God's Guiding Hands

By the missionary team in Bogota

For a number of years work and ministry teams have gone to Bogota, Colombia to assist the ABWE missionaries in constructing new buildings and repairing existing buildings. High Point Baptist Chapel, of Geigertown, PA, has sent six teams to Bogota in the past 18 years. Men and women with differing skills have been a tremendous help.

In 1995 we purchased a theater building on the south side of Bogota. The $35,000 price was right, but the electrical installation was a mess and the entire structure from bathrooms to auditorium was going to need much work before the building could be used. In March, 1996, electricians, carpenters, painters, and helpers from Geigertown came for two weeks to work with the missionaries and a team of nationals to finish the balcony that would accommodate the growing church.

Tuesday began with prayer, then on to the business at hand: painting, wiring, building a partition and lowering the ceiling. After lunch, one of the Geigertown volunteers, Dave Cunningham, offered to climb onto the roof to patch holes made by stones thrown by local children. The corrugated asbestos roof was three floors off the ground and had 30 years of use. As Dave finished his work and began to retrace his steps, the men inside heard a crack and a thud. A tile had given way, and Dave plunged three stories to the cement floor of the auditorium.

Everyone rushed to see what had happened. Dave had landed on his back, between the rows of theater seats, and was lying on the floor. Moving Dave carefully was crucial so he was placed on a board, carried to the mission van and transported by missionaries Bob Trout and Butch Jarvis two blocks to the local hospital. Since that hospital lacked the necessary equipment they called an ambulance. Two hours later the ambulance arrived and Dave was transported to the second hospital. The ride was uncomfortable in an ambulance without shocks, bumping over Bogota streets full of pot holes.

In the second hospital, Dave's blood pressure plummeted to 50 over 0. Doctors literally "pumped" blood into Dave's body squeezing bags of blood and platelets into his veins. Those doctors decided he should be transferred to yet another hospital.

The trip to the third hospital was better as an ambulance with the missionaries and Dave drove quickly with sirens blaring through the streets of Bogota's peak afternoon traffic. The third hospital discovered that Dave's pelvis was broken in two places, but no other bones were broken except his little finger which he had hit on one of the seats as he came crashing to the floor. Because of the language barrier, Butch Jarvis and Johnny Bolin took turns spending the night in the hospital, and Duane Cross helped during the day. The Lord gave several opportunities for the men to witness to the doctors and nurses. Dave was released from the hospital on Friday, after only a three-day stay.

Dave was able to attend the following Wednesday night service at the Tunal Church where the accident occurred. The service had been planned from the beginning of the trip as a thanksgiving for the work God would accomplish through the nationals, missionaries and the High Point team. Little did anyone know when the service was originally planned how appropriate it would be as a time of celebrating God's power and protection.

Hearing of his amazing recovery, people said that Dave experienced the "guiding hands" of God who moved him from the roof to an empty space between the narrow rows of seats. The testimony of God's protection spread not only in Bogota, but also into churches in the United States. God does answer prayer as He protects us in our daily work.

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