Granada, Nicaragua
Jesus loves His children, even the thief.
I woke up a little later on Wednesday morning around 7:30 and began my morning routine. Wake up. Be awesome. Repeat. j/k haaaha I shuffled to the bath house, brushed my teeth, washed my face, quickly dressed, put shoes on, and I usually put my watch on. I couldn’t find it so I headed to bible study and thought I must have misplaced it, I’ll find it later. Sitting at breakfast with my team I kept thinking, no I know I put my watch on the bedside table… I headed into worship and bible study feeling a little bare, I wear this Velcro Casio literally everyday. It didn’t take long for me to return to the dorm to really find it.
I retraced my steps and my bedtime routine. Empty pockets, change into PJ’s, take contacts out, put glasses on, brush teeth, wash face, return to room, take earrings off, take watch off, pray, journal, read then sleep. Y’all it wasn’t there! I was like well shoot Beth where did you put it!? I checked everywhere! “Ok Lord where did I put this thing?” Not once did I think it was anyones fault but my own. After seriously retracing my steps I also couldn’t find my cell phone. I checked everywhere!
My tiny room has 1 small window that overlooks the yard of our compound here at El Puente. The windows of the dorm are all secured and barred with rod iron and a metal screen. I followed the trail from my bedside table up the wall right to the base of my very secure widow. There it was, An explanation to it all……
After seeing the 8 inch gash in my window I pieced the puzzle together fairly quickly. Between 10pm & 7:30am someone had slit my screen, stuck there arm into my window, onto my bedside table and took my watch, cellphone, and my sunglasses.
I’m sorry.. Uhm what? SOMEONE stuck THERE ARM into my bedroom onto my BEDSIDE TABLE and stole my stuff?? Are you kidding me!?
This is were the Clichés come in “you know you’re on the race when..” OK but seriously… this is serious.
Bible study was still happening so I calmly returned. I found our contact Bethany and shared with her what had happened. She asked me to check one more time and to let her know asap. Well I was pretty sure what went down but just to be sure I checked the scene again. I even checked outside to see how tall this joker must have been to accomplish this burglary.
I told my team what happened and Bethany told the 5 guards/ watchmen of El Puente. These 5 men have been our Nicaraguan guardian Angels, they rotate staying awake all night guarding the grounds of El Puente, maintaing the landscape, serving as wonderful host and company to my team and more importantly there job is to keep us and our stuff safe. They felt awful about what happened. My window is on the side of the dorm facing the corner of the yard, an area that sees little to no action. The men felt like they hadn’t done there job. What I heard wednesday morning was “This has never happened here.” Nicos don’t steal from Missionaries.” “Oh were so sorry.” Hey, maybe it will show up before you leave.” “I’m so so sorry that this happened.”
Honestly at this point, I was just glad it didn’t happen to my teammates and that it wasn’t anything major, like my passport or glasses. We were all a little uneasy after having something taken from our “home”. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little miffed but I know that these are things that can be easily replaced. Noone likes to have there stuff stolen, it leaves you feeling like a victim. It makes you feel like you’re being watched in all the wrong ways. Joe called Laura Bush’s phone to invite our team to come worship with his team that morning which is exactly what we needed. He also said that he tried calling my phone but a Nicaraguan man answered said something and hung up.This aint easy folks. We headed over to worship at the house with the other two teams staying here in Granada.
The policy at El puente is to document anything stolen by filing a police report. So Mario, Bethany and I headed to the station. They both shared with me that it’s important for the community to know El Puente takes theft seriously no matter how small. So there I was, standing in a Nicaraguan police station describing my dark green aztec print velcro watch band in grave detail. Haaa ha (another “You know you’re on the world race when…” moment) We left the station and that was that.
I went the rest of the day thinking about the thief. I even made jokes with my team about the stylish Nicaraguan, with a ZTA Croakie on his sunglasses, a great watch if they’re planning on being a camp counselor and hey good thing I just loaded minutes on my phone! Hopefully they’ll use them all! I really wondered where it would all end up. Would this Man sell it for drug money? Keep it for himself? Have I met him here at El Puente? I wonder if I know Him? I wonder if he’s a part of any of the ministries were involved in? I wonder if he needed it to sell for food money for his family? I wondered a long time…..
