On 9-11-01, I Was...

In Yaounde, Cameroon - in the seventh week of being away from my wife and the comforts of home, I received a phone call in the middle of my Bible Class.  I took the cell phone from our Education Director, Peter Thomas who lived near Bremen, Germany, stepped out of the bare, ground floor room where 20 Africans were learning more about the Bible and our church, into the hallway of our national overseer's home.  Pressing the phone to my ear I heard my wife's trembling voice, crying between words, trying to tell me, "We've been bombed!  They've bombed us.  They've hit the twin towers in New York!"  I heard myself responding, "It's o.k., honey.  It's o.k.  We're gonna be o.k.  The Lord is still in charge."  My only regret was that I could not reach over and touch her, at least to give her a reassuring pat on the arm.  I wanted to take her into my arms and just hold her.  I somehow knew that if I could be there with her, her spirit would settle down and she would feel comforted.  But, from 10,000 miles away that was impossible.  When she was sure that I had the message and realized the somberness of the moment, then we talked of how and when I would be home.  All flights into and out of America had been cancelled.  We had no idea if and when the planes would fly again.  For all we knew this was the beginning of WWIII . 

After the phone call, I announced to the class what I had learned over the phone.  After a stunned few minutes of silence the national overseer of our church asked if I wanted to cancel all the classes.  My response was, "What would we do then?  Since we are all here present, and I could not board a plane for home - why not continue doing what we believe the Lord called us to do?"  So we continued our normal schedule without a hitch.  God is in control. 

I saw many things happen over the next few days that confirmed to me beyond a shadow of any doubt that God was in control of my life.  He protected, blessed, strengthened me and those with me in very special ways.  Bishop Iniobong Ukpe went to a neighbor and arranged for us to get cable TV brought into his home for the next few days so we were able to hear all the reports that were being broadcast on CNN.  It gave us a feeling of being connected with the world. 

When I went to the ticket office on Saturday we were told that I could not stop in Switzerland because too many Americans were waiting there to go back to the US.  I had to buy a ticket on to some other place - so I invited myself to go home with my German colleague.  My bags were checked to Bremen, Germany.  It's a long story.  But - In the end, I was able to leave Cameroon a day earlier, changed my flight plans, and arrived in Atlanta on the first day that planes were allowed back in the USA.  Because of this emergency, I had to buy a different ticket from Europe, and the only seat left to buy was in 1st class!  Since my bags had to be re-routed to Atlanta, they delivered both suitcases to my front door in Cleveland, TN so didn't have the hassle of going through customs with the suitcases!

God Is In Control

Me teaching the class in Cameroon, Sept 2001

God is in Control!

I had heard that statement many, many times throughout my life. My life had (in some ways) been quite sheltered. First, and foremost, I was shielded by my parents; my school teachers; the police; and I learned in school that we Americans were sheltered by our soldiers. I gave my life in total surrender to Jesus Christ at an old-fashioned altar of prayer when I was only 8 years of age. I accepted His "call" to ministry when I was 11 years old. I felt a "call" to missionary work when I was just 16 years of age. So - yes, I had heard those words many, many times before. "God is in control." At 18 years of age I joined the United States Coast Guard to serve the country which had given me so much. Just a few days after being dis-charged from the service, at the age of 22 I was appointed to be pastor of my first church. On September 11, 2001, I was 62 years of age, having pastored for 24 years. I had served as missionary in Guyana, South America for 3 and 1/2 years. I had lived in Nairobi, Kenya for 10 years and served as Overseer (Supervisor) of our churches in that nation. Now I was serving my 3rd year as Field Director of our Churches in 32 nations on the continent of Africa. (If you think about it - I had to believe that "God is in Control" or I would have fallen out by the wayside by this time.)

Sure. I have had to ask the Lord many questions. I have gone through days, weeks, maybe months of doing what I knew was the right thing to do without feeling that strong assurance that God is in Control. I prayed when I felt nothing. I preached and felt nothing. I read the Bible at times and it seemed to be just words. Then it occurred to me - is this not living a life of faith as opposed to feeling?


Me Teaching in Malawi, East Africa

But today, September 11, 2001, that infamous day of the mass murder and destruction of so many Americans by the radical Al Qaeda movement, when I heard the news from my wife on the cell phone in Yaounde, Cameroon, I FELT it and I knew it. In fact, I was MORE SURE THAN EVER that God is in Control. My most disturbing feeling was the fact that I could not touch my beloved wife and calm her fears. Yes, I tried to say it over the phone with words - but words over a cell phone from far-away Africa seemed so weak to me at that moment. I thought, "If only I could touch her hand, pull her close to me, wrap my arms around her and say it softly and calmly, then she would be comforted." But I heard myself saying with what seemed to me to be empty voice, "It's o.k., honey. God is in control. We're gonna be o.k.."

The leader of our churches in Cameroon only had local TV hook-up but he immediately went out and purchased cable hook-up so that we were able to watch CNN on the TV set in his living room. There was an outpouring of Christian concern shown for me as we watched the repeated reports of the planes hitting the towers, the Pentagon, and the third plane going down killing all on board. The brothers and sisters in the Bible Study asked what I wanted to do.

I remember that it was Tuesday and my plane was not due to leave until Monday. I knew of nothing better to do than continue with our program which was due to close on Sunday. We were starting the morning from 08:00 to 09:00 hours with prayer followed by Bible Study from 0900 to 1200. Lunch was 1200 to 1400. Another Bible Study began at 1400 to 1700. I was being assisted by our Christian Education Director who also sought to comfort me by saying he was willing to take a double load and teach both his subject and mine. I asked, "Then what would I do with the extra time? I would just watch the CNN news and perhaps become depressed. We decided to go ahead with our regular schedule.

How could I be so calm? I was asked. It was because I knew that God was in Control.


Getting Ready to Preach in Zambia, Central Africa

We heard Friday night that planes were moving again. On Saturday afternoon someone took me to the airline ticket office to see if we could re-schedule. "No flights are allowed into or out of America", they said. I then asked if they could fly me up to Zurich where I could find suitable lodging. They said, "We can fly you to Europe but you cannot stay in Zurich for too many Americans are there now awaiting the first flight back to the USA." So - I booked a flight to Bremerhaven, Germany, where we had friends.


Visiting one of our Missionary Doctors in Uganda

There are many other details which would show you that GOD IS IN CONTROL but time and space and will-power to write are lacking. You, dear friend, would grow weary of reading. Let me just conclude that I was able to get to Zurich and purchase the last seat available on the first airplane allowed to fly from Zurich back to Atlanta. I was home with my wife and children 24 full hours ahead of schedule. Yes - Nine years ago today I knew full well that GOD IS IN CONTROL.