Missionary Couple Attacked In Kenya Re: article in Ottawacitizen.

Ottawacitizen.com ^ | July 12, 2008 | Linda Nguyen & Mark Barber

[lastchance]

...Eloise and John, 70, had recently moved into their own house on a gated farm in Kenya, where they grow food for local children. They were working with the non-profit organization Hope for the Nations, based in Kelowna, B.C.

The Bergens' lives have long focused on their faith. John said he first fell in love with Eloise after watching her perform with her family band at his church as a teenager. While in college, he befriended Eloise's professor parents, and before long, asked her hand in marriage. They became ministers together in 1962, and married in 1964.

The retired couple had moved to Africa to help widows and orphans in the city of Kitale and help refugees who had fled a political crisis.

They had been living in Kenya for four months when the brutal home invasion occurred. Eloise said after she was attacked the suspects demanded her car keys.

...

[lastchance]

Please pray for this couple. I excerpted from the middle of the article because the description of the attack is rather graphic.

[af_vet_1981]

"When I woke up this morning, I was picturing the time will come when John and I are physically well again," she said. "It's in both of our hearts to go to the prison and tell them about our forgiveness."

There is something unnatural about this sentiment ...

[dominic flandry]

I find it rather strange to have to hire security guards to protect you from the people you are supposed to be helping, or is it you are helping people who also need protection from the predators?

[Paved Paradise]

Remarkable story. Thanks for posting. Prayers up for these two for safety and healing.

[kc8ukw]

I don’t think that’s odd. For example, I built a couple of houses in Tijuana with Amor Ministries, and I think at night the campground we stayed in was gated and (much more lightly than here) guarded. The people they help may love them, but they aren’t the only ones around.

[raygunfan]

even in africa, interracial crime, black on white..\\

what a surprise.....not

[BwanaNdege]

We lived in Kitale in the 1980’s. It was a wonderful place, great climate, friendly people, affordable. We used Kitale as a base camp for our work in Pokot, Kenya and northern Karamoja, Uganda.

Security in Kitale was not a problem then, though we were ambushed in Karamoja. We always felt safe in Kitale and in the bush. Nairobi (”Nai-robbery”) was another story altogether. When we lived there our daughters school teacher was severly slashed with pangas (machetes) during a roadblock robbery.

We will pray for God's grace and physical & emotional healing for this couple.

[Charles Henrickson]

My wife just returned last week from leading a 16-day mercy medical trip to Kenya for our church body. She has made several of these trips there over the last few years. The vast majority of the people are friendly and safe and grateful, but there is always the risk of crime—especially in Kibera, the big slum of Nairobi—and so they have to have walls with razor wire and glass shards, as well as security guards.

[444Flyer]

Prayers up. What amazing people, God will heal them and will turn what Satan meant for evil into something good. I pray for their attackers, they have no hope outside of Jesus Christ.