Presumed Dead, Restored by Grace

Every day, Mumangi Muthiani goes out into his village in Kenya to look for day labor jobs so he can provide for his family.

Recently, he nearly lost his life doing so.

“That day,” Muthiani recalled, “we were walking back after the fencing job was postponed when men suddenly came out of the bushes and attacked us.”

Muthiani said the attack happened around 9 a.m. while he and other workers were walking through a bushy path when a group of Somali Muslim men emerged and assaulted them.

“They hit me in the face, and I fell to the ground,” he added. “They kept beating and kicking me until I could not move. I was left with a deep cut on my face, a fractured leg, and severe pain in my back.”

Muthiani was later rescued and taken to the nearest dispensary for first aid, then referred for further treatment. Soon, a new source of trauma emerged.

“I was unconscious, and my picture was taken and circulated,” he said. “People thought I had died. Even my family was being comforted. People came to them with condolences, believing I was gone. I was already being mourned while I was still alive.”

Security and conflict reports from the region have previously emerged, where attacks perpetuated by the al-Shabab militants and Somali herdsmen have occasionally occurred.

“Victims are often targeted and separated based on religion before being attacked,” Muthiani said. “From time to time in the area, Christians have been singled out and threatened to convert or be killed.

“Somali Muslim groups have been entering Christian homesteads and farms, attacking people and destroying property. Many families are living in fear because they do not know when the next attack may come.”

Against this backdrop, what he experienced in his village reflects a growing sense of fear among Christian residents as they go about their daily lives.

“But God was faithful to me,” Muthiani said. “Many people thought my life had ended, but he preserved me. He gave me another chance when everything seemed lost.”

That survival has since become the foundation of his recovery, supported by livelihood assistance from International Christian Concern (ICC) that Muthiani said has given him a way forward.

“ICC has become a blessing to me,” he said. “They bought me five cows and 11 goats. These animals will give me milk for home use, and as they reproduce, I will be able to sell some of the milk and use the money to support my family. What happened to me affected my ability to work, but this has given me a way to start again.”

Although still recovering and at times feeling weak, Muthiani said his outlook has changed from fear to rebuilding.

“I am getting better,” he said. “But I thank God because he has given me life again. I don’t want to dwell on what happened. My focus now is on recovery, rebuilding my life, and taking care of my family.”

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The post Presumed Dead, Restored by Grace first appeared on International Christian Concern.