He Lost His Hand but He Ministered to His Attackersspeakfreedomtexas.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/He-Lost...He Lost His Hand but He Ministered to His Attackers Collected by the 21st
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21ST CENTURY WILBERFORCE INITIATIVE | 405 NORTH WASHINGTON ST., SUITE 300, FALLS CHURCH, VA 22046 571-297-3177 | INFO@21WILBERFORCE.ORG | WWW.21WILBERFORCE.ORG
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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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