March 28th, 2008 - Vane

Vane is a Khmu girl, who is 19 years old. Although she grew up in a village, she was able to graduate from high school, go to a sewing school and also get basic teacher training. She is a very diligent and hard-working person. She had a Lao boyfriend but her parents forced them to break up. She was extremely upset and disappointed.

In the midst of her broken heart and confusion she had a bad dream. She dreamed that a big snake tried to swallow her. This ‘snake dream’ kept bothering her at nights. She then became possessed by an evil spirit. Her parents tried everything they knew to force the demon to leave their daughter. They took her to see many witch doctors and they killed many pigs and chickens in sacrifice to the spirits, yet the spirits would not leave her.
           
The spirits made Vane very strong and destructive. It took three to four men to restrain her. They tied her hands and her feet to try protect her from hurting herself and others. She sang songs repeatedly about her broken heart and disappointment with her boyfriend. Once when she saw a Christian coming to her house she jumped out of the window and ran away.

There are about 18 people in the little Christian house group that were trying to help Vane. Even with all of them working together to keep her under control it was almost more than they could manage. Vane stayed there for 1 week. She was very noisy especially at night. The people at the church kept praying and fasting, putting their trust in the Lord.

A Christian leader praying for the situation encouraged them with these words, “You must fast and pray and all of you have to be united in one faith and one mind and trust the Lord 100%”. The evil spirit did not like when the name of Jesus was mentioned in their prayers - but the Christian kept praying as much as they could.
           
Over time both the spirit and the people who were taken care of Vane girl were getting more and more tired. Before the spirit was going to leave her, Vane became clearer in her mind and spirit. The Christians asked her to invite Jesus Christ into her heart and she replied, “Yes, I want Jesus Christ to come into my heart right now.”

The spirit left her immediately. She was freed from the spirit and her soul became free and light. She became normal. All the people who witnessed this praised God and glorified Him. The power of God was demonstrated through the girl’s life.

The Christians changed her name from Vane to Esther as she is now a new person. Right now she is rejoicing in the Lord and is happier than she has ever been before she accepted Jesus Christ into her heart. The people in her village are surprised and amazed about this matter. God is real and He is powerful. 

Two days after Esther was freed, a Mien man brought his 27 year old son, named Maine, to the Christians. Maine was possessed by evil spirits and his father brought him to the church leader to cast out the demon. The church leader told the father that they were all tired and exhausted but the father still left his son there. Maine’s manifestations of the evil spirit are not as violent as Vane’s but he requires God’s deliverance just the same.