177. “‘. . . My recollections included confessions as well. I don’t know how I lived to be 45 years old,’ I told him without realizing the implications of this. ‘You would realize that I would have already understand this — I lived in Africa for 15 years, and I have studied Scripture. I know that Jesus told His followers that would suffer for His sake so that none of this should be a surprise to us, but somehow it is a surprise,’ I said slowly. . . .” ~ Nik Ripken