus in control.
We don’t feel the need to stay awake. We have read every verse, sang every song, and prayed in Jesus’ name with confidence and boldness for the demons to flee. We have had several annointings with our missionaries, pastors, and Bible workers. We have seen progress and God’s intervention several times even when the signs of imminent attack were at the door. We have heard Jeleta audibly call on Jesus for help during a couple attacks. We don’t try to understand it, we just pray that soon she’ll be released. Tonight, we simply kneel as best we can across Jeleta’s body and have our own silent prayers before settling in for sleep.
You may be asking the question that many of us have asked. Why don’t the demons flee when you pray?! Haven’t we been given power over the enemy through Christ? We don’t have all the answers. We know that people’s choices have a part to play. But we do know that Satan is getting uncomfortable and he will eventually have to leave. The other day while some of our Bible workers were studying with her family, Jeleta went into an attack (it often comes during or after a worship time or on Sabbath). The demons said (through Jeleta) that “these people have a lot of faith!” and they told her to plug her ears so she couldn’t hear the Bible study.
Also, Jeleta told us that during her last attack the demons (there are 3 of them) were angry with her because she keeps refusing to go with them back to the mountains. They finally said in disgust that they were leaving to go back to the mountains because the prayers were too powerful!
They are not gone for good, no doubt (they come and go to the mountains regularly), but we found this news to be very encouraging! We have been sharing updates with all our network of friends throughout the Philippines and we believe the intense prayers will eventually overpower the devil and make him flee! We invite you to join us in praying for this dear girl and her family.
As I edit this email that I wrote a few weeks ago, I wish I could end it with good news. The reality is, Jeleta had a few more attacks recently. We learned some poor choices she was making that might explain some things. She also became determined to go back to the mountains and though we pleaded, prayed, and practically begged her to stay, she made her decision and left. She knows where she will find love and acceptance and help again when she’s ready for it.
It is a real battle between Satan and God that is going on in this world with each person’s eternal life at stake. It is incredible to watch it taking place before our eyes. I believe it is not always so obvious in the states as it is here when Satan is taking control of someone’s life. Here you will find that everyone knows someone who has been possessed. It is not unusual to have multiple cases in the academies, especially during week of prayer meetings..
I remember in Kemantian dealing with these similar cases many times. Each case boiled down to who the person chose to be their master. I watched people become free from Satan’s possession as their family asked forgiveness for them, or they verbally confessed they wanted Jesus as their master. I decided back then that I would make a point every day to ask Jesus to be my master!
Did you ask Jesus to be your master today?
One of Jeleta's brothers peeking out of their house
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