When the marauders heard that Christos was a
faithful worshipper and treasurer in the church
council of St Luke's church, one of the leaders
went to Christos house and brandishing a
revolver demanded the church treasure. Now on
that day the book was hidden in his house, and
Christos said to the Turk.
"Why do you come to me? The priest looks after
the treasure and he is not here he has left the
village. If you beat me till my whole body is
torn & bleeding I cannot tell you where the
treasure is. I do not know. Shoot me. I do not
fear death, but you will be none the wiser."
The Turk ignored my appeal and began to search
the house, he went to the chest of drawers and
opened the one where the Gospel was hidden.
"My heart was full of fear, and I prayed with
all my strength that a miracle would save the
Gospel from his eyes."
In an instant a great shout came from outside
calling the Turkish leader to go urgently. The
Turk immediately answered the call, left the
house and did not return. Tears of relief poured
down my cheeks and I gave thanks to God for
saving the Gospel and my life. In the evening,
when all was quiet I wrapped the Gospel in
several nylon bags and buried it in a hole in my
garden. I then covered the fresh soil with
planting pumpkin plants, a few weeks later I
secretly dug up the Gospel and took it to
Nicola's house.
He carefully hid it in the store where he kept
the straw for his animals. Two years later the
villagers who had survived were driven out by
the Turks and made the long & hard journey to
the safety of the South. Among them were
Nicola's, Christos & Antonis in secret they
carried their treasure (The Gospel), hidden in a
bundle of soft clothing in a goatskin bag. They
never lost hold of night or day, each in turn
relieving the other of the burden. So the book
of The Bible came at last, safe from harm and in
God's mercy protecting the refugees giving them
courage.
The next day in a service of thanksgiving the
priest received it from the hands of Nicolas &
Christos, men, women & children rejoiced with
him in God their saviour. The book is now safe
but it was God given courage and human faith
that preserved it from the perils of that brutal
occupation and the hours of travel that
followed. That faith gives them hope that one
day they or their children, will return to their
village that they love and replace the heritage
in the church of St Luke the Evangelist in
Eptakomi.
