Two missionaries from B.C. who were viciously attacked with machetes at their home in Kenya say they must return to the eastern African country to help the millions of orphans who live in dire circumstances.

John and Eloise Bergen were beaten by a group of men last July 9 in their home in Kitale, southwest of Nairobi.

Eloise, 65, was repeatedly raped during the ordeal and was left with a broken jaw and severe wounds to her face. Seventy-year-old John sustained a fractured skull and severe wounds to his face, hands and legs.

In an appearance on CTV's Canada AM on Thursday, the Bergens said they want to return to Kenya to help the two million orphans who need homes to live in, schools to go to and clean water to drink.

"We have about two million reasons why we need to go back, and that's because we have two million orphans in Kenya alone," John said. 'These are children who have no chance, no future, many times no food."

The two credit their faith for allowing them to survive their ordeal. John said he prayed as his attackers beat him and although his injuries were severe, they were not life threatening.

"I think that the good Lord watched over me because I had five blows to my head, nine blows to my knees, one machete went right through my skull and apparently not much brain damage," John said.

Eloise also prayed as she dragged an unconscious John to their car, hoisted him inside and drove through their locked front gates to get to hospital as quickly as possible.

"After I got through that first gate, I remembered something. I remembered that I needed to laugh. God had been teaching me how to laugh when there was nothing funny for the last three years and I knew the joy of the Lord would be my strength," Eloise said.

In late July, the Bergens returned to Canada to continue their rehabilitation from their injuries. John said Thursday that he is facing another operation on his left hand, which the machetes nearly cut through.

About a month after the attack, Eloise said she chose to forgive her attackers.

At a press conference the Bergens gave in Calgary in early August, Eloise said a pastor visited her at the Kitale hospital and spoke to her about the importance of forgiveness. She also met with Kenyan women who had been sexually abused.

Eloise told them, "If we don't forgive, then it's like poison in our own systems. We're just like an emotional slave to the people who have hurt us."

Shortly after the attack, Kitale police arrested three suspects, as well as two guards hired to protect the couple.