Michael's Learns a Lesson the Hard Way

- Ede, Netherlands. February 13, 2003. Last night, during our weekly outreach to the Red Light District in Amsterdam, Michael got separated from the group and somehow wound up in the wrong alley. A group of guys, probably Moroccan locals speaking Dutch (not tourists) jumped him.

We didn’t know where he went, so we searched everywhere and finally assumed he got lost and took the train back to Ede. But when we got to our base house, he wasn’t there either.

Around 3 in the morning, the house phone rang. It was a very shaken Michael, and just as he was explaining where he was, his battery died.

Early that morning, we met up with Mikey at the hospital BovenIJ Zeikenhuis in Amsterdam, after getting a call from his attending nurse. When we arrived, we had to show our IDs to the authorities in the “Victims’ Trauma Ward”. Michael was laying in a special bed, bent over on his stomach.

“What happened? Are you okay?” We rushed to his side. Luke took Michael’s hand.

“Um, yeeeah,” Michael said, almost with too much vigor. “The doctors say I’m going to be fine. Just need a little time to heal.”

I asked him what happened. Did he get hit by a car? Fall in a canal?

“Well,” Michael muttered, “I got lost and tried to take a shortcut back to the group through an alley, and some guys jumped me. They knocked me down, and I tried to give them my money. They knocked it out of my hand and… then…” he paused to breathe, struggling to get out the next few words. “…then, then they broke off a broom handle inside of me.”

“WHAT???? Are you serious?” Luke and I laughed for a second, until we realized he was telling the truth.

We noticed his knuckles were not swollen or scratched, his forearms unbruised and pasty white. He clearly exhibited no signs of defensive wounds.

“I’m sorry, guys.” Michael said, staring straight down to the floor, laying on his belly on the curved bed.

“Don’t apologize! You didn’t do anything to deserve this,” we tried to comfort him, patting his shoulders.

“Yes, I did. I wondered away from the team. I went down an alley. I think I needed to be humbled in this way.”

We insisted that was nonsense. But really, in our heart of hearts, we thought maybe he was right. Still, this was too brutal for any kind of lesson in humility! This went from humility to humiliation! And it put him in the hospital!

UPDATE: February 16, 2003

Michael has been released from the hospital and is now recuperating at our base in Ede. He is in fairly good spirits, considering. He seems a little older somehow, and a little distant.

The shawl he drapes around his boney frame. His pointed granny glasses. His 1,000 mile stare. The rubber donut on the seat of his rocking chair.

Michael led our Bible study tonight. 18 Dutch college students, 7 high schoolers, a few on our team. His thesis: Never leave your flock. He prayed. He cried. We all held hands in silence for a few minutes. It's going to be okay. He'll heal. Time will help. And eventually, he'll share his story with a woman he loves.