I can’t believe that my time in Colombia and my time in South America have come to a close. I am sad to be leaving a culture that I know and love. I am so thankful that I was able to live in South America for four months and can’t wait to tell my “Spanish” stories in the classroom. Here are a few stories from my time in Cartagena.
A Permanent Soundtrack
Music is always playing in the San Francisco neighborhood. Always. It doesn’t matter what day of the week it is or what hour. One weekday our neighbors were playing their music at a reasonable decibel level but decided to crank it up at 1am. The music was still going strong at 3am and 5am. At 5am they decided to add firecrackers to the party and a bit more yelling. At 9am the party and music were still going strong. This is not unusual. It is a very festive neighborhood. The music is played from gigantic speakers, speakers that you would see in front of a stage for a concert. These speakers are on their front porches and they sit right next to them. My friends and I have to yell to each other when walking if we want to carry on a conversation. They love loud music!
We also hear the airplanes landing and taking off. The Cartagena airport is about a half mile-mile from our house. This month we had a break from roosters crowing, but the dogs and cat noises are still a part of our day. Along with little kids yelling, babies crying, and loud voices from our neighbors.
The Rainy Season
October is one of Colombia’s rainiest months. When it rains in San Francisco the streets are flooded with water and it is hard for vehicles to drive through all the water. The rain makes the crime rate rise. The locals were telling me that because cars have to go so slow in the streets because of all the water; they are easy targets for robbery. When the cars slow, people are waiting to break into the car and steal whatever they can from the people inside. There are also more robberies on the sidewalks because people are walking slower because of all the water. The police are aware of this and try to have a bigger presence in the area after the rain. One day our hosts asked the police to escort my group to the corner to catch a taxi. We were escorted three blocks and then put into a taxi. We usually walk to our host’s house but this day they told us to take a taxi for our safety.
While we were in San Francisco, one of my squad mates had a necklace ripped off her neck while we were walking down the street. It was about 10am and there was a group of 15 of us and a ton of kids around us. It was a reminder of how fast a robbery can happen and the life of the desperate. One squad mate had his Bible, journal, and water bottle stolen at the soccer field and we would hear other stories of theft from our local friends. The saddest was right before we left; there was a shooting at the corner of our street. It was gang related and the man passed away. Our squad leaders saw a machete fight on their way out of town. The thing is though when we would walk the streets to our host’s house for our meals, the people always were smiling and so happy. We would smile and say good evening and they would too. I really felt safe here. Even with all the danger, I felt the Lord’s protection. This community wants change and is filled with children. Children are everywhere! This is a community I wish I could stay in longer. I see so much potential and there is so much good, but kids need to see a different way of life. They need a new hope. They need to know hope in Jesus, not hope in gangs.
English Class
Alex, our ministry host, started English classes to help the local neighborhood. It is a way to give people hope and opportunities in jobs. It is so cool to see kids ages 5-13 come to class with their notebooks and pencils and be so eager to learn. No one is making them come; they come because they want to learn! The adult classes were the same. We had a packed room and they were so eager to learn. We added personal testimonies to our class. The last 30 minutes of class, one of my teammates would share their testimony to the class. I loved watching them listen. I loved seeing the realization that people have many of the same struggles no matter where you were born. That even if you are from the United States that you have problems and struggles too! I loved seeing the realization that when you believe in the Christian faith that you have brothers and sisters in Christ all around the world. People rooting for you! Praying for you! Reading the same book as you!
Do you have an extra English Bible? The adult class would love to have English Bibles. If you would like to send a Bible, please message me and I will give you the address to send it.
Pablito
Pablito was a local neighborhood boy. Alex introduced us one day and gave us the background on his family. Let’s just say that this little guy does not have a lot of positive influences in his life. Pablito walked us to Alex’s house one day and he held my hand the entire way. People would say things to him as we walked and he would just smile and hold my hand even tighter. He took his “security” job very seriously. (Local friends walked us everywhere for our safety.) He is such a sweet kid. Our very last day there he came to say goodbye to us. My friend, Molly, packed a soccer ball and wanted to give it away in Colombia. She chose Pablito to be the recipient. We pulled Pablito aside and Molly gave him the ball and a speech. I translated for her and it was such a special moment. It is a moment I am always going to remember and so thankful to be a part. Molly told him that the soccer ball was a gift and that she wanted him to go to school, be a good boy, read his Bible, pray and look up to and follow our friends JJ and Daivis because they were good role models. He had a smile on his face so big the whole time she talked to him and his eyes were filled with sincere acknowledgment of everything she was saying. When she told him not to do drugs, his face got so serious and he shook his head “no” that he would not do drugs. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall when he got home to show all of his friends his new soccer ball. I hope this ball will be a constant reminder of Christ’s love for him.
As always, thank you for reading! It is a time for change for my squad (F squad). Tomorrow we are off to Japan and we are off with new teams. A new season for all of us! My role as team leader has changed again. I am now a raised up squad leader with my squad mate Esther Gordon. We will join Wes and Kelsey (our current squad leaders). I will write more later on what this means but I am soliciting prayers!
