oh theft....

Ok… well things are going well here for the most part! I’ve been having sweet time with friends & family. Adam turned 24 on the 20th & it was a fun celebration. This is a picture from the “party” that his host family had. Ann made stir-fry… YUMMY!

Anyway, I should let you know that I’m fine; that I’m rooting for the USA today in the World Cup; that my day at work yesterday was a productive one; that my dinner with Craig last night was really nice; and that Lydia arrives tomorrow. But here comes the story we’ve all been waiting for!!!

Yesterday there was a hard end to a good day. I was eating with Craig at a nice place called Prestige Plaza; the restaurant was Books First. Aj had arrived, so I moved my large handbag from the chair next to me to the rung of my chair. About 30 minutes later when it came time to pay I turned to get into my wallet and my bag was gone. A lady sitting at a table behind us in a booth saw a lady carrying the bag I described. In this bag was my wallet, with 2 credit cards, my Indiana drivers license, my $400 new canon camera, and my umbrella. I began to flip out. I’m ALWAYS paranoid, especially in Kenya, about things getting stolen. Usually I look for something, find it missing, pray, & realize I put it in a different spot than I had remembered. This time all my fears of the past became a shocking reality. My bag was gone. My debit card, which contained the money needed for Lydia & I to get through these next three weeks, was gone. My new camera, which I was using for my new found love for photography & which I was so looking forward to using on safari next week, was gone. Someone had eyed a white girl, who apparently looked like a tourist, and much to my dismay and somewhat humiliation I was an easy target. This has been a trial of which I never truly anticipated. It’s testing my faith & trust. I’m certainly sad that my amazing camera is gone, my cute bag that had made it faithfully through more than 3 months of hard Kenyan living, and my debit card, but more than that I feel violated. It made me feel used, and mistreated in a way I’ve never felt. I feel stupid & I often question (un-wisely) what I could’ve done differently; or I ask why I didn’t just leave my bag at home when I questioned doing it. I feel like a people I learned to put trust in have let me down. I feel the streets I’ve walked down every day for months, are now unsafe.

With this fear, that I now feel, I’m fighting against it. Last night as I was talking with Anna, she said “Katie, if there is one thing I’ve been fighting against its fear”. I of course “eased” her mind & told her I wasn’t scared. But waking up, and knowing I had to walk to work this morning, indeed there was fear. Our staff is going back to the same place to watch the USA vs Ghana game today, and I’ve realized, there is fear.

I’m going through the needed process of finding my hope, trust, faith, & security in the Lord. I’m seeing, through this trial, answers to prayers I’ve been praying; to have open hands so that the Lord will give & take as HE pleases, to draw near to God, & to really trust Him. I’ve prayed for the testing of my faith, and so it’s being tested. God is faithful through the worst of circumstances. I’ve learned that through Sarah’s going home, & now this. There are many other things that could have happened to me, other things that could have been stolen. What happened was allowed by God and now it’s my chance to turn around & tell Him I’m thankful for this experience. I’m thankful that He wants me to see Him so badly that He’ll allow, perhaps things that are blocking my view of Him, to be taken away.

“Consider it pure joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1: 2-4)

“Do not fear for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

Well, this is my trial. It’s easy to quote scripture, but it’s another thing to have your heart, mind, body, & soul grasp to the words of Christ. Thank you for your prayers of safety. I am safe. I ask now that you would pray for a restoration. I would ask that this experience would not just be something bad that happened, or some experience I “learned” from, but that my heart would truly say “all the glory be to the Lord.” And that my mouth with all assurance in my heart could say “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus.”

As Lydia arrives tomorrow, God is faithful. He is providing. Pray for her safety & for our time together; that it would be sweet and precious time. This upcoming Tuesday we leave for safari & will be traveling continuously (Uganda & Mombasa) until July 9th. She’ll depart on the 11th, and I on the 12th!

Thank you for reading this blog, and for all the others as well. I pray you are safe, and enjoying the goodness of the Lord in this day. For He is a good God!

Joyfully God’s,
Katie

PS- I wrote this in tears… and I’m now recovering. Yesterday I downloaded “This Little Light of Mine”, by Sam Cooke, off itunes because someone was singing it in the office. As I sit here and listen to it, its giving me joy & hope. This was a situation and its over now. Things will be fine. I hope you’re all well & enjoying life today. And if you’re reading this today (June 22) YOU BETTER find the USA playing Ghana today & root for your country!