God's Arms Around Us

God's Arms Around Us, first published in 1960, is author William Moule's account of his and his family's harrowing 3-1/2 years in the Philippines during the Second World War. Moule, an American miner working in the Philippines, his wife (who was expecting a baby), and their two young children found themselves caught up in the brutal conflict being waged by the occupying Japanese. Rather than go into an internment camp - and believing that the war would soon be over - the Moules attempted to find refuge in the mountainous terrain of Luzon. However, the Moules were forced to be continually on the move, climbing mountains, fording streams, hiking through unfamiliar terrain at night, with an ever-present threat from roving enemy patrols. Yet through it all, William Moule maintained his strong faith in God ('He would keep His arms around them') and his Irish sense of humor. His wife, Marge, very seldom failed to smile with him. By 1943, however, severely weakened by malaria, the family could no longer stay on the run. Captured, they were taken first to Japanese garrisons, then to Camp Holmes, and later to the infamous Bilibid Prison in Manila. While imprisoned, Moule was tortured in an attempt to uncover his presumed part in guerrilla activities. Finally, the Moules and other prisoners were freed by American soldiers, and make their way back to the United states. "Marge and I," said William Moule, "brought three little kids through an ordeal that most single men couldn't survive, but we had the will to survive, and we had faith." Sadly, William and Marge Moule were killed in a car accident in Nevada in 1989, leaving behind their now large family of 12 children.