What is it like to be back?

Some of you may be wondering what it is like to be back in Colombia.  This morning I ventured out to the crowded streets of downtown Armenia to purchase some supplies for different activities in Journey of Hope.  While being careful where I stepped (the sidewalks have lots of obstacles that can cause you to trip) my senses were over stimulated.

• A young man obviously coming out of a drug stupor turned his head to follow a scantily dressed female.  As his eyes followed her my EYES saw something glimmering.  He pulled out his switchblade and I heard a loud POP as he flipped it open and grunted a couple of words.
• The scantily dressed young female walked a bit further and then leaned against a post positioning her body as if she were a mannequin in a store window.  She then proceeded to tilt her head and smile at the large group of men standing in front of her.  Tears came to my eyes as I realized what was going on.
• Continuing my journey I observed small mounds on the sidewalks; dirty feet or worn out shoes peeking out from the tattered blanket.
• As I made my way to the center of downtown I needed to remember how to navigate my body turning  to the right, no to the left, now toward the wall in order to avoid colliding with other pedestrians.  At stand after stand men and women had set up their merchandise hoping to make some money selling TV remote controls, kitchen sink strainers, and other gadgets.  It would be a long day in order to go home with perhaps $10 worth of Colombian pesos in their pocket.

However, there were other sites that brought a smile to my face; 

• The little girl who kept chasing the pigeons in one of the plazas, hoping she would be able to reach out and catch one with her small hands.
• The young man who gently helped an older handicapped lady make her way through the overcrowded streets.
• The young bus driver who waited patiently for each passenger to find a seat and get situated before taking off.  (not to common here!)

What is it like to be back in Colombia?  I notice the differences. Sometimes I don't understand all that my senses take in.  At times I am deeply saddened by what I see.  But I am so glad to be back and even to walk the congested streets of downtown Armenia.

Come along with us on a journey

A journey of Hope

In a dream she saw a bright light. She followed the light to a large open Bible. Her eyes observed the words on the page in front of her She read the verse. When she awoke she told God that one day wants to learn to read in order to study His Word. In her 50s and has never learned to read or write. Next Tuesday we begin an informal time of learning this skill most do not fully appreciate. May her dream come true!
 

Luz (Light)  who has seen The Light and who is experiencing the transformation of The Light of His Word!

"I want to change! I tell God, change me. I don't want to be the same. Before I heard the Bible from you two, I did not feel this way."A true testimony of the transforming power of God's Word! (Also shared by Luz)


The expression on his face loudly spoke of his disgust each time we arrived at his mother's home for Bible study.  He was entangled in the Worship of our Enemy and the use of mind-altering drugs.  Together with his family we prayed for him and his brother.  We observed God's answers.  He began working-making Arepas; Colombian bread.  Then attending the English club for youth with us.  Yesterday he allowed us to pray with him!  Needless to say, his mother, Luz was amazed at his openness!

PHOTO COMING!

Remember Emilio, the young boy who said, When I grow up I want to be a missionary if Mr. Nelson will train me? One week he went home and taught his father the lesson we studied, using all the illustrations Nelson used. The next week his father joined us! Each night he sits with his mother to read the Bible to her!  Hmmm, sounds like he may have already started being a missionary!

Missionary Emilio

Conversation on Wednesday; "My mom doesn't love me. She tells me so." Conversation on Sunday; "My mom moved to Bogota and took my baby brother. I miss her. My sister does too. We cry." Living life together with so many who need the hope of Jesus! 

Girl and her sister.  Today they were not crying!  We were celebrating her birthday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We visited her home.  She needed a walker, her leg was injured and her hand and arm were mangled.  Her face void of hope.  We found a walker and asked if we could pray with her.  The next week we returned to see how she was doing.  What a surprise!  Her leg is almost healed.  And her arm and  hand, well her  husband had to ask  which one had been injured. 

God's healing power!

 

My Deepest Desire

She willingly shared her story last night, her first night to attend one of our studies.

 "I've tried to commit suicide many times. Here are the marks on my wrist; I've also used other means."  

She narrated the abuse she has suffered as a child, teen and young woman. 
She looked me in the eye and tearfully expressed,

"I want to find God!  I can't find Him with the Jehovah's Witnesses.  No way can I find Him in that place (pointing to the place where a false religion meets).  My deepest desire is to find God!"

She talked, I listened.  We prayed, she expressed her desire to God.  Last night she took some steps on her journey of hope.  Pray for A. and her 10 year old son S.  There is one who will do all he can to snatch this desire from her and set up obstacles on her journey of hope.

Restrooms in other countries have always been fascinating to me perhaps because they tend to be so far from what I am used to in the United States.  

