Good evening mes amis,
As I write this I am still bleeding from being hit over the head, even though it has been a couple of hours since the incident. I was walking home from church(in hindsight I am happy I didn't drive or I would be without a vehicle too.), and as I arrived at the gate to my apartment complex, I watched a fat man order several guys with pistols to various spots where people were still outside. I was literally about to put my key in the door as I was pointed out and one of the guys with the pistols ran up to me. I had a a satchel carrying my bible, a book by John Maxwell, a notebook, an Ipod, and my cell phone inside it. He told me to give it all to him. I said no, and he hit me over the head with his gun. I still said no, so he called over a buddy who hit me over the head as well. At that point, I remembered a saying that a lot of people told after one of the last times I was robbed, "Lo material se recupera, pero la vida no."(What is material you can get back, but not your life.) So I gave them the stuff. After going inside to tell my landlords what happened and calling my pastor, I went out to check on the others who were robbed. They were shocked because I was still bleeding, but nobody else was hurt, thank GOD. We all got together and prayed for God's protection over the community and for the young men who robbed us that God would work within their hearts as well.
Last night I was going to write about how a retired boxer with a broken nose came back around to Christ after a brief conversation at one of my trainer's house. He and I spoke for a little bit about God's purpose for our lives, and a recovering crack addict to whom I have been witnessing.She also washes my trainers clothes while staying at my trainer's house to get away from her abusive husband. It was awesome to see her sharing God and His love with this stranger. I had cooked for my trainer and myself, but I brought extras so there was enough for all of us to eat together. I went home filled with the Spirit, and today I was still pretty joyous.
As of now I am reminded of something a pastor told me while on a mission trip to South Africa last summer with Horizon International(www.horizoninternationalinc.com). I had three kids(one with Asperger's and one with cerebral paulsey) from the ghetto in East St. Louis with me working with AIDS orphans in the slums of Capetown and villages in the Limpopo province. It was the ultimate culture shock experience as we were joined by suburbanites from Wyoming. It was a tough trip as I had to parent these kids who were in a whole new world outside of the hood for the first time with a group of total strangers from a completely different socioeconomic background. The pastor told me, "The closer you get to God, the more deeply the enemy will attack you." Tonight was yet another instance that backed up that statement.
In the midst of all of this, there is one constant. Something that I can rely on no matter what. That is God's protection. This is far from the first time that I was robbed, and not even the first time my life has been threatened. Those two and their cohorts could have shot me. Yet they just hit me instead. "When you pass through the waters of trouble there am I with you, and you will not be swept away; when you walk through the flames of oppression, there am I with you, and you will not be burned up." (Isaiah 43:2) I heard this while on that trip in South Africa, and it has stuck with me ever since.
Most importantly, I feel renewed in my purpose here. The guys who robbed me were very young. I feel like I need to double my efforts to reach out to the youth of the barrios here. The more youth we can reach, the less of these cases we will encounter. It's funny how sometimes it takes a knock to the head to really motivate you, even if it means getting pistol whipped.
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; your rod and your staff they comfort me." -Psalm 23:4
"For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power, love, and discipline." -1 Timothy 1:7
"What the shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" -Romans 8:31
Tixho auga tselele!
Seth
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