This happened in 1956 during the Mau Mau uprisings in East Africa. The story is told by veteran missionary Morris Plotts: A band of roving Mau Maus came to the village of Lauri, surrounded it, and killed every inhabitant, including women and children--three hundred people in all. Not more than three miles away was the Rift Valley Academy, a private boarding school where children were being educated while their missionary parents worked elsewhere. Immediately upon leaving the carnage at Lauri the Mau Maus came with spears, clubs, torches, and bows and arrows to the school, bent on destruction. You can imagine the fear of those children at the school. Word had already reached them about the destruction of Lauri. There was no place to flee. The only resource was prayer. Out in the night, lighted torches were seen coming toward the school. Soon there was a complete ring of these terrorists about the school, cutting off all avenues of escape. Shouting and curses could be heard coming from the Mau Maus. Then they began to advance on the school, tightening the circle, shouting louder, coming closer. Suddenly, when they were close enough to throw a spear, they stopped. They began to retreat, and soon they were running into the jungle. A call had gone out to the authorities, and an army had been sent in the direction of the school to rescue the inhabitants. But by the time the army arrived, the would-be assassins had dispersed. The army spread out in search of them and captured the entire band of raiding Mau Maus. Later, before the judge at their trial, the Mau Mau leader was called to the witness stand. The judge asked him, "On this night did you kill the inhabitants of Lauri?" The leader replied, "Yes." "Was it your intent to do the same at the Rift Valley Academy?" "Yes." "Well then," asked the judge, "why did you not complete the mission? Why didn't you attack the school?" The leader, who had never read the Bible and never heard the gospel, replied, "We were on our way to attack and destroy all the people at the school. But as we came closer, all of a sudden between us and the school there were many huge men, dressed in white with flaming swords. We became afraid and we ran to hide!"

Corrie Ten Boom in The Hiding Place relates an incident where she and her sister, Betsy, had just been transferred to the worst German prison camp they had seen yet, Ravensbruck. Upon entering the barracks, they found them extremely overcrowded and flea-infested. Their Scripture reading that morning in 1 Thessalonians had reminded them to rejoice always, pray constantly, and give thanks in all circumstances. Betsy told Corrie to stop and thank the Lord for every detail of their new living quarters. Corrie at first flatly refused to give thanks for the fleas, but Betsy persisted. She finally succumbed. During the months spent at that camp, they were surprised to find how openly they could hold Bible study and prayer meetings without guard interference. It was several months later when they learned that the guards would not enter the barracks because of the fleas.

Paul’s second missionary journey had been a tough one. It started after the split up between he and Barnabas. Then there was that time, after going through the churches in Galatia, where he traveled for some 300 miles without having a clear direction from God. When they finally arrived at Philippi, and the ministry started to get going again, Paul ended up being beaten and thrown into jail. Probably his worst opposition came in the next town, Thessalonica. When he got to Berea, things went okay at first, but then the Thessalonian Jews showed up and he was run out of town. After some time in Athens with the philosophers, he wound up in Corinth.

Yet in Corinth, Paul seems to have a measure of victory, being able to stay for a full year and a half. Could the breakthrough in Corinth have been related to the vow? I think it’s a possibility. It is in Cenchrea, on the way out of Corinth that Paul ends his vow. There is power in a committed life.