There is quite an assortment of bathrooms available in Colombia.

• Some have the toilet tissue dispenser next to the paper towel dispenser before you enter the individual stall.  Important to make note of this BEFORE entering the stall :-)
• Others  have the toilet tissue dispenser inside each stall.
• As you enter some restrooms you need to pay 25 cents and you receive the toilet tissue nicely folded-and sometimes in a plastic wrapping!
• A few of the toilet seats have a comfortable bowl that we women are used to sitting on.  Others, well...I guess they are  not considered a necessity.

Today, however I observed something I have not seen before. 

There is a public restroom in a public park in the center of town near my favorite coffee shop.
Blot out your existing idea of public bathrooms.  This one was amazing!

• Very clean.  
• Well attended.  A greeter at the entrance to receive your 25 cents and hand you your neatly wrapped toilet tissue.  
• Next to him there is a display case filled with...chewing gum, hard candies, chocolates, individual packets of shampoo and deodorant.  Quite a selection to chose from.

If you keep your eyes open, you can experience many interesting things in a normally  mundane place during an everyday outing!  I love living in another culture!

Cultural Lessons you Won´t Find in a Travel Guide

Before making any plans to come to Colombia, it might be helpful to read the following  cultural lesson.  It is one I am still learning, as you will soon discover.

We were in a shopping center when I told my husband I needed to go to a certain store.  
¨It´s just across the street.¨ He responded.  ¨Let´s go then!¨ Was my response.

We walked out of the shopping center.
Crossed the street.
Climbed a flight of stairs to cross the overpass.
Walked a block.
Climbed a second flight of stairs to cross another overpass.
Walked another block.
Turned the corner.
Walked a block.
There was the store...just across the street!

 Silly me!  I was truly ready to find the store, just across the street! 

Now THAT'S hard work!

Jobs are limited here in Armenia.  Many people are out of work.  But that does not stop some from working! 
Luz, a friend from one of our Bible studies has a food stand where she sells meat empanadas (turnovers) and arepas (Colombian flat bread).  Her job is not easy but she is continually thanking God for the work He has given her.

Luz, her mother and a friend at her old stand.  She has a new and improved location and grill!

• Luz and her elderly mother climb steep dirt roads (that I find challenging) each morning and to get to the main road.
• Along the way they pick up a small grill similar to a BBQ grill.
• One carries a bag of supplies, empanadas, arepas and coffee while the other carries the grill across the main road and a block down the street.
• There they begin setting things up about 6:30am to begin their 2 hour morning shift.
• At 4:00 pm they repeat the process for the 3 hour afternoon shift.
• You can always hear Luz thanking God for helping her in her business.

Yesterday, with great excitement she shared with us what a great day she had on Monday!  Sales were up!  She ended the day making $18,000 Colombian pesos.  Sound like a lot?  That would be $10 USD!

As we go in to teach them the Bible, they teach us so much as well!

Is there room?

Sometimes Bible studies are held wherever there is room!  

 On Tuesday afternoons we meet in the living room of a home owned by Luz and Ana.

That evening we meet in the bedroom of Albeiro and Jimena´s home.

 Wednesday nights finds us all on the bed with  Alba Rosa, Abelardo and their family!

Lack of space will not keep the gospel from spreading!  

However....

Please pray with us regarding meeting space.  We would very much like to begin spending more time in Patio Bonito.  

This means we would like to lead:

• An English Club
  
• A Kids Bible Club
  
• Workshops for Parents
  
• Classes  for Women
  

The only larger meeting area available to us cannot be used for ¨evangelical¨ activities.  This means everything done would need to be neutral, without clearly teaching the gospel.  

We know that God has a solution to this need and we must wait on Him.  However, we also know we need to ask Him to provide and lead us to that solution.  

Will you join with us in prayer?  Then let´s see how God responds!

Is it a Meal?

Without rice it's not a meal.

This popular saying in Colombia may explain why in some families two or three meals a day include rice!

We just sat down to eat our lunch.  While enjoying our vegetarian lasagna and salad the front door was jarred by someone knocking.
Nelson left his food, went to the window and began talking to the two men.
It was evident that they are part of a foundation that helps men with a new beginning while leaving their life-style of drug addiction.
After working all morning they were now hungry and wanted to know if we could provide a meal for them.
Would our rice-less lunch be considered a "meal"? 
Nelson placed two large portions of the vegetarian lasagna on plastic plates and presented it to them.
They sat down on a step outside our window and began eating lunch.  We smiled at their comments.

• " It's lasagna" 
• "It has vegetables and everything.
•  "It's made good!" 

Hmmm maybe it can be a meal without rice?

Will you pray?

