Nankpak Kumzwam
Eight-year-old Nankpak Kumzwam watched his mother lie face down on the ground as a screaming Islamic militant ran towards them with a machete. Her cheek was already stained with dried blood from a gunshot wound, and she looked physically and emotionally exhausted. The family had slept on the ground the previous two nights while fleeing marauding rioters, and they just received the heartbreaking news that the rioters had killed Nankpak's father.
When Nankpak regained consciousness after the machete attack, he instinctively knew his mother, sister and brother were now also dead. Bleeding from machete wounds and the gunshot wound he had suffered the day before, the child hiked through the bush to find help, eventually arriving at a friend's house.
After receiving treatment, Nankpak moved in with an uncle until VOM workers helped enroll him at a boarding school located in a safe area. The ministry supports numerous persecuted believers in northern Nigeria by providing them medical care, food, living expenses, education, vocational training and spiritual encouragement.
Nankpak, who has now completed high school, hopes to become a doctor so he can care for persecuted Christians. He is ready to serve wherever God calls him. "I don't really need to be afraid," Nankpak affirms. "I was the only person who was able to escape. I believe God has a reason."
Nankpak thinks often of his family, and especially misses his mentoring father. "Many times he went from one place to another, speaking the Word of God," Nankpak recalls of his father's dedication to the Lord's work. "Whenever he was at home, we spent much time discussing the Word of God." The young man's father also taught his children to live peacefully among Muslims. "He always told us to love one another...and to share the Good News." Nankpak hopes those who hear his story will be mindful to pray for persecuted Christians.
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