!pr1
!Lm12
!rm75
Answered Prayer............................Bob Sander-Cederlof

Last month's headlines bemoaned our burglary, with equipment worth over $11000 missing from our offices.  And un-measurable amounts of software.  And a damaged Spinwriter.  And no insurance. We didn't even have all of the serial numbers recorded.  The police indicated we should have no hope of recovering anything.

I know that God, who made the heavens and the earth and all that is in them, is sovereign.  I said, "Thank you for this, too.  And thank you that we still have enough left to continue business.  And that nothing irreplaceable was taken."

And we tried to to put the pieces back together.  We bought insurance, and recorded all the remaining serial numbers.  We made backup copies of critical software to be kept at other locations.  We engraved our driver's license numbers on our equipment.  We even installed an alarm system.

After about two hours with a screwdriver and needlenose pliers the Spinwriter was back in working condition.  Almost as good as new...just one crippled foot where it landed when dropped.  NEC makes durable gear.  I spent another 8 hours figuring out how to talk to it with a serial interface card (with no documentation), and writing the driver program.  Once it all worked, we were able to print the mailing labels for last month's AAL.

The burglary occured sometime after 8:30 pm, Wednesday night, May 25th.  The next Wednesday night, after choir practice, we took some time to pray.  Among other concerns, we prayed about the burglary.  I suggested, "Let's pray that the burglars be caught and the things they took be recovered.  It can't hurt to ask!"  So we did.

The next day the police received a tip from an informer.  They went to investigate, just in time to catch two 18-year-olds carrying computers from apartment to car.  One of them was a well-known burglar, with at least six-year record.  The equipment matched the description I had given them.  Friday morning the investigator called: "We have some of your computers.  You can come and pick them up at noon."  Although a little dirty, none of the equipment or software was damaged.  Two thirds of all that had been stolen was recovered!  "A miracle", the police said.  "Amen."

The following Monday the police called again.  "We have some more."  The third computer system, a brand new Apple //e with extended 80-column card, two disk drives, monitor, and Epson printer had been sold to a technically-minded friend (of the burglars) for only $100.  Responding to the alternatives offered by our excellent police ("Return the computer, or go to jail"), the friend brought in all he had bought.  Almost everything was back in our office!
!np
Thursday, June 16th, I was called a third time.  "We have another disk drive."  They also had another FlipFile with about 15 more diskettes.  Now all that is missing is a TI Programmer calculator and an old Panasonic Cassette Recorder.

Yes, God is sovereign, and also He cares about us as individuals.  He allowed our things to be taken, but not everything.  He gave us faith to ask for them to be returned.  And He caused them to be returned.  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."  [Proverbs 3-5,6]
