“The Devil was a Murderer from the Beginning.” John 8:44

From Prohibition to Permission
The government-led opposition to our translating the Scriptures into the Canela language was so intense, Jo and I had spent years in virtual “exile,” not being allowed to live and work in the village. Finally, government policies changed, and we were able to return to work with the people we loved and who had longed for us to be back with them.

The month of school vacation we had just spent in the village was extra special since it was the first time since our exile, that our three daughters were with us. We praised God for the opportunity to show love to the Canelas as we interacted with them and translated more of God’s Word into their language.

On our Way Back Home

Same truck, same daughters, different load, different trip

Now, we were driving back to the mission centre in Belem in our little quarter-ton pickup truck. Jo and I were looking forward to getting home by late afternoon. Our three daughters and two of their friends were riding on the baggage in the back of the truck while Jo and I rode in the cab. I was driving as fast as the little four-cylinder engine would let us and slowly caught up to a large gravel truck ahead of us. I pulled over and started to pass the truck at a walking pace. There had been no oncoming traffic for quite a while, and I saw nothing up ahead.

When our cab got even with the truck cab, the driver looked down, saw Jo, smiled, and waved. She waved back, then, as we pulled ahead a little more, he saw our girls and their friends in the back. He apparently wanted to have some fun to break the boredom of a long, boring drive, so, he accelerated to keep up with us and waved at the girls. Since we were now going up a long slope, I couldn’t possibly go any faster, so we drove side by side. I motioned at him to let me pass, but he just grinned and kept even with us.

Oncoming Disaster and Death
Then, up ahead, a large truck appeared over the top of the slight hill we were climbing. I waved at the driver next to us to let us pass, but he kept grinning at our girls and maintained his speed.

As the oncoming truck barreled towards us, I slammed on the brakes to get behind the truck we had been trying to pass. To my horror, he too, seeing the disaster about to happen, slammed on his brakes, and so we stayed side by side.

I immediately swerved to the left side of the road and steered towards the bush-filled ditch. We were still scraping along the bush and saplings as the oncoming five-ton truck, heavily loaded with machinery, roared between us and the gravel truck with mere inches to spare. Our adrenaline level, already high, spurted over the top as the driver blared his airhorn, venting his fear and anger at us.

I backed out of the ditch and started passing the still-stopped gravel truck when the driver opened his door and looked at us. I gave him the universal ‘What were you trying to do?’ hand signal, both hands open and shaking my head.

God Preserves His Servants
Jo and I thanked God for preserving us through this harrowing near disaster. Obviously, some spiritual entity had evil intentions, wanting to kill us. But Someone Else wanted us alive, to continue to serve Him as translators of His Word for the Canela people.

(This is a page from chapter 16 of our forthcoming memoir)