Voodoo

Mark 16:17 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

That verse is talking about us.  Nothing has changed since the Bible days, except us, and our faith.

Voodoo is a reality in Nicaragua. Personally, because I am a Christian missionary, I am aware of at least one curse a year on me, my wife or my kids. I’ve accidentally stepped on, sat on, drank and even inhaled curses. These are the supposed spells and incantations of Voodoo or Santaria. One person gave our baby, Deannie Jr, clorox bleach to drink instead of water. We knew something was wrong when he burped soap bubbles. We rushed him to the ER. Praise God, he was fine a few hours later. Other than being disgusting, foul, unsanitary or poisonous, curses and evil traps have no affect on us. God doesn’t even warn us about them usually. No need to. We just tend to bulldoze our way through that stuff.  The power of God protects all of us (including you) from thousands of things a day that can easily bump us off in an instant. If we fear God and we don’t fear anything else. Take our eyes and confidence off of God, and we are all blitherring cowards, terrified of our own shadows.  We should be! The world is a very scary place without God. You worship what you fear. I would much rather fear and worship God than a virus, or a voodoo doll.

Side note, the Bible shows us to stay away from stuff like Voodoo, Santeria, ouija boards, seances, magic, Hairy Potty books, crystals, sorcery (including smoking weed), astrology, tarot cards, horoscopes, palm reading, fortune tellers etc. We, as a family, obeyed God. We held no belief in those things, never considered even checking them out, so we weren’t open to it. God shows us to stay away from that stuff for a specific reason, not just because tit’s garbage. It’s a trap. If you feel the need to spend 2 dollars a minute talking to a fortune teller, call me! I’ll read the book of Revelation to you for free!    And it´s even accurate.

Sometimes having no fear or affect from curses is a great testimony of the power of Jesus to spectators and we aren’t even aware of. For example, I pray for people and they get healed, sometimes to find out later that it was supposed to be a ‘permanent curse’. Once I was offered to eat an exquisite steak, but I was fasting that day, so I refused it.  All the pagans at the table got mad at me and yelled at me saying ‘how did you know this was sacrificed to idols?’ I didn’t, I just follow the cloud by day and the pilar of fire by night. Many times people say to me things like, ‘several years ago I put a curse on you and left thing in your front yard and you accidentally stepped on it and nothing happened’! Once an old lady was smoking something in a house I was visiting, and she kept blowing the smoke in my face. Other than I thought it was rude, and the smoke was a little hash for my taste, it had no affect on me other than a hacky cough for a day. It turned out she was a curandera (witch doctor). Her whole family sought the Lord after that because I was not affected. Another time I was told that I drank a love potion (those ingredients are nasty nasty nasty! Again, no affect! I love Winnie now more than ever). Follow God, nothing else, and He will protect you. If you do things that He tells you not to do, you aren’t following Him.

Exodus 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

God’s Spirit will guide us, if we are His children. If we will be obedient to Him. Do what He shows you to do today, go where He shows you to go. He alone is trustworthy. He alone will never steer us wrong. Go! Get off the couch or the pew, and go outside. Visit and minister. If you are saved, you are already qualified and know everything you need to know to minister to others, and to lead them to salvation.

When visiting people, do so without fear. Fear God, not the people you are visiting. If they welcome you in their humble abode, go in confidently, God is leading you. If they serve you something, graciously take and eat it (unless you truly are fasting). We are told to eat and drink whatever is put before us, for the glory of God, asking no questions. That is why when gluten/lactose intolerant or vegan friends visit us, I don’t take them on real shack to shack.  No do we go on random visitations when we are fasting, only to specific places to pray. We shouldn’t be guided by saving money, fads, diets, fear or pride. Only by God. Last thing God wants us to do is to offend a noble soul with the gift of hospitality. When you are offered something unpleasant to eat (like liver, or larva, or something unknown) just put it in your mouth in small pieces and swallow. You would be amazed what I have swallowed in shacks (not chewing is the trick).

