“My search has come to an end, and it didn’t cost me a penny!” Helen said as we sat listening to stories from other ladies who had been searching for meaning and purpose in their lives. One had been to the Himalayas to practice meditation in search of enlightenment.
Helen continued, “I woke up on Christmas morning with a strong sense of assurance from Jesus that He was ‘the way, the truth and the life, Jesus has blessed me as I have been reading the Bible. I have learned so much, and it’s not what other people have told me I should believe, it’s what God has taught me from His Word.”

Graham and I had arrived in Ireland on a Friday afternoon and learned that we would have an opportunity that evening to meet two Irish ladies who had recently started coming to the group. As the Bible study got underway, both ladies began to tell of the struggles they had been having that week. Since they had begun to attend the meetings, they had been experiencing spiritual warfare. As tears began to flow, I suggested that we have special prayer for them both. We surrounded them, and Graham and I prayed, asking God not only for peace and protection for them and their families, but that He would reveal to them anything that was giving the devil a foothold. Immediately, Helen thought of some things she had at her home related to her New Age practices.

Disappointed with her experience in the Catholic Church, Helen had turned her back on established religion and begun a search to find meaning in life. This led her to the New Age movement. “I enjoyed the sense of power associated with some of the activities, such as being able to channel,” she said.

However, the Holy Spirit was at work in Helen’s life, and she realized that something was still missing. On Christmas morning she was overwhelmed with a sense of God’s love for her and Jesus’ confirmation that He was “the way, the truth and the life.” She started to read her Bible and attend the Friday-evening and Sabbath-morning group meetings. As we spoke with her after the meeting on Friday, she expressed her desire to destroy all her New Age items.

Helen arranged with the local district pastor to come on Sunday to meet a friend of hers who had some questions. I and some others from the Adventist group were also present. To Helen’s surprise, her friend brought another lady from the New Age group. I could see that Helen was uncertain about how the meeting might go. I silently prayed that God would send His Spirit and give her peace.

For three hours, the district pastor shared about the great controversy and what happens when a person dies. Several of us were able to contribute to the Bible study. “The New Age movement seemed at first to be a thing of light,” commented one of the ladies, “but having gotten into it, I now realize it’s a thing of darkness.”

It was an intense period of study, and at the end of it, those of us who had been fasting and praying felt drained. Helen decided she would burn her items another day. Though she wanted me to be there for it, I had to leave the following morning because of my work commitments at the British Union office. Due to prior appointments, the district pastor was not able to be back in the area until two weeks later to provide spiritual support for Helen as she burned her items and then had a house blessing.

The battle continues, and we have learned that some of the ladies from the New Age movement are doing their best to pull Helen away from the Adventist group. Please join us in praying that Satan will not be successful and that these ladies will truly break free from his kingdom of darkness and experience life in God’s kingdom of light.

Over the past 10 years of our service with AFM, the needs in the field have been increasing. It is evident that our projects would best be served if Pauline could be involved full-time. Will you prayerfully consider partnering with us so that together we can continue reaching the unreached of Europe and Central Asia through our combined work as full-time field directors? Thank you.

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