Terrorism

Definition: "Calculated use of violence against civilians in order to attain goals that are religious in nature..."

I finished praising God, writing the update and we all (J and D, BA -their friend from Nebraska that I did a revival with last year, and our sister in Taian L) were off for dinner.

BA was being herself and cutting up and finding Chinese phrases to botch at dinner giving her 150% while laughing and making us laugh. We were going over the schedule for tomorrow with L, what time they would meet at Walmart to purchase the gifts for the children at the orphanage. BA had earlier discovered a short cut through the campus gate that would cut out about 5 minutes walking. I squeezed through, L and then BA. We made our way in the dark and yet, again were laughing and planning and enjoy the walk home from the restaurant.

As the three of us made our way down the home stretch of road toward the hotel (we were less than one block away) I noticed a car in the road coming toward us however it had from the looks of things stopped. I stepped up on the sidewalk, BA closed in behind me on the road next to the curb, and L was walking a few paces behind her. I looked up and the car suddenly stepped on the gas and AIMED directly for us striking BA!

I cannot begin to describe the absolute horror of a body hitting a car. Seeing her out of the corner of my eye fly through the darkness and land on the grass behind me. Screaming, kneeling down and seeing the car stop, and then speed away. Before I go further, I will say that BA remained conscious calm and was making lists of what needed to be collected before the ambulance came.

I was shouting at L to call 911 (there is no 911 in China) shouting at the students to call the police to stop the car to follow it to do something. My friend lay calmly on the grass.

There is a saying in Africa "God is good all the time- all the time God is good" tonight He was being exceptionally good to BA. She conveyed that she was afraid to move but the pain was manageable she said "I'm a cancer survivor, I do pretty well in crisis."

J (who speaks fairly good Chinese) and D had still not made it to where she was hit. I yelled at L to go get them for surely they could not be that far from us. There was a crowd gathering, eye witness conferring what they had seen in rapid Chinese and cell phones pulled from every pocket that contained them. Finally I could see the silhouette of J's cowboy hat rounding the corner and L reaching him and telling him there was an accident.

Of course they could see something had happened, but with very little street lights it was impossible to tell just exactly what. It was 8:30pm - it would take until 9:15 for the ambulance to arrive on campus. It would take another hour for the police to arrive!

If there are health horror stories to be told - they are rampant in the third world. I have seen hospitals in many countries and health care professionals doing their best with what they have available to them. As BA was laying flat on her back, it was explained to the ambulance drivers that she was hit by a car, thrown and was laying where she was. The attendants brought out a stretcher, no back to it, no neck brace - and asked her to move herself! They slid her in the back of the van (there were no wheels on the stretcher or anything like you would see ANYWHERE in the US.

L (the Chinese sister) climbed in and off they went to the hospital - D arrived in time with BA's passport and insurance and followed in a cab.

The dark of the night fell like a heavy cloak over the scene.

This was the most flagrant demonic attack I have ever seen in my life! The car was stopped in the road and then FLOORED it and crossed into the wrong side of the road to directly hit BA.


I could further mortify and horrify with the scene that ensued at the emergency room of the hospital. I will spare you the details but know whatever you are imagining the conditions as far as sanitary or orderly or helpful or rational or reasonable erase them and replace them with blood, crowds and chaos. BA was calm.

We were praying and praying and praying to which she would respond at the end "I'm really doing pretty good considering." After CAT scans, x-rays, and numerous exams the doctor determined they should keep her 4 or 5 days to watch for internal injuries. They decided to try and get a room (by this time the Police, the Foreign Affairs officer as well as the Police for Foreigners had arrived). D and J inquired if they had different rooms for foreigners - they all laughed at the same time (apparently one of the teachers had been at another hospital where there were separate accommodations for non-citizens).

Here a hospital stay requires someone stay with you at all times. They do NOT serve you food or water - you must have someone bring it in as well as laundry and other things we would take for granted in a US facility. We are not in "Kansas" or anywhere near "OZ" even, this is the third world where you do NOT get what you pay for.

After reviewing the 2nd CAT scan the doctor informed the growing crowd of friends, teachers, and prayers that he wanted to insert a tube to drain the blood in her chest and determine if she was still bleeding. Prayers were uttered, discussions on pain, drugs, surgery, anesthesia, and every other manner of question flurried around the doctor that spoke enough English to say, this needs to be done soon.

Shortly after the procedure started, the Police officers were returning to the campus - it was well past midnight and I decided to take my chance and have them bring me back to the hotel and to this - CALL FOR PRAYER!

As I said, BA has "the peace that passes all understanding". As for me (D too as she keep saying) I am WRECKED! I feel totally vulnerable, totally attacked, as well as dealing with the emotion and guilt of how close it could have been me laying flat on the grass, pants ripped open by the force of the blow trying to calm a hysterical bystander with "I am okay really not too bad" utterances.

My close friends remark how often I use "battlefield" terms when relating the "Harvest" and activities I partake in. Tonight's events are so totally shocking to my senses, my sensibilities, my faith in a Protective Father -we have been in the trenches - advancing into enemy territory, dug in a trench of successful planting when - BOOM!!! My buddy has fallen right beside me. What do I do?