Psalm 91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely He will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the Lord, who is my refuge – then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For He will command the angels concerning yu to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “ I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges My name. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
Sunday was a normal day for us. We took the kids to church and then came back to spend the afternoon with them. We made plans to go eat dinner with Jill and Katrina at 7:00 and then head to the Ethiopian Village Restaurant. Jonathan was supposed to come on Monday but instead, he called to tell us he was leaving Iganga and would be in Kampala that evening. Kenneth came thirty minutes late that night and we had to swing by to pick up Jonathan. We didn’t end up getting to Café Roma until around 7:40. God already knew. We asked Kenneth to come pick us up around 8:45 and got to the Ethiopian Village around 9:00. The place was already packed outside with the view of the big projection screen so we were seated in a small open room in a semi-circle. If we had arrived an hour earlier as planned we would have been seated outside near the screen. We watched the television inside while facing the big screen which was slightly blocked but still in view through the window in front of us. People were seated all around and behind us ready to watch the final game of the World Cup. I was so exhausted at this point and could barely focus or keep my eyes open. 2 extra minutes were added to the first half and then the whistle blew. Immediately the bomb went off. In that second I had a million thoughts run through my mind. It felt like an eternity. My first thought was that a circuit had blown. Then I saw the billowing cloud coming towards me. “BOMB!” My body was screaming at me. Everything went silent and the color seemed to drain. We were under attack. The boys jumped up and shoved us all into a corner and we waited as the smoke cleared. All I could do was grab whoever was near and pray. “Jesus, please! God, please!” I couldn’t even make a sentence. Nothing made sense. I was sure gunshots or another bomb would come next. I waited in fear for the men to run in with guns. They never came. When the air around us cleared and Jay saw people leaving he screamed “Let’s go!” and we began to file out. All of us unharmed. I stood up in that place a new person. My mind is etched with the images I saw in the next few seconds. People behind and around us were dead or mangled. Blood, debris, and other unmentionable things littered the entire area. We slipped in the blood that painted the ground as we climbed over chairs, tables, and people. A woman and young boy were on the floor completely mangled and staring in shock. They were unresponsive. She had glass in her face and upper body and the boy’s legs were nearly gone. My stomach hit the floor.

How were this people around in such terrible condition and we all escaped with barely a scratch? Psalm 91 is how. There is no way we could have protected ourselves from the bomb that went off just feet from where we were sitting. It was as if God literally placed angels around us. We were not acting out of our own strength or state of mind. God was breathing life into us; showing us that his ways are perfect and that He has a work for us in the future. How humbling! How majestic and magnificent is our God!! Who am I that the Lord of the Universe would choose to protect me? I am in awe.
When we made it out we weren’t sure what to do. We called Kenneth and asked him to hurry and come retrieve us. People were screaming and crying all around. They lost loved ones and our group walked out whole. One man caught my attention. He was on the ground crying. I wasn’t sure if he was hurt and needed help. He responded to me by saying I am ok but my brother….he has died. A rush of emotion hit me and I felt for this man. I cried right there by his side for the hurt he was feeling. My heart broke right there on that street corner for all of those who one second were seated near a loved on and the next second mourning the loss. As we sat there and cried and prayed, two more relatives of his walked up and hit the floor with the news. How thankful I became in that second that the people I loved were safe. My African family was untouched. PRAISE GOD!...but these people were suffering an immeasurable pain right at my side.
We weren’t sure whether to stay in this area because it had already been hit and may not be again or to walk down the road away from the scene because it may be targeted again. We were confused and unsure. Police with the huge guns and ambulances began to arrive and raid the scene. People were being run out, some missing limbs, some ripped to shreds, just screaming in agony. I can still hear the explosion and the screams. When I close my eyes I still see the scene…the little boy. We decided to walk. I was shaking and couldn’t catch my breath. Finally Kenneth came and we were rushed to Sozo to be away from the city and be with the kids. Sleep did not come that night. We stayed up reading and watching the news. Somali terrorist were thought to be responsible. Plans were being made to change flights and get us home. We made the terrible phone calls home to our parents.
It took hours to finally stop shaking have the ability to take a good breath. As the adrenalin began to wear off the throbbing headaches and ringing ears set in. Our bodies are still covered in a protective state of shock. Loud noises make me jump and my heart race and the darkness makes me panic. Night time is dreadful and you can forget about me sitting next to the window. In all the madness all I can do is praise God. I am in awe! I can still see the images and feel the rumble but I feel at peace because I know God has a plan for my life. He had a reason for protecting me and now I am excited to see it unfold.