Cecilia married the man of her dreams. Who would
have imagined that a few years later, he would leave
her for dead?
Bob and Cecilia Kabugi, from Nairobi, Kenya, seemed
to have everything: money, a beautiful home, nice
cars.
But terror lurked beneath the material wealth. A secret
alcoholic, Bob often abused his wife, Cecilia.
"When he was sober, he was a very quiet man," said
Cecilia. "But when he was drunk, it became a very,
very fearful situation!"
"The
first time I hit Cecilia, I continued doing it for
years," said Bob. "And she kept on taking it. I thought
it was normal."
"He threatened that he'd kill me if I went to town,"
said Cecilia. "So I could not go."
Left
for Dead
Over
time, the violence escalated. During a drive, the
couple began arguing and Bob began to hit his wife.
Recklessly, he slammed on the brakes and dragged Cecilia
from the car.
"I slapped her and kicked her," said Bob.
"I happened to hit her and she fell…in a ditch. I
drove off [and] left her there."
Bob left her for dead. When he finally returned,
she was still lying in the ditch, unconscious. He
took her to a hospital, but never revealed his true
identity. Cecilia stayed in a coma for three days
with a cracked skull and broken ribs.
Separated
and Forgiven
When
Cecilia physically recovered, she immediately separated
from her husband. Still emotionally bruised, she didn't
experience complete healing until she found new life
in Jesus Christ. Before long, God put something specific
on her heart.
"The
Lord told me to call Bob, to tell him I had forgiven
him," she said. "It was a difficult thing, [but] I
called." Cecilia's forgiveness caused an amazing change
in Bob's heart. He desired to reunite with her, but
she had no intention of putting herself in harm's
way again.
Even so, God impressed her that He would protect
her. "The
Lord had assured me that Bob would never beat me again,"
she said.
Love
the Second Time Around
Seven years after Bob left Cecilia for dead, love
bloomed again for them. Impressed with the change
in his wife's heart, Bob also surrendered his life
to Jesus Christ.
"My life has completely turned around, from that man
who used to abuse his wife," said Bob. "A man who
was irresponsible, a man who was careless." Bob and
Cecilia renewed their wedding vows.
Today, they devote themselves to helping other families
trapped in abuse and alcohol addiction. They know
Jesus Christ has the power to change even the most
dysfunctional life. Their lives are living proof!
"There's peace in my family," said Cecilia. "The children
are happy.
My husband now loves me. If he's late, I don't have
to panic whether he's coming to beat me." "We are
a happy family now," said Bob. "And we live happily
because we know our lives are pegged… our anchor is
in Jesus Christ as our Lord."
CBN Africa
