Blessing in Disguise

Last week at church, while giving out the announcements for the week, Ron reported briefly of the missinary work carried out in Africa. He told of this couple who faced much prosecution in the land that they were serving. When he mentioned prosecution, all I thought was probably just ignorance or turning on a deaf ear. But there was more to that, much to my own ignorance and shallow understanding of the word prosecution.

The wife was gang raped by five men from which one resulted in pregnancy. Her husband was beaten up mercilessly by these ruthless men. I froze in my seat when I heard that. It has just never crosssed my mind that it would be this dangerous. I get very emotional when I heard news of rapes, irregardless of whoever it concerns. That is violation, not only to the poor young lady's rights but also to her body which is not reserved for such animals. Then it brought to mind of why have the Lord allowed this? The poor young couple are traumatized. She has recently given birth and had complications. She is now recuperating in hospital.

I could not possibly imagined the turbulent emotions that the young wife is going through. What would she be thinking? If it was me, I would wonder if my decision of preaching in this foreign land was of God's will in the first place? If it was, why has He allowed this? I could probably endured other physical obstacles but rape?! Taking aside the physical torment, the emotional torment is even more unbearable. They have decided to raise the child. That is good news to the child. She would come to know the Lord, she would know of His saving grace because of her parents. That is wonderful news for this little child. Would I go through all that, all for the sake of this child, all for the joy of seeing this young foreign child being saved?

It brought to mind the merciless killings of the five missionary men in the African jungle. The Auca men who killed Jim Elliot and his friends are now open to the gospel, all because of that merciless killing 50 years ago. Back then, the news shocked the world too. People wondered why have the Lord allowed the killing? But now, as we look back, we would be thnakful because He has allowed the killing. If not for that, the Aucas would not have come to know the Lord. So, perhaps, this incident is really a blessing in disguise for the poeple in the land at which they served.

Keeping them in prayers. May the Lord bless them even more as they continue to labour for Him in this foreign land.