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Under the Sky
Jun. 21, 2005
Talk about God's sovereignty!!
Lions Save African Girl From Abductors
Tuesday, June 21, 2005 (Associated Press)
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — A 12-year-old girl who was abducted and beaten
by men trying to force her into a marriage was found being guarded by
three lions who apparently had chased off her captors, a policeman said
Tuesday.
The girl, missing for a week, had been taken by seven men who wanted to
force her to marry one of them, said Sgt. Wondimu Wedajo, speaking by
telephone from the provincial capital of Bita Genet, about 350 miles
southwest of Addis Ababa (search).
She was beaten repeatedly before she was found June 9 by police and
relatives on the outskirts of Bita Genet, Wondimu said. She had been
guarded by the lions for about half a day, he said.
"They stood guard until we found her and then they just left her like a gift and went back into the forest," Wondimu said.
"If the lions had not come to her rescue, then it could have been much
worse. Often these young girls are raped and severely beaten to force
them to accept the marriage," he said.
Tilahun Kassa, a local government official who corroborated Wondimu's
version of the events, said one of the men had wanted to marry the girl
against her wishes.
"Everyone thinks this is some kind of miracle, because normally the lions would attack people," Wondimu said.
Stuart Williams, a wildlife expert with the rural development ministry,
said the girl may have survived because she was crying from the trauma
of her attack.
"A young girl whimpering could be mistaken for the mewing sound from a
lion cub, which in turn could explain why they didn't eat her,"
Williams said.
Ethiopia's lions, famous for their large black manes, are the country's
national symbol and adorn statues and the local currency. Despite a
recent crackdown, Hunters also kill the animals for their skins, which
can fetch $1,000. Williams estimates that only 1,000 Ethiopian lions
remain in the wild.
The girl, the youngest of four siblings, was "shocked and terrified"
after her abduction and had to be treated for the cuts from her
beatings, Wondimu said.
He said police had caught four of the abductors and three were still at large.
Kidnapping young girls has long been part of the marriage custom in
Ethiopia (search). The United Nations estimates that more than 70
percent of marriages in Ethiopia are by abduction, practiced in rural
areas where most of the country's 71 million people live.
There
are some things that scientists just cannot explain away. This was an
unabashed miracle for this poor young terrified girl. I know nothing
more about her than what is written in this story, but I know God
had a hand in her saving. This was a modern day Daniel story to me and
I hope that after she is comforted by her family (and I certainly hope
that happens) that someone will tell her God's story of Daniel and that
she will see her likeness. Only God knows what is written in her book
of life, but I pray right here and now for her, that His hand would
guide and lead her and that she would one day be an instrument in His
hands as Daniel was.
Her
treatment by ruthless men was horrifying, and I hope she is protected
and cared for by her family. I hope that these men are brought to true
justice. The fact that she is only two years older than my oldest
child is not lost on me. What is saddest to me is that these people are
living in the dark. What kind of culture treats its weakest members in
such a manner? I
am not unaware of the travesties that continue in many countries of
Africa, from slavery to genocide, and this is within the same culture!
I pray that the light of Jesus would shine in those places, brighter
and clearer, and that they would see the beautiful face of a Savior;
and that they would be forever changed. Culture change starts from the
heart, and only Jesus can change that.
Warmly,
Kate
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Jun. 26, 2005 - Untitled Comment
AFwife Claire
http://psalm127.blogspot.com/