Editor’s Note: English is a second language for this writer; Spanish is his native language. Minimal editing has been done to preserve the unique flavor of his writing style.
We arrived in San Salvador a couple of days before our evangelistic campaign of “Changing lives”.
The Quiet Hour had made arrangements to have everything run smoothly. My brother and I enjoyed staying at the Comfort Inn.
We heard violence and theft were very common in San Salvador, and of the presence of terrible and powerful gangs called “Maras” and “Salvatruchas”. So we were careful walking around, and also with our belongings. For security reasons, I put one thousand dollars in a hanging collar bag that I personally carried with me everywhere.
On Thursday morning, we got up early and after breakfast we were ready to go to our orientation meeting. I put my moneybag on my desk, planning to pick it up on my way out the door. But something happened—our ride was calling from the lobby of the hotel, and my brother and I ran to the doorway and I forgot my moneybag.
While we were on our way to the meeting place, I instinctively touched my body and my moneybag was not with me. What could I do? I prayed to The Lord and tried not to be disturbed with this incident. The lectures were excellent, and so was the food, and very soon the day was over. We came back to the hotel, and my first look was toward the desk in my room. And surprise! The moneybag was gone!
Once again what could I do? I was determined not to panic! I started searching around the desk, and then every part of the room. The next day we’d start our Good News Campaign. I saw this as a trick of the evil one. So, I prayed and cast my worries to the Holy Spirit.
Friday morning, I asked the cleaning lady if she was the one who did the cleaning the day before. She said “Yes.” I said no more as I had decided to concentrate all my mind and strength on a good start, since we were “good news messengers”. I didn’t want to tell anybody in our team, nor the hotel administration, since they would conduct an investigation, which could take away our concentration. I told my brother, very briefly, to avoid worrying him too much.
We were blessed in our first meeting. The local pastor and church members did an excellent job. The next day was Saturday. I was determined not to worry about money! So, one more day passed away. On Sunday, I searched all the possible places again, without success. But I read in my Bible the extraordinary story about Job: He lost everything, but at the end “The Lord made him prosperous and gave him twice as much as he had before.” So I prayed again and was confident that the Lord would give me my money back or maybe even twice what I had lost!
On Monday, I stayed quiet. But I was waiting for something to happen. At noon, my brother gave the cleaning lady a tip and she told him that some guests leave the tips on the desk. My brother shared this information with me and I saw light in it. I decided: “Tomorrow I’ll talk to the cleaning lady.”
On Tuesday, I met her and asked: “Have you taken a tip from my desk? Inside the moneybag was one thousand dollars.” She said: “No!” Once again I said: “We are missionaries taking the love of God to the people, if you had taken the money, you could return it and nobody is going to know it. If not I should do whatever is just, and go to the administration, police intervention…terrible consequences; the hotel is going to lose good clients like The Quiet Hour, the Adventist Mission…” One more time, she said: “I didn’t take it.” I asked, “Will you let me to pray with you?” She agreed.
I told my brother that I was going to the administration to report the missing money. “Why have you waited five days to report it?” he asked. I tried to explain my reasons, to keep it in private, but to no avail. We went to the administration. They asked the same question, “Why did you wait so long?” Later on, my brother told Pastor Tucker and someone else about the lost money.
On Wednesday night we had a blessed meeting. I returned full with the Holy Spirit. When I got into my room my brother had some news for me. “Feel inside this pocket!” he said, pointing one of his coats. Somebody had put the money inside. “Is this your money?” “Yes”, I said, “that’s my money.” We kneeled at that moment, with thankful hearts.
Who put my money inside that coat? I don’t know. But one thing I know for sure: an angel put my money back!
The next day we went to the administration, releasing all the responsibilities, and when I saw the cleaning lady I shared the good news about the money, and once again we prayed together. |
