In the animistic hill tribes of Cambodia, if a person dies unexpectedly, the village community views the death as a curse from the spirits. Community members often avoid attending the funeral out of fear of being contaminated by the curse. They may also shun the deceased’s family and demand large sacrifices to appease the spirits.

Recently, a 55-year-old Tampuan man, baptized in September, died in a motorcycle accident. The wife, also a recently-baptized Adventist, and their family chose to honor his decision to follow Jesus by holding a Christian funeral instead of a traditional animistic one. This choice meant the community would not permit the funeral to be held in the village itself. Instead, it took place in the forest just outside the village. Although the village chief gave permission for the Christian funeral, several community members gathered during the service and tried to force them to offer sacrifices, preventing them from leaving the funeral area. Ultimately, some church leaders managed to reason with the village elders, allowing the family to return home and harvest some of their ripe crops.

A week after the funeral, a group of us went to help the family with their harvest. When we arrived, the village chief greeted us warmly. We asked him if anyone in the village had suffered a bad consequence for allowing the family to have a Christian funeral service. He smiled broadly and said that all was well.

We are encouraged by the family’s decision to continue following their newfound faith despite strong pressure from the village to offer sacrifices. We are also very thankful that God worked in the hearts of the village elders to release the family from the funeral site, and to show the unbelieving villagers that His power is sufficient to protect against Satan and any curses.

• Twitter