Demonic Attack
(I have never written out this experience. But it happened in the very beginning of my missionary life here in Thailand. Back then God had a lot that He needed to teach me, and He is still teaching me)!!
DEMONS ATTACK!
“Then He called His twelve disciples together, and gave them POWER and AUTHORITY over all devils, and to cure diseases.” Luke 9:1
Right on the heels of my “Panic on the porch” experience, during the SECOND WEEK of my time in Thailand, something horrendous and shockingly unexpected happened. Something overwhelming, mind blowing, devastating, disastrous, and demonic!
I was still trying to get used to my surroundings, the people, the language, the temperature, the needs of the teachers and students in the school, and the horrible presence of war raging just across the river on the Myanmar side. The students have been put temporarily up on the mountain away from the border, but it was too expensive, so it was my responsibility to purchase land and relocate the school down near the border.
While I am praying and considering all these things, A teacher brought one of the students in for me to check. She was comatose! The teacher said she was in the jungle collecting edible mushrooms and fruits. After eating some, she had a severe stomach ache – and passed out.
“Oh, dear Lord,” I whispered to my Father in heaven. “I know what happened, she has been poisoned. I need to – put a nasogastric tube down to her stomach immediately, irrigate it well with pure water, then put activated charcoal down. “But I do not have any of these supplies here!”
I called Bradley, my oldest son to drive us to the hospital which is one hour away. I sat in the back seat, watching her. It was pouring down rain and the road was full of potholes. Three quarters of the way in I could not detect any respirations and I felt no pulse! I put my stethoscope on her chest – NOTHING, my ear to her nose and mouth – NOTHING! “Bradley, go faster!” I shouted. We arrived in record time and she was taken in the emergency department on a stretcher. I sat in the waiting room praying. After about 10 minutes she came sauntering out of the ER and sat down beside me, laying her head on my shoulder! What in the world was this all about? My head reeled! I was totally confused! Dazed and numb I got up to check her out of the hospital. The nurse told me to bring her back the next day to see a psychiatrist.
We drove back to the school, where I found 3 more students with the same symptoms! Slowly the truth began to dawn on me – DEMON POSSESION! I had never dealt with stuff like this before. But soon more girls were coming down with it. They were all around 12 years old. They were screaming and writhing around on the floor. Six or seven of the boys had to hold each one down. Some got away and started running Pel-Mel down the path and into the jungle. Some were climbing trees. The boys chased them down. Now the large front room of the school was total pandemonium and chaos. The floor was covered with bodies which were under full control of demons! It was like a horror movie, only this was real! I had no idea what to do. I had never been in any situation of blatant, all-out demon possession, but yet here I am in charge of all this mess!
I found myself holding onto the head of the student most out of control. NaNeeWah, the cook’s daughter. She was screaming: “I want to drink blook!” Then she bit my oldest son, Bradley, who was holding her left arm and spit on my younger son, Micah on the right side. She screamed at me saying, “I know who’s holding my head and I’m going to kill you!” Eventually some of the older students heard the devil’s voice down in the river saying: “There will be 13 in all.” Therefore, when the thirteenth girl came down with it, there was rejoicing in the school. There was no rejoicing in my soul. I am totally overwhelmed, and crying out to God to forgive my sins, and use His power to cast out these demons!
“From the ends of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Psalm 61:2
I asked one of the teachers to take me down the mountain so I could make a phone call. (There was no phone service at the top of this mountain). It is a long, steep, curvy road. I called my sister in America who had spent 5 years in India. Surely, she had experienced demon possession over there and could tell me what to do. However, she had not, but told me she would call a pastor over there who would know more about it. Her answer couldn’t come right away, so back up the mountain I went. I prayed over one girl and the devil came out. I sent her to the porch to read Matthew 8. I told her not to think back on scary things. Think on Jesus. I tried to keep her away from the others, but she sunk into demon possession again. Two days later I got to talk to my sister again. She told me the pastor mentioned 5 things to do:
1. Remove all objects from the school that would give Satan entrance.
2. Remove all people who would not confess their sins and connect with Jesus
3. Don’t allow anyone into the school who was not godly
4. Sing “Power in The Blood,” which has the greatest results
5. Divide the students up who were demon possessed. Take the worst to the hospital, then put small groups in godly homes to be prayed over.
This sounded like a wonderful plan. NaNeeWah, who was the worst, was the cook’s daughter. This lady worshiped at the spirit house at the end of the driveway and had many Buddhist idols in her possession. We were able to remove her and her idols. While things were being removed from the school, and teachers and students were making things right between themselves and God, contacts were being made to find out where we could divide the students out in godly homes. We sang “Power in the Blood” so many times, our throats were horse. We prayed and prayed over these students but nothing happened. Finally, I drove 2 of the worst students to the hospital I was very pleased with the doctor’s evaluation. He told me they would do an entire history, and a holistic approach with a complete medical check. Two other godly homes were found for 7 students, and I took 4 students in my mission house. Several days of fasting and prayer passed by and to my rejoicing heart all of them returned to normal!
Then came the fine day when we took them all back to the school up on the mountain praising God! But, ALAS! As soon as they joined the school, they all came down with demon possession again, only so much worse! There was shrieking, twisting agony, running away, climbing trees, frothing mouths and enormous strength. One girl was in the outhouse type bathroom, climbing the corrugated metal siding and cutting up her hands. It was such a scene of horror, blatant darkness and evil that I cannot describe.
Totally overwhelmed, I Immediately asked one of the teachers to take me back down the mountain to my mission house. I ran out back among the banana trees and cried out to God, I sobbed, I shouted, and I screamed out to Him for help. I searched my heart; I confessed my every sin and claimed these promises:
“Behold I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19
“Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” 1John 4:4
“Lord,” I wailed. “You have all the power over these demons, and Your Word says that You gave us, Your disciples, power and authority over them. You’ve got to help us! It is Your strength through my total weakness – Please Help me!”
Now I had the teacher take me back up the mountain. My boys and I had been fasting one week, maybe more! I entered that room full of demons, I looked upon those poor precious girls so helplessly under the full control of Satan. I went up to the first one and in the name of Jesus and the power of His blood, I demanded the evil spirit to leave and never come back. The demon left and the girl was restored. I sent her out on the porch with her Bible and asked her to read Psalm 139 over and over again. I went to the next girl, and the next and next until every demon however many there were, was cast out by the strength, power, and authority of Christ alone, and did not return. Oh, praise His holy name!
I taught the students that fear lets the devil in. Their past in Myanmar was full of fear, never knowing when the soldiers would come to burn their village and kill the people. Some of these dear students had actually seen their parents tortured and killed before their eyes. Now this brutal attack on the school in Myanmar causing them to have to flee across the river at midnight just a few weeks ago, just sealed in their fears. Their only safety is in asking God to take away the bad thoughts and help them not to relive the scary details of the past and focusing on Jesus. These dear students conscientiously did what I said, because their experience with the demons seemed almost worse to them than their previous fears.
I didn’t realize it then, but God was fitting me for many things that I would face in the future.Early, tough lessons of complete faith and trust in God! His power and authority can work through me!