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Themes: "Opportunity Real, Mocker's Consequences, Sin's Foolishness and Carelessness No one suspected the chalk mark on the mailbox in northwest Washington D.C was a secret signal. In fact, nobody ever dreamed the man who walked out to get his mail every day was a spy for the Russians. Aldrich Ames was born in River Falls, Wisconsin in 1941. His father was a college professor. In 1951, he moved the family to Virginia. He then took a job with the Central Intelligence Agency. The CIA is a group of men and women all over the world who work to keep military secrets hidden in the USA and to find out secrets in other countries. Aldrich followed his father's footsteps by signing up in the CIA. In 1967, he began to train as a case officer and was sent to Turkey. Aldrich never stood out as a hard worker. One of his co-workers said he "did what he was supposed to do, went where you asked him to, but he wasn't impressive." In 1972, he returned to the CIA headquarters in the United States. In 1981, Ames was sent to Mexico City to hunt for Russian spies. He met Rosario there. She was an intelligent and respected official at the Columbian embassy. Ames married her in 1985. Soon, Aldrich's life style and attitudes began to change. He started drinking and dancing. By 1985 he was acting illegally and dishonestly. Soon, he quit reporting most of his phone conversations to the CIA. In February of 1986, Ames and Rosario made four cash deposits of $24,000 in their bank account. Large amounts of money continued to pile up in bank accounts in different parts of the world. When they returned to Washington from Italy in 1989, they paid cash for a $540,000 house in Arlington and bought a $19,500 Honda car. In 1990, the FBI (They work as policeman for the whole country rather than a city or state.) began to suspect Ames was not trustworthy. A CIA agent who worked secretly for the USA in Russia, was suddenly caught. The FBI realized someone in the CIA was a double-agent. Someone was working for the Russians as a CIA agent. They began to watch the movements of Aldrich and Rosario closely. Their phones were bugged and their computer was tapped. The FBI could then secretly listen to his phone conversations and read what he did on his computer. A message found in their garbage revealed the mailbox was where Aldrich exchanged messages with the KGB, the Russian Secret Police. In February, the FBI arrest Ames and his wife. They admitted they were guilty of selling American secrets to Russia for $1.5 million! They had knowingly betrayed their own people and country. The penalty was severe - prison for the rest of their lives! The disciple Judas was also a "double-agent". He pretended to follow the Lord. No one suspected his intentions. In the end, he betrayed the Savior and sold him for 30 pieces of silver. Both Judas and Ames risked a most valuable possession to try and please themselves. Ames sold secrets; Judas sold the Savior. No wonder the Bible says, "The love of money is the root of all evil" (1 Timothy 6:10). The gift of the Saviour is a precious thing that deserves your acceptance.
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Peter Orasuk
