Believe it or Not!
My husband and I visited a few villages of the Siddi tribes where our missionaries are labouring. As we were striding along the dense forests the missionaries were telling us unbelievable incidents.
The jungle was a beautiful sight with gigantic trees and winding creepers over-hanging. The wild squirrels, about the size of a big cat, bushy and red were calling from trees. The pleasant cooing of the cuckoos added to the charm. Monkeys were swinging from tree to tree all around us. Even flying squirrels were there. But when we learnt the jungle was infested with tigers, leopards, wild boars, bears and pythons our pace automatically quickened. We went by van as far as it could carry us and then walked in. We reached the first village and were surprised that it was a village of just two houses! Both the families have now believed on the Lord. The men had gone for work. So the wives came out and spread the mat for prayer. When we shared God’s Word and prayed, one started screaming, Hallelujah and Praise the Lord! Our missionary told us that she was actually a devadasi (one dedicated to the Yellamma goddess to live as a temple prostitute). Because of her good looks her husband married her and brought her home. She is still to be totally delivered from the possession.
As we walked to the next village we were told an interesting incident. The villagers wanted to build a kiln and burn bricks. Some wanted to sacrifice a cock to their goddess before starting the work. But the tribal believers objected. However the other party proceeded with the pooja. After the pooja they cooked the cock and eleven of them ate it, including Gowdappa a believer. When they had eaten, all the eleven were possessed with evil spirits and started doing crazy things. Gowdappa realised his mistake and was terrified. He sat under a tree and started shouting sthothram and hallelujah. Around midnight he was delivered and came home.
The next village had just one family. The Siddis used to occupy lands in the interior villages for three or four generations. By enjoyment it would then belong to them. So though alone, they preferred to live in their own land. This particular family had a good spring in their land. A non-tribal rich man was trying to take away their land. But the tribal family was refusing to part with it. Because of that they suffered persecution from the rich. Twice their house was burnt and the wife beaten in the husband’s absence. Now the family lived in the shed meant for their cattle, even in bitter cold weather. When we visited them, they had spread hay for roof on the Missions is the heart of God. That is what a God chaser discovers when he takes hold of Him. charred mud walls. The wife was holding a new born. We were shocked to hear it was her thirteenth child. Our workers had sought admission for two boys (twins) in a hostel. The entire family is now Christian. We arranged to provide them with tiles for the roof. The wife agreed gladly to have sterilisation! There were no proper documents for their lands. The man was unnecessarily dragged to the court and harassed. A Siddi Association was there for the welfare of the Siddi tribes but it was divided and not functioning.
We returned home tired and exhausted. We prayed for Kumar and Regunathan who untiringly reached these villages by bus, cycle and walk and labour. They could reach just one village per day and meet one or two families only. Vasanthi, Regunathan’s wife, was then carrying eight months. She came with us to all the places. When we worriedly asked her if she could come in the 11 year old rickety van her answer threw us back. “It is definitely better than the cycle carrier!” She was not ready to stay back home. She told us: “You give only three months maternity leave and I need them after delivery.” “Are you going to your mother’s place for delivery?” “Why, many women deliver here. There is a local hospital and I can manage. It saves lot of money and trouble.”
We were challenged by her commitment to the work. Rosy, Kumar’s wife, was very brisk and enthusiastic in the work, trying to learn the language and accomodate herself to the new surroundings. In another village the people had gone out into the jungle to gather shikakai (shampoo seeds). The old man in the house uttered a peculiar call which went echoing up the mountains. In a short while he received the response and said they were coming. Shikakai was spread out in the sun to dry. They sell it to merchants at one or two rupees a kilo, but it comes to the market at rupees twelve a kilo. There are many snags to free these tribespeople from such exploitation. Pray. This family of twelve members lived in two rooms. One boy was mentally retarded.
As we all sat down to sing and pray, our missionaries remembered an interesting occurence at their earlier visits. The family had dedicated, a cock to their goddess. Whenever they sat down to pray the cock would start flying wildly around the room and over their heads, crowing loudly, beating its wings. It would refuse to go out on shooing too. It was such a nuisance that after a few visits the family wrung off its head. The retarded boy used to be very disturbed. Then he became considerably quieter. This entire family sincerely believed on the Lord.
