A. and M. A.| Serving in Bangladesh
Jeremiah 29:11 God says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Yes, his plan for us is always good. Sometimes, we do not understand when we go through different challenges.
Many times, we ask, Lord, what’s going on with me? Why is this happening? We often blame God. We always try to understand the situation with our logic, knowledge, and science. But God’s work is often not judged by logic or scientific principles. It requires faith and obedience to God’s word. We are disappointed when we judge God’s work with our limited eyes of knowledge but not with God’s eyes.
Sofia Corrie flew from Las Vegas to Bangladesh. This was her first visit to Asia and Bangladesh. She is 24. She was with us from July 9-22. She was working on her dissertation, which deals with understanding the needs of missionaries and exploring how missionaries experience trauma. We planned to visit some areas of our ministry as well as some historical sites. But God had a different plan. In the first week, we visited some churches in the southern part of Bangladesh. It was a very hot day, but we had a very good time with the church members. On July 12, we learned that our prayer coordinator’s right hand was paralyzed, and his right leg was about to go numb. We cut short our ministry activities and returned to the hospital to see him, but we did not see him as he was in the CCU. His vocal cord was paralyzed, and he could not speak. The next day, he was taken to another hospital. Sophia has seen how the people of Bangladesh are deprived of proper healthcare. Hundreds of patients were on the floor just to get medical care. He was taken to his home three days later as his condition did not improve much. The doctor gave him no hope of recovery. In the meantime, student movements started all over the 
country. They were agitated about the job quota movement. We were stopped twice by protesters on the way, but God saved us, and we were able to reach our destination safely. The next day, we visited two churches.
On Friday, July 19, the situation was even worse. All internet connections had been shut down. No one was able to use Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp App, or email; ATMs were not working. People were completely cut off from the world. That night, a curfew was imposed, and ‘on-site shooting’ was ordered. Everyone was afraid to go out of the house. Many students and civilians were shot dead. We had to suspend all our activities. Our only thought was how to reach Sophia at Dhaka airport. We can’t go to Dhaka because of the curfew. My son reminded us of a domestic airport nearby. We went to the airport and asked for tickets. They recommend coming the next day. The next morning, we went to the airport, bought a ticket for her, and put her on the plane. I praise the Lord. Now, the second thought was how we could get back to our hometown. It was about a 12-hour drive. Curfew was active. The three of us held hands and prayed for his guidance and protection. We talked to an army officer. He gave road instructions and assured us that we could drive safely for at least two hours and talk to the officer at the next checkpoint to learn the situation in the next place. We returned to our hometown, and no one stopped us on the way. We were hungry, but the Lord provided the best food on the highway, where most of the food courts were closed. Everything was perfect, and we were well protected.
I hope Sofia can move forward in her dissertation and work towards being a beneficial therapist for missionaries. All praise be to God.
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