By Lloyd Mackey
WILL THEY stay in Kenya, or will they come home to the Okanagan?
That was a burning question for John and Eloise Bergen, after they were attacked by machete-wielding men apparently recruited by one of their former security guards.
The short answer is that they will shortly come home for healing, but return sooner rather than later, to their work in Kenya.
The attack took place Wednesday evening, July 9, at the Bergen's colonial-era home and organic farm, near the agricultural town of Kitale. Both John, 70, and Eloise, 66, were left with deep cuts and multiple broken bones, and Eloise was repeatedly raped for close to an hour by her attackers.
The Bergens, who come from Vernon, had been in Kitale for four months. They went there originally to work in refugee camps during the post-election unrest. When that conflict ended with the establishing of a national unity government, and the camps were disbanded, they began organic gardening to supply food to the numerous orphans and widows in the area.
The programs involving the Bergens are sponsored by a coalition involving Kelowna-based Hope for the Nations ministry and partner group Love Mercy.
Eloise spoke to CC.com by phone from her bed in the Nairobi Hospital on July 12, while her husband was recovering from surgery which included the placing of a titanium plate in his broken jaw.
She said she was attacked while taking a bath in their home.
"I saw four or five black men with machetes and clubs," she recalled.
"But I sensed a surrounding pillow of God's presence. It was terrible but there was no overwhelming fear."
She said the attackers clubbed her, tied her hands with her husband's shaver and cell phone adapter cords.
"They left me with blankets over me and mattresses. I asked God to help me to get free, then remembered where I had scissors."
Eloise backed herself to where they scissors were, manoeuvring to where she could to cut the cords.
"Then I went outside to find out what happened to my husband."
Other attackers had beaten him up and left him for dead in the bushes at the side of their driveway. He had broken bones in several parts of his body. Both of them were bleeding profusely from the machete cuts.
With what she believes was help from God himself, Eloise was able to start the unfamiliar farm vehicle, get herself dressed and a pillow and blankets for John.
Then she hauled the "dead weight" of her almost unconscious husband into the truck and headed off to the HFN Kitale compound 10 kilometres down the road. A few gates blocking the road at various points quickly gave way to the careening vehicle.
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