Miraclous Blessings during Civil Unrest

"I spoke with my parents about the situation in Congo. We truly are blessed to be in America. We were visiting Independence Hall in Philadelphia one day where the chain of command would pass from George Washington to John Adams who would then become the next president of the United States. Our tour guide said that at the time those in attendance were unsure how the power would switch from one man to another and if that would happen in peace or not. There was no battle, gunpowder or violence: one walked in as president and another left as president. Here's a picture of the room where this happened." Read more about Congress Hall here. - Melia

"The missionaries we call refugees are senior missionaries that were evacuated from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Violence broke out during the recent elections there and many were randomly shot during the election protests. Our couples were on the last flight out to safety. Most have been staying here in our building and have some pretty scary stories to tell. A Mission President in the DRC is among those seeking refuge here in Johannesburg. He urged all the missionaries to store a supply of everything needed to survive for the weeks prior to and during elections as civil unrest was expected to escalate into violence. Obedience paid off as the young black missionaries were confined to their quarters in the DRC for three weeks. With no work to do, they were encouraged to maintain their morning routines which include scripture studies. How easy it would be in such circumstances to slack off and sleep in! Commitment paid off when shots were fired through their window and penetrated their bed in the early hours of the morning. Two young elders were very grateful to have been out of bed, ready for the day and studying their scriptures . . . and to have lived to tell about it.

One of the “refugee” senior couples we talked to said that they live in very primitive conditions with two buckets in the room that were not on their “bucket list.” One bucket was used for bathroom needs and one to fetch water in. We assume they must be diligent about not mixing up the buckets! They must decontaminate their water and disinfect all food. We are blessed to have good tap water here. We do filter it, though, and must wash all produce and eggs in bleach water." - Sister Basso