he lost his hand but he ministered to his...

21 ST CENTURY WILBERFORCE INITIATIVE | 405 NORTH WASHINGTON ST., SUITE 300, FALLS CHURCH, VA 22046 571-297-3177 | [email protected] | WWW.21WILBERFORCE.ORG SPEAK FREEDOM TEXAS He Lost His Hand but He Ministered to His Attackers Collected by the 21 st Century Wilberforce Initiative, July 2015 Tags: Ethiopia, Mob Attack Some years ago, during a church service in southern Ethiopia, a community mob attacked a local church which is located in a very rural area. The attack was the culmination of rising tension with some in the community taking active steps to target the Christians. The most immediate cause for alarm was that a young teenage boy who was a Christian had been killed and his body left in a local river. Nonetheless, the local church remain committed to corporate worship. On that particular Sunday, a mob was formed and right in the middle of the worship service launched an attack on the worship service. The choir had just finished their song and were moving to sit down and the pastor was rising to preach. The mob burst in, machetes raised and the joy of worship was replaced with the wails of lament. One of the choir members was killed. Many received permanent damage from the blunt trauma of the blade. One of the most traumatic cases was that of a young boy who lost his hand in the attack. Still a child, he would face the reality of his life with only one hand. His father was present during the attack and during the interview, the father was asked, “If you could see your attackers today what would you tell them?” He replied: “I haven’t seen them but… I love them… [The Lord] has brought so many good things in our lives. If I saw them I would ask them to rejoice and know my Lord.” Another man who was present during that attack and during this interview was named Noru. Noru also lost his left hand during this mob attack on the church. He described that afterwards he was taken to the hospital for surgery. After a period of recuperation he returned to his home village but he was unable to work. Most of those in the village are farmers and his ability to successfully farm was significantly curtailed because of the loss of his hand. However, Noru learned that one of the individuals who had planned and orchestrated this attack and who had participated had a son who had become very sick. Noru needed that this father would need to farm in order to take care of the rest of his family. Since he was unable to work, Noru volunteered to have the sick child of a man who had launched an attack on his life brought into his home. Noru personally nurtured this young boy back to full health. After describing that he experience he simply stated, “Whatever the cost I will stand for Jesus.” Following this attack and the actions of these believers, the tension in the community completely disappeared and the church experienced rapid growth as many in the community – including some who were connected to those who participated in the attack – turned to Christ for the first time.

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21ST CENTURY WILBERFORCE INITIATIVE | 405 NORTH WASHINGTON ST., SUITE 300, FALLS CHURCH, VA 22046 571-297-3177 | [email protected] | WWW.21WILBERFORCE.ORG

SPEAKFREEDOM

TEXASHeLostHisHandbutHeMinisteredtoHisAttackersCollectedbythe21stCenturyWilberforceInitiative,July2015Tags:Ethiopia,MobAttackSomeyearsago,duringachurchserviceinsouthernEthiopia,acommunitymobattackedalocalchurchwhichislocatedinaveryruralarea.TheattackwastheculminationofrisingtensionwithsomeinthecommunitytakingactivestepstotargettheChristians.ThemostimmediatecauseforalarmwasthatayoungteenageboywhowasaChristianhadbeenkilledandhisbodyleftinalocalriver.Nonetheless,thelocalchurchremaincommittedtocorporateworship.OnthatparticularSunday,amobwasformedandrightinthemiddleoftheworshipservicelaunchedanattackontheworshipservice.Thechoirhadjustfinishedtheirsongandweremovingtositdownandthepastorwasrisingtopreach.Themobburstin,machetesraisedandthejoyofworshipwasreplacedwiththewailsoflament.Oneofthechoirmemberswaskilled.Manyreceivedpermanentdamagefromtheblunttraumaoftheblade.Oneofthemosttraumaticcaseswasthatofayoungboywholosthishandintheattack.Stillachild,hewouldfacetherealityofhislifewithonlyonehand.Hisfatherwaspresentduringtheattackandduringtheinterview,thefatherwasasked,“Ifyoucouldseeyourattackerstodaywhatwouldyoutellthem?”Hereplied:

“Ihaven’tseenthembut…Ilovethem…[TheLord]hasbroughtsomanygoodthingsinourlives.IfIsawthemIwouldaskthemtorejoiceandknowmyLord.”

AnothermanwhowaspresentduringthatattackandduringthisinterviewwasnamedNoru.Norualsolosthislefthandduringthismobattackonthechurch.Hedescribedthatafterwardshewastakentothehospitalforsurgery.Afteraperiodofrecuperationhereturnedtohishomevillagebuthewasunabletowork.Mostofthoseinthevillagearefarmersandhisabilitytosuccessfullyfarmwassignificantlycurtailedbecauseofthelossofhishand.However,Norulearnedthatoneoftheindividualswhohadplannedandorchestratedthisattackandwhohadparticipatedhadasonwhohadbecomeverysick.Noruneededthatthisfatherwouldneedtofarminordertotakecareoftherestofhisfamily.Sincehewasunabletowork,Noruvolunteeredtohavethesickchildofamanwhohadlaunchedanattackonhislifebroughtintohishome.Norupersonallynurturedthisyoungboybacktofullhealth.Afterdescribingthatheexperiencehesimplystated,

“WhateverthecostIwillstandforJesus.”

Followingthisattackandtheactionsofthesebelievers,thetensioninthecommunitycompletelydisappearedandthechurchexperiencedrapidgrowthasmanyinthecommunity–includingsomewhowereconnectedtothosewhoparticipatedintheattack–turnedtoChristforthefirsttime.

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