Jamaica Baptist Union Youth Department |
12
Mercy Rewrote My Life Tyrone Linton’s Testimony Crime and violence is a clear and
attention to what was happening
ever present danger to all walks of
as we continued uphill. As we
life. It is not impartial to Christians .
approached
In this issue of IMPACT we hear
where his mother lived I noticed
from Tyrone who has had a first
something weird. People were
hand experience in being caught
standing
in the middle of a gang war. .
communities we passed through
In 2017 I went to live in Montego Bay because of work. While living there I encountered many struggles,
hunger,
depression
and oppression. None of those struggles could be compared to
that night when I literally stared death in the face. I recall one night when my house mate told me he was going by his mother to get some washed clothes as his mother did his laundry. I decided to tag along. On our journey up I was sharing with him how good God was and how His mercy caused me to be where I am today. Little did I know that
on
the
the
community
road.
The
before were ghost towns; not a creature in sight when compared to this one. As we got closer I noticed that these people were of different ages, the youngest looking to be about ten (10) or in the early teens and the oldest between sixty-five to seventy (65 -70) years old. Everyone had a gun. Being a country boy I was not accustomed to this kind of thing so I had a look of panic on my face. As we approached the group, they all “cranked the guns up” and pointed them in the direction of the car. My heart fell
flat to the ground and even
shoot
even
me
mother
if
anybody is seen outside enuh cause we have war with the other community”. As he finished his statement shots were fired from the other community and they returned fire. My friend and I were now caught in the middle. I was beyond terrified.
though the air conditioning unit
We were instructed by the men
was on, I was sweating all over.
to run inside an old abandoned
My friend stopped and they
building next to them and lay flat
As we continued, I noticed the
signaled him to turn his lights off
until it was over. I was so scared. I
atmosphere started to get tense.
and he did. The don approached
felt like every bullet passed right
My hand was hanging outside
and said, “Teacher a you?” “Oh!”
next to me. While lying on the
the car and my friend told me to
“Yuh nuh know seh wen yah
ground I noticed that there were
put my hand inside and he rolled
come up this way yuh fi use
several guns on the ground next
the window up. I didn’t pay much
some kinda signal?” “Mi order fi
to me, so many that if I wanted to
God was preparing to again grant me His mercy that very hour.
Rejoice - A Godly Celebration
