Sunday, April 26, 2009

My Week As A Tour Guide

So Stefaney came in from Canada to see Colombia and what kind of ministry opportunities there are here. We had never met before, but soon became good friends as well as roomies at the Afanador house. Stef is a friend of Rodrigo´s and is in the same outdoor adventure course as he is. Next year she will be working with a missions agency and knowing more of the world is a definite benefit for her upcoming job. She has a beautiful heart for the Lord and I loved every minute we got to spend with one another.
So I got to revisit all the different ministries I had been to, and it was amazing. I love watching how God motivates different families to move in different directions, all working towards expanding His Kingdom. It is beautiful. So let me give you a run down of our week:

MONDAY





We went with Stan Owens-Hughes, who works with indigenous people. Stan has worked in latin america as a missionary for over 20 years. His wife is a missionary child from Africa and they have 3 children who attend El Camino Academy with Viviana. Stan has mastered how to speak about the Bible and who God is, completely by story telling. These people have grown up hearing stories from their parents and grandparents, and it is the way they will most likely open their hearts to the Gospel. It is incredible. Well Stan also, along with his stories, gives English classes for free. We went with Stan to 2 different houses where 10 kids would meet for his class and stories. The first house we went to was tiny, with a cement floor. We barely fit inside with the 10 kids all squished onto 2 benches. There was just one main room which connected to a closet sized kitchen area. There was also an upstairs where I would assume there would be a room or two for sleeping. We were greeted by an older woman who was all smiles. She kissed us and began to make something on the stove. Stan went door to door to invite the kids, and they started filtering in, all very aware that Stefaney and I were the newcomers. They each brought a notebook and pen. A girl about my age came down the stairs holding a her daughter who was around the age of 2. The older woman who had greeted us was the grandomother. For this class Stef and I taught the kids a song in English: Hallelu hallelu hallelu hallelujah Praise ye the Lord! Each of the kids wrote it down in their notebook and we made it into a game, each side saying a different part and jumping up when they sang. It was alot of fun. Then the grandmother served us hot chocolate that was made with water and not milk because milk was a luxury they didnt have. Its funny how someone who has so little gives so much. It is convicting. It makes me realize how much I am blessed with and how much more I could be... should be giving.

The next house we went to was much bigger, still with cement floors. It was bigger because the family buisness was making tomales and they used their house as a kind of factory. The whole house smelled of tomales at all times. This house no kids showed up, but we sat and talked with some of the adults of the family. They served us a tomale with coffee and milk while we visited. We also gave the adults a bit of an English class, they would try to form a question to ask us about ourselves and we would answer. We also asked some questions to them. One of the girls, who looked around my age, was going to college which was a huge accomplishment for the family. However, she was finding it hard because her classes were in the evening and someone had to pick her up after class because it was too dangerous to walk alone. See this town, Uzme, is on the southern outskirts of Bogota. This means that if the farc wanted to take you, it would be no problem- you´´re so close to the mountains already, you would just disappear. He told us of a time when Stan´s wife and children came to visit them for a dinner at their house. They put one of the men in their family out to watch the mountains, in case the farc had heard they were there and wanted to kidnap the missionary family. Stan explained it was a real danger for north americans to be on the southern outskirts because almost everyone knows someone who knows someone who could make you disappear. Stan varies his visits so that no one can expect him at a certain time every week.

Stan´s ministry really requires patience and personal relationships with these people. It is great to see how God is using him to change hearts through story telling.





TUESDAY


On our second day, we visited Fritz and Gerd Hammershaw´s teen pregnancy home. I have been here 4 or 5 times to volunteer, and it was great seeing everyone again. It is so well run that voluteers really arent a necessity, but I like hearing how things are going. This time they only had 6 girls, all who were pregnant and ranging from 14- 17 years old. This is a home for girls who really have no other option. Either their parents have kicked them out or they cant afford a baby or they are too scared to know what to do. This home takes them in, gives them a bed, access to a nurse, and food. They are taught how to cook, clean, and really how to live like they are responsible for another life. It is an incredible ministry. The Hammershaw´s are origionally from Denmark, which has about half the population of Bogota alone. They have 4 children who all attend El Camino Academy. They lived a comfortable life in Denmark when they felt called to Bogota. Without ever having seen South America, they picked up their family and followed where God lead. They have had the teen pregancy house for around 15 years now and still keep in touch with girls who are now mothers out on their own. It was fun just hearing Gerd talk about her passions for these girls.
Then in the afternoon Stefaney and I met with a friend and went to Monzarate. We took the cable car up, and looked out over the whole city. It was raining but beautiful. There is a church there, and we went inside. There is a room filled with plaques that have miracles written on them, answers to prayer from God. It is beautiful.


There is a church there and we went inside. There is a room filled with plaques that have miracles written on them. From people around the country, answers to prayer are written so that the world may see. It is beautiful. Whenever I look out over the city the song ¨God of This City¨by Chris Tomlin runs through my head:
You´re the God of this city, You´re the King of these people, You´re the Lord of this nation, You are. You´re the light in this darkness, You´re the hope to the hopeless, You´re the peace to the restless, You are. Ther is no one like our God, there is no one like our God...greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city!


WEDNESDAY
We spent our third day at El Camino Academy. I love ECA, and I´m trying to put it into words and I just dont know if I can. A big part of it is the discipleship atmosphere. It is not just a place that is labelled as a Christian school but a place where kids are truly seeking to know Christ more. Teachers are putting so much into the lives of the students. It is a place where the kids are challeged and pushed to do something about the faith they have. Stefaney was able to take a tour and even talked about what a year here as a teacher would look like. I would love to teach at ECA after college!
THURSDAY

Back to Egypto again. I go with the youth pastor of our church, Elias. He works so well with the kids! He gives a short bibleAs I have said many times this is one of my favortie places to go. I have been there pretty consistantly and I feel I have a relationship with most of the kids there. I can walk in and they coming running to hug me calling me al-lee-son! They are just so precious. I love loving them. Just giving hugs, having tickling fights, sitting on my lap, holding their hands... they just want to be kids and to be loved. It was fun making up new games to play with Stefaney, we played london bridges falling down for awhile, and took turns swinging the kids. There was also a YWAM team there from the States so we went up and visited some of the kids houses. These houses looked as if they were barely standing, using curtains as a front door. I´ve been to their houses more than once, but it impacts me everytime. For the amount of joy these kids have, I guess it shocks me to see what home life is for them. They go to school and study and come home and do their homework on a dirt floor. The day care is a place where they can be kids, where at home they are expected to do adult chores and take care of siblings. I love watching the smiles on their faces.


FRIDAY

Our last ministry day we went to a parapalegic ministry with Roger Sever.







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