Chandler suggested going outside to look around in case the thieves had dropped anything, so I followed him out. As I was investigating the area under our window, Chandler yelled out. I turned around to see him holding his passport in the air. That was the final straw; I lost it. God’s presence with us in that moment, in the midst of chaos was overwhelming. Out of all the things we lost, Chandler’s passport was the most important and the thieves had dropped it a mere twenty feet from the window.
The rest of the team joined us outside to prayer walk around the house. I was furiously praying. This was our third time being stolen from and I was done. I started pouring my heart out to God. I prayed for justice; I prayed for the thieves to drop dead from God’s wrath. I kid you not when I say I was pissed. The team reconvened and prayed together for the house. At this point I was becoming consumed with fear, which I voiced to the team. What if the robbers came back while we were at the house?
After tossing and turning all night, I awoke to Easter morning. I immediately knew this was not going to be the Easter I had expected. To look most accurately into how I was feeling, I’ll give you a peek into my journal:
This is certainly a much different Easter than what I celebrated last year. Waking up somber because of last night’s events is discouraging. Over and over again in the Psalms they lift their eyes back to you and off their circumstances. Jesus, you are so much bigger than this. Satan can’t win and today is proof of that. You defeated death and him on this day so long ago and you’ll do it again.
The robbery is still not something I understand and while we’re still hoping and praying our stuff will be returned, it may never be. The World Race has been full of trials and triumphs, but God has always been present through them. And thought Satan tried, we didn’t stop worshipping God. The night before we left our contact we worshipped together under the stars in plain view of the rest of the community.
