Ronnie Smith, the American killed in Benghazi, Libya, yesterday, said he was there because of God’s calling. Smith and his wife had left their home in Texas so that he could teach chemistry at the International School in Benghazi, and share his Christian faith. Before he left, Smith, who held a master’s degree in chemistry, made a video for his home church in Austin, saying, “If there’s any single person in the entire universe that you can take a chance on, it’s God.” Yesterday, as he was jogging down a public street in broad daylight, gunmen in a jeep and shot him. Authorities suspects Islamic militants are responsible. One of his students told NBC News, “He was the most amazing person, more like a best friend or a family member.”
It was just over a year ago that radicals stormed the city’s American embassy, killing four American State Department officials. In a statement, his home church in Austin said, “Ronnie loved Libya and was dedicated to his students to help them aspire to their dreams. Ronnie’s greatest desire was for peace and prosperity in Libya and for the people of Libya to have the joy of knowing God through Christ.” His wife and young son had returned to Texas several weeks ago …
