~Our Modern Day Miracle!~

Thank you for your prayers!!!   KEEP PRAYING!  Yesterday was such a stressful day/night...I feel like I've been run over by a bus! 
Phillip spent most of the night at the police station.  I TRIED to sleep, but kept waking up PRAYING FOR HIM and WONDERING W-H-E-R-E he was and what was taking him so long!!  He finally got home at 4:00 A.M.this morning!   Then He and I talked until 5:30 so he could tell me what happened! 
Here's what happened.  We normally wouldn't carry ALL of these important documents with us, but remember we had gone to apply for our Life-time Colombian residencies THAT MORNING and they require us all to be present and all of these documents HAD TO BE PRESENTED!  However, as you know, the office was closed so we couldn't apply!

We normally ALWAYS use taxis.  (Taxis are VERY CHEAP HERE!)  It's cheaper for our family and it's MORE SAFE to go by taxi!  But, it's Christmas time and we had WAITED Quite awhile for a taxi and all of them were FULL!!! 
So, we decided THIS TIME to take a bus!  WEEEPPP!!!!  There were 100s of people on our bus. (It's a double bus connected in the middle!)
Phillip had Noah, Elijah, and Mary with him, so decided it would be more safe to have his black bag tucked underneath the stroller and things on top of it, rather than on his shoulder where someone could cut the strap and run!  Mary was asleep in the stroller and PHILLIP was with the stroller the WHOLE TIME!  We have no clue How or WHEN the ladies got out the bag!  Although he does remember being jostled several times, due to the CROWD in the bus pressing in on him!  (I HATE taking these buses for they shove people in like cattle!)
When we reported our missing bag to the police, right after that someone reported 2 suspicious acting WOMEN! 
THAT WAS A MIRACLE THAT ANYONE EVEN NOTICED THESE WOMEN...FOR THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN THESE BUS TERMINALS!!
So, the police detained them and later searched them.  It was an older lady and a PREGNANT LADY!  =(
They did NOT find our bag, AND ALLL OF OUR STACKS OF PRECIOUS DOCUMENTS to try to apply for our Colombian residencies are GONE!!   These were original documents from different states in the USA, and from Colombia, MONTHS of work, and ALL officially translated for the government here!!!   So, we are praying for guidance regarding our Colombian residencies!
Phillip is SAD for in his bag there also were a:
1.USB memory stick with nearly many of his writings, and other important things. 
2. His daily planner FILLED with lots of info and sermon notes for a whole YEAR! 
3. And his Romans commentary that a Dear Pastor friend had owned and had given to Phillip as a gift.  Phillip was reading it often and felt so SPECIAL that it had belonged to that man and even had some of his notes in it. 
BUT NOW...IT'S LONG GONE!  =(
After the police searched these 2 ladies they found on the OLDER LADY (hidden under her clothes)  our 10 passports (we had to carry old ones to get our paperwork.)   They also found his electronic Spanish/English dictionary and most of our money that was in the bag.  
 THAT IS A MIRACLE THAT THEY FOUND THOSE PASSPORTS!!!!
The reason Phillip spent the night at the police station is because the police wanted him to help them by  pressing charges against the older woman.   The police said that the older lady is ALWAYS getting on the bus right where we did, and then riding the bus for awhile and stealing from people, but they have never been able to catch her with so much evidence.  (She had lots of other CASH on her that was not ours, and an expensive cellphone too!)   They arrest her A LOT, but the next day she's at it again!  
But this time, when they found 10 US PASSPORTS on her they got to thinking that this wasn't any SMALL ROBBERY!   They had Phillip figure out ALLLLLL we have spent on the things she robbed from us (Passports, Visas for Argentina, visas for 6 years here in Colombia, Documents to apply for our residencies, etc!!)  and they are hoping to sentence her this time! 
(Both ladies were THERE last night in the police station sitting just a few chairs away from Phillip.  
Poor LADIES! What a SAD life!  I'm praying for them!)
Phillip used this situation talk to A LOT of policemen about serving Jesus.
Please keep praying!  God is able to help Phillip's bag show up with his things that he is really missing!  
But, if not, we are VERY THANKFUL to God that all 7 of us are alive and safe, (for a lot of robberies are done at gun point or with a knife), and that God created a MIRACLE and we have our 10 passports back, (which have our Colombian Tourist visas which are still good for a few more months and our 10 year Argentine visas)!!!!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS....THEY MEAN A LOT!!
God is good, all the time!