9/10/17
I’m standing among 200 brothers and sisters of Christ who are pouring their hearts out to the Lord. I open my eyes for a second and see dancing and jumping and the raising of hands in reverence to the Lord. I hear the voices of world racers, shouting and singing and praising. My heart is content in this moment. Then the music pauses, if but only for a minute. Our squad is told we will be leaving right now, rather than the original plan of tomorrow. We quickly pack our things, say goodbyes to other squads, and climb aboard a bus to a local church where we will be waiting out Hurricane Irma.
9/13/17
It’s 3 am. I gather my pillow and backpack and step off the bus I have been on for almost 12 hours. Once inside the bus station, I drop my things immediately on the floor and lie in a heap on top of them. Exhaustion. My body yearns for a bed as deeply as my spirit yearns to be in Colombia. We are over halfway to Washington DC, our final destination in the US before we take a flight out. Travel day woes happen, but the Lord reminds me the road to his kingdom is not wide, but narrow.
9/14/17
We made it. 2 days of travel were worth the feeling of being here. The bus rides, metro rides, plane rides, and even the full sprint through the D.C. airport were worth it. We put on our packs and hop on the bus toward Medellin. It arrives at our host home, and we quickly claim beds and fall into a restful, much needed sleep.
9/15/17
I wake up in the morning with tangled hair and a happy heart. My mind is racing imagining everything this day might hold. I walk down the long hallway to the table that sits just outside our house. It is perched above a sort of courtyard where our shirts hang on clotheslines and our rat friends hunt for food. After spending time with Jesus, we eat breakfast and head out to Manatiales, an area about 30 minutes away by bus. Although I have never been here, it feels very familiar. In the afternoon, I walk the dirt roads with some of my squad mates to a woman’s home. She shares her story with us after we share ours with her. Tears stream. Prayers are said. Laughs grow louder. Smiles spread to the whole family. Her daughter paints my nails. Her son melts our hearts. We thank God for this encounter and this chance to remind a sister in Christ that she is loved. She has value. Jesus does not see the mistakes that she has made, but rather a daughter whom He cherishes deeply.
9/16/17
Hands clasp over my eyes and I hear giggles behind me. I pull the arms away to see Paula, the woman’s daughter from the day before, smiling from ear to ear behind me. We spend the day together, painting faces and worshipping Jesus. We dance and laugh at my utter lack of Spanish. She braids my hair as we listen to the lesson, and I braid hers as she sits in my lap. She is a joyful ten year old with a desire to learn more about Jesus and be the first to answer every question. She nearly leaps out of her seat with excitement every time a question is asked. She hugs me goodbye at the end of the day. “See you soon,” I say as I wave goodbye.
9/18/17
This is where I’m at. I’m cherishing the moments I have already experienced, even in these 4 short days in country. I am looking forward to the next nine months that will hold even more moments like these. But most importantly, I am thrilled to be here right now. In this instant. For where I’m at is where God destined from the beginning of time for me to be. In these moments, when I listen, I can hear him say, “You were made for such a time as this.”