1 Cor 10:25 Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:

So! If I don’t get affected by Voodoo, Santeria or idolatry, why bring them up? What is the point of this missive? I have seen the tragic results of Voodoo and Santeria here and in other countries. It exists for others but not for me. Why am I exempt? Is it because I am so great? Am I bragging? Am I super spiritual? No! Just because these forms of witchcraft aren’t a problem to me doesn’t mean that they are not a problem. Witchcraft is a real danger to those who believe in it and fear it. I don’t even acknowledge it, so it’s not even in my wheelhouse. When someone says they are going to curse me I ignore them. Fact is, whatever curse they throw at me is coming back on them because I simply don’t believe in it, and they do. Me and my family are blessed. Those are God’s words, not mine.

Psalm 109:17 As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.

Numbers 22:12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.”

We have the power of Christ in us if we are saved. Demons see it in us. People who are guided by demons see it in us, and we usually aren’t even aware of it. If someone doesn’t like you, do what you can to be a peace with them. Then, if there’s no hope, walk away. Maybe the Holy Spirit in you is offending the demon in them.

Once, in Havana, I was in a taxi with another missionary. The driver was a Santero. He had an orisha statue of a demon wrapped in chains glued to his dashboard. Jokingly, I said to the missionary with me ‘Cristo Rompe Las Cadenas!´ (Jesus breaks the chains) and pointed to the little plastic demon stuck on the dashboard as I said it. Just then the statue tipped over. The driver did not like that.

I have a friend I grew up with. He is now a prominent physician in Chicago. He is allergic to bees. One time he was at a peaceful lake standing on a dock with his wife. She said he suddenly started screaming ‘bee!’ and pointed at bumblbee that was flying across the lake to sting him. (The lake was a couple hundred meters wide). She looked where he was pointing and sure enough she saw the bee when it was about 50 meters away. When the bee finally reached him, it stung him on his belly. He’s okey, but this drives home a point. You empower what you fear. He worshipped the bee. How much more better would it be to worship the Lord and empower Him?
What you believe in, obsess on, fear, and talk about is what you empower. Empower God in your life, He is the only One worthy. If you obsess about anything else, including Covid or politics, you are going to have problems. Negative attracts negative. Don’t want to get sick? Don’t dwell on it. Tempted to be afraid of viuses, curses, withcraft, bacteria, dogs with rabies etc? Don’t! If you get a sniffle, reprehend it in the name of Jesus. Got a cramp or head ache? Walk it off. Someone cursing you? Just walk away. Don’t receive it. Receive God in all His beauty instead.  The beauty of this missive is that you can choose what you fear and worship. Choose the Lord.

Philippians 4:8, KJV: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Dean and Winnie Peters
Joyfully serving the ‘least of these’ in Managua Nicaragua
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PS ….Matched donations are back this year!!!
All donations, up to 5,000 dollars are matched from now until 2022! 100% of your donations go straight to the kids!  For example if you give $1,000 dollars, $2,000 dollars goes straight to the kids.   Pray about making a 100% tax deductible donation now. Good for you. Good for the kids. And good for your taxes.
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Praise Report

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS THIS YEAR!  SINCE WE ARE ON OUR OWN FOR CHRISTMAS PRESENTS, GOD HAS AGAIN PROVIDED FOR 1,000 CHRISTMAS PRESENTS THROUGH NICA SOURCE (NICARAGUAN NEAR SHORE IT COMPANIES).  THANK YOU JESUS!  WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN CHILDREN MISSION DOESN’T GIVE CHRISTMAS PRESENTS AT CHRISTMAS TIME? MERRY CHRISTMAS!

1. Our new room, and warehouse expnasion is almost completed, God is good! Needing to install the ceiling, AC and we are finished. We had some issues but we should be done in two weeks.

