Two years ago in one of the interior districts of Haiti, people who were devotees of voodooism accepted the message and received instruction in a baptismal class. Their lives showed evidence of God's transforming grace, but on the day of the baptism, when they were taken into the water, the evil spirits that formerly possessed their lives vigorously protested. One man who was to be baptized turned white and became very agitated. His glazed eyes remained open as he fought against baptism, crying out, "Let me go; I do not want to be baptized!" The evangelist firmly held him and interceded in the name of Jesus for God to take control and to rebuke the evil spirits.
According to Ernest Veuthey, president of the Haitian Mission, this is not an unusual experience in this area. At almost every baptism at least one individual goes through a similar experience. Sometimes it becomes necessary to baptize the individual forcibly, but after the baptism a smile and an expression of contentment appear on the relaxed face. It is now the practice in Haiti to offer a prayer before every candidate is immersed in the water. To conduct .church services and evangelistic meetings un disturbed by evil spirits, a group of our believers usually meets outside the church or in a back room to pray during the time of the service.
