Last month, we shared about a situation encountered by our partner, Vicky Waraka. Vicky was returning to Juba after visiting a village for the funeral of a family member. She was with a group of people and several vehicles.

It was very rainy, and one of the vehicles became stuck in the mud.

That’s when government soldiers came out of the bush. Vicky was sitting in the cab of one of the trucks. The gun-wielding soldier confronted the inhabitants of the cab, demanding to know who was in charge. When Vicky told him she was, he was not happy - he unleashed a storm of offensive language. The soldier said she needed to choose three people from her group for him to shoot in order to “pay back” for three of his friends who had been killed.

Vicky tried to explain that they were from Juba and hadn’t killed his friends. He just insisted, “You must give me three people to kill!” When Vicky told him she couldn’t do that, he replied that she would die instead. He fired his gun in the air from where he held it very near her face. He continued shouting, and told her to get down from the vehicle. She did, and he was still shouting so she knelt down, praying the whole time and calling on Jesus’ name. He shot a second bullet in the air.

In the end, he said, “Get up. You have helped people, otherwise some would have lost their lives, but because you believe in God - in Lord Jesus Christ - you have saved their lives. Go now.”

Vicky and her group left as quickly as possible. “All this time I have no fear,” Vicky said, “But after reaching home in Juba, I began to feel uncomfortable. Thanks to God for deliverance and protection. Psalm 23.”

Pray for Vicky as she works through suffering this traumatic experience. Ask the Lord to protect the vulnerable and to heal the hurting.