My month in Colombia started off as the most difficult month on the race thus far. But by the time all was said and done, it turned out to be an incredible month because of the amazing people we were working with. Lucy and Ricardo (our hosts) are passionate about seeing their city transformed by the Gospel, and it is so evident in the way they pour into the children and families in their community. They started their ministry in an area of Bogotá called Santa Cecilia about nine years ago. They have a church there and do a lot of outreach within the community. Santa Cecilia is an area that has had a lot of drug problems and gang-related violence, but these problems have been declining over the past few years since Lucy and Ricardo began working with the people there. They also work with a ministry called Oasis, which is an after school sponsorship program for local children from impoverished families. The kids in the program come to the church after school every day, where they are served lunch and are able to spend the afternoon in a safe environment. There are around 25 kids currently in the program, and even more are on a waiting list to be sponsored (fundacionformavida.org is their website, if you’re interested in finding out more about the ministry or sponsoring a child!).
There is so much more I could say about how incredible Colombia and the people there are, but instead I’ll show you a few pictures from my month:
Lucy, Ricardo, and their daughter Laura were such a blessing to work with! They selflessly invest their time and resources because they are passionate about seeing their community transformed by the Gospel.
This is Aurora. She is one of the sweetest ladies I have ever met. She prepares lunch everyday for the children in the Oasis program who come to the church after school, and she also prepared all our meals while we stayed at the church. God’s love constantly shines through her.
Amanda (aka Amandis) gives so much of her time to serve and love the kids in the community. She was with us every day to help with ministry and became one of my favorite people. Working with her was so much fun!
getting ready to do ministry at one of the schools!
some neighborhood kids playing at a cross that is a short hike from the church and overlooks the city
This is Juan Pablo, one of the kids who comes to the church after school for Oasis. He helps take care of his younger siblings and cousin. He is truly one of the sweetest kids ever.
Team Fearless Laughter with some of the Oasis kids!
This is Sebastian, one of the kids in the Oasis program. He greeted us every day with a big hug and kiss on the cheek. So sweet!
the beautiful view of Bogotá from the church
Colombia may have been a difficult month, but it was also the hardest place to leave. Saying goodbye wasn’t easy, and a piece of my heart will always be with the incredible people I met there.
I can’t believe how quickly the time is passing. So many great memories were made during my first four months of the race in South America. I’m so thankful for this opportunity.
We are now in Japan and close to finishing month five. Crazy! This month has been great but such a different experience from the previous four months. I’ll be posting a blog about my experience here in Japan soon, so be on the look out for that! Thanks so much to everyone for the continued prayers and support!!
