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Semper Fi
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The Womble family. Jeff and Cindy Womble with their
children. Front left is newest addition, Bethany Joy.
Standing behind are, from left, Luke, Emily, and Samuel. |
On
Coral Ridge Hour
November 9
Family Survives Grenade
Attack on Pakistan Church |
Jeff
and Cindy Womble went back to Pakistan just five months
after 9/11. Forced to leave their medical and humanitarian
aid work when terrorists struck the U.S., the Wombles, after
much prayer, were led to return, despite the situation on
the ground. With their three young children, they settled in
Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, to teach English.
On Sunday March 17, 2002, just a month after their
return, they attended morning worship at the International
Church, an English-speaking congregation 400 yards from the
U.S. Embassy. Two children, Emily and Luke, were downstairs
in Sunday School. Six-year-old Samuel had a stomach-ache and
stayed with his parents upstairs in the sanctuary.
Seven
Grenades
Near the end of the service, a commotion erupted from the
right side of the church. Jeff heard a “pop, pop, pop” and
turned to see a young Pakistani wearing a belt with seven
grenades attached. He had tied a string to all the pins and
pulled it when he entered the sanctuary. Each grenade was
now armed, and he picked each off in turn, lobbing them
around the sanctuary. One grenade went to Jeff’s right and
another flew into the section where they were seated.
Instinctively, Jeff threw his arm out and yelled, “Get
down!” As they hit the floor, he laid his body over Cindy’s
head and shoulders. In the agonizing seconds anticipating
the explosions, they both thought they were going to die.
Jeff threw up a prayer and asked God, “Is this it? Is this
the end of my ministry? Am I coming home?” God would answer
quickly. |
Five
Explosions
After five ear-splitting explosions, Jeff was able to sit up
and look around. As the smoke cleared, he realized this was
no heaven.
He had been blown six feet away from Cindy and had to
walk back to check on her and Samuel. Cindy’s leg was
severely injured, but she was otherwise okay.
Samuel was nowhere in sight. Jeff heard him before he
saw him, his faint whimper a beacon to his location some 20
feet away where he had been blown into a chair. When Jeff
saw his youngest son’s blood, his heart hit the floor.
Carrying Samuel to where Cindy lay, Jeff took stock of
the situation. His wife’s leg was gashed with a six-inch
hole. He stripped off his shirt to apply as a tourniquet.
Samuel lay in a fetal position crying “I can’t see, I can’t
see!” Two wounds in the back of his head oozed blood. Cindy
stroked his hair and in a whisper to Jeff said, “I don’t
think he’s going to make it.”
Please see
Family
Survives, page 4
Terror Link
The grenade attack that killed five and
wounded 45 at the International Church in Islamabad was
one of six attacks on Christian targets in Pakistan last
year. Islamic terrorists are often behind such attacks,
according to religious freedom researcher Paul Marshall.
He points out that after an October 2001 church bombing
in Pakistan, the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi said
“they planned to kill Christians” in retaliation for the
death of Muslims in Afghanistan.
Please see
Terror Link, page 4
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