Anita Gruenwald and Rita Stumpp are Murdered Brake Bible School Students in Yemen

I first wrote about the murder of Rita Stumpp (26) and Anita Gruenwald (24) on June 16th, without knowing their names. We know now that both women were students of the Brake Bible School in Lemgo (West Germany).

Rita Stumpp and Anita Gruenwald

According to the director of Brake Bible School, Matthias Ruether, the women, both nurses, were on a "short-term internship at the Al Jumhuri Hospital in Saada (North Yemen). Murdered with them was a South Korean woman, Eom Young-sun. The three were stabbed (mutilated according to some sources) and shot execution style. The murders were particularly violent, which leads authorities to believe that al Qaeda in Yemen was involved. There is some speculation that the murderer might be Said Ali al-Shihri who is considered second in command in Yemen and was once in American custody as a detainee in Guantanamo Bay - and then released. From what I can tell, this has not been confirmed, although one of the headlines reads: "former Gitmo detainee accused of killing 3 missionaries." I haven't been able to confirm the specifics of that information. I cannot confirm that the three were also missionaries. The Brake Bible School said the Gruenwald and Stumpp "were dedicated in their desire to help the needy." The women were kidnapped and then murdered. The first reporting said they were "picknicking." Kidnapped with them was an unnamed British man, and a German doctor, his wife and their three small children. The whereabouts of these people are unknown, but rumors are that they are also dead. Who would take their children to this place considered one of the most brutal on the earth...to Yemen? There is a lot for the West to learn about "witnessing" on Islamic soil - or at least a lot for the West to face up to, because we are not wanted there and our death is a cause for celebration. Some no doubt feel that God has sent them on a mission to tell Muslims about their Lord and Savior, but if that's the case, one should be fully prepared to die, and believe that their death is God's plan for their life. It will help if those at home fully understand also, because stories like this grieve us to the soul and we don't have a clue who the dead are in this awful story.