The Attacks Keep Coming...

This weekend was a low one for me.  Satan is attacking me and my family hardcore but he will not win!  On Friday, I went out to do a few things in town and go out for lunch with some friends.  When I got back to my room in the early afternoon, all my electronic devices were stolen!  The culprits took my macbook (lap top for you non-mac users J), my iPod (mp3 player), my digital camera, my flash drive, my cell phone and a friend’s digital camera I had in my room.  Basically everything that I was using to encourage myself and stay connected to my world back home.  For those of you that don’t know me well, I am kind of a techy.  I like my technology, actually I LOVE my technology.  In fact, I worked in the electronics section at Costco for almost seven years while putting myself through university before becoming a teacher.

It was strange right from the beginning because my room has a British double lock on the door (you turn the key twice and the lock goes in on two stages).  I ALWAYS lock the double lock!  When I went to open it, only the first stage was locked.  It was strange.  When I noticed my stuff gone, I thought it had to be someone from the hotel because who else would have a key to my room?  Also, when I first went to this hotel (I was asked to leave Sanyu guesthouse 3 weeks ago – long story not for this post) they told me that I had the ONLY key to my room.  I even had to leave it for the maid if I wanted my room cleaned, which I only had been doing once per week on Mondays.  This had to be someone from the hotel, no one else could have a key or access to extra keys that I was told didn’t exist. I went to the hotel manager and told him my stuff was gone and he said he would call the police.  I was a little in shock, so at first I accepted this and went back to my room.  Then, on gaining my head, I realized if it was the manager who did it, he wouldn’t actually try to help me.  I called a Ugandan friend and he told me not to trust anyone and to go to the police station myself right away.  This was even more confirmed when I started to leave and the manager told me not to.  I went down to the police, filed the report and they came back to the hotel to “question” the workers with traditional Ugandan methods (let’s just say not the same as in North America).  They ended up taking everyone down to the police station and held them all in custody for further “questioning”.   The police agreed that someone from the hotel must have a part in it and are still trying to get answers.  The hotel owner has been very nice to me since then, I think mainly because he doesn’t want me to ask him to pay for my stuff.  He changed the locks to my room, gave me ALL the keys, reduced my fees and gave me access to some other benefits not normally given to other guests.  Well, 3 days later, still not much has changed in my case.  They have not arrested or questioned anyone outside the hotel and tell me they are looking for 2 people.  They do suspect one worker in particular and are looking for his friends.  I don’t really have much hope that my stuff will be found, but who knows?  Anyway, this was probably one of the heaviest blows that Satan could deal me right now.  He is working overtime to discourage me, tear me down and make me give up and give in.

The thing the devil doesn’t know or is failing to see is that I serve an even bigger God!  An awe-inspiring, mountain-moving, gasp-giving, wonder-working, all powerful God that loves me and is taking care of me here.  Yes, I was discouraged.  Yes, I wallowed a bit in my own self-pity.  Yes, I was angry (still am a bit) BUT then God picked me up, brushed me off and told me to “keep on”.

I know we must be getting close to going home because it sure seems like the devil is working extra hard, pulling extra innings, putting in some major over-time to stop me, stop us, from bringing these kids home.  Things are going to happen soon, I just know it.  God knows when this will all be over.  He has it in His perfect plan.

On Friday morning (before this happened), I read  2 Corinthians 4:8 &9, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”  What an amazing message to prepare me for the next attack from Satan.  God wanted me to know that He is still here – that I may be hard pressed, that I may be perplexed, that I may be persecuted and even struck down, but He is not going to let me be crushed, in despair, abandoned or destroyed.  He says in Hebrews 13:5b & 6, “’Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?’” And in Isaiah 43:2 He says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

Friends, God is with each of us.  He will not leave us, or forsake us in good times or bad.  And today (as we should EVERY day) I say blessed be the name of the Lord.  I am not discouraged. Although it sucks not having my lap top or iPod or those other things, they are just that, things, material possessions and they can be replaced and they don’t control or change the work that God has me doing here.  God is so good, God is ALL I need and God will continue to carry me through this no matter what Satan throws at me or my family!!  Yay God for that!!

Fighting in Uganda,

Teach