The Whole Story--minus the angels' part :)

Wednesday night we were sitting around in the living room after putting the kids to bed, when Dave got a phone call. Thus began the events that would unfold for about the next hour. Josh and Amy Miller, our teammates, had been sitting in their living room (this is around 9) when three guys came up their driveway. They were casual and were calling out the traditional “hodi,” which announces one’s arrival. When they got to the Miller’s door, they claimed they were police and asked to be let in. One was wearing the uniform of a soldier. Josh refused and picked up the phone to call Dave and tell him, “There are some guys here who really want in…They have a gun!” and the line went dead. They had become increasingly agitated when Josh picked up his phone, and then pulled out their gun and tried to bang the door down. We have always wanted secure doors on our houses in case of theft. We have bars on the windows and a metal door outside the heavy wooden one. Even without shooting at the door, they were in the house within minutes. They had already shot twice into the house itself, both Amy and Josh getting down on the floor to avoid getting hit. After they got in, Amy ran to the office to hide and the men grabbed Josh and began beating him with a big stick they had. They kept yelling for dollars (meaning US dollars). At that time Hannah, the Miller’s oldest (who had been sleeping, along with the rest of them) started calling out because she had been woken up. Amy heard her and ran across the hallway to her with her phone in her hand. One of the men followed her but she managed to get in the kids’ room and lock the door (the other two children were in another room sleeping). The guy went outside and got a massive rock to knock the door in (a bit excessive, as the indoor doors could just be kicked in). He threw it against the door once and at that moment Dave came in our car, leaned on the horn to distract them, and all three of them ran outside immediately. They shot the car door that Dave was standing behind, Dave ran behind the other vehicle that was there and they shot twice again when they saw his cell phone light up to try and call someone. During the time Dave was there, Amy managed to get all the children in the shower and Josh locked the door again and got under the table.

After a couple shots, Dave decided that it was probably better to go back through the tall grasses and try for more help. At this time we didn’t know how many men there were, only that three were in the house.

If you have been to Mavuno, you will understand how isolated it really is out here. It is so peaceful, and we enjoy an amazing view and not the hubbub of the city. We border the lake in some places, and there are hills all rocks all around. However, because of this, it is difficult to hear from Tanner’s/Miller’s house to our house, or over to the village center. Typically if there is a robbery or someone needs help, there will be a whistle and call for help in the local center. One of our staff ran to the village to ask for help about this time.

Back at Josh’s house, Josh had been beaten quite badly, had gotten them money, and then they told him to lay down on the floor, while they held a hammer in their hands. Wisely, Josh refused to do this and told them he could get them dollars from the office. They told him to take them to the office right away.

Not knowing this, Dave and I were frantically discussing what to do next at our back porch door—Dave outside and me inside—and we heard a very loud shot that hit above Dave’s head. Dave went one way around the house and I ran inside, locking the wooden door behind me. Before I got to the hallway door, I could see the men and Josh on our porch—Josh looking very bloody. I ran into the kids’ room, told them to get under their beds (they were waiting right next to them), grabbed the baby from our room and piled in a corner. We prayed and prayed and prayed. We could hear the men in the house, and then Dave’s voice calling to them. The dogs followed Dave when he came into the house and the guy with the gun told him to stop or he would kill him. Dave continued on, he said it felt like a dream, telling the guy that he could get the money he wanted. Dave didn’t know Josh was with the men. Dave got in the office, moved one of the guys out of the chair next to the safe, sat Josh down and started getting stuff out. He pulled out envelopes of money, bags of coins (we continue to laugh at this, because they weren’t worth very much, but were VERY heavy), and while he was doing this he put all of our passports down to the side (we had short-termers who were leaving today, which would have been impossible to pull off—not to mention the rest of us trying to obtain 14 other passports). As soon as they took the money, they dumped Dave’s backpack out that was in the office and put all the heavy coins and money in (and inadvertently dumped out a huge money envelope of ours that was worth much more than all the coins put together). Then they took off down the road, we assumed to a waiting boat.

Dave and Josh went back to get Amy and the kids…the villagers came…MANY police came…our friends from Mwanza, an hour away, came, to pray and talk to the kids and do whatever they could (Aaron, one of our friends asked Carter why he didn’t blast the guys with his light saber. Carter said, “I know! It was in the other room!” )…and we finally went to a fitful sleep after 3.

Since then there has been one major lead on these guys. We are praying God gives the police wisdom (as we gave them diesel)  and that they are able to follow up in a wise way.

The longer the time between us and this incident, the more we see God’s hand in every single detail, and the more aware we are of His leading and guiding us, even when we felt panicked and alone.

We are absolutely in awe at the love and prayers of the Body of Christ. We have been totally bombarded with people who said they have prayed and are praying. We know for sure that GOD answered and is still answering those prayers. You all are amazing. THANK YOU.

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills - from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper! The LORD is your shade at your right hand! The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil - He shall preserve your soul! The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this day forth and even forevermore! "Psalm 121


The kids--they look like they're doing pretty well, don't you think?! :)