Collosians 3:12-15
As the chosen of God, then, the holy people whom he loves, you are to be clothed in heartfelt compassion, in generosity and humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; forgive each other if one of you has a complaint against another. The Lord has forgiven you; now you must do the same. Over all these clothes, put on love, the perfect bond. And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together in one body. Always be thankful.

So, the day started early with the sound of footsteps pounding up the steel stairwell up to our Interns' room and shouting from a couple of students: "Somebody has a gun!" Followed by running through our two story house from our interns as students entered the front door talking frantically.

First of all: nobody was hurt. Thank God that all they wanted was money. Here is a brief rendition of what occurred: Several students had gone out last night and returned in groups of 2-3 several minutes apart. The last group (two females, one male) was walking back to our house at 2:20 am and were approached and surrounded by 2-3 (assumed to be) local men. They asked the male student for all he had, holding him at gunpoint. Though he contends it was a fake gun, he immediately gave them his wallet and camera. The men left, and the students entered our house. This took place in front of our Spanish school, two doors down the street. Our staff immediately responded, checking in with each students, calling our director who contacted local police, and also called in our nightwatchman (who usually doesn't work on Tuesday). Though today we were all shaken and a little tired from the disturbance, we are all aware that the situation could have been much worse. At the very least, I think this will make all of us as cautious as we really should be here. Other actions our school has taken in response:
1. debriefing with us as a group, discussing again proper safety precautions
2. purchasing 5 cell phones for the group to take with them when they go out, with speed dial for emergency contact and the taxi company
3. they are forming an alliance with a reliable local taxi company whose drivers will know our home location and will have set prices for us from common locations in the city when we call them.
4. re-issuing emergency contact cards for us to take with us when we go out (in addition to the phone)
5. night watchmen will be guarding the house, and are visible from the street 7 days/week
6. local authorities, our community priest, other language schools, and our neighbors have been notified.
This all seems very formal, but I want you to know that we really are safe and have every reason to remain safe. This crime, though unfortunate, could have occurred in any city anywhere in the world. It also could have probably been avoided if the students had simply used a radio-cab. I am also very careful not to put myself in situations of heightened danger in my daily activities, so please, do not worry.

As you could probably imagine, we were all a little tired and depressed today, concerned for our classmates more than anything I think. But, class went on at Universal. It is a lot this week and I was going between being really frusterated and having a giggle-fit in class. Oh, and it was really hot today, which didn't help our efforts to stay awake.
lunch-actually I went to the gym because a meeting was scheduled to discuss the aforementioned safety measures tonight when I had planned to go.
I made a quick-change and rushed into a meeting with a speaker who came earlier this semester. It was kind of repetitive and I don't think any of us really were engaged in the class.
However, I was very engaged in the next class: salsa at Universal! Turns out, the teacher that was called in is the same who we will see tomorrow at Guantanamera (the salsa club)...so that's kind of exciting.
dinner. meeting. homework. calling my parents. here.
I know I have said this before, but I will again: days here are very long, very full, and there is always something unexpected to be expected. I am really tired, and I think we have decided not to go to Taxco this weekend, which is kind of a relief. I am becoming nervous about my urban homestay situation too. That transition takes place after next week and finals at Universal.

I continue to have moments where I just sit in awe at the fact that I am even here. I feel some incredibly blessed to have this opportunity. The student who was robbed told me today that he had a premonition that this would happen. He accepted that this is a part of the experience of living in this sort of environment. I was impressed with his wisdom, that we both wanted to know what insecurity felt like, that we both had realized how easy are lives were at home in the states, and had a desire to know what it felt like to be stripped of our privileges we inherit by our nationality, status, etc.

I ask for your prayers for him in particular, but also for those throughout the world who turn to criminal activity to support their livelihood. While it can feel degrading to be robbed, it is also dehumanizing to be in such a circumstance that would make committing a crime against our fellow brothers and sisters seem a viable choice. Pray for peace. Pray for healing, unity, and for love to prevail in our lives and in our actions.

Collosians 3:12-15
As the chosen of God, then, the holy people whom he loves, you are to be clothed in heartfelt compassion, in generosity and humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; forgive each other if one of you has a complaint against another. The Lord has forgiven you; now you must do the same. Over all these clothes, put on love, the perfect bond. And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together in one body. Always be thankful.