Sivini - Part II: Seek Peace and Pursue It

Stories from the McFarlands ( by Bruce, from his 20008 Wycliffe speaking tour.)

" But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure;
then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."

-- James 3:17-18

At Christmastime 2006 in the town of Kainantu, before Sivini became a Christian, there was some fighting between two clans of the Kamano people. An AK-47 type gun was used in the fighting. Eight people were shot and three died. The Kamano people reckoned it was Sivini’s Usarufa people that provided the gun. So the Kamano were obligated to get them back.

In early June 2007, after Sivini became a Christian, an Usarufa public motor vehicle ran out of fuel while traveling on the road through Kamano territory. For the Kamano who had lost loved ones in the fight at Christmastime 2006, this was seen as a golden opportunity to get even with the Usarufa for the killing they were responsible for. So a group of Kamano people attacked the Usarufa using bush knives and guns. Of the five young men that were on that public motor vehicle two were able to run away without getting hurt, but the three others were shot. Of those three, two were wounded, but one, a man from the Usarufa village of Moife, was killed on the spot.

The next day many Usarufa people gathered around their fighting leader, Sivini. They wanted to get the warriors together to go take care of the attackers. Sivini wanted them to stop talking about fighting back. But what could he do now? Everyone was looking to him. What he says goes. He called six men to him and set out to talk with the Kamano leaders. Three of the men were carrying guns.

On the way there he began to feel pain coming to his stomach. These were the same feelings he used to get before a fight. Whenever he got this pain, people always died. So, in front of the men he got on his knees and started to pray, “God you know I am a changed person. You know I am not going to fight but I go for peace now. Please stop this pain so no one will die.” He felt the pain instantly go away.

Then he put some special leaves on the guns. Through this old, cultural custom he was showing the Kamano people that, even though the Usarufa people had guns, they were coming in peace.

Sivini chose to talk with some Kamano Elders at a place called Amboi. Amboi was where, not too long before this, a peace treaty had been signed between the Usarufa and Kamano people.

Sivini told the elders that the people from the village of Moife did not want to fight. He said, “Go back and tell all the Kamano people that we will not be paying them back.” Sivini went on to tell them that he had killed many Kamano people, but God has changed his life. He told his testimony of how he confessed his sin to God and that Jesus was now his Lord. He shared how he is now working with a Bible translation team.

Later, back in the village, the other men told everyone what had happened. People were shocked that Sivini told the Kamano that he had killed some of them and admitted that he was the key person to plan the attacks. His people said, “You shouldn’t have said that; now they will come and kill you.”

Sivini's response will warm your heart. Sivini told them, “It is OK if someone kills me, for I have accepted Jesus now and am ready to die if He wants me to. I have confessed everything to God, so I am not afraid.”

It is known that Sivini plays a big role amongst the Usarufa people. If Sivini says to fight, they all will fight, but if he says not to, they will respect that. Both Kamano and Usarufa people everywhere are asking, “What has made the big change in Sivini's life?”