Welcome to my recap of month 8 in Medellin, Colombia – what an incredibly beautiful, life-giving, refreshing and recentering month for me! This country was my first taste of South America, and it didn’t take long for me to fall in love…I think you would too! The landscape is captivating, the people are beautiful and filled with kindness, the importance of family is practiced and made a priority, and the culture is full of hospitality, good music and great food. My 4 years of Spanish throughout high school are finally paying off since we hardly met anyone here who speaks English – it was great practice 🙂 I also just want to give a little forewarning that this blog is a little longer than most, but it was one of my favorite months so far, it simply can’t be contained in one little blog:D So to get things started…
…check out this breathtaking view…
This is Medellin, the city we stayed in for the month – (pronounced “Metta-Jean”…in this specific region, the “double-L” is pronounced as a “J” sound, rather than as a “Y” sound – different than what I learned in high school. I also learned that different regions use different jargon in Spanish speaking countries, so you need to be careful to know the specific vocabulary used in specific regions…pretty confusing, actually!) They also talk SUPER fast here…I was told by a local that people speak so fast to the north of Medellin along the coast that even locals from other parts of the country can’t understand them…makes me not feel so bad about asking someone to slow down when they speak 😉
Medellin is known as “the city of eternal spring” because the weather here is practically perfect all year round – no joke. It also rains probably 4 out of 7 evenings here, which I love…so like I said, pretty much perfect in every way!
Below is a pic of the orientation we received when we first arrived to Colombia. The amazing ministry that facilitated our orientation is called Ciudad Refugio. My team was not able to serve there this month, but they do incredible work for the city, including, but not limited to: drug rehab programs, food and Gospel outreaches to the hardest and darkest places of the city, a men’s homeless shelter,youth programs and schooling, and community re-entry/restoration programs.
You can learn more about them here: http://ciudadrefugio.org/en/. They also always love having volunteers come alongside them to serve…if you’re ever looking for a place to serve in Colombia…look no further! 😉
Our first day we were taken on a tour of one particularly ‘artsy’ part of town, where the walls, ground, and even steps were covered in beautiful paintings.The people of Medellin have some mad skill!
Most of my squad on our first day in Medellin (below), along with one of the German volunteers who showed us around. (Random fact, Germany actually pays for their volunteers to go to Colombia to serve for an entire year! Why?! I have no idea, but we were shocked to have met tons of Western Europeans during our time in Medellin.
They even took us out for traditional ice cream! Quite different from what we’re used to in the States, but still delicious. They had some interesting flavors, including “cheese”, but my adventurous friend Genna ordered it and it was actually delicious! (I may have had a bite or 2 ;)…I’m pretty sure it was cream cheese cause it tasted like cheesecake…all that to say – don’t always rule out the weird flavors! Be adventurous and try something new – you might like it!)
After ice cream, they took us on the cable car system that the people of the city use to travel to homes and businesses that are located on the sides of the mountains that the city is surrounded by. The center of Medellin is actually located in a valley…
…which makes for an unbelievable view at night!
…Let’s just pause a moment before I continue and talk a bit about the more recent history of this city (and country in general). In the 1980s, a man known as “the king of cocaine” made an unfortunate rise in power…yep, you guessed it, Pablo Escobar. My words won’t be nearly as impactful as this articulate article, so take a moment and educate yourself from the “History of Medellin” website (http://discovercolombia.com/medellin/history-of-medellin/)
“Hard Times/Rise of Drug Cartels
By the 1980’s, the city’s entrepreneurial spirit began to show a dark side. Rising through the ranks of the Medellín underworld, a paisa by the name of Pablo Escobar would soon become the king of cocaine and forever change the complexion and reputation of a great city and its people. Due to the new found demand for the drug in places like the USA and Europe, an industry unrivalled emerged and with it came fierce violence based on greed, corruption and dark spirit. Gun battles were common, and the city’s homicide rate was one of the highest in the world. Reaching its pinnacle in the early 1990’s, the government was at the point of collapse as well as the economy. With the aid of the United States Special Forces and tactical units, an effort was made to hunt down one of the world’s most notorious criminals. Led by the Colombian government and local strategic private forces, Pablo Escobar was hunted down and killed in a hail of bullets on December 2, 1993. Pablo Escobar became so rich and powerful in the drug business; Forbes listed him as the seventh richest man in the world in 1989. He is actually considered to be one of the most brutally cruel and cold killers the drug industry has ever known. His grave site can be seen to this day and routinely attracts curious visitors and travelers.
