Fuel station shooting victim writes encouraging book

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The man who was shot during an attempted armed robbery at a fuel station outside Mossel Bay on 6 December has written a book about the experience, sharing about his spiritual journey with Jesus Christ, which helped him cope with the trauma.

The incident took place at the Engen filling station on the N2 highway on the Cape Town side of Mossel Bay.

The suspects in the investigation are still in custody and the case has not yet gone to court.

Nico Theart, a South African who resides in Australia, was holidaying in the Mossel Bay area over December when the incident took place. He was shot in the elbow. The bone shattered and had to be replaced and shrapnel was also removed from his leg.

This week Nico told Mossel Bay Advertiser that, looking in the mirror after the incident, he thought: "I'm scarred for life."

However, he felt an overwhelmingly calm presence and believed he received the reassurance from God: "No, you are scarred for Christ."

Therefore, he called his book Scarred for Christ. It is in the final stages and will be available in a few months' time. He has not included any details which might jeopardise the court case.

Use bad experiences for good

Nico said, "We all have scars, whether mentally or physically. Things happened to us which could put us down. We can suffer in silence or choose to use these bad experiences for good, to help one another."

He noted that after the "horrific, life-changing event", he spoke about his experience a lot. "It helped to process and get things out of my system. I wrote the book in obedience to God, His son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. I tell my life story, sharing with people that everyone has a struggle, but we still have our faith to hold on to. God will never leave us."

Nico says his book is an easy read, about 200 pages long, and will be available as a Kindle eBook and a paperback.

He concludes: "The book takes the reader on a journey. I picked up scars over the course of my life. I can now share that God's grace is what kept me safe; I refuse to see the scars as a reminder of what I lost but instead I accept them as a reminder of how big God's grace is. I encourage you to read the book."

For more information, or to order the book, see: www.scarredforchrist.com.

The book is about 200 pages long.