I asked the Lord so many questions. I came to a place where I began praying for this man to be overcome by His presence. I asked God to bless this man. I know that God loves me, if I need a new watch, phone and sunglasses God will provide that for me. I believe that the same God will love, provide for, and protect this Man too. I didn’t pray for my items to return, they were long gone. I prayed for the thief.
God send your angels to protect the thieves tonight. May my watch be a blessing to someone desperate for work, may my cell phone be a tool for good conversations and may my sunglasses protect the eyes of someone looking for more. That night I posted a little about what happened and God flooded me with a sea of provision! (I am still in awe at how beautifully he orchestrates meeting our needs no matter how big or small. Thank You all for the many blessings and packages I will receive in LA!)
The night comes and with a lot of extra prayer we head to bed. I set up a security system in my window and pray my way to sleep . Hey an empty nalgen makes a pretty good alarm when it tumbles from a window seal.
Friday morning we wake up for ministry. A day of visiting Hogar de los Ancianos, “The Home of the Ancients.” Mario and our contact Sarah had a meeting last longer than expected so Sarah ended up driving us instead of us walking. We got in the car, almost immediately with a grin from ear to ear Sarah said, open up my backpack I have a surprise for you. And there it was, My watch, my cellphone, A friendship bracelet I didn’t even realize was gone, and a purple World Race water bottle that wasn’t even mine.
I’m sorry…..WHAT???? Lets recap…. A thief comes in the night steals my stuff off my bedside table while I’m sleeping, never going to see my stuff again, we file a police report, pray for thief, stuff in now back in my possession. This isn’t real.
Sarah and Mario facilitate a lot of recovery programs with men going through drug and alcohol rehabilitation. That morning they had scheduled a house visit to see a man in and out of the program. They asked his mother how he’d been doing, if he was staying sober, who he’d been hanging out with good crowd/bad crowd? and more. Sarah said “Beth, when he walked in it was one of the most genuine things I’ve ever seen. He’s the one who brought it back, not us, he confessed to coming onto the property and stealing your stuff.” Sarah said she saw true repentance, convection, and sorrow in his eyes. He was truly sorry for what he had done. Wow, wow,wow, , to experience something like this. To be so close to someone going through such a rough time, for them to know how much they are loved no matter what, and for them to confess to something with a level of repentance that you know its nothing short of a miracle. It’s also a miracle that he didn’t sell it already. Sarah said usually by now it would have already been sold on the streets or in the barrio. He stole it because someone put him up to it. He did it to prove to someone else that he could. He did it and regretted it.
God can use anything to bring glory to Him. I will probably never see my sunglasses again but thats so not the point. The point is that I truly believe that this mans convection is a direct result of my prayers. I prayed for this stranger. I prayed that he would be blessed and provided for. I think that conviction,confession, and repentance are good things. I think they are all emotions spurred by the holy spirit in us to do Gods will and to further our personal relationships with Him. If my stolen now returned watch and cell phone were tools to bring a lost man closer to Christ then Glory be to God! Man, he sure does work in the most mysterious of ways. For me this was a miracle. Thank you Lord.
I love Nicaragua! I love the people, I love learning spanish, I love the different ministries we are involved in and I love my team! It’s been a uphill club these first two weeks here and I pray that it continues. Please pray for my team, my squad, and for the thieves in the night.
Please consider supporting my journey in faith by clicking:
My final deadline of $16,200 is quickly approaching. I’m so blessed to be sharing this journey with you! Thank you for helping me GO, will YOU help me STAY?
Peace and Blessings,
Beth Milam
#BethBeyondBorders #InNicaraguaAsItIsInHeaven
Then I heard the voice of The Lord saying,
“whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. SEND ME!”
Isaiah 6:8