They owned the piece of land they lived in and a stream was flowing through. But ever since their two oxen died they could not plough the land and cultivate it. So the elder boy had left to work elsewhere as a cooly. We arranged to give them two oxen. Missionaries took the elderly gentleman to an eye camp for cataract extraction.
They served us tea. Their innocence and love touched us. The family was suffering because of witchcraft. They were totally delivered. They showed us a piece of their land to build a worship shed. That was a central location for several other villages. The work was soon started.
As we proceeded from there Puri joined us. He was a Siddi boy very attached to us. In the absence of our missionaries he even conducted worship service! We sat by the wayside under the trees and had our lunch.
In the next village more news was awaiting us. As we entered the house they anointed our heads with oil and tucked flowers in our hair as was their custom. They gave water to wash our feet too. They then treated us with cakes made of riceflour, jaggery and cucumber. The ten year old girl joined the fasting prayer and fasted and prayed for the three days even without water.
The granny of the house was a severe drunkard and would not accept Jesus. She had vowed to do pooja to her goddess—that is to break a coconut and sprinkle the water on her goddess. However when she broke the coconut she was terrified to find the inside dry. She thought the great God of who the visitors talked had dried up her coconut! She hurried back home and was converted during the subsequent visits of our missionaries and left off drinks. Renu was a powerful witness there. During one of the fasting prayers, when each one was getting up and giving their prayer requests, she asked prayer for her husband to come back home. Everyone started to hide their smile because all knew it was seven years since he left her for another woman.
Missionaries chided the congregation and said nothing was impossible for God. From that day they were praying and one fine morning after a year the husband arrived. We saw the couple. He was yet to be born again but lived with his wife faithfully. In the next village we met Savithri. The story she narrated went back to 30 years. Gidda, her husband was possessed and served Yellamma. He dedicated one daughter to the goddess at Yellamma Gudda. (She is now saved). Then he died leaving his wife and children. She then lived working in the fields of a rich family. Her daughter-in-law became very ill with severe abdominal pain during pregnancy.
Nothing helped. So she had gone to her relative Manu in another village. This Manu herself was a devadasi. She was healed, delivered and saved through our ministry. When Manu told all this to Savithri they came to our missionaries for prayer. That day our missionaries were away and one Siddi believer prayed for them. To their utter amazement she was instantly healed. They were wonderstruck: “If our own man’s prayer healed the sick how would the missionaries be and how great their God must be!”
When she returned home she bundled up her gods and goddesses and threw them off battling the wrath of her relatives. Not only her family and her son’s family were saved, she started to walk North and South, East and West tbrough the jungles after the day’s work in the field, contacting her relatives and others, publishing the Good News. When a string of conversions followed, she was called for by the town elders and rebuked. She boldly testified that she received no money or wheat or blankets from the missionaries but a miracle from God—among about 100 men and walked off. In just two weeks the village elder who gathered the people against her fell down from a tree and died on the spot.
Savithri’s master arranged a small feast for his friends on full-moon nights. The following year the Siddis presented the gospel by way of drama and dance! The guests were all highly pleased at their performance. Savithri’s father used to go hunting taking her along. She said the number of tigers and leopards had come down and she saw any only occasionally. Her children recited entire Psalms.
From there we left for Manu’s village, Savithri accompanying us. We had the privilege of meeting Manu and other families. One granny enacted to us how she walked at right angle, bent at the hip before her healing and salvation. Manu had sold off her sheep because twice a tiger had jumped over her fence and taken sheep.
On Sunday we participated in the Kuchigaon worship. About 25 attended the service. Once a month they conduct fasting prayer for 3 days when nearly 60 attended, as many were healed. Counselling and teaching were given those days. That month each one was asked to state a specific request for prayer. We were surprised to hear that Mary and Mothis’ point was that they should be able to read the Bible and understand it! They had begun to read and write.
One day the 1988 batch of our missionary trainees had stayed overnight in Kuchigaon. In the night the arrival of a tiger was announced by the sound of disturbed deers and chirping of the monkeys and birds. When someone interpreted the meaning of the noises our trainees panicked. Someone developed loose motion! To add to their fears the door for the worship shed, where they were staying was not yet fixed, just a few bamboo poles were kept across. But the tiger graciously passed them away. The next day they decided to go to the town for night stay! (Are we not all men of like passions?)
