Oh, how I wish the title of this blog could simply serve as catchy click-bait. If only its sole purpose was to intrigue you, to pull you in to follow the link and find some haughty metaphorical significance to guide your spiritual walk.
I’d love to tell you that “robber” is Christianese for shame or fear or sin. I wish, I wish; but I learned a long time ago that wishing reality away doesn’t actually make it disappear.
The reality that I can’t escape is how our team’s adventure to La Tigra National Park closed out with the most urgent fear I’ve experienced to date. During our hike, we were caught completely off guard by a man in a mask, armed with a huge machete, threatening us and demanding that we give him our phones and money.
I want to preface the rest of this story with the AMAZING fact that none of us were hurt. I lost my favorite World Race shirt and one of my teammates lost a set of earphones, but that’s the extent of the damage.
I’ve never experienced the Lord’s protection as I did that day. I am so thankful that I get to share this story with nothing more than emotional scars.
As you read my account of what happened, I encourage you to pause and consider that this stuff happens in America too. No one is immune to the evils of this world, and while I’m still pretty shaken up over this, I know that I can choose to avoid planting myself in the victim circle. In no way do we blame Adventures in Missions, the World Race, La Tigra, our hosts, or anyone else involved.
Life is dangerous. I’m grateful that life, so far, hasn’t dealt me circumstances that warrant fear of losing my life every day. Many people live in that place – I am choosing to process this experience through the lens of its relativity to the reality of the world we live in. We all agree that there’s nothing we could have known to do to prevent this. We’re just thankful to be okay. The fact that we weren’t hurt is enough to rejoice over and over and over.
Here’s what went down:
Sunday morning, we hit the trail that would take us on a two hour journey to a shimmering, majestic waterfall in the middle of the Honduran cloud forest that sits over her capital city.
As we trudged the muddiest trail I’ve ever encountered, we prayed, worshipped, and soaked in His creation.
I had a mean craving for some quality nature time, and our first adventure of the month was just the ticket. The hike was hard, but I was in my element. I felt a connection with my inner child as I stepped from rock to rock, avoiding the mud pits and gazing in awe at the lushness surrounding me.
With the exception of a group of high school students, we had the trail to ourselves.
Before heading out on our adventure day, we researched the park and found a long list of Trip Advisor reviews from American visitors. Every comment highlighted the safety, beauty, and peace at La Tigra. Its location being removed from the city adds several degrees of safety. The trails were well marked and for the most part, easy to navigate.
After we reached the park’s main waterfall, we sat together and ingested the beauty in front of us. We snapped pictures on my teammate’s selfie stick and snacked on homemade trail mix. A while later, we started our trek back to our cabin at the visitor center.
Twenty minutes into our hike back, the man surfaced from the woods. He demanded we give our phones and money, but we told him that everything was in our cabin and more people were nearby. We assumed he got scared with the threat of more people and we somehow escaped without giving up any valuables. He disappeared back into the woods and we went as fast as we could in the direction of the trailhead.
Five minutes later, we ran into a family headed toward the waterfall. In broken Spanish, I explained that there was a dangerous man trying to rob hikers. Heeding our warnings, the family joined us in our journey out of the woods.
Shortly after, the man appeared a second time. He demanded I hand over my backpack, and I managed to escape him after only struggling over my t-shirt that was stuffed inside. It was in this moment, with the armed man standing three feet from me, that I truly feared for my life. There are some terrifying “could have beens” that still torment my thoughts from that short encounter, but I can see how present the Lord was there with me.
I received the strength to fight back and run further from him. I don’t even know what was running through my mind other than RUN! Get away.
It could have been so much worse, I keep reminding myself.
Still, understandably so, I’m wrestling with fear from what I experienced.
The family that joined us between the first and second attack turned out to be angels in true form. The Lord used them to protect us. I believe the fact that they are locals played a huge part in the way the story played out.
After the robber left us for the second time, we hurried out of the woods as one unified group. The family of five included two young daughters and a teenage son. It was incredible witnessing my teammates comfort the girls for the next hour until we were in the clear.
We walked back praising God for his protection, his goodness, his love. We prayed bold prayers for our attacker and the course of his life from that day on. I hope he finds a relationship with God and surrenders fully. Despite the fear, I forgive him. I want him to experience the fullness of life that Jesus has for him. I know it doesn’t have to be this way for him; I just hope he can know that too.
When we arrived back at our cabin, we gave our statements to the officials. Our host picked us up shortly after and offered us sincere compassion. We are still processing as a team, but it’s been great to meet each other where we are and gather around one another. This is community in the true sense.
I want so much to be strong and unaffected by this, but that wouldn’t be authentic. Truthfully, I’m freaked out.
I hate that this guy has power over me right now, but I refuse to let it stay that way. I refuse to let my place of refuge, the great outdoors, become a scary place. I refuse to be crippled by the fear of men. I refuse to be a victim. That is not my identity.
One day. One day I will have full peace return and it will be glorious. I have full hope in that.
I wish I could tie a pretty bow on this story. I wish I could say justice was served and through this, the robber turned to freedom. I wish, I wish.
Perhaps I’ll just tie it up with this: God is good. All the time.
He’s good when I’m freezing my butt off in a cold shower and he’s good when some dude comes out of the woods with a machete. He’s always good.
Please join me and my team in prayer for our hearts as we continue to process what we went through. Join us in prayer for our attacker. Pray for peace for all of us.
Thank you for respecting my story and the stories of my teammates. Thank you for your prayers and love.
With lots of love,
McKenzie
