When the Truth is Stranger Than Fiction — Part Two

You can find the first part of Ngumbito’s story here. Ngumbito, a man from Independent Baptist Isanja, was wrongfully imprisoned and accused of murder. His family didn’t know where they’d taken him to jail, but it was somewhere away from the refugee camp.

We knew a couple important things about Ngumbito’s situation in prison. First, there was a strong chance he was not being fed or cared for in prison. Second, any intervention on our part (as foreigners) would make things worse, not better, for him.

We talked with several of the church leaders on Sunday. James helped them with money for transportation and bail money, and extra in case they had to pay “administrative fees” to help Ngumbito when they found him.

Zizi messaged on Monday that they’d found Ngumbito in a town over 3 hours from the refugee camp. They left early Tuesday morning to travel to the town and locate Ngumbito using the motorcycle God provided for our churches out at the refugee camp. It handled the three riders the whole distance without any trouble.

He was being held in a maximum security prison with men who’d been convicted of violent crimes. This prison is where they send the worst criminals in Uganda — and they send them there to die. They’d caught the actual murderers and they were being held at the same prison as Ngumbito. They didn’t feed him the whole time he was there.

We had strong rain the day the men traveled to the prison. Part of their trip was on a motorcycle through mountains — in the heavy rainstorm. 

The prison officials were prepared to keep Ngumbito at the prison until the trial, which won’t happen for another 6 months or more (probably much more). Byuma (Ngumbito’s pastor at Isanja), Zizi, and Kiza (a deacon at Sangano) negotiated with the prison officials for Ngumbito’s release. They paid his bail and hired one of the guards to make sure he had food and water until he was sent home.

They took this proof of life photo with the prison guard who promised to look out for Ngumbito.

(l-r: Byuma, Kiza, Ngumbito, Zizi, prison guard)

Ngumbito was release on bond the next Thursday. He was in attendance at our huge Easter Celebration Sunday and shared his testimony with everyone. He shared how God had protected him from people who would have tried to hurt him.

***

Now for the other part of the “Stranger than Fiction” story. Because, to get the full picture, you have to see what God did, behind the scenes, years earlier.

Our oldest son, James, had an abscess in one of his molars when he was 10 or 11 years old. It was a permanent tooth, so we nursed it along with antibiotics until the dentist finally decided it would be wiser to pull it.

Then we forgot all about it. His other teeth filled in the hole and we went on with life.

This week, he got his wisdom teeth pulled — all of them, that is, except the wisdom tooth on the side where the abscess had been. That wisdom tooth had grown in without a problem and replaced the molar he’d lost years ago. 

The cost we saved on that tooth removal was just slightly less than what we paid for Ngumbito’s bail and the transport to help our guys find him.

7 years ago, God provided for Ngumbito’s bail.

It kinda sends chills up and down your spine, doesn’t it?

Ngumbito still hasn’t gotten his bike back. They are holding it as evidence against the real murderers. He will have to testify against them when the trial finally takes place. He could have a long road ahead of him. If you think about it, pray for Ngumbito and his family in the months ahead.