Laddie Sandy, one of two Bethel night watchmen, relates: “Late one night, while Philip Turay and I were on duty, two armed RUF rebels appeared at Bethel and demanded that we open the glass lobby doors. As Philip and I leaped to safety, they repeatedly shot into the door lock. Remarkably, it held, and they did not think to shoot out the glass panes. Frustrated, they left.

“Two nights later, the rebels returned with about 20 determined, well-equipped companions. We quickly alerted the Bethel family and ran to a prearranged refuge in the basement. Seven of us hid in the dark behind two large barrels, shaking with fear. The rebels shot their way into the building, melting the door lock in the process. ‘Look for those Jehovah’s Witnesses, and cut their throats,’ one rebel bellowed. We crouched in silence as they ransacked the building for seven hours. Finally satisfied with their night’s work, they left.

“We gathered our personal belongings and ran to the Cockerill missionary home​—the old Bethel home—​just up the road. Along the way we were robbed by another group of rebels. We arrived at the missionary home badly shaken but grateful to be alive. After resting a few days, we returned to Bethel to clean up the mess.”

The Witnesses who had taken shelter at the Kissy missionary home, located on the east end of town, desperately needed medication. But crossing the city was highly dangerous. Who would risk it? Laddie Sandy and Philip Turay, the intrepid Bethel night watchmen, immediately volunteered.

“The city was chaotic,” Philip recalls. “Rebel soldiers manned numerous checkpoints, harassing people at will. A strict curfew ran from mid-afternoon to mid-morning, limiting our ability to travel. Two days after starting out on our journey, we reached the Kissy missionary home, only to find that it had been ransacked and burned.

“Checking the surrounding area, we found one of our brothers, Andrew Caulker, who had horrific head wounds. Rebels had bound him and struck him repeatedly with an ax. Amazingly, he survived and had managed to escape. We rushed him to the hospital, where he slowly recovered. Later he served as a regular pioneer.”