Although the name Pablo Escobar is well known in Medellín, many locals prefer not to openly talk about him. The paisa locals have been dealt a card they never wanted and many have suffered because of this unfortunate time event. Deeply scarred by one man and his murderous ascent to the top of the drug industry, Medellín is working hard to rebuild its spirit and long history of independence. As a matter of fact, the government of Medellín has launched a media campaign that boasts the slogan “Medellín: Adelante y Sin Reversa”, which translates to moving ahead without looking back. It is vitally important for this city to shed its past and begin to re-emerge into a wonderfully diverse and culturally rich city that every paisa is aware of and wishes to share with its future visitors and travelers.”
This article begs the question – is this city/country still reeling from its tragic history? The answer is…of course it is. During our orientation, we were told that the Colombians are, “a hurting people” and that every single person in Colombia knows someone personally who was killed as a result of the drug cartel. Today, there is still a large problem with drugs in this city and country, but not nearly to the degree that there was 30-40 years ago. We’ve seen with our very eyes, as Racers, how the Lord is doing an amazing restorative and redeeming work in the hearts and lives of the people of Colombia, and it’s beautiful to play a small part in the healing of this country.
Next, on a more lighthearted note, here’s a pic of the adorable little library cafe that my teammate Meggo and I found one day. Actually, we didn’t just “find it”, we searched it out and wandered about for probably half an hour before getting the help of a few officials in the area to point us in the right direction with the use of our broken “Spanglish”…but it was totally worth our efforts! Doesn’t it remind you a little bit of that romantic library from Beauty and the Beast?! 😉
While we were indulging in our french fries and ice cream (everything is so much less expensive here friends! You gotta treat yourself sometimes!) our waiter, Juan, came by and asked if we would want to do a little exchange…he would teach us Spanish if we taught him English (apparently there aren’t many opportunities for locals to converse with an English-speaker). Meggo and I went back to that cafe once a week for our language exchange during our time off from our ‘scheduled ministry’. We were able to build a really sweet friendship and take advantage of the opportunity to share the love of God with him. This is Juan 🙂
A pleasant surprise during our lessons each week was this flower-selling cowboy! He would walk into the cafe, flowers in tow, and offer these beautiful blooms every language exchange lesson. I bought a whole bouquet of 13 or so lilies from this sweet man every week for no more than $3-4 USD…that’s crazy cheap, y’all! The first week, I brought them home and gave one lily to each teacher and volunteer in the house, just to spread a little joy:) From then on out, I just put them in a vase on display for all to enjoy in the dining area.
Oh yeah, and it rains a lot in Medellin…which I LOVE. Meggo and I got caught in the rain on our way back from the cafe our first week…no warning, really, just started pouring relentlessly…and I didn’t mind one bit 😉 Also, shameless plug for this fantastic book, “Everybody, Always” by one of my very favorite authors, Bob Goff. If you don’t have it yet, just do yourself a huge favor right now…https://www.amazon.com/Everybody-Always-Becoming-Setbacks-Difficult/dp/0718078136
Next, let me introduce our ministry to you…my team worked at a YWAM base in Medellin, which was more like a safe home for “internally displaced” children in Colombia.
According to the UN Refugee Agency (https://www.unhcr.org/internally-displaced-people.html)…”Internally displaced people (IDPs) have not crossed a border to find safety. Unlike refugees, they are on the run at home. IDPs stay within their own country and remain under the protection of its government, even if that government is the reason for their displacement. They often move to areas where it is difficult for us to deliver humanitarian assistance and as a result, these people are among the most vulnerable in the world.”
