Expat Church
Since
the demon wasn't
coming out over the phone and I wanted Christians who had experience casting
out demons to join us, I
told Kristin that there is a
large expat church with many missionaries in the capital city of the southeast
Asian country where I was. If she wanted, she could fly to that city, where I could meet
her and take her
to that expat church, where missionaries could gather to pray and cast the demon out of her.
Kristin said she would appreciate that but she has yet to be paid by her kindergarten, so she didn't have the money for the flight.
The decision to help her wasn't made lightly, but it was the only one that could be made. In the Bible, of all the people who came to Jesus and His disciples asking for demons to be cast out of them, none were turned away even though most of them arguably were non-believers. Kristin wasn't a non-believer; she wasn't even just a Christian; she was a young but courageous missionary who had chosen to serve in a remote part of China that most older missionaries shun, so there was no way her request for help could be turned down by any Christian. In fact, Christians should want to help someone like her.
She asked for how long of a trip she should pack. In the Bible, demons came right out when commanded, so I replied that it shouldn't take more than a day to cast out the demon, but she needed rest after what she had just been through, so she should pack for a week.
I had visited that large expat church once when I was in the capital city, had found the sermon disappointing but met some nice people, including an Australian elder who had been a missionary for a long time and with whose family l had shared a nice meal after the service. After booking Kristin's flight and conveying its details to her, I emailed that elder, reintroduced myself, introduced Kristin and her situation, and asked him to please gather his church's prayer warriors to cast the demon out of her.
Instead of doing so, he replied that he had "asked our team leaders for some ideas on this situation," and copied an email from a woman who expressed skepticism about Kristin's situation and said she wished to speak directly with me. But when I emailed her, answered the questions in her forwarded email and asked for her phone number to call, she replied, "This all sounds very fishy to me. I do not know you. She is flying in from China. How did you meet her? Why is she coming here? I do not feel the freedom to deal with this myself as I neither know you or her, and my husband is not interested in getting involved."
I sensed that her skepticism was a cover for her fear, but why did she fear? Jesus is the Creator, while demons, even Satan, are mere creatures. Jesus is our Lord, so why did she fear a demon?
In any case, I sent the woman a polite email thanking her for reply and copied the Australian elder. Perhaps relieved that she no longer needs to cast out a demon and/or mindful of the elder who was copied in my email, her next reply was more polite.
I expected the elder to intervene and gather the payer warriors himself, but he remained silent. I was disappointed that an elder who had been a missionary for a long time not only shied away from helping a young missionary in need but that he also hid behind a woman. But I had no time to dwell on them as Kristin's flight was landing that afternoon.
So I went to that expat church, found its pastor, an Englishman, in his office, introduced myself, explained what was happening, and asked him if he would pray for Kristin with me and anyone else from his church who would like to join us. As he listened, the smile with which he had greeted me evaporated, his face became flushed, his eyes showed fear, and he replied that the Christian foundation that owns the church compound whose premise his church rents doesn't allow him to cast out demons.
Incredulous, I asked him how such a policy could be justified in light of Jesus' clear command for us to cast out demons. He replied that the policy is what it is and that he had to abide by it. I then reminded him that Kristin's flight was landing in a few hours and asked him if he could provide a room where at least I could pray for and try to help her. He replied that that was forbidden by the foundation as well.
I left his office, found on an exterior bulletin board the name and phone number of the man who is in charge of that Christian foundation, and called him. The man replied that while his foundation has no such policy and he is okay with Kristin being prayed for and helped at his compound, he thought it wouldn't be allowed by the policy of the church that rents the compound from his foundation. He said the permission I needed was the pastor's, not his.
Just then, the pastor appeared on his scooter, heading toward the exit, so I approached him, and presented him my phone so that the two men who were pointing fingers at each other could talk. He took it reluctantly, and upon realizing who was on the line, turned off his idling scooter, got off, and walked away from me for privacy. He returned a few minutes later, handed my phone back to me, simply said "No," put his helmet back on, restarted his scooter, and rode out of the church compound.
I walked out of the compound and began to walk around aimlessly praying for the Lord to provide a place where at least I could help Kristin. I was staying at a cheap guest house with very thin walls. If the demon shrieked there as it had over the phone, it would freak out the entire building. I needed a place with at least thick walls that afforded some privacy.
As I was walking and praying, I saw through an opened gate a courtyard with some kids running around. There was a man with them and the place had the feel of a church, so I stepped inside the courtyard and asked the man if he spoke English. He said he did. I then asked him what kind of place this was. He replied that it was indeed a church and that he was the youth pastor.
I explained my situation to him and asked him if he had a room where I could pray for Kristin and try to help her. He said yes and took me upstairs to a small chapel. It was perfect. I thanked him and the Lord, who had answered the prayer, and left to meet Kristin at the airport.