Unscheduled Post

This morning when I 'rolled out' to head to school, I had plans of coming to this very internet cafe, after school, and posting only ONE blog update. Ghana had other plans.

Standing at my usual spot in North Kaneshie (my area of Accra) to catch the same car I catch every morning, a taxi was passing with other passengers, girl in the front, guy in the back (good sign-I pay less). So I made the Kaneshie signal with my arm (Kaneshie is my destination-the signal is drawing your arm towards you in a lateral motion). The taxi slowed while I questioned, "Kaneshie?" to the car's passengers. The driver stopped and nodded his head so I got in. I murmured a sleepy, "Good morning" to which the other passengers answered, "Fine morning." As I began to open my bag to pull out my 5,000 cedis (about $0.55), the driver turned and asked, "Where are you going?" I, with a puzzled look on my face, said, "Kaneshie, like you said." He answered, "No, no, we're going to Circle" Circle's signal, you should know is with your hand turned towards the ground dragging your index finger in quick repetitive circles-clearly there is a difference in the signals, but we're human right? We all make mistakes. So he began to hurriedly shoo me out of the cab. This is normal, because he has passengers that need to get where they're going, plus we were stopped in the middle of the road, blocking other cars. So, I pulled on the handle. No dice. It wouldn't open, but the taxi driver continued to rush me, this will make a girl anxious! So the guy next to me slid over to help yank on the handle. The driver then began to coach me saying, "Push on the top of the window." Figuring he knew his car well (every taxi has some sort of problem...Dad, they could really use you here, haha :)), I started to push the top of the window while the driver was yanking on the lock and the man next to me was yanking on the handle. Conveniently, me pushing on the top of the window draws my attention away from the Obruni (white lady) bag sitting on my lap. What I failed to notice was when the man slid over to "help" his plastic bag slid ever so slightly over the top of my bag. A few seconds later I noticed my bag being slightly jostled but it was so chaotic that I assumed it was natural, still I was suspicious of the fact that his plastic bag had fallen over top of mine. So I took the initiative and moved his plastic bag from my bag and saw that my bag was opened, shocked at myself for forgetting to close it before I began this process I quickly zipped it up. However, for some reason I remember closing it. Oh well, gotta get this door opened! We're blocking traffic on the busy streets of Accra! I started to fool with the window again, but confused as to why he was making me push the top of the window when clearly that part wasn't blocked. Again, I felt my bag being jostled, when I looked down, the plastic bag had been moved BACK on top of my bag. I yanked my arms from the window and harshly threw the plastic bag down again to find my bag had again been opened!!! This time I knew it wasn't me. I turned to the man and yelled in his face, "Why are you opening my bag!?!?" I pushed his arms to the side and began to check my bag for everything I had brought with me that morning. My Bible, still there. My planner, still there. My DIGITAL CAMERA, still there. My cell phone, still there. As I groped around inside my bag for my wallet, there were a few seconds of panic until I confirmed yes, it was where I usually keep it, in the farthest part from the opening, in the very back of my bag (thanks to our YAV "Not Getting Robbed Training" in Chicago). Thank you Lord, everything was still in place, EVERYTHING. I quickly told the driver to open the door for me. He got out and opened the door (apparently, only the 'child-lock' was engaged...nice). I slammed the door shut and shakily caught my OWN taxi where I sat in the back. The whole way to school, I kept thinking about this DANG situation I was just in. Discovering new things each time I recalled the incident. Wishing I would have recognized it from the start. But it's like they always tell you, you never expect something like this to happen, no matter how prepared you may be. BUT PEOPLE, the story doesn't stop there. Why would I write this "little ditty" on my blog? Just to scare my mother?? No ma'am. The FOLLOWING, is why I wrote this story down for you all to see.

Let's back-track to this morning, before I even left my room after I woke up. When normally I would read my scheduled Year-Through-the-Bible chapters for THAT day. I was busy playing catch up from the day before, which turned into one of those busy days when it just didn't get done. So fast forward to break time today at about 10 am, after the above situation had come and gone, after I spent the morning recounting the event for various people (you tell one teacher, they tell all teachers), after I silently thanked the Lord quite a few times for keeping me and my belongings safe, after finding out from multiple teachers that this is a common Accra-area taxi scam, and of course after me being a little bitter towards that taxi full of scammers. I decided for my break, to do my reading for today. On my schedule, it shows for the 8th of November (I'll show it to you someday if you need proof), I should read Deuteronomy 28-29 in the Old Testament. So I flipped open my Bible and read the heading for chapter 28, Blessings for Obedience. Okay...so I started reading. You cannot know how far my jaw dropped as I began and continued to read. It begins by talking about how if you are obedient and obey HIS laws, God will do such and such for you...Verses like this popped up V. 7 - The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. V. 8 - They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. Then, you'll never believe what came NEXT...the chapter switched directions and the second heading was this, Curses for Disobedience. In the same way, the passage speaks to disobedience of HIS laws and commands where THIS verse came up...V. 29b - You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you. HaHA YOU FOOLS, you weren't trying to rob ME, you were trying to rob GOD AND ME. boo YAH! Clearly, I shouldn't be surprised that those scammer-fools got NUTHIN'. Just like THE WORD speaks to over and over, If God is for you, who can be against you? Certainly not some silly-scammers driving around Accra looking for a nice lady to pick up and ruin her day. Well, sorry, you've failed, and my day COULDN'T be better.

God moments. Wow.