Taryembaye's name (pronounced "tar-yem-by") means "He Still Loves Me". His mother was happy when she gave birth to a son after having had several daughters, and said that it showed that God still loved her since He had given her a son. But his name has even richer meaning now than his mother ever thought it would, since over the past fifteen years or so, his life has become a testimony to God's love and protection through very difficult circumstances.
This is Taryembaye's story, as he has recounted to me and to others. I'm sharing it with his permission.
Background
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| Initiates dancing at an initiation ceremony in 2007 |
Deceived
Taryembaye had been warned by his Christian father not to go to the pagan initiation camps. His father never told him the details of initiation, but he taught him it was evil and that he shouldn't go. But in 2007, when the initiation cycle came due and it was time for the initiation rituals, Taryembaye was deceived by his smooth-talking pagan uncle into believing it was something good, and he went. But he soon found out he had been deceived and realized that it was idolatry and demon worship, but on top of that, the initiation leaders had an ulterior motive in getting him to the camp.“We’ve been trying to take vengeance on your father for years,” they said, “ever since he became a Christian and renounced the initiation rites. We couldn’t get him, but now we have you and we will take vengeance on you.”
Taryembaye immediately regretted listening to his uncle and wanted desperately to get out of there. But he didn’t know how to escape now that he was in the camp. He was surrounded by the traditional pagan leaders and the initiate boys, and he had no idea of his way through the bush. The others at the camp said that he would surely reveal all the initiation camp secrets afterwards. Initiation tradition dictates that no initiation secrets must be told - on pain of death. So because of this and because of his father being a Christian, they were determined to take vengeance on him.
All the initiates are tortured daily (except Sundays) with whips, for the full month of initiation. But they made sure that Taryembaye’s torture was the worst they could give. Taryembaye became aware they were talking about him and felt they were planning to do something to him, but he didn't know what to do. He tried asking his uncle for help, since his uncle was the one that brought him there, but though his uncle wept in distress at what was happening, he was afraid of the initiation leaders and wouldn't or couldn't help.
The Valley of the Shadow of Death
As the end of the initiation period approached, they prepared to get rid of Taryembaye. On the last night of the initiation camp, they dug a grave, getting ready to bury him - alive. They even composed a song to sing at the closing ceremonies, about how he had been devoured by a wild animal. They also defied God, saying that the Christian God would not be powerful enough to deliver him from their hands. But God had other plans for Taryembaye!
Taryembaye was trembling all over with trauma and terror and had no idea how to escape. He knew they were planning to kill him. The initiation leaders and boys finished digging the grave, but before they went to bury him, several boys went to relieve themselves in the nearby bushes (no bathrooms in the initiation camps). Taryembaye managed to mingle with them, unnoticed in the dark, and instead of stopping to do his business, he kept on going and ran into the dark bush - barefoot and naked (initiates are not allowed to wear any clothes for the entire period of initiation), terrified of being pursued, and not knowing his way.
After running only a few meters, he fell heavily, twisting his arm. With some effort, he got to his feet, got his arm back in the right place, and kept going. By God's guidance, he found his father's house, and begged his father for forgiveness for not having listened to him. "Now they're after me to kill me," he said, "and they will want to take vengeance on my family too."
In terror and self-defense, his father went to inform the village chief. Taryembaye knew that the chief would just turn him back over to the initiation leaders, who would then kill him. So he decided to flee, but he wanted something to wear first (he was still naked). The door of his father's house was closed, but it was made of flimsy corrugated metal, and being a very slender young man, he was able to force his way in. According to initiation customs, the initiation leaders had taken his things away, but they had missed a few items. He found a pair of pants and a shirt and jacket, and with some difficulty, wriggled his way out again.
As he stepped outside, he saw his father and the village chief returning, just a few meters from the house. The chief was armed with a large knife. He shined his flashlight on Taryembaye's face.
