October 5 1998

ARTICLE TOOLS

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Enock Oroo's life hung by a thread as he arrived at the emergency ward in Kenyatta National Hospital on Aug-ust 7, shortly after terrorists bombed the U.S. embassy in Nairobi, Kenya.

Oroo, 22, had survived but was gravely injured. The bombing claimed 257 lives, among them a dozen American nationals working at the embassy. More than 5,000, mostly civilians, were wounded. A simultaneous terrorist bomb in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, killed 10.

"As the team of doctors and nurses worked trying to save my life," he recalls from his hospital bed, "I heard the doctor tell the nurse, 'This one is not going to survive.' The nurse later repeated that to another, [but] I responded, 'Just do your best. God is great.' "

On the day of the bombing, Oroo was riding on a bus near the U.S. embassy and witnessed an unforgettable scene of screams, blood, and death.

"Some people were calling their mothers or fathers, but I cried to God," says Oroo. The passenger seated next to him on the bus died instantly. The bus caught fire, and several riders perished in the flames. Oroo sustained multiple injuries.

Oroo admits that for the past three years he had turned away from his childhood Christian faith, even though he says he never forsook God completely. "My life was not stronger than those who died. It was a miracle I survived. I immediately knew God had spared me."

Oroo's faith in God has been revitalized and, much to his surprise, as he recovers he finds himself sharing the gospel with fellow hospital patients and staff.

SURVIVAL STORIES: Kenyatta's Ward 7A is one of dozens of hospital wards throughout Kenya with people recovering from the blast. Many show a remarkable determination to move on with their lives without bitterness.

During an interview with ...