2. I am having a video made, it should  be out shortly.

3. Pray for those washed out by the rains, and the Nicaraguan government.  

4. English class, Daily Bible studies, school and feeding centers are all going well.

Pureheart Update – All is well, finishing up the new room and warehouse. We are painting, repairing the school´s classrooms, bathrooms, (lots of plumbling and electrical stuff going on) and we are improving our school’s computer abilities.

PRAYER REQUESTS

1. For Souls and Fruit.

2. FOR HEALING OF LOVED ONES WITH EVERYTHING FROM CANCER TO MENTAL ILLNESS.

3. FOR HOME VISITATIONS TO PRODUCE RESULTS, FOR VISITORS TO OUR HOME TO GET SAVED. FOR THE FAMILIES AND PARENTS OF ALL THE PUREHEART WORKERS TO GET SAVED.

4. FOR OUR 2 FEEDING CENTERS AND THE TWO OTHER FEEDING CENTERS THAT WE HELP. FOR OUR SISTER FEEDING CENTER IN ISLAMBAD PAKISTAN.

5. AS WE ARE HELPING OTHERS WITH EMERGENCY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS *THIS CONTINUOUS RAINY SEASON DESTROYS THE SHACKS THAT MANY OF OUR PEOPLE LIVE IN*. THAT WE BE THE LIGHT AND PEACE OF JESUS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORM.

7. GOVERNMENTAL PAPERWORK, I CALL IT ´DEATH BY 1000 PAPERCUTS’. IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT, FRUSTRATING, AND EXPENSIVE. AMONG OF WHICH IS FOR PERMISSION TO HAVE AN ORPHANAGE-OLDFOLKS HOME ON A SUSTAINABLE GREEN FARM IN THE MANAGUA CITY LIMITS. THIS IS THE 4TH TIME IN TEN YEARS THAT WE HAVE HAD TO START AGAIN FROM SCRATCH EVERYTHING FROM ALL THE ACCOUNTING, BOOKS, AND PERMISSIONS FOR THE ORPHANAGE. EVEN FORECED INTO REINCORPORATING DOWN HERE. IT GETS TOUGHER EVERY TIME, BUT WE AREN´T GOING ANYWHERE. THE LEGAL AND CPA PAPERWORK AND ACCOUNTABILITY IS ESPECICALLY TOUGH.

8. THE DELAY IS OK, BECAUSE WE ARE STILL WAITING ON THE LORD TO PROVIDE THE MONEY AND THE PERFECT RESOURCES FOR ALL THE FULL TIME STAFF, DOCTOR, NURSE, AIDES ETC THAT COME WITH A FARM THAT HAS ROOM FOR AN ORPHANAGE AND AN OLD FOLKS HOME ON IT, AS WELL AS THE PROPERTY ITSELF. EVEN WITH JUST AN ORPHANAGE HERE, OUR STAFF WILL ALMOST HAVE TO DOUBLE IN SIZE PER NICARAGUAN REGULATIONS

9. FOR OUR OWN CHILDREN`S SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND SAFETY WHILE STUDYING IN THE STATES.

10. AGAIN, THE GOVERNMENTAL PAPERWORK IS HORRENDOUS, AND GETTING MORE DIFFICULT AND EXPENSIVE EVERY DAY.

11. Looking to buy (or get donated) a large tract of land to put the orphanage and old folks home on.
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Here’s how you can help PureHeart without spending a penny
Please Keep PureHeart in you mind at your job and ask about your company’s matched donations, or corporate donations. Help me to get ahold of them please. We are a stand alone 501c3 and are happy to share proof to any company wishing to add us to their ‘matched donations’ or corporate donations. We are extremely careful with every penny donated, meticulous in our accounting. That is why we are highly rated.

A TALL ORDER, BUT NOTHING IS TOO BIG FOR GOD, NOT EVEN DIFFICULT.

Please continue what you are doing to keep us going.. WHATEVER YOU’RE DOING, IT’S WORKING!!. pray, donate, and spread the word!

LOVE

DEAN AND WINNIE PETERS

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