Last night at 1:00 am, six men with a couple automatic rifles broke through Mr. Bot's (the assistant pastor) front gate and unsuccessfully tried to kick in his front door.They went to the back of the house and got in via a ladder going up to the kitchen.Just before, Bot had heard his dogs barking and had come down from the kitchen, finding the robbers were only 15 feet away from him.He ran away to the far corner of his property and hid.The robbers saw him run, and two men followed with flashlights.They looked for awhile, and just as they were about to stumble upon his hiding spot they gave up.
The robbers tied up Bot's 12-yr old son and searched the house for money, hitting Bot's wife with a piece of wood several times.Finding little, they grabbed Bot's sister-in-law and niece as hostages, two young unmarried women who live on the same compound, and headed west in the black night towards Bot's fish hatchery where two of Bot's other sons were sleeping.Most of the neighbors were awake and witnessed the robbery from their houses (the robbers had lights), but all stayed at their homes frozen with fear.
As soon as the robbers left, Bot's wife ran over to our house and woke us up. Deb and I grabbed a powerful flashlight and hurried over to Bot's house. Bot then came out of hiding.He was shook up and a bit paralyzed with trauma and indecision at first, but I soon convinced him to go with me towards the fish hatchery to look for the two kidnapped women.Deb stayed with Bot's wife and prayed.Bot and I (another young man followed) headed down the road where the robbers had gone.I prayed as we went, for the lives of the two women - and for ourselves too, realizing we made easy targets if we came upon the armed robbers because I was shining the flashlight about to look for the women.I have to say I was a bit afraid.
But God wonderfully answered our prayers.We had gone only about 300 yards when we found the women walking back towards us.The robbers had released the two women, nor had they decided to enter the fish hatchery where Bot's two older boys were sleeping.Neither had either woman been raped as I feared, although Bot's niece had been injured when a robber hit her on the head hard with a rifle butt when she could not get her earrings off fast enough for them.
The results of the robbery could have been much worse.Robbers here are brutal, and killing and violence come easily to them.We thank God how He protected Bot's family.
Bot's family were very relieved that Bot had been able to escape and they all believe he would have been beaten mercilessly, perhaps shot, had he been found, as is the practice of robbers here.They were frustrated because they believed Bot had hundreds of dollars in the house (a fortune here) from selling fish fingerlings last week.Bot had in fact just taken most of the money the day before to repay a debt.A substantial amount that was left was locked in a cabinet.Bot's wife had given the cabinet keys to the robbers, but they could not fit the right key to the lock.They left with very little booty.At one point, in frustration, a robber raised his rifle to club Bot's wife on the back of the head as she crouched on the floor.When he raised the gun, the gun's magazine fell out and onto the floor. Distracted, he fiddled with the gun and managed to reinstall the magazine, but apparently forgot that he was about to club her.
Bot's kidnapped sister-in-law kept her cool and laid down on the dirt road in front of the robbers and asked for mercy, reminding the robbers that they also had wives, sisters, and daughters.They let them go!Despite all the beatings and threats, there were very few serious injuries.Bot and the women could easily have been killed.Had the older boys been in the house, they would likely have been badly beaten.
The blessings get better.Deb just ran into Bot this afternoon on the road and had an exciting conversation.Deb asked how he was feeling.He said, "very good."He gratefully related all the ways God had protected them during the robbery, but then said "the robbery made me realize I like peace too much, that my first instinct is always to run away from conflict, even leaving my wife to fend for herself."He went on to say that for years he has been quiet in the church, never wanting to confront Pastor Sok because he dislikes conflict.He said, "I still want peace in the church but we don't have peace now, and avoiding confronting Sok has not brought peace." He told Deb about his dreams (mentioned in my previous journal) and said that after the 3rd dream, he woke up immediately, believed he should talk to Sok, and wrote the document I spoke of in the last journal.In fact, he planned to present the document yesterday in church but chickened out after Pastor Sok spoke 2.5 hours straight, then dismissed the people right afterwards.
Bot admitted he has feared Sok, but this robbery has taught him he doesn't need to be so afraid of Sok.Deb said, "well I guess if God can protect you from 6 robbers, he can protect you from Pastor Sok."Bot laughed.Bot related how Pastor Sok had ridiculously claimed during a recent Sunday sermon that "the assistant pastor wants me to die."Bot laughed and told Deb "he's just trying to get me angry, but he can't - I don't know how to get angry."Deb replied "not all anger is wrong, Mr. Bot."Bot agreed and continued, saying he knows it is time to deal with Pastor Sok.
Hallelujah, we say!How we have been praying that Bot will stand up for the truth, continue his gracious humility and gentleness, but without fear of men.Please don't stop your prayers.There's a spiritual war on.We believe God is doing great things and He's in control.Whether God or Satan or whoever arranged the robbery, God's making good of it.