War Living: Part 3

Not all War Living was fun and games, as you can imagine - even for us kids.

Church often became a testimony service, with stories of protection shared, or prayers for families who had been under attack. From week to week we rejoiced with those who had made it safely to church and mourned those who hadn't.

Most of the farmers belonged to a sort of security network, a little like a party line phone system. If someone needed help they just had to pick up the phone and their message went out to everyone on the system. The nearest neighbours would rush to their aid. But at times there was nothing they could do - perhaps they were too far away, or under attack themselves. Many times people would sit in horror as the sounds of attack came through their system - screams and gunfire and cries for help - knowing they could do nothing to help, and hearing their friends killed. Some still suffer from the trauma of what they heard.

An English couple lived for years as missionaries in Zimbabwe. Their kids attended school with us and the family was well known. Their last assignment before returning home was an outlying mission school. They did amazing work among the locals and were well-loved by all.

One night the mission was attacked by a group of terrorists passing through. Mr Layle was hacked to death, but his wife managed to escape and ran for help. As she ran she was shot at and wounded. She crawled to the nearest house - only to find the occupants away for the night. Right at the front door she was raped and hacked and left to die. Their children were fortunately away at a boarding school, but the shock waves of this incident spread throughout the country. People rallied around the children, providing homes and support as their parents were laid to rest, and then helping them return to relatives in the UK.

Our family was lucky - we were shielded from many of the horrors of war. But every so often something like this would happen and the terror would hit home. Yet there were also miracles.

Alan Kok lived on a beautiful cotton farm that he and his family had owned for a couple of generations. At the start of the war they'd taken a few extra precautions, built additional walls around the house to prevent the windows being too exposed, made sure their workers were safe and procured a Ratel.

One Friday night he was sitting in his lounge, going through the Bible Lesson for the week, when he realized he'd forgotten his Bible in the bedroom. He got up to get it, and as he reached the bedroom there was a massive explosion. A mortar round had been fired into the lounge and exploded in the chair he'd vacated seconds before! His life was spared dramatically!

There were many tales of "lucky" escapes - God's hand was acknowledged in all of them. The people of (then) Rhodesia had never prayed so fervently. A country in trouble often produces people who really feel their need of God. It was a time of revival, of renewed committments to God. Churches of every denomination were filled to overflowing each week as the people sought God with all their hearts.

Many countries in this world have not had to experience war, have not been under threat. As a result their peoples feel no need of God - they're doing fine on their own thank you very much. Sometimes it takes times of trouble and despair for people's hearts to turn to God.