and I will call upon Your name

Have you heard the song Oceans by Hillsong United?  If you haven't, you should listen to it.  It's on replay for me right now.

About three hours ago I was robbed.  I was walking home from the mall and had finally arrived at my house.  Here in Cordoba, each house has a large gate in front of it.  Behind the gate there is a very short walkway that leads to the front door.  Everyone here has a key to their gate and a key to their house.  Myself included.  When I reached my house, I opened the gate, and immediately turned around to shut it and lock it with my key.  As I was fiddling with my keys in my hand to get the right one to lock the gate, a motorcycle pulled up directly in front of me.  At first I wondered if the two men on the motorcycle were friends of my host family.  That thought passed quickly as the men got off of their motorcycle and began to push open the gate that I was trying to lock it.  I fought as much as I could and yelled "No, no, no, dejame sola (leave me alone), NOOOO" but they were quickly able to out push me and opened the gate.  I turned and ran with all of my might towards the front door of my house, but it was locked.  I knew I was done; the had me cornered.  They immediately grabbed me, took my purse threw me on the ground, and left.  This all happened within about 15 seconds.  I laid on the ground screaming and crying as my host family (and every other person who lives on my street) ran outside to me.

They took everything.  In my purse was my iphone (and only means of taking pictures), the phone that I bought yesterday to use while here, my debit card, credit card, license, health insurance cards, my universitario id, my favorite chapstick, some pesos, travelers visa, bus card and whatever else was in there.  I feel invaded.  I know I am okay, and I am so grateful for that, but I feel like someone took parts of me that I wish I had back.  The money doesn't matter to me, and the cards have all been cancelled as well as the phones, but I just feel sad that someone felt the need to go to that extreme.   I feel sad, and I feel scared that this horrible experience will hinder me from living and exploring as much as possible while here.

As I was talking to my sister after I had calmed down and was able to breathe, she told me shes been listening to the song Oceans by Hillsong United.  I have heard this song 10057435801374560134 times before (approximately), but in that moment I needed the reminder of exactly who is watching over me.

Should I maybe be more cautious?  Yes, absolutely.  But do I need to feel scared? No, not at all.  I've got the best police officer, fire fighter, navy seal, army general, know-all papa looking out for me and loving me all the time.  And the crazy thing is that He's also loving the two men who robbed me.  He's so kind-hearted, gracious, pure, and perfect that He can love even those who we find almost impossible to love.  In an odd sort of way I find comfort in the fact that maybe God knew that those men needed my 40 pesos (about $5) in order to survive or feed their families.  Maybe that money and the rides left on my bus card went to exactly who they needed to go to.  Maybe, just maybe, I can find some love for those men.  I just hope that no one else has to experience what I did, because it does leave one with the vulnerable feeling that your personal space has been penetrated.  That feeling is uncomfortable, but I am grateful that I need not fear.  I can be at rest in the comfort of knowing that "You've never failed and You won't start now" (Oceans).