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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Husband and Wife (08/08/14)
They came for me in the night. My Aida had had a dream and warned me this would happen. It didn’t make it any easier.

We were asleep when they pounded on the door. Before I could get up they broke it down and were in our room surrounding our sleeping mat. Five men, armed with machine guns and machetes screamed at us, “Get up! Get up!”

The leader gestured with his gun to separate us. “You, husband, here, and you, wife, there. Husband, you will come now!” They leered at Aida, but let her be.

“Can I kiss her before I go?” I asked.

The leader, his eyes hard, his face stern and unyielding, said, “No, she will learn to live without you.”

The cell they threw me in reeked of fear, shame, hatred, human waste, and the sweat of thirty other men, the space so small we had no choice but to sleep in shifts. These were the dregs of society: thieves, murderers, political prisoners, and me, a prisoner for my faith.

The first two weeks depressed me and wore me down. Noise was a constant as half of us were always standing and awake. I knew better, but it seemed like God had abandoned me.

It was in the third week that He gave me His revelation. My promise to Him had been that I would serve wherever He placed me and whatever the circumstances. He opened my eyes to those around me: this was my church. These men were broken and hopeless. This was God’s door opening for me.

I spoke to them of Christ’s love, how He loved them for who they were. I told them of His free gift of salvation available to all who repented and trusted in Him. Many scoffed, spit on me, and turned away, but one by one they responded to the Lord’s call.

When the guards saw the change in these desperate men, it infuriated them. “We’ll teach you to speak of this Jesus!” They threw me in a pit with vicious, ravenous dogs. But something odd happened. When I entered the pit, their ferocity turned to terror; they tried to escape up the sides of the pit away from me. It confounded the guards, and they flung me into another cell with a different group of men. A brand new church!

Again, I obeyed the Lord and preached the Good News. Again, the rabble turned. Hope broke out. Faith arose. Many believed. Christ was exalted.

The authorities were beside themselves. They exhorted the guards to beat us. We sang as the whip lashes fell.

Finally they put me into a solitary cell. There I learned of God’s presence and comfort. He held me in the palms of His hands night and day. I never lacked because He provided.

They kept me in isolation for many months. During that time a number of the men who had come to the Lord under my preaching were freed. They told others of my plight. Eventually two guards opened my cell door holding large, canvas sacks, which they tossed them at my feet.

I looked at them perplexed. Without my asking one said, “These are letters, for you. How do you know so many people?” I couldn’t tell them; I didn’t know.

The letters came from all over the world, addressing me by name. They spoke of Christ’s love, and their love and admiration for me. This outpouring left me speechless and in tears.

Not long after, the warden came to my cell. He was angry. “I have no choice. There has been pressure on our government because you are here. You are to be released.”

That day I walked out of prison a free man. As I left they warned me not to speak of my Savior.

I simply smiled at them.


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Note: Jesus promised that we who follow Him will be persecuted. This is an everyday occurrence in many parts of the world. One ministry that Voice of the Martyrs provides is called Prisoner Alert, which enables us to write letters of support to our brothers and sisters in chains. When we come alongside them in this way we show the hostile authorities that the world is watching.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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This article has been read 636 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Brenda Rice
08/15/14
This is a compelling story right out of the gate. I was captured and in chains with you MC.

My attention never faltered. Good writing, great story telling, believable characters and a message beyond all others.

Thanks for sharing.
C D Swanson 
08/19/14
A really powerfully intense story that gripped me from the start to the finish.

God bless~
Terry Atchison
08/19/14
Really caught me, held me, moved me! Great stuff. A lesson in faith.
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
08/21/14
This is a thrilling story. I loved the way you displayed unwavering faith. Our church is all around us and it's easy for many of us to forget.

I think you may get dinged on the topic criterion. If not for the first paragraph, the story really wouldn't be about husband and wife. You show the relationship of Jesus and his church which is bridegroom and bride, but it's a subtle difference between husband and wife.

I do like your MC. You do a great job of developing him and making him come alive on the page. I think you had a strong beginning and the ending was fantastic. The best part of your story is the strong message. You did a great job with this one.