After the worship service we visited some homes. We were given the first milk of the cow that calved two days ago. We were asked to name the calf which we did as Prithi. We were stunned as we saw the Pidi Arisi offering bag hanging in a bamboo pole, half full! She puts in a handful of grains as many times as she cooks and offers it to God. In the next house we witnessed an empty bee-hive about 3'x3'. It was a very vicious and poisonous bee and no one could go near and it was a threat to the people. One day they prayed in the fasting prayer and before the next week the bees had cleared the place!
One day Vasanthi and Rosy were walking ahead and Kumar had called from behind. As they stood for a moment and turned back to see, a huge big green tree crashed down before them. Saved by a second! Angelic protection!
The Siddis are said to be the descendants of negro slaves who escaped their Portugese masters decades ago and hid inside jungles. They dare not stir out of the forests. They have never seen the giant strides the world has taken since then. Some of them have never seen a train! A few are now coming out. Because of their ignorance, illiteracy and negroid features they are crushed and exploited. The children are not accepted by their schoolmates. Their houses had no doors because they had never learnt to make them. One member of the family had to always stay back from the Sunday service. Their pine apples were eaten away by wild boars and plantain trees ravaged by monkeys. In some places the last spring of hope was drying up and there was acute water scarcity.
One father testified that his daughter who should be living as a temple prostitute was a decent young girl at the threshold of a bright future—because of a great God! It is impossible to put down everything in black and white. Why don’t you plan a trip to see for yourself what God is doing for these people?
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91-416-2242943, +91-416-2248943
hq@bymonline.org
www.bymonline.org
Click here for more options
To buy books written by Dr. Lilian Stanley, kindly reach to us in the follwing address
Blessing Literature Centre
21/11 West Coovam River Road,
Chintadripet,
Chennai 600 002, India.
+91-44-28450411, 8806270699
blc@bymonline.org
Believe it or Not!
My husband and I visited a few villages of the Siddi tribes where our missionaries are labouring. As we were striding along the dense forests the missionaries were telling us unbelievable incidents.
The jungle was a beautiful sight with gigantic trees and winding creepers over-hanging. The wild squirrels, about the size of a big cat, bushy and red were calling from trees. The pleasant cooing of the cuckoos added to the charm. Monkeys were swinging from tree to tree all around us. Even flying squirrels were there. But when we learnt the jungle was infested with tigers, leopards, wild boars, bears and pythons our pace automatically quickened. We went by van as far as it could carry us and then walked in. We reached the first village and were surprised that it was a village of just two houses! Both the families have now believed on the Lord. The men had gone for work. So the wives came out and spread the mat for prayer. When we shared God’s Word and prayed, one started screaming, Hallelujah and Praise the Lord! Our missionary told us that she was actually a devadasi (one dedicated to the Yellamma goddess to live as a temple prostitute). Because of her good looks her husband married her and brought her home. She is still to be totally delivered from the possession.
As we walked to the next village we were told an interesting incident. The villagers wanted to build a kiln and burn bricks. Some wanted to sacrifice a cock to their goddess before starting the work. But the tribal believers objected. However the other party proceeded with the pooja. After the pooja they cooked the cock and eleven of them ate it, including Gowdappa a believer. When they had eaten, all the eleven were possessed with evil spirits and started doing crazy things. Gowdappa realised his mistake and was terrified. He sat under a tree and started shouting sthothram and hallelujah. Around midnight he was delivered and came home.
The next village had just one family. The Siddis used to occupy lands in the interior villages for three or four generations. By enjoyment it would then belong to them. So though alone, they preferred to live in their own land. This particular family had a good spring in their land. A non-tribal rich man was trying to take away their land. But the tribal family was refusing to part with it. Because of that they suffered persecution from the rich. Twice their house was burnt and the wife beaten in the husband’s absence. Now the family lived in the shed meant for their cattle, even in bitter cold weather. When we visited them, they had spread hay for roof on the Missions is the heart of God. That is what a God chaser discovers when he takes hold of Him. charred mud walls. The wife was holding a new born. We were shocked to hear it was her thirteenth child. Our workers had sought admission for two boys (twins) in a hostel. The entire family is now Christian. We arranged to provide them with tiles for the roof. The wife agreed gladly to have sterilisation! There were no proper documents for their lands. The man was unnecessarily dragged to the court and harassed. A Siddi Association was there for the welfare of the Siddi tribes but it was divided and not functioning.
