Though missionaries in Guinea have experienced few crimes against them -- the worst being an occasional petty theft -- they have recently had to deal with a crime of a larger nature. A substantial sum of Guinean francs was stolen from a missionaries' home.
There was a strong suspicion as to who the guilty party was and a trap was set for him. The missionaries put red ink in the money bag and the thief was easily spotted after another attempt.
The man was brought before a small group of village elders, his family and the missionaries -- a culturally appropriate way to deal with the situation -- and despite overwhelming evidence, he vehemently denied the charge. He gave conflicting excuses for the ink on his hands and for his suspicious behavior before and after the crime.
Culturally, he would bring great shame on himself, his family and his village if he admitted his guilt. Such shame would almost be worse than going to jail.
The man conceded that "the evidence has trapped me," as if to say he was somehow victimized by the evidence. This is a cultural method of saving face without admitting guilt.
His relatives and the village elders all seemed to acknowledge his guilt, and gave him an amount of time in which to repay the missionaries or be reported to the civil authorities. His time limit expired and the case is now awaiting the action of the civil authorities.
Please pray that this man, who has shown interest in the Gospel in the past, will truly repent of his crime, and that God will work in his heart to bring him to faith in Christ.
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