Until now, the only intruders into our home were ants, cockroaches, mosquitos, and a friendly gecko. However, that all changed this summer when our family was visiting the United States and six bored teenagers decided to have an evening escapade on the rooftops. Breaking a window on our roof, they entered our home. At first, they had fun hanging out: smoking cigarettes and eating snacks. However, they returned on multiple occasions to vandalize the house. They stole small appliances and musical instruments, painted the rugs and walls, and destroyed toys. In total, they made a really big mess. It’s been challenging to figure out how to parent our children through the grief of these losses.
Even though this break-in has caused us a lot of emotional pain, we have been encouraged by the overwhelming support of our community here. Neighbors offered encouragement, let us borrow their vacuum, insisted everything will be okay, and begged us not to move. Our local friends were available every hour of the day to help translate at the police station, accompany me to the courthouse, and fix up the house. Local shop owners, who have become our friends, offered a sense of stability and community accountability. Teammates helped us clean the mess and return the house to near normal. And local law enforcement apprehended the perpetrators within 48 hours of opening the case.
At the police station, only three days after arriving back in Asia, delirious from jetlag and rusty with the local language, I found myself face to face with six fathers and their shamed children.
In an act of mercy that can only be attributed to my merciful God, I told them, “I forgive you and your children. I believe your kids are not bad kids; they just made a bad choice. I hope they will learn from this situation and become honorable men like you. We don’t want any harm to be done to you, your children, or your families. We simply wish for this incident not to be repeated and for peace to be restored in the community. Until now, we have received nothing but hospitality and kindness from this neighborhood. We want to continue living here and in relationship with you all.”
The police ordered them to pay retribution. We asked for a small amount from each family – enough to show the seriousness of this incident and make up a portion of what was lost, but not so much as to be a hardship on these families, some of which are taxi drivers and government workers who don’t get paid consistently.
We hope that this is a light in the community. We grieve not for the replaceable material items, but for the loss of security and trust in our neighborhood and the loss of all the work we put into making the house a comfortable and safe home. Overall, we have had a strong sense of God’s provision and protection in our lives. We’re grateful for the community God has given us here and for the ongoing restoration in our family and our neighborhood.
*This story was written by one of our cross-cultural workers serving in Asia.