My First Attempted Mugging

Hello all. This is Lucy here. I just wanted to share with you a little bit of "culture" that I've experienced recently. Yes, I was almost mugged the other day. But don't worry, it wasn't as traumatic of an experience as it could have been under different circumstances. 

I was walking home by myself (which doesn't happen too often, since I am usually accompanied by Canaan or Dougle or both). I was coming from my doctor's appointment (which you can read about on our other blog- all about Canaan and Max). Anyway, I'd just been registered as an official pregnant lady, and I'd survived figuring out all the medical differences we've encountered so far, so I was in a good mood. It was a bit rainy, too, so I was extra willing to give some money to a girl who was asking for some. She was probably around 18 years old, but shorter than me, and definitely slighter than me in my present state. :) 

Usually I don't carry big bills in my coat pocket, just small change, because it is a very easy pocket to get into, and I'm afraid of other wandering hands enjoying it's ease of accessability as much as I do. However, I had put some larger bills (about 2 bills worth $20 each) in my coat pocket at the clinic, in case I needed extra money to pay the doctors, and forgot to transfer it to a more secure place before I left. So, when I dug out a small bill to give to the girl, I guess the other bills were noticeable. She turned in my path and started saying something and thanking me, while she folded the bill up small. Then she crossed herself with it, and went to my pocket where I'd retreived the bill and made a slight cross motion there too. Then she deftly reached in my pocket and pulled out the other bills. Just as quickly, I grabbed them from her and we finger wrestled with the bills until I got them from her. She was shouting while we were tugging at the money and it crossed my mind that someone might think I was stealing from her. But, it didn't take long for me to get both bills, and I put them in a small zipper pocket in my purse while she pleaded for just one of the bills and told me I'd misunderstood what she was doing. I am sure I didn't misunderstand! I started walking away briskly and she followed me, hanging onto my coat a bit. Then she started telling me bad things were going to happen to me since I didn't give her more money. I was heading toward the bridge that was near my house and didn't want her following me home and knowing where I lived. And I was a bit scared, too, since she wouldn't leave me alone. So I turned toward her and in English told her that I didn't understand everything she was saying, that I had given her some money and wasn't giving her more, and that she needed to leave me alone. She was a bit shocked, but pulled away from me. Her final plea was that she was pregnant and needed more money, at which I pointed at my increasing tummy and told her I was pregnant too! (If she was pregnant, it was just barely, because she was a small girl with a fitting coat on that didn't reveal a big belly.) I just walked away, checking to make sure I wasn't being followed. But she left, and I was able to get home safely and with all my money. 

My story isn't filled with guns or knives, and I did get to keep everything I had. God is good and is always watching over us. We are in Kiev at the moment and I was thinking how much it resembled Moscow in some ways. One thing that has stood out to me is the fact that foreigners are more common and accepted in these captial cities. Though Kharkov is a large city, with 1.5-2 million people, I still feel like we stand out a bit as "American" or at least European foreigners. So, being targets of things like muggings could be something we deal with a lot, but we really haven't. I think God watches over us and keeps us safe; and whatever might come our way, I am reminded of a song that I listen to with Canaan, that "God is bigger than the boogieman" and we are in His hands no matter what befalls us!