Dear Lord,

Thank you so much.

Amen.

My sister and my aunt, Lili, went into the town in Brazil. The night life is great there, because everything seems so alive when the high schoolers get out (its night school there) and they all go down the road and enjoy their social lives. My sister, wanting to take pictures with her digital camera having that photographing spirit, posed with my aunt and captured the moments. These are her last days there as she returns back home in Massachusetts the 28th.

Three boys, the oldest probably 17, came up on their bikes.

They held a gun.

My sister was petrified. They demanded the camera and her purse. Obviously not going to argue unless she happened to have guns pointed to her often (I'm the only one that came close to death, and that was by switchblade) she gave up her purse and camera.

The purse did not hold her passport, but did hold her license, credit cards, and the little money she had.

My sister's in tears, and my aunt is still somehow headstrong.

How do I know?

Because though she didn't know about the fact my sister left her papers at home, she took off running after the boys on foot though they were on their bikes, petalling fast.

She continously shouted to them to at least give back her niece's papers, which they didn't have, and she didn't bother with the fact that they had a gun.

She, of course, failed to catch them.

But isn't it wonderful that God is on our side?

Two men on their motorcycles witnessed it all. They helped my sister to her feet as she collasped (not fainted) to the ground she stood, thinking the next time she'd see her aunt would be in a casket. They told them to call the police, and they would follow the boys.

Swerving through town, stop and go, they kept a distant eye on them. They lost them at one point, and decided to split up. One found the eldest boy eating dinner alone with food paid by my sister's cash. He called the cops, who were reported by my sister, aunt, and others who were robbed, and they arrested him. Pretty sure he might've made a run for it considering he had a black eye that wasn't there before.

The two younger boys went to one of their uncle's home who assisted in the robbery by knowing and supporting them in it. The second motorcyclist called the cops on them, and arrest the uncle, the nephew, and guess who?

My second cousin. He's 11 years old.

At the police station, they returned the stolen items to all who've been robbed, and my sister pressed charges on everyone of them except our second cousin. He only followed his friends. He said he was pretty sure the gun was a fake because a lot of thiefs like these were usually with a fake gun.

Before giving back my sister's purse, she opened it to check if everything was there.

There sat the gun.

"Don't worry, it has to be a fake," said my second cousin.

My sister had a panic attack and the boy had one so bad, he got a fever and was sent to the hospital.

Because the cop emptied the cocked pistol of its four rounds.

She can't even look at her purse.

Thank you Lord. Thank you so much.

I'm gonna buy her a new purse.

Thank you Lord. Thank you so much.

And please bring her back safely.

Amen.

~AA