Abducted Pastors Miraculously Rescued from Terrorists in the Middle East

Report: Bibles for Mideast

All praises and glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

We have mere words to thank and praise our Lord Jesus Christ for His unspeakable grace and gifts. He is Wonderful Counselor. He always hears and cares His children.  We praise and thank Him for rescuing the abducted missionaries Stephan, Samuel and James of the “Bibles for Mideast” from the terrorists miraculously. We thank every prayer warriors who were fasting and praying for them around the globe.

Lord brought Pastors Stephan, Samuel and Evangelist James back to us this evening safely (On 20 June 2016). They are so tired and weak because of the tensions, lack of food and sleep and were walking a long way through the dessert.  When we saw them we all became emotional at them. We embraced each other and wept together with praising our Lord.

Pastors Stephan, Samuel and Evangelist James describe what was happened.

They said, “After the worship service and Lord’s Supper we were going back home. On the way we met somebody who smiled at us and said Assalamu Alaikkum, which means peace be with you. We replied and got a chance to say about the real peace and the Prince of Peace Jesus Christ. We explained him with Bible verses about Lord’s birth, life, His ministries, crucifixion and Resurrection and the need of salvation for everybody. Accepting Him as savior and Lord is real peace, freedom and the way to heaven, we said.

At once few extremists jumped on us with iron pipes and stickers, took the Bibles from our hands by force, tear it and thrown it away. We consider the Bible is precious for our life. So we urged to take it back. At that time somebody started beating us, others said “kill them – kill them”. They together beating us with shouting Allahu Akbar.

At once a bus stopped near to us and the travellers jumped out and attacked the extremists and rescued us. By bus itself they brought us to the hospital and admitted there. One of us (Evangelist James) was more injured.

When we were in the hospital we felt unusual movement from somebody against us. So we asked the doctors to discharge us from the hospital. Though Brother James was not yet good for walking properly, we did not want to leave him alone at the hospital. He too asked us to take him with us. So we helped him to come out.

We hired a taxi. It was a fake taxi. There were two other passengers also inside the taxi. But when car moved, they took out the revolver towards us. At the gunpoint they asked us many questions about our ministries and its workers. We tried screaming loudly. So they tied our mouths and hands. They assaulted on our heads and faces. They accused that we are propagating western religion. They said we have no right to live more on earth and we would be killed. Then they tied our eyes too.

About three hours might have passed.  We knew that we were taken from the car to some other people. We suppose they were the leaders of the group. They too were shouted and assaulted, when we have fallen down they did a savage attack on us. Finally they locked up in a cellar.  They untied our eyes, mouths and hands and locked the door.

Cellar had a bad smell with the smell of dead bodies and human waste. Wall have seen the marks of blood on the wall. There was not even windows and ventilators, except one small door. We thought our death is near.

We called upon our Lord Jesus. We hold our hands each other and prayed for our Lord’s will be done; and also prayed for experiencing the salvation of Jesus Christ for those who attacked, abducted, assaulted and put us into the cellar and ask the Lord to make them Lord’s witness. Hours of hours we prayed. We could not sleep. We did not get any food or water.  We were not aware of the day and the night. And there was very hot in that cellar. But God gave us courage to remain faithful under those trials. We were surprised to learn that we did not feel to pass urine or motion. Our Lord protected us.

Maybe after three or four days, we clearly felt our Lord’s presence in that cellar.  A bright light spread over the room. We felt the  flavor of costly perfume. We praised and worshipped the Lord. During our prayers we felt an oil was applying in our bodies. First we thought it was done by terrorists before taking us into the execution. Then only we realized there was nobody else with us. Our Lord has done it. By the anoint of the oil all of our outer and inner injuries healed.

While we were praying we saw a small creature was going through a small hole. We got a nail from the wall and tried to make the hole bigger. We felt there would be having some chance for us to escape.  So we digged the hole deeper and bigger. And we saw a small door opening to a narrow passage.

We praised the Lord and entered into the passage one by one. We might have gone through the passage in its darkness probably 100 meters. The fear of enemies with stun gun, fear of snakes, fear of wild creatures hunted us, but there was an unspoken courage guided us. The passage ended at the desert, which is outside of the main wall of the terrorists. 

From there we have run very fast. There was a pleasant moon light. But we did not know where to go and to which pole to go. We saw a bird rounding upon us. We do not exactly know whether it was an Eagle or Falcon.  First we thought it was a local bird. But by its performances and way of flying, we understood it was from the Lord to guide us our way. So we followed the way.

More than 42 hours we walked through the desert. It was very hot. Temperature was moreover above 45°C (113 °F) and having wind of sand. But on the day time we felt the shadow of the clouds. Second night we took a rest upon the sand under the moon light. Three to four hours we slept there. While on sleep, we all three dreamt same dream that Lord’s angels came and fed us with tasty foods.

The bird itself knocked on a door with its cock and we wondered (and afraid) because it was not the house where we were staying earlier. But our fellow missionaries opened the door and were astonished seeing us. We embraced together and rejoiced in our Lord.

When we came out to see the bird, we found it was disappeared.

It’s the second time our Lord Jesus Christ saved us from death. First, he saved us from sin and death through the salvation. Now He saved us from death by the hands of terrorists. So we submit our total life to Jesus Christ. And it is our top most priority and responsibility to do His ministries and winning the souls unto His fold.

Praise Him and thank Him forever and ever. Amen !”