Some days are stones....

We have news, but have not been ready to share. Partly because we don’t know much yet, and partly because we don’t know how to handle it yet.

We got Ben off for the States on Thursday morning. We went by bus with him into Panama City on Wednesday, stayed the night in a hotel close to the airport, then went with him to the airport on Thursday morning. From there we were headed toward home when we got a call from Dani; The house/ church had been robbed. She was really upset, so I did not understand much of what she said, but this much we now know – someone used a key (Dani’s key went missing this week she said.) to our house to come in and take the entire treasury of the church ($474), which was hidden away in a drawer, the money the ladies had raised to go to the convention selling tamales ($76), all the cash and change we had in and on our dresser (probably no more than $25) and the new camera we bought in June($425). They did not touch either computer, or anything else in the house. They did leave behind footprints of muddy tennis shoes that showed that they went directly to our bedroom and to the dresser where the money and camera were. They did not search other rooms, or even other parts of our room. My laptop was right next to the tamale money, but they did not bother it.

When we got home Dani’s husband came and shared that Xavier (his son and a 15 year old member of the church here) received a call that morning threatening his life if the thieves were found out. They told him who they were, and told him to keep them advised of anything that was found about who was responsible.

Another neighbor said that Xavier had admitted that he let them in the house to his father and uncle. If that is the case then the whole family has been and is continuing to lie to us. Much of the story that Olmedo (Dani’s husband) told does not make sense to us, but we really want to believe that Xavier is innocent in all of this.

We went to file a report yesterday (Friday). We did not offer any suspects to the police, just the fact that they used a key, and did not break in, and that they knew exactly where to find the money. One unit of the police came out when Dani initially saw that the money was stolen, but said they would not be the investigating team. They looked around and told her to tell us to go to Concepción to file the complaint. Now the people in Concepción say that the first group will investigate, but could not until they had the official complaint.

We know that money is not important in the grander scheme of things, and it can be replaced. What is really hurting is not knowing whom to trust, and feeling that we have been betrayed by someone who knows us well. Saly, the dog, was apparently familiar and comfortable with whoever robbed us. Ah, well. Now you know what we know. We are sad and disappointed. The church here was giving $300 to the ladies to attend the convention. That along with the tamale money they stole really makes it difficult to take anyone to the convention. It is really a lot bigger, to me, than that. We are both really depressed and hurt. We eagerly wait for God’s hand of peace and understanding. We will move on – we will have our regular meeting tomorrow, but it will be so different. At least I feel like it cannot be the same. I know that God will heal this as well, with time.

We will keep you informed. Please say a prayer for the church here –for healing and understanding.

Joy & Lynn