Wow, so much has happened since my last blog. Looking back on it I can’t help but think, ‘that was when everything was rainbows and smiles.’ I was in my own little untouchable- unbreakable bubble of, should I say “cluelessness?”
Every month we are warned of pick-pocketers and every month celebrate it just being a warning. Over the course of 9 months I think I began to skim over that warning and not really think of it as a reality until 2 weeks ago, Friday, May 11th. Its taken a while to process- as you can imagine I was pretty shaken up.
It was just another day at Casa Maria (Abuelito Home), we were coming back from lunch in the town square of San Felipe (A neighboring town to Antigua). We (8 of us women) were just about to the door when 2 men come up to the side of us on a motor bike. Before we realize what is about to happen, the guy on the back jumps off, grabs my friend’s purse (which is positioned across her body). She holds on and he knocks her to the ground. At this point I finally realize what is going on. Here is this man that is essentially on top of my friend. To me it looks like he is beating her (in actuality he is after her bag only). Instincts kick in from hearing as a child- if you need to hit someone to protect yourself, DO IT! I was holding my salad bowl and without really thinking things through, I smacked him across the back with it as hard as I could (kind of a Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane moment- John 18:10). He quickly turned around (I am pretty sure it stunned him) and I thought, ‘O crap! He is a lot bigger than I thought.’ At that point he must have spotted my other friend Amaris with her fist drawn. She yelled, “Ayuda!” (help). He quickly took the one bag and hopped on his friends bike and road off.
We had much to be thankful for that day. The unfortunate thing is that the bag was stolen, however none of us were hurt seriously. He didn’t have a knife or a gun (which is really uncommon). He threw some punches, but no bruising. The police arrived on the scene within 10 minutes and were extremely helpful and sorry something like this happened. They got my friend to the police station and to the US embassy to do whatever was necessary to help out in this situation. Since the accident the police and the US embassy has made arrangements to have extra officers in the area (in uniform and under cover).
The biggest thing for us (especially me) was to get over the shock of it all. That night we had a worship night. As my squad mates were worshipping and singing to the Lord, I couldn’t help but sit aside and think and question. With tears in my eye’s I asked God, how could you let that happen? What happened to Your protection? I couldn’t see the biggest miracle of it all- that we all walked away unscathed and that my friend who was actually robbed was standing beside me shouting praises to the Lord.
Chrin your faith never ceases to amaze me! Thank you for trusting the LORD in the midst of hard times and being such an inpiring example to us all.
(too be continued….)
