Many of you had heard what happened to me at the end of last week through our different family members but I decided to blog about it anyway… I am recounting most of the details so it is a bit long.
Thursday night Kyle was at a meeting and so I decided to have my friend Diana over for dinner. After Diana and I ate, we chatted for a while and then I decided to “give her a push.” Thats what you say when you are walking someone part of their way home and is very common thing to do here. Diana lives about a quarter mile down the road and it is a very direct route from our place. It was just before 8pm and already dark. We know that our road is not the safest at night and we usually avoid walking their alone after the sun sets around 7:15. My plan was to just walk Diana part of the way home, but as we were walking and talking I went a bit further than I usually do, but still did not reach her place.
After I said goodbye to Diana I turned and headed back home with my phone in my hand. The lights along the road are very sparse but there are a few. As I was walking in the shadows I eagerly awaited getting into the glow from the next light outside a small store along the way.
I saw a group of people, about 5 or so, approaching a bit aggressively so I moved to the side of the road to avoid them, set my gaze to the ground and kept walking. I looked up just in time to see a young man about 5’6’’ taking a swing at my head. He hit me right where the bottom of my ear meets my jaw on the left side of my head. I was pretty startled by this blow and have a hard time remembering specifics after that. I know that I threw my arms up to try to protect myself from further blows and I let out a yell that did not sound like my voice. People that were outside the nearby store heard me yell and met me with “I am sorry” “So sorry” and “Are you ok?” as I approached them. I asked one of the older men to walk me the rest of my way home, about 75 yards. Kyle left the meeting when I called because he knew I would not call during the meeting. He got a good scare to hear me in tears on the other line and made it home in lightning speed.
Kyle got home and as I was telling him what happened we noticed a large tender spot on my upper arm that was already starting to bruise, I still have no idea how I got that. We were both very shaken up but glad that they did not harm me more and that our baby was safe. Somehow I was able to sleep that night and spent the next morning trying to process what had transpired.
The next day the man that walked me home came to my door and told me that the police had caught 5 guys that admitted to “beating the mzungu lady.” He told me that the night before he had reported to the police what had happened and the police got another report that a university student was beaten up and had her phone stolen later that night. The police wanted me to come make a statement so the guy wanted me to go with him. I was a bit apprehensive so Kyle and Trey went to the police station without me. The police really wanted Kyle to come back with me but while they were there, they got to see the 5 guys and hear some of the details of what they confessed to. Kyle found out that the boys were between the ages of 15 and 18 and this is not the first time they have tried to beat someone up to get their phone and re-sell it for money. They also heard that they did not try to harm me more because I was “too strong.”
When Kyle came home and reported what he saw and heard I decided that I could manage going to the station. When I got their I had to wait for an officer to take my statement and so I asked if I could see the boys while I waited. Other officers shoved the boys out of the wooden cell and hit them over their heads on their way to me.
The smallest boy, the one who hit me, stepped forward and did not want to look at me. I asked him his name and he told me it was Immanuel, I asked him if he knew what his name meant. He told me that he did and I took that opportunity to remind him that God is with us now and God knew that he tried to beat me the night before. Immanuel asked for my forgiveness and I gave it to him but then reminded him that it did not matter if I forgave him or Kyle forgave him or if these police did, it only mattered if God forgave him. Ultimately, I told Immanuel, that he has to answer to God and so he should live in such a way that would honor him. I did not speak with those boys for longer than 5 minutes but I hope they picked up on some of what I said. Kyle also spoke to the boys and imparted some wisdom to them, then I finally gave my statement to an officer. The officer asked me questions and was writing while I re-told the story, then he handed it over for me to sign. The best line said something about how I was “boxed in the cheek.” That was his way of describing that I was punched in the side of the head, and grammar of the statement gave Kyle and I a good chuckle.
We are both so glad that the Lord was able to use this situation that was intended to evil. It is a relief to know that the boys had no more ill will besides wanting my phone, and to know that the Lord was protecting us the entire time. The Holy Spirit gave me the words and the boldness to speak to those boys and the Lord knows how those words will be used.
