Thanks for your supportive messages
during this difficult time. The tension has by no means gone away and the town
of Nzerekore still has a heavy military presence. Some shops have reopened but
it seems that many people are still afraid to venture out, for fear of being
attacked. More than 60 people have been killed and more than 100 wounded in the
clashes.
Just a few short stories on how people
we know have lived through this:
Augustine, Mariam’s son (the lady who
works as our house help), lives in Koulé, the town where the violence started. As
the situation there deteriorated, Augustine wanted desperately to return to
Macenta but found that the route was blocked off. He’d even thought about
returning by foot through the bush, a 50-mile journey, but was advised that it
was too dangerous and to cautiously wait for the road to open. He arrived by
motorbike on Friday morning, much to the relief of his mother and the rest of
the family.
Pastor Jacob from Macenta was
attending a Sunday school workshop at the main evangelical church in Nzerekore
when a group of people burst into the grounds, brandishing rifles and machetes.
The attendees fled for their lives, leaving their motorbikes, computers and
other materials for the Sunday school workshops that were going to be held this
month. Fortunately all attendees survived but two women were beaten up. All of
the materials for the workshop were destroyed. The assailants entered into the
church and set fire to pews and two houses on the compounds were burnt. The
national Sunday school coordinator who had been leading the workshop and had fled
to Macenta, bravely returned to Nzerekore to accompany these two women to their
village.
In Beyla, Dr Loua, a government doctor
and regular collaborator with our mission, was pursued and killed for being a
Kpelle (Guerzé).
This testing time has given rise to
discussions on us being agents of God’s peace, and as Christians, how to react
to those who want to incite racial hatred. Tensions are high. Within the
Christian community, racist language is being used. We’ve heard how the Christian
community has been affected but not much information from other points of view.
Be with us in prayer for the bereaved, for
the violence to stop and for these communities to get to the root of their
grudges and work towards reconciliation. Pray also for Christians to exhibit what
Romans 12:9-21 describes, the marks of a true child of Christ, so that others around
them see the difference. Please, don’t forget Guinea!
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