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The picture left shows a scene on the main road that runs from Bujumbura to Rwanda. It was on this road that we later discovered we had been saved from an attempt to murder us and blame our deaths on the Interahamwe terrorists. Sadiki, Violette, Joy and myself with some choir members had been visiting churches in Burundi and Congo. The journey had been interrupted by a breakdown in the bus. Frustrated, we waited two hours to get on the road again. A mile or so down the road we picked up a soldier thumbing a lift. He told us we had missed a gun battle between the army and some terrorists by half-an-hour! We thanked God and resolved not to grumble again! A few weeks later a pastor came to Sadiki. He was sick and trembling with fever and fear asking to confess before he died. He spilled his story. He and three others had searched for us all day on the same road. They wanted to kill us because they envied Sadiki receiving help from white men. Because of the delay we were a day behind in our itinerary. They hunted on the wrong day! In 1998 Pastor David and myself were held up by a bandit at 10.30p.m. on the streets of the Rwandan capital, Kigali. I had joked with the bandit because I assumed he was a soldier. (The others thought how brave I was; afterward I thought how ignorant I had been!) Pastor Sadiki, who was driving, managed to escape and park at the police station. The police kept us until 2.30a.m. when an army escort arrived to take us to the hotel. The bandit was waiting on the road for us. The soldiers gave chase, lost him on his motor-cycle but discovered four accomplices in a jeep waiting to kill us. Six months later a pastor wrote to us asking for forgiveness for putting a contract on us! We have been excited to see such growth, now 60 churches and about 20,000 people in four countries, but there is opposition. God has answered your prayers for blessing and growth and protected us from all harm. We have enjoyed wonderful visits and made deep friendships. You are at the front line with your prayers. Perhaps we owe our lives to you. Please continue to pray for us. Colin Bond and the church at King's, Tavistock |
