A Testimony of Transformation

By Tening Mane, as told to Beryl Forrester


Tening Mane & his wife, Tara


The most important part of my house was the front door, because we all knew that the spirits of our ancestors dwelt at the entrances to our houses. We would pass through there cautiously, because we firmly believed that the spirits had great power over our lives; it was our obligation to stay on good terms with them.

Every year at the beginning of the rainy season here in West Africa, we would assemble our agricultural tools – the hoes, mattocks, machetes, and shovels – and lean them up against the doorposts. Then we would say to the ancestors and Satan, “We are ready to start cultivating and planting the soil ahead of the rain. We ask you to grant us plenty of rain, to protect us from thieves and insects, and to give us a good harvest.”

At the end of the harvest, we would again gather around the door and thank the ancestors for having provided our food for the months ahead. On both occasions we would offer alcohol or animal blood, poured out to seal our devotion to the ancestors. Failure to thank them would certainly result in sickness or other misfortune.

When we experienced hardship, sickness, or disaster, we would immediately go to the witch doctor to ask for his help. We needed to know who had put a curse on us, what sort of countermeasures we should take to protect ourselves, and how to repay our enemy with an even greater misfortune. We would seal our curse on the enemy with an offering of a rooster or goat, and the witch doctor would give us an armband with a verse from the Koran sealed in an amulet. The verse offered protection from evil. Other times the witch doctor would write the verse in ink on a paper, then wash out the ink in a small amount of water. We would rub that water all over our bodies for protection against evil.

Whenever there was a death in our family, we were obliged to go to the witch doctor to find out who had put a curse on our family member and brought about his or her demise. This involved many ceremonies and counter-curses on the enemy – which also meant spending a lot of money.

Before marrying a woman, we had to consult the witch doctor to know if the marriage would be successful, if there would be children, and if the woman would fill her proper role of submission.

One of the worst lies in our culture is about the status of women. Men don’t respect them at all. All the work around the house and the farm and all the child-rearing responsibilities fall on the woman. She must always offer great respect to her husband and wait on him hand and foot. If she makes a mistake, she is brutally punished and there is no forgiveness, pity, or affection.

Another heavy lie we live with is the belief that as African males, we are inferior and less intelligent than our white counterparts. When we look up at the sky and see the huge planes flying effortlessly above, we say, “See, the white man can make anything happen.” When we go for medicine, we want it to come from the hand of a white man, not an African. When the gospel is preached, it is more believable and powerful when it is preached by a white man.

All these things and much more were part of my worldview; I never doubted any of it. I was totally unaware of any other reality.

But in 2005, EMM missionaries came to our village in Guinea-Bissau and began telling us about Jesus. Before that, we had no idea there was a Messiah. We knew God existed but we didn’t know he had defeated Satan.

Through gaining knowledge about Jesus, I began to realize the presence of God all around me. I learned that he loved me and that it is to him I owe my worship, obedience, and faithfulness -- not to the things that he had created. I learned that I was created in the image of God. I began to realize that Satan was using all this witchcraft, sorcery, and lies to keep me and my people in total darkness.

From the Bible I learned that God alone has all power over his creation. I turned my heart towards God; I began to leave the shadows and come into the light. I was so happy to leave behind the horrors of slavery to Satan. I have now rejected all these demonic ceremonies, sacrifices, witch doctors, sacred sticks, and fears as lies of Satan. I have replaced them with faith in the living God.

Now I feel love towards those who would do evil to me. I am able to forgive those who do wrong to me, and I want to share God’s grace with them instead of returning evil upon them.

I know also that God has a beautiful design for a man and woman together in marriage. Anger towards my wife has been replaced with an intense love, and I know that God wants me to have only one woman to whom I am always faithful. I know that we have been created to be caring and committed to each other. I enjoy helping her with work around the compound. I know we share mutually in the troubles and sufferings of life.

I know that God has created me with great intelligence to care for his creation and to get from creation the things we need to maintain a good life. He has created me to know how to distinguish good from evil.

Every day I thank God for the new life he has given us; I look forward to continuing my walk with him.

Tening Mane lives in Guinea-Bissau.

Beryl Forrester serves with EMM in Guinea-Bissau.