"Don't move, or I'll throw the knife!" the chief said. But Taryembaye fled into the darkness. The chief didn't want to shout louder or make a scene, as he didn't want the village women to know what was happening; according to pagan tradition, women aren't supposed to know about initiation secrets.
Taryembaye fled to the local Baptist church, narrowly avoiding being discovered by witchdoctors and initiate boys which he encountered along the way. He knew they would still kill him if they caught him.
When he arrived at the church, the choir was there, busy with an activity, but the church door was closed. So he went on and found the pastor's house, and told him the whole story of his narrow escape from death.
"Truly, initiation is an evil thing," the pastor said, "but don't worry. Now you are here, nothing bad will happen to you." And the pastor sheltered him in his home.
After-terrors
Soon after this, Taryembaye had a serious mental breakdown from the severe trauma he had experienced, and was placed in the local Christian hospital. He suffered from terrible hallucinations where he saw snakes, monsters, and many horrible things. It was some time before he recovered. During this crisis, many Christians prayed regularly for him.
Even in the hospital, he wasn't safe from the initiation leaders. One night, someone tried to force open the door of the hospital where he was staying, but could not get in and finally gave up and went away.
Another time, a large force of pagan initiates and leaders came to a nearby pastor's home. They had heard that Taryembaye often went there to take a shower before going back to his hospital room. They surrounded the pastor's home, armed with knives and other weapons, and declared they would destroy the pastor's house in order to get Taryembaye.
By God's providence, an important and well-known general in the Chadian military was at the hospital at the same time, being treated for an eye problem. When he heard that the initiation people were surrounding the pastor's home and threatening to tear it down to get to Taryembaye, he sent his own force of bodyguards to the house, giving them permission to open fire if the men attacked the pastor's home. The initiation men, seeing men in military uniform coming toward them, fled into the night.
During this incident, Taryembaye was in his hospital room, and only learned of the incident later. Once again, God had kept him safe.
One day, as Taryembaye thought he saw a person coming toward him, with horns on his head, and claws for fingernails. He felt sure it was the devil. Then he saw another Person standing in the doorway, not speaking to him, but just standing there as though to protect him. He felt that the Person was Jesus. Just another hallucination? Well, maybe it was. I don't know. But I do know that the Lord was protecting this young man. Soon after this, he recovered enough to leave the hospital, and the church leaders agreed to send him to a cousin in a remote town, some distance away over roads that were mostly impassible in the Chadian rainy season. He remained there until the initiation period was over and he was in somewhat less danger.
The Danger Is Not Over
About five years after these events, he was attacked by a crazed bull which he felt sure was demon-possessed due to spiritual attacks through the initiation witch-doctors. Whatever the reason, he had another narrow escape as he crawled through a gap in a nearby fence and took refuge behind it, while local women who had been fetching water from a nearby well screamed with terror. Some of the injuries he suffered continue to trouble him to this day.
In 2018, initiation time came once again, and again, Taryembaye was in danger from the initiation leaders. He took refuge again with his cousin in the remote town until the initiation period was over.
Even now, fifteen years after the event after he was nearly killed at the initiation camp, he is still in some danger if he goes back to his home village. But God has continued to protect him. In gratefulness to God, he has determined to serve Him with his life, and is now studying at the Theological school in Balimba. Maybe he will be a pastor someday, and the Lord will use his experiences to lead others in the right way.
Conclusion
Our spiritual enemy is powerful, and holds a tremendous amount of power over many people’s lives. But God is stronger, and He is still able to protect us even when all seems against us and we feel like everyone has abandoned us. He will never leave us nor forsake us.
Taryembaye's story is remarkable, but certainly not unique. Every time the ethnic groups in southern Chad hold initiation rituals, boys like him are being deceived into participating in evil, idolatrous practices that will damage them both physically and spiritually. Many church leaders struggle with fear of repercussions if they speak openly against it, and as a result, their congregations are not well-taught as to how God would have them respond to initiation.
Please pray for Christians to have courage to take a stand, pray for the Lord's protection on them, and pray for the continued spread of our most effective weapon in this battle: God's Word!
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