Not long ago, 67-year-old Ninoska of Venezuela was enmeshed in witchcraft, dedicating her time to occult practices. After escaping an abusive marriage early in life, she sought revenge for the pain her husband had inflicted. “I began learning witchcraft so I could get rid of the father of my daughters,” she explains.
This life brought Ninoska many troubles and took a toll on her well-being. She recalls, “I was sunk in poverty and misery. At night, I didn’t sleep. Instead, I did evil things with witchcraft. At dawn, I bathed my daughters and prayed for them using many spells. My daughters started to hate me because I spent money on tobacco instead of giving them food. I lost everything because of witchcraft.”
Her life changed dramatically when a local pastor invited her to Bible League’s Project Philip Bible study. “The Word of God lifted me up when I was near death from three tumors in my lungs. Christ restored my life. He is my shelter and my help.” Many of her neighbors simply couldn’t believe that this woman was now a Christian, because they knew of her past activities. “Now, I preach the Word of God to them,” she says with a smile.
Ninoska currently serves full-time, ministering to the homeless from God’s Word and bringing them food. “I work mainly with young people living on the streets, and I also lead a Bible study for women and children,” she beams.
“The Word of God is the greatest treasure. It transforms each person and community,” Ninoska declares. Her dream is to study theology at the local university in Mérida, Venezuela. She shares the verse that continues to give her strength and peace in her journey: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8 NIV).
