Berita NECF Newletters

Ex-temple Dancer Finds Christ

Her powerful voice belies her slender, small frame that is the result of her early years in disciplined dance training. While most girls at the age of five years were occupied with dolls and masak-masak games, Vani Francis was busy bending and twisting her tiny body, limbs and fingers to the commands of a temple dance trainer.

For many long years, she obediently submit to her instructor’s demanding routines in her preparation to become a temple dancer. Apart from the grinding dance training, she also took on singing lessons, focussing on classical vocals as her major.

As a little girl, Vani never questioned her family’s choice for her career as a temple dancer. After all, hers is a faithful family of priests from generations before. And she, with her fine looks and talents, was expected to continue the priestly line, like her mother who was (and still is) a temple dance instructor. But with gained confidence in her singing talent, she decided to venture out into professional singing to widen her scope as an artiste.

So, at the age of 15 years, she started out on a hectic life of shuttling between pubs and functions throughout the country. For several years, she reveled in this life of freedom and recognition but the excitement soon faded and the late nights became a dark dread. Worn out by the time she reached 21 years, Vani turned to witchcraft, hoping to find peace and meaning in her life. Trained under a witch, she specialised in necromancy—the art of foretelling the future by conversing with the dead.

But that did not bring her the fulfillment that she was seeking. Soon after her involvement with the black art, she came down with a disease that inflicted intense pain to her body. The few doctors she consulted found no reason for her pains. Finally, one night, Vani called out the name of Jesus, promising to follow Him if He would take away her pains. She had earlier heard about Him and His ability to heal the incurable. That night, she discovered the truth—that He is the one true and living God.

Today, Vani is passionately proclaiming Jesus as the only Saviour wherever the doors open. Married to Marshall Francis, a former Malaysian guitarist in the local secular entertainment circuit, they are now based in Louisiana, USA.

They have found music to be an effective tool of evangelism. Somehow, people receive the gospel message more readily through songs, Vani says. "I believe music softens the hearts and breaks the walls." This was clearly demonstrated at the recent Celebration 2000 evangelistic meetings where Vani sang at the invitation of the event’s organiser, NECF Malaysia.

Since she went into full-time ministry seven years ago, she has recorded three albums. These days, Vani is shifting her ministry focus to preaching and teaching on subjects such as New Age, Eastern religions and spiritual warfare/deliverance. She observed that many Malaysian Christians are still ignorant of the occultic nature of some forms of dance. For example, ballet and jazz are cultural dances but some dance forms are really religious worship dances.

Vani shared the experience of being called by a pastor of a local church who was concerned that some of his members were sending their children to learn temple dance. The pastor organised a meeting and invited Vani to share her experience as a former temple dancer. "At the end of the meeting, many went up to confess and repent. It was an eye-opening experience for them," she said.

"Be careful about the looks of certain dances. The costumes used are beautiful and the movements look so graceful. But don’t be deceived," she warned.



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