The Stolen Briefcase Miracle

Some of you know that a few days ago my briefcase was stolen.  That morning our family left to go to apply for our lifetime Colombian residency status after 6 years of working toward this.  We carried years worth of paperwork and important documents with us in my briefcase.  This included years of Colombia visas, all of our passports, all our birth certificates, our marriage license, and a good amount of money to pay for our paperwork.  Also contained were a special book for me to read while waiting in the offices, my daily planner with messages preached this last year, plus more.  Our final office was closed early, so we took care of some errands and started home.  On the bus home we were robbed  For more details of how we were robbed click here and here. 

The night it was stolen we reported it to the police, they took me to the station and I spent the night filing reports.  While I was there they hauled in two suspects one of which had our 10 passports, my electronic Spanish dictionary, and much of my money on her.   

Every day since then I've spent several hours at the prosecutor's office filing reports.  I've been asked to help in bringing about justice.  When one is dealing with a professional thief and a repeat offender, it is much more serious than one desperately stealing due to hunger.  I told them I would do everything I can do to cooperate with justice, but that I would not lie.  A lot of people are afraid to take these buses due to things like this as well as violence.  So these situations need to be dealt in with in a proper manner or else people become even bolder.

Today I got a call from the prosecuting attorney asking me to come in.  When I got there they gave me my briefcase with all of our important papers, my special book, and my messages.  This is a miracle.  God has given us back just about everything so far except a USB drive with important documents on it.  The papers God brought back to us represent years of work and thousands of dollars.  I even have my needed electronic dictionary back.  All of our Colombian friends are saying that this never happens; that it is a complete miracle.  They are right!  God is so good!!!

God's miracle briefcase after getting it back.  Praise God!

At this point in time, this is still a case that is going through the due process of law.  And so far this has been taking a lot of my time with trips to the other side of Bogota to meet with police, attorneys, etc.  Pray that God guides us in this process and protects our family in all of this.  

But in the meantime, after Christmas we will again try to acquire our lifetime Colombian residency status.  Pray for God's will in this too.
Thanks so much,  
-Phillip