An e-mail I recieved:
DearBrothers
I got the following experiences from a brother who
serves in the
Bethel in Zimbabwe.
agape'
David McNeilly
Campbeltown Congregation
West Coast Scotland
UK
At Dombomupunga Kingdom Hall in the east, the brothers had just finished putting in the windows. That night, the window panes were stolen. The brothers made enquiries in the village but could discover nothing.
Villagers mocked the brothers: "This can't be God's church. If it was, he would have stopped the thief from stealing your windows." However, the brothers discovered a smear of blood on the wall. The thief had obviously cut himself and badly too, because there was a trail of blood leading away from the hall. They followed the trail then lost it in the bush as the bleeding gradually stopped. Then they chanced on a ditch and saw a large blood stain. The thief had stumbled and re-opened the wound. The trail led to a house
some two and a half kilometres from the Kingdom Hall site. Near the house were stained cotton cloths. Naturally, everyone, including the houseowner, denied all knowledge of anything untoward.
The brothers took some of the blood-stained cotton cloths and also some fallen mango leaves which were also stained and went to the police. However, the police had no vehicle (typical!) and said they could only come the following day. That night it rained and washed away the blood trail they had followed so there was no evidence to show the police but they agreed to question the owner of the house. The householder protested his innocence but there was a very deep cut on his hand. The police roughed him up a bit (this is Africa, after all; beating up a thief is expected) and he confessed. Inside his house were the windows. The police hauled him off and the brothers got their windows back.
When their neighbours saw the windows back in place, they changed their tune. They were amazed that the window panes hadn't been broken when the man had fallen. One of them said: "Your Jehovah is a powerful God. Thieves broke into our church and stole the priest's garments but nothing was ever found. Your's is the true religion." Many of these people came to the dedication of the hall, including the local headmen.