We returned home tired and exhausted. We prayed for Kumar and Regunathan who untiringly reached these villages by bus, cycle and walk and labour. They could reach just one village per day and meet one or two families only. Vasanthi, Regunathan’s wife, was then carrying eight months. She came with us to all the places. When we worriedly asked her if she could come in the 11 year old rickety van her answer threw us back. “It is definitely better than the cycle carrier!” She was not ready to stay back home. She told us: “You give only three months maternity leave and I need them after delivery.” “Are you going to your mother’s place for delivery?” “Why, many women deliver here. There is a local hospital and I can manage. It saves lot of money and trouble.”
We were challenged by her commitment to the work. Rosy, Kumar’s wife, was very brisk and enthusiastic in the work, trying to learn the language and accomodate herself to the new surroundings. In another village the people had gone out into the jungle to gather shikakai (shampoo seeds). The old man in the house uttered a peculiar call which went echoing up the mountains. In a short while he received the response and said they were coming. Shikakai was spread out in the sun to dry. They sell it to merchants at one or two rupees a kilo, but it comes to the market at rupees twelve a kilo. There are many snags to free these tribespeople from such exploitation. Pray. This family of twelve members lived in two rooms. One boy was mentally retarded.
As we all sat down to sing and pray, our missionaries remembered an interesting occurence at their earlier visits. The family had dedicated, a cock to their goddess. Whenever they sat down to pray the cock would start flying wildly around the room and over their heads, crowing loudly, beating its wings. It would refuse to go out on shooing too. It was such a nuisance that after a few visits the family wrung off its head. The retarded boy used to be very disturbed. Then he became considerably quieter. This entire family sincerely believed on the Lord.
They owned the piece of land they lived in and a stream was flowing through. But ever since their two oxen died they could not plough the land and cultivate it. So the elder boy had left to work elsewhere as a cooly. We arranged to give them two oxen. Missionaries took the elderly gentleman to an eye camp for cataract extraction.
They served us tea. Their innocence and love touched us. The family was suffering because of witchcraft. They were totally delivered. They showed us a piece of their land to build a worship shed. That was a central location for several other villages. The work was soon started.
As we proceeded from there Puri joined us. He was a Siddi boy very attached to us. In the absence of our missionaries he even conducted worship service! We sat by the wayside under the trees and had our lunch.
In the next village more news was awaiting us. As we entered the house they anointed our heads with oil and tucked flowers in our hair as was their custom. They gave water to wash our feet too. They then treated us with cakes made of riceflour, jaggery and cucumber. The ten year old girl joined the fasting prayer and fasted and prayed for the three days even without water.
The granny of the house was a severe drunkard and would not accept Jesus. She had vowed to do pooja to her goddess—that is to break a coconut and sprinkle the water on her goddess. However when she broke the coconut she was terrified to find the inside dry. She thought the great God of who the visitors talked had dried up her coconut! She hurried back home and was converted during the subsequent visits of our missionaries and left off drinks. Renu was a powerful witness there. During one of the fasting prayers, when each one was getting up and giving their prayer requests, she asked prayer for her husband to come back home. Everyone started to hide their smile because all knew it was seven years since he left her for another woman.
Missionaries chided the congregation and said nothing was impossible for God. From that day they were praying and one fine morning after a year the husband arrived. We saw the couple. He was yet to be born again but lived with his wife faithfully. In the next village we met Savithri. The story she narrated went back to 30 years. Gidda, her husband was possessed and served Yellamma. He dedicated one daughter to the goddess at Yellamma Gudda. (She is now saved). Then he died leaving his wife and children. She then lived working in the fields of a rich family. Her daughter-in-law became very ill with severe abdominal pain during pregnancy.
