It has taken me months to be able to concentrate long enough to write the following blog post. It’s about a real event that happened about 6 months ago. When I was in Guatemala while on the World Race, my friends and I were mugged and it was terrifying.
Let me paint the scene for you. While on a weekend off of ministry some friends and I were spending time in the beautiful city of Antigua. In Antigua the streets are made of intricate cobblestone, and intriguing markets and shops line countless intersecting streets. It feels like a piece of Europe smack in the middle of Central America. Also, a handful of volcanoes and mountains surround the serene town.
On the Sunday morning of that weekend me and my friends Ryan, Andrea, and Meg felt adventurous. We decided to wake up early, walk to the local cross park and watch the sun rise above Antigua.
The “cross park” is well known in Guatemala. If you do a google search for Antigua you will no doubt see shots of the overlook. It’s awesome and breathtaking.
So we trekked up the mountain side park around 5am that Sunday morning with excitement.
We didn’t know that 20 minutes later we would be scared for our lives.
As we sat on a bench in the mid morning haze looking down at Antigua in awe, I started strumming the guitar I brought and singing “beautiful” by Phil Wickham, with the first line of the song aptly being “I see your face in every sunrise.” And in less than 10 seconds of my playing I notice Ryan glance behind his shoulder and scream a piercing “No! NOOOO!” Andie, Meg, and I dart glances back and it takes us a good few seconds to take in the 3 sketchy, masked, gruff Guatemalan men ascending towards us from behind.
They were eerily only about 2 feet from us when we turned our heads and noticed! So close to us. PANIC set in. The following minute or so was a big blur – and it felt like much much longer. All I can remember is the man closest to me began wailing on me with a large stick. I stumble over and scrape my knee. The guitar I had in hand I begin flailing at him, as I try and stand my ground (mostly because I foolishly brought my iPad in my bag and didn’t want to have it stolen…it still was). With two more swings from him blocked by my left arm, I violently wave the guitar, scream loud cuss words in Spanish (haha), and try to ward the man off. Honestly I don’t even know what was going through my head. I didn’t even have time to think if these guys had guns. Praise God they didn’t. And then as quick as that the man turns and bolts! I glance down and boom – everything single I brought was gone. My bag that held my iPad, wallet, bible, and Megan’s gopro, was gone with the 3 men bolting off in to the distance park forest. I was left with only the guitar in my hand.
As I scramble in haste and fear, i remember my friends! Oh God! Are they okay!? I hear Meg scream “Kev!” As she and Andrea are already quickly running down the side of the mountain to flee from the men. Thankfully, I came to find out, that no one else was hurt, just pushed and shoved, and intimidated while our things were quickly taken.
Ryan and I run towards each other and he’s screaming at me that we have to GO now! The men were taking off but who knows if they might follow us!? Where is my bag? Oh God, my iPad and wallet and everything! I was livid and beyond upset. Tears began welling up in my eyes.
We lost track of the girls and bolt down the path to find them, screaming our lungs out for help. “Ayuda!” “Ladrones!”Where did the girls go?! After what felt like an eternity of fearfully running back up and down the park paths we find the girls, safe, and waiting for us near the park entrance. Ryan and I run towards Andrea and Meg in a fashion that cheesily resembles one of those runnign embraces on abeach in a romance movie, but it was GOOD to see them okay. It was so joyful to find them after all the commotion. We were all safe and unharmed. Thank you LORD.
The hours that ensued included returning to our hostel, frantically canceling cards, making a police report, calling family back home, skyping our squad mentor and coaches, and trying to remain sane and not freaked out. That last part was hard. We also thought about what-if’s. What if they…had guns? got the girls? Ryan didn’t turn and see them? Our hostel host mentioned that there have been terrible cases of attacks up there, so we were fortunate.
(Me, Ryan, Meg, Andie grabbing lunch later that same day we were robbed. We look pretty calm!!)
Later that day we had to go back to our ministry sites, mine and Andrea’s was just the next town over (we were on the same team), about a 40 minute drive away. Unfortunately for me I returned utterly shaken up.
SOOOOOOOO
Why am I telling this story? To freak you all out about the realities out there? Partially 🙂 But mostly because the story does not end there. I am telling this story because God really, truly does work all things together for the good of those who love him. (Rom. 8:28) I can say that now with confidence because I have tasted and seen it.
The week and a half that followed, I couldn’t walk around our village without thinking someone was going to jump me.
I couldn’t help but cringe if someone walked too closely behind me. I thought almost every Guatemalan man could resemble one of those 3 men.
My mind was spinning in circles and fear began to rule me. It captivated my thoughts. I hated it.
Then one evening I found myself laying in bed bundled up. I had my earbuds in playing some of my favorite worship tunes and I was trying to calm my festering mind. I remember still dwelling on the mugging and crying out to God that I was so tired of feeling that every other person was out to get me. Irrational I know but it’s where my mind was at. Literally I remember praying to God “I can’t take this, I can’t handle this!” And that’s when I heard a still voice utter in my head.
“I can. Let me carry this burden.”
“Take it Lord,” I murmured and an instant feeling of lightness swept over me. It was so cool and simple! I felt as though God had stripped my worries from me at this point of desperation.
I am reminded of the words from David in Psalm 34 “I sought the Lord, and he answered me and DELIVERED me from all my fears.”
I don’t know how to explain this relieving sensation, but I think God longs for us to ask him for help in acknowledgement of faith that he can truly can provide for us.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” There isn’t room for fear in our Father’s kingdom. 1 John 4:18
This was probably one of the more tangible ways I’ve felt God connect with me while being on race.
So that’s about it! The blessing doesn’t end there. Along with beginning to strip fears and worries from my life, I replaced most of my stolen stuff! I was gifted with a new bag, wallet, and EVEN a new iPad from my loving family and friends! Unbelievable. My bank also replaced the stolen money I had on my card once I filed a claim about what had happened. Unreal. Even if I didn’t receive a single item back, though, God would still be good all the more.
So that is my story about being mugged. It took a while for me to process it some (and sit down and write it LOL) but how good is God?
When else can you say that being mugged was a blessing, than when following Jesus?
So, I pray that his story deeply encourages you all and that you can continue to ask of Jesus and seek Him in all things.
Thanks for reading.
(We ventured back to the park -during the day- a few weeks later and worshipped with some friends of ours!)