From an article released by Colombiareports.com in June of 2018, “Colombia has the highest number of internally displaced people (IDPs), according to the United Nations.” In its annual report, the UNHCR, the agency in charge of monitoring forced displacement, said Colombia had 7.7 million IDPs. Syria, the second country on the list, has an internally displaced population of 6.2 million.” (https://colombiareports.com/colombia-has-highest-number-of-internally-displaced-people/)
The home where we worked helps to provide housing, food, education, and a Christian environment/church for these children who otherwise would be unable to receive these things due to either lack of resources in their home town or due to being forced to flee due to threats from paramilitary groups threatening to make them join their forces.
It’s a lot to take in, to be sure, and it was incredible to see how the Lord provided so faithfully for these little ones and how incredibly resilient they are to it all. I can’t even imagine not having enough food/clothing/shelter/education/water/safety/etc, let alone being separated from my family. It was awesome to get to know these children and staff and know that if only for a month, we could be the hands and feet and arms of Jesus to these ones who have lost and been through more than I can even imagine.
…On a much lighter note, I know this is a bit random and seemingly small, but my heart and mind tend to attach quickly to those common little things in life that may appear insignificant and somewhat out of place to the untrained eye. One such eye-catching and ‘you-better-believe-it’ significant friend of mine this month was one that I found in the produce aisle of our local grocery store just around the corner from our home. His name is Carlos, and yes, he’s a succulent…:D
We didn’t have a great place in our room for me to keep Carlos close while also giving him the sunlight he needs, so our resident ‘Grandma’ introduced him to her currently-thriving succulent family. She even adopted him when we left Colombia and agreed to send me pictures to keep me updated on how he’s doing 🙂
That’s him at the top of this photo below – he made friends with a cactus!
And here’s a pic of Carlos joining me for one of my morning quiet times in the laundry room, which looked more like a greenhouse because of all the beautiful natural lighting flooding in:)
…One of my favorite things to do is introducing my current ‘World Race’ family and friends to my family and friends back home. This month we lived with our host family, so I was able to introduce Colombian “Grandma” Rosalba with American Grandma Rose over FaceTime – they’re both adorable and neither one could speak the other’s language haha.
Our host family prepared lunch and dinner for us every day. In Colombia, lunch is typically the biggest meal of the day, and it was always guaranteed to be delicious! Here’s a pic of ‘Grandma’ making homemade juice for us, which is a daily staple for meals in Colombia. We felt so spoiled!
Introducing the next member of our Colombian family…it’s Isabella! (or “eeza” for short). Isa is an adorable little bundle of joy who could make you smile no matter what kind of day you may be having. She’s got the sweetest little voice and runs around saying “agua, agua”, stealing people’s water bottles left and right and stealing everyone’s hearts in the process.
She even helped me one evening get the flowers ready that I bought from my coffee shop cowboy friend:)
You can’t deny it, she’s just the cutest!!!
She even came to join me for my guitar lessons with her dad Jorge 😉
Actually, this was one of the ways that I really felt pursued by the Lord this month. I brought my guitar on the Race, because I couldn’t imagine a year without acoustic worship. My technical skills have more or less plateaued, though, and I’ve been wanting a guitar teacher for help. This month, Jorge sought me out and initiated guitar lessons with me every week – it made me feel so seen and loved by the Lord! He taught me how to play a song in Spanish (that I still need to practice) and gave me a lot more confidence to attempt things I used to think were beyond my ability. Isn’t God so good?
Here’s a fun pic of one of our little adventure days to an ‘old time’ village.
…and some fresh mango! (*insert heart-eyes emoji here*) It’s the real deal, my friends.
One of my all-time favorite adventure days from this month was the time we spent at a little city called Guadape, where we climbed over 700 steps to reach the top of a massive rock and behold a view you’d have to see in person to believe (pictures don’t do it justice, but for your sake, I’ll post some to give you a little glimpse ;).
We also saw a proposal on top of the rock! 😀 (Honestly, at first we thought the initial screams indicated someone fell off the ledge or something, but thankfully no one was harmed! And in case you were wondering, she said yes 😉
And we got to ride horses for like $3! It was amazing!