This week we will be leading three evangelistic Bible studies in Patio Bonito and two connecting communities.

The study looks at the basics of the gospel; who is Jesus, His death and resurrection, repentance, belief and grace.
Throughout the study it is stressed that a decision needs to be made; not to make a decision is to decide not to follow Christ.

Would you consider praying for one of these three studies?

On Tuesdays at 11:00 am California time we will be with Luz, her mother Ana and others they invite.

Later on Tuedays at 3:30 pm California time we will with Jimena and Albiero.  They have already invited several to join us.  We will see who attends.

On Wednesdays at 4:30 California time we will meet in Alba Rosa and Abelardo's home with some of the family members who live with them.

 

We are asking God to use this time to establish the beginning of His church in this community with whom we can continue working in the weeks and years ahead!  All for HIS glory!

What would you do?

You get on the bus, find a seat and settle in for a 30 minute ride across town.
A young kid jumps on the bus with a small black bag.
He distributes 2 hard candies to each passenger.
After explaining  his reason for doing this, he needs to raise money, he lets us know that we can pay any price for the candies.  No set price.

So, what would you do?

• Accept the candies as he hands them out, giving him the hope that you are going to buy them...even if you know you will be handing them back-you don't need anymore sugar.
• Purchase the candies....even though he is under-age which means he should be in school or at home, not working on the streets!
• How much will you give him?  You, the buyer must decide the price.

Life requires God's wisdom in the small decisions as well as the "big" ones!

Cheerful Garbage

Garbage collection days. 

Something old and something new.

The old; garbage pick up is on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays which is quite common here.
The new; a Recycler comes on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday nights.  He comes to the door, and with a cheerful smile  asks if we have anything (of value) to throw away.  He is well-known and trusted here in the neighborhood.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays you can be sure to hear him at 6:00 am calling out Bas-SU-ra (garbage) announcing the  6:45 am arrival of the garbage truck.

The minute he sees your door open he is right there to take your bag and place it on the curb.  Then he returns to his announcement and always sings a cheerful song as he walks up and down the streets!

I must say, garbage collection days have never been more cheerful!  We expect his arrival the night before garbage pick up days.  While we don't usually have anything of value that he can collect for recycling,  we do always have a little snack to give him as he continues with his work!

Oh Be Careful Little Eyes

Perhaps you remember the children's song; Oh be careful little eyes what you see...I often think of the song while in stores here in Colombia.

If your cast a glimpse at any item in a store window or shelf someone will quickly be at your side saying; A la ordén.  (At your service).  You will never be alone again during your visit to the store.  The salesperson will then follow you around the store, asking questions now and then, picking up an item and telling you about it.  Asking what you want to purchase.  

It is nice to have such great help available but as a teacher I often do not know exactly what I am looking for, I simply need a thingamajig.  By the way, thingamajig in Spanish is Cachivache and some stores sell only thingamajigs!  

Shopping in Colombia-a fun adventure to be sure!

What did you say?

WARNING: Names in Spanish may cause smiles to appear on your face!

The third most powerful political leader in Venezuela is Diosdado Cabello which in English is- God-given hair.
Here in Colombia our president is Presidente Santos, or President Saints;
Equador's president is Presidente Correa or President Belt.
In Honduras, Presidente Porfirio Lobo is President Wolf.
Closer to our Californian borader in Mexico we have Presidente Peña Nieto, which translated literally into English would be Rock Grandson. 

But this is not that new.  In California we have numerous names of cities that cause me to chuckle;

• The town of Lard (Manteca) is close to the Exit (Salida).

• You won't need to go through the bathrooms (Los Baños) if you are headed to the cats (Los Gatos)

• You won't hear the sound (Sonora) of  butterflies (Mariposa) because they are too modest (Modesto). 

• And of course Columbia is quite far from Colombia, but both a wonderful places to visit!  And we are told they have better coffee than.....Starbucks!

  

  
  

Would you do this?

We went to visit our dear friends in Patio Bonito with  one of our UWM area directors.  After visiting for awhile with Rosalba and her husband she said she wanted to serve us  hot chocolate, a common drink prepared with chunks of chocolate.  

Her husband was headed to the little store in  front of their house to buy what was needed.  Nelson insisted on going.  He bought a bag of milk, and the packages of chocolate chunks and spent $3,200 Colombian pesos ($1.79USD)-does that sound expensive?  Well....

Before serving us our hot chocolate Nelson was talking with Abelrado about his business.   He has a small cart that he uses to sell ice cream cones.  The day before he made $3,000 Colombian pesos ($1.67USD).  So, they were willing to spend a days wages buying what was needed to serve us hot chocolate!