Page 142 - Unseen Hands by Nona Freeman

Unseen Hands
"No," the saints replied. "We will take our children with us; if we die, we will die together."
Aftertheplotto imprison Tekle failed, the police and officials of the state church concocted another scheme, hoping to kill Tekle thistime.Not knowingthat Teklehad
gone to Addis for a few days, they gathered a mob of about six thousand people and stirred them up to attack the Pentecostals.
They surrounded the rented church building on Wednesday night, March 29,1972, armed with sticks, iron stakes, and fence posts with large nails protruding that
they had jerked up from around the property. They brought kerosene to burn Bibles, benches, and whatever else they found.
Entranced in prayer and worship, the congregation did not know the mob had come against them.
"You!" Erkenesh opened her eyes in surprise when she heard the loud voice of a policeman who stood before her.
"If you will stop this loud praying and screaming 'Hallelujah' and break up this so-called church, we will notharmyou. But," hespoke sternly, "ifyoupersist you
will be killed."
Erkenesh calmly looked into his eyes and answered
in a clear voice, "We will never stop praising Jesus. He has done wonderful things for us." When Erkenesh would not listen, the policeman went to the preacher. Taking
his hand, he pulled him from the church and helped him to escape before giving the sigpial for attack.
Fury exploded around the congregation. Erkenesh and the baby in her arms were clubbed. The mob beat, strangled and jerked the believers until all of them, about
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