At least they didn’t take everything

Telling you what happened would just be the start. It’s the paranoia and anxiety that came after that night on Friday, November 23rd, that really affected me.

Friday itself was an unusually long ministry day. We woke up at who knows when, to leave by 7:30am. My team and I were making food for a preschool graduation. So from 7:30-2:30 we were prepping and sweating to get it all done. During this time I wasn’t feeling the greatest, my stomach was upset and I felt queasy. So after we ate some food we left to go home around 4:00.

We sat at home, watching movies, shows, and eating some dinner before we went back out to help with a fashion show. Waiting for our host to be ready to leave… we were all laying down in the room, laughing at old Facebook pictures. When it was time to go, I personally still wasn’t feeling that well, and I think some of my teammates were feeling the same way. But we all left anyways.

From 8:45 – 10:45pm we were at this fashion event. 

We left early and started heading home. I can’t tell you how many times this image is ingrained in my head. We were turning into our little gated home when someone asked “why is the front door open?” My stomach dropped, heart pounded and I knew it wasn’t going to end well.

Pastor John jumped out of the van and told us to stay inside. We saw him run behind the house. From where the van was parked I could see someone with a red blanket come running out of the front door. I immediately ducked my head, thinking he had a gun. But the rest of my team locked the van doors… and just waited for Pastor John to come back. We prayed in the van for the event that just happened. And I don’t know why but I felt this need to pray for the people who potentially had robbed us. 

So when John came back, we all got out and stood on the porch and prayed for them. 

Stepping into the house we saw the tv gone and Pastor John’s computer gone. We could also see stuff moved around throughout the kitchen. When we got into our room everything was flung everywhere. My black daypack was no where to be seen. Meaning all my electronics, credit cards, and sentimental things were gone. My team was left with 3 phones and 1 semi-working laptop, and 2 people with credit cards. 

To be honest, I don’t feel safe. But I know God is still good even in the midst of this mess. Throughout this past week, my teammates and I were wondering what we could have done to prevent it. And I honestly couldn’t tell you what we could have done. But if some of us would have stayed back from that event… it could have ended so differently. If we also would have came home later, who knows.. maybe all of our stuff would have been taken.