God is Good, and Swifter indeed!
Firing at them and bumping their boat, the M-16-armed men ordered the policeman and the boatman to jump into the sea. The two foreigners and their Filipino companions were told to board a second boat. Unloading the three kidnapped men and their photography equipments on an island, they were ordered to board a third smaller boat. Told to lie down, they were covered with ‘trapal,’ and one of the armed men sat on one of the foreigners, and the other sat at the opposite end of the boat.
“No pulling of human connections dear LORD JESUS, YOU and our family will go through this, just YOU because YOU are swifter than all men,” the mother prayed. “…and please give my son the time to love and serve YOU well, to YOU alone will I surrender him, …I pray for the kidnapped and the kidnappers and their families LORD,” she added. Within hours, a prayer brigade of family and friends all over the world was formed.
The boat just went round and round for about two hours. When it was taking a definite direction, the Filipino companion told the foreigners that they may be sold to the highest bidder, and once he is found to be a Filipino (he was often mistaken for a Japanese), he will surely be beheaded. He will escape, take the risk of being shot at, than be beheaded, he told them.
He heard motorboats and peeped. There was a commuter boat and some fishing boats afar. It was now or never, and his companions bid him ‘good luck.’
He held and pushed away the butt of the rifle above him and dove deep, swam under the boat, and farther. Not wanting to call attention to the ongoing kidnapping, the kidnappers drove off.
He swam to the nearest fishing boat and the Muslim fisherman fished him out of the sea, and ministered to him in their home. Most of them just want a peaceful life. By 7:00 pm, he was safely in the police station.
Latest updates: the two foreigners are now held captive by the Abu Sayyafs. It has been one year and six months since they were kidnapped.
The family and friends continue to pray for all the captives, the captors, all involved, and their families. Those who did this are forgiven and everyday is a fresh blessing from GOD.
His family learned of his kidnapping past 9:00 pm of the same day. They were kidnapped noon, he escaped around 2:00 pm, and was safe with the police at 7:00 pm. JESUS is swifter indeed! GOD be glorified forever.
No Comments