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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: HOPE (joyful, confident expectation in salvation) (03/05/15)
The guerrillas came to the village just after dark. Yuri’s mother had called him to come in, but at twelve years old he was beginning to push back a little to test his limits. The next thing he knew an iron grip held his arm and a rough voice said, “Which house is yours, boy?” Yuri struggled a moment, but when he saw the mask over the man’s head and felt his captor’s tightening fingers, he stopped in fear for his life.

Suddenly his mouth was dry and words wouldn’t form. He tried to speak, then had to point. Other black shapes materialized from the forest as the man pushed Yuri in front of him toward the tiny dwelling he shared with his parents and baby sister.

Yuri’s mother came out at that moment and stifled a scream as she saw who was with her son. She called inside, “Manuel, please come.”

“You are Christians,” the man said as Yuri’s father came to the door. “We have warned you.”

Without another word one of the other men fired his gun and Yuri’s father slumped to the ground. His mother gasped and tried in vain to revive him as tears streamed down her face.

“Your son is now ours. You’ll never see him again.” With that the band of terrorists melted back into the depths of the Columbian jungle.

They took Yuri on a march of many days, joining with other raiding groups, and finally reaching their primary camp. With the stress of the death of his father and the long unaccustomed hike, Yuri slumped into a deep sleep, not even rousing when called and shaken for dinner. They let him be.

The next morning his training began. The FARC guerillas had a constant need for fresh troops because of the ongoing battle against paramilitary and government troops. Their target was young boys like Yuri because they could mold and shape them to their Marxist ideology.

First discipline with punishment, then when Yuri learned to obey, his teachers handed him his first gun and showed him how to kill. Even as his physical skills increased he was schooled in the ways of socialism. They taught him how unjust the capitalists were who ran the country and how only the revolution could change that.

Already dying inside through separation from his family and knowing his father was dead, any spark of life residing in his soul leached out when on his initial mission he killed his first man. As the years passed he gained in skill and stature within the guerilla community, his Christian upbringing a long forgotten memory.

When the prisoner was brought into the camp, the commander assigned Yuri to guard him. “Do not believe his lies,” his leader ordered.

They bound the man with chains to a large tree with limited freedom of movement some distance from where the fighters gathered. For many weeks the man tried to talk with Yuri as they sat in the twilight of the day, but Yuri resisted any communication. After becoming so bored he couldn’t stand it anymore, Yuri broke down and asked the man his name. “Samuel” said the captive.

Yuri and Samuel began to talk. It wasn’t long before Samuel told him a story that dredged up conversations he’d had with his parents. The story was about a man named Jesus. As Samuel spoke, a deep longing filled Yuri’s heart.

He hissed, “Shut up! I no longer want to hear this.” He stepped away and for the rest of that night kept his distance.

Inside he fought with the feelings that emerged as this Jesus continually came to mind. He couldn’t shake the thoughts that roiled him day and night, so on the third evening he approached Samuel and said, “Tell me more about Jesus.”

Contrary to everything Marxist, Yuri learned about sin, not arising from social inequality, but from the dark heart of man. He knew it was true.

Samuel asked Yuri if he could acquire a Bible. Yuri did, and in that quiet time away from the main activities of the camp, Samuel read to Yuri from it and explained God’s way.

Something broke inside Yuri. He realized it was the wall separating life and death within him. At that moment he fell to the ground, great sobs wracking his body. He cried out to Jesus and knew He was with him. Light surged within his body. Yuri was forgiven and returned from the dead.
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This article has been read 915 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
C D Swanson 
03/13/15
You write really well and extremely descrptive.

This jarring read makes it all the more difficult because of the subject matter you depicted of which is so prevalent in the world news today.

The conclusion gives us hope and brings a ray of light into your entry.

God bless~
Teresa Crumpton 
03/13/15
This piece was engaging from the very first and drew me along. I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen. Nice job.

I hope it's the beginning of a longer story because it's so interesting, I want to hear more of Yuri and how his changed life affects other people. Excellent.
Chris Goglin
03/13/15
I agree with the previous post, I wanted to hear more about Yuri! Each paragraph flowed so well into the next and was a thought-provoking summary of how terrifying and hurtful people can be. Excellent writing!
Trace Pezzali
03/15/15
An excellent heartbreaking story scary because of the reality of these circumstances. My only stumbling block was how Yuri got hold of a bible in a camp where no one was Christian.
Phyllis Inniss 
03/16/15
The story was engaging, but I too wanted to know more about Yuri's getting a Bible and how it was possible for him and his captive to read it.
Gary Ritter 
03/19/15
Since I received a couple questions on the story as to how the guerrillas could obtain Bibles, I thought I'd give that explanation here briefly. There is evangelistic activity going on in Colombia whereby the FARC guerrillas, the right-wing paramilitary groups, and the Colombian military are all the focus of various ministers of the gospel. To reach those in the deep jungles, many evangelists risk their lives to get the Word of God to them. Bibles and other religious materials are airdropped to the guerrillas. Although the gospel is anathema to their Marxist ideology, many Bibles get into the hands of those who need them. In addition solar-powered radios tuned to a single Christian station are directed to the guerrillas in the airdrops, so in their boredom they listen to the Word and many are converted. Obviously the word count limitation hinders a further explanation of this sort, so I hope this helps any other readers of this story.
C D Swanson 
03/19/15
Congrats!

God bless~
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
03/20/15
Congratulations on ranking 5th in your level and 19 overall. Happy Dance!