Daniel and Colleen Jaquith had been missionaries serving in the Philippines for 12 years when they had their brush with death.
Two explosions jolted the couple awake on the early morning of March 4 in the mission base they and the Bridge to the Islands and Nations Ministries are developing in Quezon Province, Philippines.
Before they could properly investigate, an armed intruder appeared on their doorway with a Filipino pastor held hostage.
"Give me the money or I will kill you!" the gunman shouted.
According to GodReports, the Jaquiths, they immediately dropped to their knees and prayed.
"In our desperation, we both began to unitedly cry out to the Lord with very loud and intense prayers. I prayerfully went to my knees," Daniel recounted.
The intruder yelled at them to stop praying.
Daniel said, "We continued to pray. Who was this man to try stop us from praying to God?"
The hostaged pastor apparently suggested that the gunman search the couple's belongings. While the intruder was going through their suitcases, the pastor took advantage of the distraction and broke a plastic chair over the gunman's head. The two men then began to fight.
Fighting for control of the gun, the assaulting robber inadvertently fired shots, a stray bullet hitting Dan's left arm.
The pastor eventually was able to wrest the gun from the intruder, who escaped before eventually being arrested by the police.
As frightening as their encounter was, the husband and wife are still filled with gratitude.
Dan said, "I am not sharing this story desiring to get sympathy or because I want people to feel sorry for us. Neither am I sharing it out of self-pity, anger, or bitterness. I share this testimony with deep gratefulness to be alive and for the ability to give the Lord praise for His mighty deliverance during that desperate time of trouble."
