Loving the Enemy
As they walked away from the mountains, Festo and Mera talked about the new life ahead of them.
"What shall we do now?" Mera wanted to know.
"We will have to work hard," Festo replied. "Refugees from Uganda will need our help."
"What we need now is someone to help us," Mera replied with a laugh. "We are refugees, too!"
Hark looked up the word refugees in his heavenly dictionary. He learned that it meant "people who had left their own countries because of war or bad things happening there."
On the safe side of the mountain lived a man who owned the only car for miles and miles around. He had set off that morning for the nearest town. Suddenly he remembered something he had forgotten. He turned the car around and headed back home. Then he spotted two very tired, drooping people walking beside the road. One of them was wearing a bright purple shirt.
The man stopped the car. "Who are you?" he asked in amazement. "And where have you come from?"
Festo told him his story. And the man believed him.
"Would you like a ride to town?" the driver asked. "It's a long way to walk -- nearly seventy-five miles!"
Festo and Mera were grateful. But they didn't know if they had enough money to pay him.
"Why, I wouldn't take your money! I'll do it for free," the man laughed. So in they climbed.
Their new friend dropped off Festo and Mera at the house of a Christian minister. The minister had heard about the bad things going on in Uganda. He was saying his morning prayers, asking God to keep Festo safe. That's when he heard a car pull up to his house.
The minister looked out the window. There was Festo in his purple bishop's shirt. He and Mera waved to the minister, and the poor man thought he was dreaming!19 He never expected to see his prayers answered right at his own house!
What joy they shared then! They laughed and cried and marveled at God's love. He had led Festo and Mera safely through the past terrible months.
Seeing them safe at last, Hark's thoughts turned to Uganda. He flew back to find out what was happening there. He saw many people walking, riding, and running toward the country's border.
"Some are crossing swift rivers. Some are walking through the land of wild beasts," Hark wrote.
Just then a guardian angel arrived to help the King's people. "They even passed by lions! But God shut the lions' mouths just like He did in the days of Daniel," Hark told him with a laugh. "I saw it happen."
"Are they escaping to another country where people respect the laws and the laws respect the people?" the guardian angel wanted to know.
"Yes," Hark replied, waving goodbye to his friend. You know, don't you, that angels can speak to other angels regardless of time travel!
Then Hark visited some of the homes of Christians who were staying behind. These were families whose husbands and fathers had disappeared or been killed. He looked at the peaceful faces and shining eyes of the women and children. They were sad, of course. It's awfully hard to lose someone you love very much. But Christians know they will see each other again one day. So they were peaceful, too. The Father's house is a great place for reunions, Hark thought.
Next, Hark took one more trip back to Rwanda to check on Festo and Mera. He found Festo in a church, praying. Hark turned to a new page in his notebook. He wrote down the prayer. This is how it went:
"Oh, Jesus, see my heart. It is hard and bitter against President Amin. I am angry about the pain and suffering he has caused us. Forgive me for feeling like this. Help me love President Amin and pray for his soul."
Hark watched Festo. For a long time, he thought about Jesus and how He had loved His enemies and died for them. He watched Jesus heal Festo's hard, bitter heart and fill it with love.
Hark remembered what C.D. had told him about Festo's life in the years after this. "He spoke to people all over the world, telling them about God's love," C.D. had said. "And as soon as it was safe, he went back home to Uganda."
C.D. also had told Hark that Idi Amin was forced out of Uganda in 1979. When Festo and Mera went back there, they set right to work. Festo helped start a program to feed the hungry children. He brought in doctors and medicine to keep them healthy. He helped widows and troubled people. And he helped build windmills to bring fresh water to villages.
Thinking about the work Festo would do, Hark remembered his own work. He quickly finished his report. Then he headed back home to heaven.