No amount of opposition prevents a young woman from following truth.

My name is Deborah Atchali. I am 22 years old now, but I have been without a father in my life since the age of three. My uncle, Atchali Paka Peter, did his best to support my mother, sister and I, but life was hard. Uncle Peter’s finances were strained, and our regular—and expensive—visits to the village juju did not help. (Since we were not blessed with good fortune, we thought that we had offended the spirit of our dead relatives by not bringing enough chickens or pigs to the witchdoctor.)

One day, a friend of Uncle Peter’s informed him of an evangelistic campaign nearby. Uncle Peter attended the first day, and he came home very happy. He asked all of us to go and listen to the Word. My mother was reluctant because she had practiced idol worship all her life, and she was afraid that attending would displease the spirits, who would bring a curse on her and the home. But my sister and I, along with our cousins, attended.

The meeting was wonderful. Our life changed when we realized that God is more powerful than all the spirits combined. We learned from the Bible that spirits are Satan’s evil angels and not the spirits of the dead, and although permitted to tempt and to annoy us, they need not overcome us. When we learned this, we were set free, and we stopped the ceremonies without fear of the spirits. We began attending church even though my mother refused to follow our lead.

Then one day, another uncle from our home village visited with a message. We were being summoned to perform traditional ceremonies for someone who had died. We told him that doing this was against our faith, and he left—but not without threatening us with death and misfortune. Uncle Peter said that God would protect us. Our panicked mother asked us to collect the money and to go to the village, but we would not. When my sister became sick, our relatives told us that misfortune befell us because of our new faith, yet our church family did not leave us: they fasted and prayed, and we felt God’s presence. My sister recovered, and after many Bible studies with Bible workers, I made the decision to surrender my heart to the One and only Jesus. I thank the Lord for what He has done in my life. Truly, “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.” Psalm 27:10.  

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Location
Togo

Author
Told by Deborah to Agamah Balakibawi, a district pastor in the Kara region of Togo.

How You Can Help
Pray for Deborah as she learns more about God’s last day messages. Pray that God will give her strength to cope with the challenges in her life.

Pray for the eight Bible workers as they seek out those who are searching for the truth. 

Donate to the evangelistic work in Togo by sending your gift marked “Togo Bible Workers” or “Togo Churches” to: 

Mission Projects International 
PO Box 237
Kirksville, MO 63501

To give securely online, visit:
missionspro.org/donate

Thank you. Your gifts sustain eight full-time Bible workers and one full-time evangelist who are bringing God’s last warning to Togo.