Genuine or Setup?

The call came just after noon on Tuesday, October 15.  I didn't recognize the number or the voice, but I did know the person the caller asked for.  "Is Pamela J. Hunter there?"

The caller had used one of my business cards to find my number.  He told me that he had Pam's passport and other things as well.  Really?  The voice was distinctly Ugandan, but spoken with very good English.  He wanted to return the things to Pam and wanted to arrange to give them to me.  I was planning to be in Kampala the next day ... today ... and told him we could meet.

Soon after this arrangement I began to wonder if this guy really did find Pam's important documents.  Or was I about to be manipulated by a thief or victimized by a gang of thugs.

Trusting police in this African nation is not something that comes easily.  It was a difficult decision to inform them of the call and put Detective James in the loop.  They get paid little salary and not given the tools and resources they need to do their job. So, it is common for them respond only when money for them is involved.

Rasheed ... a genuine young man & a youth leader
I decided to call James and gave him the number of my caller.  As I was in Entebbe to pick up a visitor from America this morning, James contacted this number.  I was convinced that if the caller was the thief who took Pam's purse and its contents on October 3rd, he would never come to the police station as James requested.  However, if he was genuine and had simply found these important things then he would come.

He was suppose to show up at the Central Police Station at 5 PM tonight.  When James instructed me to call him I discovered his phone was off.  I feared I was about to bring some disappointing news home to Pam.

Back in Pam's possession!
My fear was for nothing.  Rasheed  had not found Pam's purse, but the plastic bag he brought to the police station contained her passport, Oregon driver's license, yellow health card, the keys to our  house in Jinja, an American Express credit card and her bank debit card.  Pages of notes from her missing notebook had been torn out and put with these things as well!

Still missing is Pam's iPhone, iPod, earphones, $700, 300,000 Uganda shillings, and her cosmetic bag and its contents.

What is amazing to me is that this young man is a Muslim and was pretty sure that Pam and I were born again from the business card he found.  He IS genuine and I had a good talk with him after he submitted  his statement to James as he will most likely be a witness after we catch the thief and he goes to trial.  We plan to meet again along with his father and sisters!

I am so proud of my wife.  Pam has not complained to me, anyone else, or God about the loss of her purse and all that is still missing.  She has demonstrated real maturity and continues to trust the Lord for whatever evolves from this experience.  But, she sure is happy to have her passport and these other things back in her possession.  It's amazing that these things have been returned after being disposed of somewhere in this city of 2,000,000 residents.  God put them in the hands of genuine person.

Comments

  1. Praise be to God! I rejoice with you Pam!!!!! and Paul of course! I marvel daily at His kindness to us. I am so thrilled and blessed to hear this wonderful news. Thankfully, you post updates on "the rest of the story"...Thank you. It increases faith. Teri

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  2. What an amazing story! I am so happy for Pam that she had these valuables returned! I know that God can use this situation to make inroads with the Muslim. What the enemy meant for evil God can use for good! Keep us posted as the story continues, please!

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  3. I am so glad that GOD made it possible to have these lost items returned! What blessings. It truly is an adventure being a child of the KING! You never know what HE has in store and how amazing that HE can bring beauty out of ashes!

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  4. I feel confident this will eventually work for the glory of the Kingdom. Sorry for the inconvenience but you know as well as I do, this will eventually serve a purpose we might not see at present. Romans 8:28. See you all soon.
    DK

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