(C&P) Members of my church robbed and kidnapped in

This is a C&P from The Gazette Virginian



BY PAULA I. BRYANT G-V STAFF WRITER

It was dark, and they were running behind schedule due to road construction in Guatemala City, but little did a group of eight mission-minded Christians from Grace Baptist know that would be the least of their worries Friday night.

Around 8 p.m. as the group was riding a bus to their mission home headquarters outside Guatemala City, they were kidnapped, accosted and robbed.

Lisa and Kenny Conner, Steven Blosser, Darlene Harrington, Joe Briscoe, Rex Elliott and Dr. John Lenzen praise God they were not injured when a car abruptly came up on their bus, and several men began firing automatic weapons.

"These men forced the bus to stop by pulling in front of it," said Grace Baptist Associate Pastor Dave Cline.

"They removed the driver from his seat and then took the bus to a remote location off the road before robbing them of all their jewelry and cash," he said.

According to Cline, this gang of thugs apparently had done this before to other unsuspecting visitors as they left the airport because the evil-doers didn't bother taking credit cards that could be traced nor did they steal inexpensive costume jewelry.

"They took each one of them off the bus one by one, searched them and took all their cash and jewelry, and then they tied them up as the others looked on from the bus," he said.

One can only imagine the fear of those aboard the bus as they watched their friends singled out and victimized, Cline said. "They ransacked every thing on the bus before taking it and leaving them tied up in that remote location.",

The entire traumatic episode lasted over two hours.

According to Cline, two of the kidnapped victims had sons anxiously awaiting their arrival at the mission home.

When the missionary group failed to arrive on time and several hours passed with no communications, Adam Blosser, the college age son of Steven Blosser, and Derek Lenzen, the 16-year-old son of Dr. John Lenzen, knew something was wrong.

The mission immediately sent out a search party who would later discover the eight still bound missionaries in a very remote location.

"People went out looking for them after they didn't show up. They got concerned and went out searching. We're just so thankful no one was physically injured," the grateful associate pastor said.

The bus was later found, along with the group's ransacked belongings ... "so they've got their clothes now," he added.

When Cline received the call notifying him of the kidnapping and robbery, he asked several of the missionaries what was going through their minds as they watched friends, family and fellow missionaries singled out one by one, knowing they would be next.

"They thought they were going to die," he confided. "But in the midst of those thoughts they prayed that God would save the people who were robbing them. They were all praying that this event doesn't discourage others from taking mission trips."

As Cline prepared to host a vigil at the church Saturday night, he said prayers would be lifted up for all of the missionaries in Guatemala.

"They're all safe now, and we're mainly praying for their continued safety, emotional and spiritual strength. This is something they could definitely be struggling with for some time. This kind of thing could have been a whole lot worse, and we're thankful to God it wasn't," Cline continued.

"We're determined not to let this deter us from doing God's work," he said, explaining that he along with a group of eight others are leaving for the Guatemala mission field Saturday.

For several years now, Grace Baptist Church has been sending its home-grown missionaries to join others from all over the country in spreading God's word throughout the Guatemalan countryside and jungles.

Plans call for the missionary group to go into Mayan Indian jungle territory where they will stay in tents as they minister to people's physical and spiritual needs.

"We'll be sharing the gospel through interpreters as well as holding medical and dental clinics," Cline said.

He described this mission trip as "really a first for us. There will be rallies in the jungle."

Although Grace Baptist has sent groups to Guatemala before, this will be their first extended stay in the jungle.

Knowing these missionaries are doing God's will, Cline said he and others are seeing first-hand just how the Almighty is working in this country.

"Last year a group witnessed in a Guatemalan village run by drug lords. The drug lords gave permission for the missionaries to share the gospel there, and one of these drug lords got saved," Cline shared.

When this drug lord learned of Friday night's kidnapping and robbery of the Grace Baptist missionaries, he sent out "his people" to look for the robbers with specific orders not to kill or harm them, the associate pastor said.

"This drug lord wants them to hear God's word. God is definitely making a difference there," Cline concluded.

Persons wishing to send words of encouragement to the local missionaries now in Guatemala can send emails to Grace Baptist Church at info@gbcmin.org