Inside Story: South American Division ~ Part 7: Father Surrenders

Part 7: Father Surrenders

By Andrew McChesney

Four days after Junior’s baptism, evil spirits ordered Father to kill his family. Otherwise, they warned, Junior and Mother would destroy him because they were praying for him. For the first time, Father mustered up the courage to talk back. “How?” he said. “Aren’t our prayers are more powerful?”

The spirits backed down and told Father to leave his home in Manaus, Brazil. They told him to take a boat to one of five cities where Candomblé priests were waiting for him. But when Father sought to buy a boat ticket, none was available to those cities. The only tickets were to Coari. Remembering an uncle in Coari, Father decided to sail there.

Uncle Cesario Ferreira was thrilled to see Father, and he organized a family reunion. Father didn’t know the relatives well, but he confided that a spiritual conflict had erupted at home. Ninety-two-year-old Aunt Tereza patted him on the shoulder. “Son, it’s time for you to give up,” she said. “You have been serving evil spirits your whole life. Now it’s time to serve God.”

Father looked shocked. “Are you a Protestant Christian?” he asked, remembering that the evil spirits had told him to stay away from them.

Aunt Tereza smiled and motioned toward the other relatives, who also were smiling. “Son, we’re all Protestant Christians!” she said.

The next day, Father worriedly called a temple priest for advice. Uncle Cesario, who was preparing breakfast, overheard the conversation. After Father hung up, he said, “Son, did you know that Jesus cast out evil spirits?”

“How did He do that?” Father asked.

For the next three days, Uncle Cesario read Bible stories about how Jesus cast out evil spirits. On the fourth day, he told about the man possessed by a legion of evil spirits in Mark 5:1-19. Father was surprised that the spirits told Jesus, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” “That’s true!” he said. “When I went to the church for Junior’s baptism, I went with a legion of evil spirits.”

The fifth day, Uncle Cesario didn’t tell any stories. Father was afraid to ask why, and he went for a long walk. That evening, he became upset when a temple priest called him to ask for help securing animals for sacrifices.

“Let the spirits be the sacrifice!” he blurted out. “They commanded me to kill my own son. Solve your problems without me!”

Father, still upset, sat down at the table for supper. “Son,” Uncle Cesario said, ”did you know that the devil killed Job’s own son and other children?” Father had never heard of Job, and he wept as heard the story from the Bible. At the end, Father said, ”I’ve made a decision. I’ll leave Candomblé and get to know the Adventists’ God. Please pray. The devil will try to kill me.”

The next day, Father returned home and announced his decision to Mother. “I’m willing to follow your God,” he said.

Your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help open eight churches in the South American Division, including four in Brazil, where Father (Eduardo Ferreira dos Santos) and his family live.

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Find more mission stories at adventistmission[dot]org

Amen!