People are inherently...

As I began to think of a title for this post I recalled a paper I wrote during my last year of high school debating whether people are inherently good or inherently evil. I don't remember which side of the debate I took a stance on, but I do believe that all people have a bit of evil inside them as a result of the fall of man in the book of Genesis when Eve chose to eat the apple.

I will, however, also argue that because Christ shed his blood on the cross and died to cover our multitudes of sin, those who have accepted Christ as their Savior and choose to live for Him must also then choose to fight the evil and practice the good. Of course we still sin, we still make mistakes, we still have that mark of evil upon us; yet Christ, by His grace, covers the evil and sees the good. We as Christians must then choose to demonstrate the good to the world in order to be living examples of Christ's light in a world filled with the darkness of evil.

In the last month, I have faced evil acts committed by man two different times in the form of robbery. I am so thankful for God's physical protection and provision during both occasions. Let me explain more...

Most of you know that last month my U.S. bank account was hacked, and all of the money I had deposited to continue paying on my student loans was used to make purchases around the world (literally - Siberia, USA, England, Israel, etc.) We have no idea how this happened since my debit card has been safely stored and unused since I was in the US in January. Thankfully, the bank was very helpful, and all of my money was returned either by the companies or through insurance the bank provides.

Then on Tuesday this week, I was robbed again while in my own car. I know a lot of my American friends are wondering, "How does one get robbed while driving down the road in her own car?" Let me be the first to tell you, it's actually very easy.

Javier had picked me up at school to take me to the central post office where I was to pick up a box my parents had sent me. The post office isn't in the best part of Lima, but it isn't in the worst area either. Javier and I were driving with the windows partway open, when he asked me to look up a number on my phone. Holding my phone in my right hand, I began to search the internet for the number he had asked for.

Upon finding the number, he asked me to use his phone to call the company. I explained to him that in English it would be nearly impossible for me to accurately explain the problem we were having with the car, so in Spanish I probably couldn't do it either. I then asked him if he would please call them, to which he responded, "If you call, I'll tell you what to say."

Still holding my phone in my right hand, I picked up his phone to dial with my left. I (not being from these parts) never thought to close the windows, and Javier being focused on the call, the problem with the car, and getting to the post office before they closed also did not think about the insecurity of using a phone with the windows open.

After that things become a slight blur. I don't remember if we had stopped for a traffic light or slowed down because of traffic, but as I began to dial a hand entered the window and grabbed Javier's phone. In my peripheral vision I could see two men outside the car, one in a green and blue plaid button up, and the other in a solid colored t-shirt. My immediate reaction was to throw my phone to the ground to free my right hand to help fight for the phone. However, before Javier or I could react the man holding the phone was twisting my fingers, and I just let it go. We quickly drove away, but as I turned around I saw the two men running down the street in the opposite direction, bent over the phone.

I am so thankful the men didn't approach us with a knife or a gun. We are blessed that the only damage they did was causing temporary pain to my fingers and shaking my nerves up a bit. The only lost property was a cell phone, not a life.

So then the next questions I received from friends back in the US were, "How do you get it back? Do you file a police report?" Forgive me, but I had to chuckle inside. Javier and I first went to collect my box knowing that we were running short on time. Next we went to the cellphone company and had the phone chip and number blocked so that the men could not access Javier's stored information or make phone calls. As for a police report, even if we filed one, the police wouldn't do anything about it. Cellphones and such things are robbed on a very regular basis here in Peru.

"What happens next then?" one might ask. Well, Javier still needs to buy a new phone, but in the meantime he worries about me even leaving the house without being able to contact him. As for the men who stole the phone, they will probably take it to one of the markets and sell it to someone looking for a phone cheaper than they sell them in the store.

Lessons learned:

• God is our ultimate protector. 
• Pray for those who do evil against you for they need to know the salvation and wholeness that comes through a personal relationship with Christ. 
• Forgiveness.
• Sharing the blame - Javier and I were both responsible for setting ourselves up to be robbed. 
• Even though I generally feel safe with Javier, I also need to continue to be aware of my surroundings and personal safety.
• Close the windows when talking on the phone (no matter what area I am in). 
• Don't use a cellphone in plain view in certain parts of the city.

Please friends and prayer warriors, continue to pray for safety and God's protection while I am here in Peru. I know similar things can and do happen in the US; however, here in Peru it is more likely. When I add up all of the time I have spent in Peru it amounts to approximately 16 months. I am so thankful that in all of that time, this is the first time I have been robbed, and I pray that it will be the only time it happens, too.

I will be sending out another newsletter at the end of this month. If you are not signed up for my monthly updates and would like to be, please comment with your email address. (All comments are sent to me before being published on the blog, so I will not post any comments that include your personal email addresses or information.)

God is faithful!!

And just for kicks and giggles, here's a recent picture of Javier and I while hanging out with a missions team that was visiting from Canada for a few weeks. He wanted to use the hot pads and quilts the women had brought to pretend he was an elderly, native Peruvian woman.

Blessings to each of you and your families this Easter weekend.

Much love - Jessica