Colombia living

Okay so it is about time I write to you all about Colombia living. 

How to be a true Colombian. 

Walk in the street not on the sidewalk. Sidewalk is for vendors or foreigners. 

Drink  chocolate in the morning and at night. Most commonly with arepas ??

Cheese is a main food group. 

Ketchup is mixed with mayonnaise and called pink sauce aka salsa rosada. 

Showers are taken in morning not night and hot showers are is just water that doesn’t feel like ice. 

When you want to know where something is in the grocery store you better say hello and good day first otherwise you won’t get an answer. 

Greetings are welcomed with hugs and sometimes a kiss towards the cheek whether it’s the first time you meet someone or 27th time. 

 

Don’t ever look at the forecast. Every day it says it is going to thunderstorm all day, but most days it rains for at most an hour or not at all. But God has really used rain to speak to me since my time being here. 

 

Those of you who remember, agua panel is one of the main homelessness ministries the foundation does where they go out to the streets where drugs and alcohol have a strong hold on people and serve a hot drink called agua panella and a piece of bread. That night in particular I was tired and didn’t want to go, after church service I knew God was tugging on my heart to go. So I followed his lead and went. Normally I have to seek people out to talk to and pray for, but this night they came to me. They approached me or touched me, reaching out for help. And as they reached out to me I reached out to God and he responded with rain, physical rain. And as it rained the most interesting thing occurred. The people didn’t run and hide but rather started cleaning the streets. They used the flow of the water to sweep up and collect the trash. And afterward every person we encountered was crying, sincerely asking to be cleansed. God sent the rain to clean their streets, but more importantly to clean their hearts to make them new, washing them white as snow. And praise God the next day one man made it to the foundation wanting a different life. How cool it is to whiteness his presence, his fruit. 

 

God also used rain to speak to directly one of the first few weeks I was here. I was enjoying my day off hiking with my German friend Salome. Being close to the equator I got nice and sweaty and drank all my water. After our beautiful hike I made the 30 minute uphill walk home only to find our water shut off. I opened the fridge and found only one water bottle stashed to share between the four of us. I started to pray. And immediately texted my parents asking the same. And God being the big and mighty God he is didn’t just send water he sent a rainstorm thunder and lightning and all! It poured harder than it had in days. Quickly we filled our buckets and adventure and missions bucket shower training finally came in handy. But boy was I happy and awestruck. I asked for water thinking he would give us enough to fill a bottle, but no of course he always has bigger and better plans and he sent enough water to fill buckets and to the point where it started flowing into the door of the house. God sure has a sense of humor. ?????? 

“ God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”

??2 Corinthians? ?9:8? ?

 

What I do on a weekly basis: 

During the week I have been working with Colombian and Venezuelan kids and tutoring them in their math studies. I also help with the English classes the foundation I’m volunteering at hosts.  On Tuesday nights I specifically work with a large group of Venezuelan kids teaching them math, English, and Bible studies. Most of these students don’t have the opportunity to attend school so Tuesday nights they receive a meal and some education while their mothers do devotional. On the weekends I hang out with the teens who come from low income or unstable homes and do devotional and various games/activities with them or sometimes we do volunteer activities with neighborhood kids.

Praise/prayer request is continue healing over my body. Unfortunately I think I ate something bad and slept 32 of the last 36 hours. Today for the first time I had an appetite and my pain in my stomach subsided enough to leave bed, but I am still very weak and visit the bathroom often. Praise God I’m feeling better but prayers for continued healing. 

Prayers for the children I am currently teaching and for those that don’t have the opportunity to attend school. 

My dream right now is to return in August to teach here but it is all in his timing and will so prayers over that as well. 

As always send prayer request my way. 

Blessings!