UPDATE: *************DISREGARD THE NEED OF A COMPUTER. But read the story below. Last night my computer was stolen. After a sleepless night of crying, questioning, and searching the house in every corner, charades with all the neighbors trying to explain to non English speakers what happened, tears all day, and a lot of stress..someone felt guilty enough and put my computer back in the room where I slept after we had packed up, cleaned the house, done a final search, and left for the airport. I was crying in the Tuk-Tuk on the way to the airport..wanting to stay here and go to all of the pawn shops, etc..thinking about how there are no retailers in Rwanda to buy a new computer, and sick about all of the pictures I had lost. When we arrived at the airport, my team leader came running to our Tuk-Tuk screaming GOD IS GOOD! Pastor found your computer! I was in shock..and disbelief. His wife went to do a check of the rooms and found the computer sitting in the middle of the floor! Someone was guilty but too afraid to return it while we were there. Our pastor and his wife were so upset that this happened, he was throwing up this morning. he immediately jumped on his moto and brought it to me at the airport! CRAZY! Blog coming soon about the details and how this is just a continuous lesson God has been teaching me about how he takes care and provides for me. **************
ORIGINAL: So the end of the month is usually the time where I post my top 11 pictures blog and a recap blog containing my video of the month. I like to stay on top of all of these things so that I can share all of my experiences with everyone who has supported me on this journey. This month was very busy, so I was lacking in some video footage and photo organization. I spent all morning yesterday working on finalizing all of my photo editing, video making, and blog writing so that I could go to internet and upload all of it before we head to the airport. This is only like the 3rd time that I have gotten my computer out of my backpack all month because it is simply a tool to edit and share my experiences with all of you. I use my iphone for all other internet usage because its more convenient. We currently live in a 4 story apartment that the director of the orphanage is renting for mission groups and a few of his college age children to live. I have been sleeping on a mat on the floor in the smallest room on the top floor. We have felt very safe and comfortable here all month. I left at 6:30pm to go out to the night market with my team to spend some time together on our last night here.
When we returned around 10pm, I told my team that I was excited to go upstairs and finish my video of the month tonight so that I could show them and post it to my blog in the morning. It was going to be a late night of editing and writing… but I came to my room to see that my computer was gone. I went and woke up all of the college students who live here and questioned them, and then called the orphanage director to come over. When he arrived he said that shortly after we had left for the market, the neighbors called and told him that they saw two 18-19 year old boys climb up the side of the house and come in the window. He came over immediately and checked the house but did not see anyone or anything wrong, and so he double checked that all doors were locked and left. All of my teammates computers and things were sitting out in other rooms, but mine was the only one taken. And the farthest from the door!
The orphanage director is very hurt and upset that this has happened to me. As he sat and talked with me about what he can do to prevent anything else like this from happening, his wife called three times from the orphanage and he said she was hyperventilating because she was so upset that this happened to someone who came here to bless their children and their ministry. He said that recently 5 of the children's bikes that were donated for them to ride to school were stolen, and last year a motorcycle that was given to him as a wedding gift by missionaries was stolen. He said that the police are very corrupt here, and if we call them they will just charge me over $300 to come and 'document' the loss. He also said that the police partner with robbers here and today a policeman saw a group of us walking and they went to the orphanage to ask him if we had registered and given passport copies to the police department allowing us to stay in Cambodia. The director told him no, and the officer was angry that we had not paid them and done this..even though we bought visas and did everything that we thought we were supposed to do. Our pastor told the police officer that we were leaving the country tomorrow and that he wasn't going to make us pay to do this just for one day. He thinks that this may have made the policeman angry and he could have sent the teen boys over to rob our apartment because he knows that Americans were staying here. And this is a way for him to get money out of us.
I am only upset about the computer because the only thing that I use it for is to edit photo/video so that I can share it with everyone from home…which is a huge part of my ministry for my team and for everyone at home. I love to capture my experiences and the beautiful people of Gods creation and to share it with everyone to see. Tomorrow I am headed to Africa…the place I have most been looking forward to photographing and taking video of. I know that God will provide me a way to do this.. And that there is something that I need to learn from this experience. I need to value and appreciate my things more, even though I only used that laptop a few times a month…(each photo upload that I post to Facebook) I now realize how much that means to me… and I cannot stand the idea of not being able to do so. My computer had all of the past 6 months of edited photos stored on it…and also I will have to buy my editing software again. I spent my extra personal money on this computer right before I left, because it was small and convenient and also still had the capability to do all of my editing on.
One of the blogs that I wrote this morning was about my favorite moment this month…When I was able to take two of the girls who live in a scrap metal shack on our street to a 12 story playground and buy them ice cream… I wrote a great blog about what an impact it made on me, and how I am so glad to be blessed with personal donations so that I could make things like that happen..and at the end I said that these opportunities are endless..'there's always a kid who needs shoes..or an orphanage that needs a pizza party!' but now…. I guess there's also a missionary who needs a new computer after hers got stolen! 🙁 This is NOT what I want to spend money on.. I would much rather be buying something huge for a child..The most frustrating part about this is that someone/some people are going to have to help me..and I don't like asking for help! But I know that I need a computer for the next 6 months to be able to continue this ministry and using the gifts that God has given me to capture and share precious moments with all of you.
Email [email protected] if you have any questions…or encouragement 🙂
Orphanage director: 'We trust that God is using this situation, and that you will become even more blessed because of it.'
Thanks and I love all of you! I'm off to Africa!
-MK
