Who Steals A Nativity???

I will try to keep this rant brief for fear of dampening the holiday mood. This year Mr. Frogged's uncle hand-made us a beautiful, white-painted, plywood, folding Nativity. He asked what sort of lawn ornament we might like and that was my only request because they are so hard to find.

We picked it up a week ago and set it out on our lawn Sunday morning. I have just come home, after having it out only three days, to find it missing.

Joseph and Mary stood about three feet each, and the manger was a scant twelve inches high. It wasn't something easily carted off by one person. For one thing it folded and fell undone easily when lifted and it was awkward to move. We walked some of the nearby park in hopes of recovering it from a teenager's prank. No luck. We looked around the street for signs of the wind having taken it away. Nothing. It's gone.
My heart is heavy with the idea that at this time of year, with many holidays, not just Christmas, coming to pass a person would be so cruel as to take someone's holiday decorations.

Granted, they likely did not know it was made for us by a family member and perhaps it was teenagers, but they had a good hiding place. I don't know.

What I do know is that this person has not only stolen an object from us but also my sense of community and security, which are much harder to replace.

**Edit added December 8, 2011**
After speaking to some of our neighbours the general suggestion/excuse for this behaviour is that we had placed the Nativity too close to the curb.  We had placed it in front of the lamp post that is so poorly placed as to be in the centre of our lawn.  In doing this, the Nativity was about 3-4 feet from the curb.  So, it is a possibility that this is some sort of misunderstanding.  We are going to post a sign on the lamp post asking for it back in the hopes that if this is the case the person will return it.