Quick post - he's back

S, my habi is back. He arrived recently from his country.

Things were hard - his family took him to a psychiatrist and then decided he had been possessed by "jinn" (demons) and took him to the mosque for the Islamic equivalent of an excercism. The imam shouted the adhan in his ear (gave him a headache for several days), spat in some water and made him drink it and hit him in the back of the neck and on the back. And hit the ground around him with a stick.I'm not going to go into a lot of detail. Suffice to say I think this is actually evil and pagan superstition.If we cast out demons with God - then He doesn't need all these ritualistic practices. If we cast the demons out through our own power - well since when does doing these things give us power over spirits?

Habi's mum flew in from overseas when they told her he had converted and when she heard about what had been going on she put a stop to it.

Both his parents cried for days and kept telling him "just promise you will be a Muslim." I feel for them and I know their grief is genuine - but whether it is conscious or sub-conscious they are actually manipulating him emotionally. Even though God comes above even parents, even though if he is Muslim for their sake then it is meaningless. His Dad begged him to just be Muslim and kept insisting he say shahada. Habi finally got fed up and said, "Fine, dad. whatever. you want me to be a muslim? I'm a muslim." Within 15 minutes everything was 'back to normal.'

Habi is devastated over his parent's attitude and the fact that they don't care about the truth or what he really thinks. They don't want to know whether he is really Muslim - they just want him to 'be a muslim' even if he is only doing it for their sake. Habi is really upset over his parent's attitude and how much they care for appearances and the community. He is disappointed over their blindness, particularly his father, whom he always looked up to. In many ways, although he still loves and respects his father, this has really shattered the image he had of him.

His parents are still calling constantly, his mother wants to come to Australia. He is putting it off as he just can't deal with that right now. He also has studies.

On a positive note, he is relying on the support of the Lord - even while he was home and going through such difficult times, he still had a sense of joy from God. He asks me, "How can I be sad and happy at the same time?" and says that if it weren't for God he wouldn't be coping right now.

He has also come back with a strong sense of independence and a desire to provide for me and himself. He is looking for a casual job to save money for our wedding and our future. Until now his father just sent him money but now he wants to make an effort to take responsibility. I am very proud of him and his resolve to do right by me, by himself and by God.

Please pray for us - for Habi to find a job, for us to cope financially - our car developed an oil leak and we are facing costly repairs, plus the costs of a wedding and the possibility that his parents could cut him off/refuse to pay his school fees.

Also that we will continue to walk with the Lord and to recognise His Will.

Thank you and God bless you all!