Nothing helped. So she had gone to her relative Manu in another village. This Manu herself was a devadasi. She was healed, delivered and saved through our ministry. When Manu told all this to Savithri they came to our missionaries for prayer. That day our missionaries were away and one Siddi believer prayed for them. To their utter amazement she was instantly healed. They were wonderstruck: “If our own man’s prayer healed the sick how would the missionaries be and how great their God must be!”
When she returned home she bundled up her gods and goddesses and threw them off battling the wrath of her relatives. Not only her family and her son’s family were saved, she started to walk North and South, East and West tbrough the jungles after the day’s work in the field, contacting her relatives and others, publishing the Good News. When a string of conversions followed, she was called for by the town elders and rebuked. She boldly testified that she received no money or wheat or blankets from the missionaries but a miracle from God—among about 100 men and walked off. In just two weeks the village elder who gathered the people against her fell down from a tree and died on the spot.
Savithri’s master arranged a small feast for his friends on full-moon nights. The following year the Siddis presented the gospel by way of drama and dance! The guests were all highly pleased at their performance. Savithri’s father used to go hunting taking her along. She said the number of tigers and leopards had come down and she saw any only occasionally. Her children recited entire Psalms.
From there we left for Manu’s village, Savithri accompanying us. We had the privilege of meeting Manu and other families. One granny enacted to us how she walked at right angle, bent at the hip before her healing and salvation. Manu had sold off her sheep because twice a tiger had jumped over her fence and taken sheep.
On Sunday we participated in the Kuchigaon worship. About 25 attended the service. Once a month they conduct fasting prayer for 3 days when nearly 60 attended, as many were healed. Counselling and teaching were given those days. That month each one was asked to state a specific request for prayer. We were surprised to hear that Mary and Mothis’ point was that they should be able to read the Bible and understand it! They had begun to read and write.
One day the 1988 batch of our missionary trainees had stayed overnight in Kuchigaon. In the night the arrival of a tiger was announced by the sound of disturbed deers and chirping of the monkeys and birds. When someone interpreted the meaning of the noises our trainees panicked. Someone developed loose motion! To add to their fears the door for the worship shed, where they were staying was not yet fixed, just a few bamboo poles were kept across. But the tiger graciously passed them away. The next day they decided to go to the town for night stay! (Are we not all men of like passions?)
After the worship service we visited some homes. We were given the first milk of the cow that calved two days ago. We were asked to name the calf which we did as Prithi. We were stunned as we saw the Pidi Arisi offering bag hanging in a bamboo pole, half full! She puts in a handful of grains as many times as she cooks and offers it to God. In the next house we witnessed an empty bee-hive about 3'x3'. It was a very vicious and poisonous bee and no one could go near and it was a threat to the people. One day they prayed in the fasting prayer and before the next week the bees had cleared the place!
One day Vasanthi and Rosy were walking ahead and Kumar had called from behind. As they stood for a moment and turned back to see, a huge big green tree crashed down before them. Saved by a second! Angelic protection!
The Siddis are said to be the descendants of negro slaves who escaped their Portugese masters decades ago and hid inside jungles. They dare not stir out of the forests. They have never seen the giant strides the world has taken since then. Some of them have never seen a train! A few are now coming out. Because of their ignorance, illiteracy and negroid features they are crushed and exploited. The children are not accepted by their schoolmates. Their houses had no doors because they had never learnt to make them. One member of the family had to always stay back from the Sunday service. Their pine apples were eaten away by wild boars and plantain trees ravaged by monkeys. In some places the last spring of hope was drying up and there was acute water scarcity.
One father testified that his daughter who should be living as a temple prostitute was a decent young girl at the threshold of a bright future—because of a great God! It is impossible to put down everything in black and white. Why don’t you plan a trip to see for yourself what God is doing for these people?
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91-416-2242943, +91-416-2248943
hq@bymonline.org
www.bymonline.org
Click here for more options
To buy books written by Dr. Lilian Stanley, kindly reach to us in the follwing address
Blessing Literature Centre
21/11 West Coovam River Road,
Chintadripet,
Chennai 600 002, India.
+91-44-28450411, Mob:8806270699
blc@bymonline.org
