As I sit in my third month of the World Race, I am overcome with the desire to remember every moment of this journey; every interaction, every person, every feeling, sight, thought, word from the Lord. While diligence in blogging is still a struggle, I am an extremely detailed journaler. One of the things I’ve journaled about, in an effort to remember everything that has passed, is the five senses of each country so far. I’ve recorded the sights, tastes, smells, sounds, and feelings of each place and asked some teammates for their input as well. May this give you a deeper understanding of these wonderful, beautiful places and what has passed so you can live them along with me.
So, here is a page from my journal. Get excited.
5 Senses of Colombia
Sights: mountains of green, soccer fields, funny-worded t-shirts (all in English, but with extremely poor grammar – so funny), paragliders, yellow taxis, exito department store, stray dogs, Salsa dancers in the street, white doves, black vulture bird things, soccer jerseys, lights glittering all across the mountainsides (never got old, I LOVED this), stadium lights, Ferris Wheels, gondolas, Fernando Botero statues, mimes in the city center, rocks, wheel barrows, weeds, concrete jungle, dorms, smiles, laughter, waterfalls, bird’s eye views from the stadium at Cosdecol, CRAZY taxi drivers and rides, trash everywhere, Crocs
Favorite Sight: My little friend Sofia running down the corridor at Cosdecol to greet me each day.
Tastes: icecream, rice, sweat, Pony Malta (the pop-type drink of choice for most Colombians), yucca (favorite!), ALL the juices – pineapple, mora (like a black raspberry type deal), tomate del arbol (tomatoe of the tree), guanabana (sour sop – no comparison, but delicious!), lulo, watermelon, mango… and so many more, Brownies del Club (brownies manufactured at a factory owned by Cosdecol as their primary source of income for ministry), cheese, soup (soup was part of every lunch in Colombia and every dinner in Ecuador – one of the most commonly eaten things next to rice), lime chips, empanadas, s’mores, fish (with the bones, fins, eyes, brains, scales and all. And I ate it!), coffee (
)
Favorite Taste: Yucca fries made by Dona Ruth.
Smells: moto fumes (motorcycle), rain, sweat, turf soccer fields, sunscreen, bug spray, potatoes, Dona Ruth’s kitchen, bonfire smoke
Favorite Smell: Walking past Dona Ruth’s kitchen and being met with the delicious smells of lunch!
Sounds: honking horns, whistles, kids, yelling, soccer balls flying from 6am to 1am, laughter, Metro station (bus line), shower explosions (we had hot water…and then we didn’t), welding, unity in prayer, ukelele playing (mostly the song Wipeout), the songs in Spanish Pio Pio and Baile de Gorilla (look them up!), King David toy, devotional-sharing at each soccer practice, Shania Twain, animal sounds, crazy drum beats, Open the Eyes of My Heart, Mighty to Save (songs), worship, vultures, flowing water near fields, Salsa music, song Free Falling, creaky noisy bunk beds, hospital sounds (a few of us may have had to make an appearance for some minor issues. All is well and we are healed! Not to worry!!), motos, decks of cards shuffling, geicos clicking outside our rooms, listening prayer, praying over one another
Favorite Sound: The chorus to “Hallelujah” being sung by a group of young boys in the hallway at Cosdecol after we taught them, singing with them to the ukelele and guitar.
Feelings: manual labor, change, newness, adapting, so. many. bug bites, sunburns, heat, sun, excitement, comfort, hot showers, then less comfort and cold showers, sickness, joy, family, tired, unity, love for team, deepening bonds, connections, love, support, needed, vulnerability, pain for community and people, love of the Father, brokenness of families, hope of the gospel, hospitality, welcomed, embraced, challenged, eagerness, growth, easy living, great team dynamics, openness of culture, busy, cold water of cascades, hard work, testimonies, fear during taxi rides, peace of early morning work outs and quiet time, contentment in place and time
Favorite Feeling: Looking out over the soccer fields at the mountains painting the horizon and feeling with deep assurance the love of the Father for this place, these people, this ministry, and for me.
God was so good to us in Colombia and it was only the beginning!!
