INDIANS!
Sixty years ago the bayou region of southeast Louisiana was a wild, remote swampland inhabited by several distinct groups of people. One of these groups was a tribe of native Americans called the "Houmas". Most of the Houmas enjoyed living in the more remote areas in small isolated groups. Growing vegetables, fishing, trapping and hunting to supply daily needs, they sought little from the outside world. Over the years they lost most of their native Choctaw language and began to speak a dialect of French. Their religion was mostly a mixture of native and Roman Catholic mysticism.
Almost seventy years ago, God sent a French speaking preacher named brother A.D. Martin to a small settlement of Houmas on Bayou DuLarge. He was able to convince a few of the people to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to throw off the bondage of their superstitions. Brother Martin started a mission school to educate the Houmas in reading, writing, and simple arithmetic. The work was hard and almost died several times, but eventually a mission building was built for a school house, missionary home, and for preaching services on Sundays.
Today, a large mission church-house has taken the place of the tiny tin-roofed school house. The missionary and his family live in the back of the building. People from all of the different groups on the bayou now attend meetings on Sundays and other days of the week. Some of the Houmas have given their lives to Christ Jesus and more people come to meetings than ever before. There has not been a school for some time now since public education was offered with busses taking children way up the bayou and into the town of Houma. Some of the people are asking for the mission church to again start a school with simple, basic education for our bayou people.
There is a paved road now and homes that are fairly comfortable. Still, most of the Houmas choose to continue earning their living in much the same way as long ago. They are skilled at fishing, hunting, and trapping. The marsh and swamp is their home. They are suspicious of outsiders with some good reasons! Many, many of the Houmas do not read or write, and most adults still speak their colorful version of French. Most are Roman Catholic by birth. Native spiritists (like witch-doctors) called "traeteurs" minister to the sick and provide native cures as well as incantations, curses, and blessings. Religious trinkets and charms abound, and praying before statues (idols) and communication with dead ancestors is common.
I am a Houma Indian! Eight years ago through the testimony of some friends I heard the Gospel and believed on Jesus. I gave my life to Him and He forgave all my sin. I was baptized and now I even teach a Bible class for young boys. Many of my people are lost in religion without the Christ of the Bible. Many are old and will not be here long. I pray for my family that they might come to follow Christ Jesus. Please pray with us for all of the lost people of the bayous.