Page 8 - Good News October 2015 paper

lam Stoltzfus, born and were to say they were not on the commander pulled a 9 mm pistol
raised Amish in Lancaster guerrilas' side. out from his belt and cocked it.
ECounty, Pennsylvania, felt “We need to take a walk. Let's go.”
a tug on his heart to go tell the So, in response to the guerrillas'
world about Jesus and he did just demand, they decided not to Virgil knew he was about to be
that. make any reply at all. Their executed. The two men walked
silence was taken as an answer. deeper into the jungle.
He set off in 1972 with his Three top commanders of the
pregnant wife, Barbara, and their Revolution wrote their orders and “Look, I know what your family
three children to Guatemala signed them: the New Life Clinic has been doing here in this
which was in the midst of a brutal plus mission compound had to be country. I posed as a tourist once
civil war at the time. Over the burnt to the ground and the and came to the Clinic to see and
course of 19 years Elam and his missionary pilot, their son Virgil, report on what you were doing. I
family of six children had executed. believe your family did a lot of
adventures of every sort and good for this country.” He almost
served God joyfully with their On a dark night in August 1990, looked apologetic. “But you see, I
whole hearts. the Guatemalan guerrillas have my orders.” He showed
showed up at the Stoltzfuses' Virgil a little piece of paper. It was
They worked faithfully and their front door. They ordered the the orders for the previous night's Elam Stoltzfus in the 1990s
ministry, New Life Missions, family outside and then sys- events, bearing the signatures of with a baby howler monkey.
expanded continually. In addition tematicaly started pouring canis- the three top guerrilla comman-
to planting churches in villages ters full of gasoline all over the ders of the URNG. “You see, it bitten by a snake and Virgil flew
which dotted the banks of the house, clinic, and other buildings says that the pilot is to be him out to a hospital just in time.”
Passion River, and witnessing before setting everything alight. eliminated. That's you.”
many new converts, marriages Another man added, “Virgil's
and baptisms, they opened the Their ministry was being burned Their eyes were locked. “Aren't father Elam and mother Barbara
New Life Clinic so that they could to the ground! They also burned you afraid?” The commander have treated us all in their Clinic -
attend to the local people's the light aircraft, and then took all couldn't understand what he was our friends, our families. Most of
spiritual as well as physical the belongings and equipment seeing in Virgil's eyes - a peace our brothers and sisters were
needs. Elam thus became a they had raided from the house that is beyond all understanding born in their hospital.” Another
“Jungle Doctor”, and also and Clinic and loaded them into that only comes from God. man said, “If it hadn't been for his
actively included his wife and the family's motorboat which was mom, my wife and child wouldn't
children in this leg of the Ministry. docked at the nearby shore. They “No,” Virgil replied. “All my life, be alive.” Finally, another man
Barbara and their daughters couldn't get the engine started, so Jesus was my greatest Hero, and said, “Listen, we have 300 men
would deliver many a “jungle they coerced Virgil to perform this I'm about to meet Him! You can right now out in the jungle, and if
baby” while Virgil, their son, task and also be their driver as only kill my body, but my soul is you don't release Virgil, we are
would become a missionary pilot they set off into the darkness in about to go home.” going to storm you and there is no
flying patients to the nearby the direction of Mario Mendez. way you can kill us all. You might
Guatemala City in cases where There were two guerrillas and one A battle raged inside the com- kill twenty or thirty of us - and I'll
they needed emergency care sub-commander on board. mander's heart. He had killed be the first one to take two or three
from a fully equipped hospital. many people before. People he bullets from your gun - but we are
Meanwhile, Elam sat down on the knew. People he had once called going to help our friend escape!”
The atheistic, communist, revo- grass and just tried to take it all in. “friend”. He also learned that
lutionary guerillas had sent many He looked around at all the men, Virigil had had the opportunity to Now the guerrillas really didn't
spies into the Clinic over the strangers, walking around kill some of his commanders know what to do. No one had ever
years to see what the Stoltzfuses treating his life's work as though earlier that night when he got hold dared to stand up to them. And
were really doing in Guatemala, it were nothing. Here he was the of one of their guns, but had they were very threatened by the
and had kept a pretty sharp eye on head authority on his property - decided not to. idea of 300 men ready to storm
them. Even so, they really his wife and children's protector - their camp.
couldn't believe what they were and he was powerless to stop He paced up and down. “There
seeing. The Guatemalan culture this! So many mission teams from has to be some kind of honour in The commander grabbed his
was not one of people doing so many churches over the years this war!” he shouted, throwing radio and talked with his senior
things for others for no personal had come and sweat in the Petén his hands up in agitation. Finally, again. At last, he motioned for
gain at all. But no matter what they heat to build this Clinic. So many he said, “I can't!” He dropped his Virgil to come to the radio. “You
saw the family doing, they were missionaries and believers in the gun to his side, turned his back on may have won the battle, but you
still convinced that they had to US had sent funds to make it all Virgil and walked away. cannot win the war. I'm releasing
work for either the US or the possible. It had taken so many you to these men, but we'll get
Guatemalan Government. years to build this place, and now Almost as though God was their names. They will be shot for
in one night it was all being answering the wish of the what they did. And Virgil, if you do
“This Clinic is a place for healing, undone! guerrilla commander to be able to not turn yourself in voluntarily
and its doors are open to any- spare Virgil's life, the guerrillas at within seventy-two hours and
one,” Elam would always say. The Elam wondered just how this was the nearby camp started making a support our Revolution, we will
guerrillas had demanded that all going to end and how they lot of commotion. Eight men were find you wherever you go in this
they take a stand one way or would pick up these pieces. He approaching them in a small boat, world, and we will execute you.”
another. But Elam didn't want to was also very worried about his armed only with a rope and a Virgil just smiled and handed the
take any official stand, because son who was now a hostage of the single machete between them. radio back to the commander.
that would turn people away from URNG - the Guatemalan National God had so clearly stepped in and
the Clinic and put them directly in Revolutionary Union. The guerillas sternly told them to spared his life! Then the men got
the middle of the conflict. It would leave. “We aren't leaving without into their boat and rowed off.
go against their reason for being xxx Virgil,” one of them said. “He's However, Virgil still felt over-
there. They had seen many entire our friend, and we're not leaving whelmed by a feeling of utter
families come to know Jesus just Virgil pulled the boat to shore just without him.” Another guerilla futility. He thought, “God, in only
because one person had been below Mario Mendez. It was shouted, “Who are you to demand one night we lost everything
sick and found healing at New Life sunrise. “You realize that we had his release? You're crazy! You we've worked for our entire lives.
Clinic. Some of the guerrillas had to do this tonight, as we have don't have any guns. We have the It's as if my whole life and all our
been brought into the world by information that your family guns! We're in charge!” work was for nothing!” Then he
Barbara's hands and their works for the CIA,” the head felt in his heart that God said, “In
mothers' lives saved because of commander told Virgil matter-of- “I demand the release of Virgil the end, you'll have to leave all of
the medical attention they factly. Stoltzfus. If it hadn't been for him these things behind anyway when
received after delivery. Those and his airplane that you just Jesus returns.” “So then, what's
families would not come near the A voice over the radio shouted burned, my younger brother the point? What use is it to work
Clinic anymore if the Stoltzfuses orders using a secret code. The would be dead now. He was once