Okay... so... I was robbed.
It happened right after my last post. Remember I was so excited to go to see the personal trainer? Well, I got out of a meeting later than I expected and was hurrying to get to the gym. In my rush, I didn´t realize I left my purse and my computer on the back seat of my car. I got to the gym and leapt out of the car without looking in the back seat.
After an awesome workout I got back into the car and noticed that there was more light than normal. I turned and saw there was no back window. My first thought was that I left the window down. Then I saw the glass. What a shock!
Looking back I think I went through the stages of grief. I was okay with the purse being stolen. It was the worst day for it to happen - all of my rent money was inside. But money is money. Credit cards can be cancelled and drivers licenses replaced.
About 20 minutes later I remembered I had my computer with me. That´s when denial set in. And the feeling that I was going to cry and vomit at the same time. I kept searching the car for my computer. I normally don´t ever have it with me. If I looked one more time it would be under the seat. Even though I hadn´t put it there. I still don´t remember leaving my stuff on the back seat either. Don´t rush. Lesson learned. The hard way.
I did have one thing to be thankful for. My phone was still on the back seat. Right where everything else had been. I couldn´t believe it. They didn´t take my phone.
I called my landlords. Neither answered. Then I called a friend from the church who helped me find the car and buy car insurance. He said he was nearby and said he could come right over. I said yes, please. It was about to get dark.
He arrived quickly and called the insurance company. I called and cancelled the credit card which was actually still in the back pocket of my jeans - where it never is, just like my computer is never in my car, and my rent money is never in my purse. After I realized my credit card was not stolen I tried to get them to reactivate it, but that was not possible. Man, that was a bummer. That was the start of anger setting in.
USBank added the final touches to my anger stage, which lasted all night and into the morning. Although I was calm and respectful to every customer service representative, they were not helpful or respectful to me. They pushed me over the edge when they kept insisting that I was giving them the wrong phone number. If you live outside of the US, your phone number may have 8 digits, as mine does. Come one people! Still, to this day, they are not willing to help me access my account. Please. I beg of you. If you have a USBank account, close it. They were horrible.
By morning I sent a message to my friend Jody that was not fit for the human ear. Or eye. I stopped cursing when I was working with teenagers. Every now and then something will slip out, but cursing is not really a part of my vocabulary. Except in those messages to poor Jody. Sorry Jody!!! She would send me a message with some advice about how to move forward and I would respond with more cursing. She finally told me to take a deep breath. That was when I knew I was loosing it.
Then I realized I couldn´t get out of bed. I wanted to pull my covers over my head and go to sleep. Pretend this wasn´t happening. It was all just a bad dream. Ugh.
Finally, against every fiber of my being, I dragged myself out of bed. The friend from church took me to get a new window. (He brought with him a laptop for me to borrow until I am able to get another computer.) The guys who do the window installation were out of the shop and wouldn´t be back for a while so he suggested we run some errands.
As we drove around I told him that I really needed to pray because my cousin´s wedding is in three weeks. Now I need a phone, a camera AND a computer. I really can´t afford to go to the wedding in Guatemala. I told him that the strange thing was that I know that logically, but my heart still felt like I was going to go. So I needed to ask God to put my heart and my brain ¨de acuerdo¨ (on the same page).
He suggested we stop at a travel agency to price tickets. He had miles to pay for almost the whole thing and bought me a ticket to my cousin´s wedding. That was when my heart lifted. Then he asked how much gas I had. I told him I was fine, I had a half tank. We went to the gas station and he filled the tank. Then he told me he has a brand new cell phone at his house which I can have, if I am not particular about what kind it is. (It´s a really nice phone!) Our last stop was the bank, where he withdrew enough money to help me get by for a few weeks.
All of this, and we hadn´t even had time to fix the window yet. God was bashing me over the head with blessings. I went from feeling like I wasn´t competent to drive because my mind was such a mess, to being amazed and overwhelmed with gratitude.
I suffered a small setback when I realized my USB was in my purse, so all of the stuff on my computer really was gone. And another jilt when I realized all of my tax crap for the past year was lost.
My pastor from K2, my church in the US, called. He asked how they could help. My friend Jody had called him and told him about my bad news. (Thanks Jody!) He was a missionary for a long time. He knew how I felt. Things like this have happened to him before. He offered to send cash Western Union and look for a new computer. Wow! Thanks Lad and K2!
Driving around the city with no window was bizarre. Normally I drive with my windows up and doors locked. It felt very vulnerable and strange. I did have a black garbage bag duct taped over the window. I ran out of duct tape so it flapped in the wind. Anyone could have easily reached in at a stop light. But they didn´t. And I got a new window at the end of the day.
The next day my friend arranged for my windows to be tinted so dark that nobody can see inside and for an alarm to be installed in my car. While that work was being done he let me borrow his big, beautiful truck. I asked if I could return to the scene of the crime with it. I was pretty nervous. But he said sure. I was dying to work out. So I went to the gym and I ran. The first mile was done before I even realized it and then the second, and the third. Normally I am looking forward to the end of that fourth mile. But this time I wanted to keep running. Kind of like Forrest Gump. I lifted weights and did my stomach stuff. Then I got back on the treadmill and ran until I felt like I should really be at the church. I could have run all day.
When I got to the church my phone rang. It was a guy calling from the airport, asking directions for how to get to the church. He had my credit card!!!! Yay Capital One! They were great! Capital One´s customer service representatives were the opposite of my crappy bank. They were kind and very professional. They called at 6 a.m. Thursday to say the card was being sent. I received it Friday at 3:30 p.m. Thank you Capital One!
All of this has been a little hard to process. I received so many blessings in the midst of a difficult time. Somehow a lot of people found out and sent kind messages. The kids at the Breakfast Program prayed the sweetest prayers for me, I was told. When I went back to the church I got more hugs than ever. The kids were really sad and upset about what happened. They told me it was not fair and they were so happy that I am safe. They are still praying for me even today that guardian angels fly around me and protect me. I love those kids.
When people from the US heard, some of them said they were happy that I was safe. My initial reaction was jeepers, my car window was smashed. That happened 3 times in my own driveway in Salt Lake City. Of course I am fine. But then I heard the same comment from many people here, in Honduras. I realized that yes, God was looking out for me. He cares for me every day. That day He made sure I was not in the car when the people saw my computer and my purse on the back seat.
So now I am traveling more conscientiously. Jairo taught me all of this stuff. I knew better. Today I went to the gym with an empty car. I saw the trainer. He heard what happened. He told me his heart hurt when he found out. The unofficial ¨guard¨ (an older man who helps you park and watches your car as best he can) apologized for not taking better care of my car. I told him it was not his fault, it was mine. They each advised me not to come to the gym after 4 p.m. because the parking gets too crazy in the evenings. I even wrote that in a previous post.
The bottom line is that yes, I was robbed. But today I was able to share with all of the kids at the Breakfast Program all of the ways God has blessed me through this situation. Besides all of the material provision, which was HUGE, I felt extremely supported by members of my church in Honduras and in the US. I think feeling that support was the best part of all. God has shown me His love for me through many people since Thursday. In my final stage of grief, I felt nothing but appreciation and gratitude. I have learned about trust. I learned to ask for help and accept blessings. Now I am able to share with people a story of how God cared for me in a difficult time. It is a great story to share.
Yup. I got robbed. But before you feel sorry for me, wait - there´s more!
