Read: Psalm 56
Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I will know that God is for me. (v. 9 NIV)
C’ancuc was a Tzeltal village where eight families had left their animistic religion to become Christians. As a result, their homes were burned to the ground by other villagers. The Christian families were living now on the edge of the village and had invited Pastor Manuel and us to visit.
On the way to C’ancuc we were quiet and wary. How would the violent villagers respond to a visit by a pastor and missionaries?
As we approached the village, suddenly we heard shouting. Several men ran ahead down the trail. Two villagers were dragging a teenage girl between them. We recognized her immediately, because her brother was travelling with us. He was a new convert, but his family were yet not believers.
The girl’s brother ran ahead, and threatened to hit the two men with a large stick if they did not release her. When the two abductors saw the rest of us coming on horseback, they let go of the girl and fled.
The custom there was this: if a young girl was kidnapped and held overnight, the boy’s parents would not have to pay the bride-price for her. The perfect timing of our arrival saved her from this unwanted marriage. What an evidence of God’s grace this was to the newly converted young man and to his non-Christian family! —Helen Hofman
As you pray, praise God for his perfect timing, and hold tight to his promises of deliverance.
About the Author
Helen Hofman is a retired missionary. She and her husband Sam worked with the Tzeltal and Tojolabal Indians of Chiapas, Mexico for more than forty years. In their work, they helped set up a Bible School to train the Tzeltals, taught in the Bible School, prepared Sunday School materials, textbooks, hymnals and audiovisuals. They also coordinated the translation of the Amatenango Tzeltal New Testament and the revision of the highland Tzeltal Bible.