We also got to do a high ropes course this month! What a rush! It was beautiful and terrifying all rolled into one adventure. My whole team wanted to take on level 4, which is the hardest, and several of the staff workers asked us if we understood that was the hardest level. I was the only person on my team that wanted to do level 3 instead, but I didn’t want to do it alone (heights aren’t really my thing)…but guess what! After 3 of my teammates dropped out and climbed back down because it was too intense, I finished the whole course! It felt amazing to know that I conquered my fears…but it also made me feel more confident about saying no to doing future things that I’m not 100% sold on, haha.
Next, here’s a bit about our actual areas of ministry for this month…
My absolute favorite place that we served was in the kitchen for the kids home. I’ve never had to cook for an army before, but I have a feeling that this was good training! 😉
Pastora Lilo was one of the reasons I loved the kitchen so much – what an incredible woman of God!
Here’s a pic of me, Pastora and Ronan, the other grand chef in the kitchen! I had such a blast with these two 🙂 I’ve never been so happy to wear a hairnet in my life lol.
I cherished any time I was able to spend with Pastora Lilo, and at the end of the month she invited us over to her home on 2 separate occasions; one to hang out and talk after church one Sunday, and another to celebrate her birthday with her closest friends and family! I felt so honored to get to share her big day with those closest to her heart! What a gift!
Lilo’s daughter also invited us to join her women’s group one Sunday afternoon, and it was one of the most refreshing and uplifting events I’ve been to my entire Race. It was all in Spanish, of course, but thankfully I could understand some of what was shared and had an interpreter for the rest 😉 They were speaking on emotions and their appropriate place in our lives as women and children of God (a topic near and dear to my heart). They made us feel right at home and loved on us to the point of tears…it was the Body of Christ alive and well, spanning cultures, language barriers and age ranges:)
I also wanted to give a HUGE shoutout to the rest of the AMAZING staff in the house, especially Pastora Rossy, who made us all (and everyone she meets) feel SO very loved. My life was forever changed by the Love of God poured out through you! Pastora Rossy worked as a volunteer at the YWAM girl’s house and was a huge source of encouragement, wisdom, intentionality and joy this month. She also invited us over to her home on two occasions, one after church one Sunday, and another for a women’s discipleship group. I got to play a few worship songs on guitar for the women’s group – not easy to play songs in English while everyone else is singing in Spanish, by the way, lol.
My absolute favorite times on the Race have been when I’ve been invited into someone’s home – it always feeds my soul and fills me up. I’m so thankful for the gift of hospitality. (Pastora is on the left in the pic above)
She also preached on the last Sunday we were at the house, on the 5 Love Languages and how to Love more like Jesus (it was beautiful and amazing and exactly what I needed to hear at the time). Then she invited us all to come up and several people laid their hands on us to pray – it was an incredible blessing.
Next, here are some of the kiddos we had the pleasure of spending our time with this month! Time with them looked like helping them with their homework, going to the park, playing with them and helping them learn English. These kids are amazing and we all really bonded with them – it was so hard to leave! Many of these children either have no parents or only have one parent who is unable to care for their child’s needs. Many of these children also came from a desert region north of Medellin, called La Guajira.
Pretty darn cute, right?!
There’s actually a way that YOU could help these children and this ministry!
First, check out this great video, which gives insight into YWAM Mercy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrzFCuOUum0 (The first 5 minutes share about the orphanage/safe home that we were able to partner with in Medellin; then about 6 minutes in, there’s a little info about La Gaujira, the region that many of the kiddos we worked with are from.)
We got the privilege of knowing a sweet woman named Silia from the children’s home. She’s the woman on the far right in the photo below…
Silia is a missionary working on behalf of La Gaujira, working to carry out several of the projects mentioned in the video above.
She will be bringing a team of missionaries to the States to raise awareness of the conditions and needs of these areas in Colombia, as well as to raise financial support.
Here’s how you can help:
Silia and her team are in need of housing while they are in the States this summer – even a church floor would do! 🙂
If you’d like more information, please message Silia here:
Facebook: Silia Contreras/humanitarian Commission Jucum Misericordia
Phone: +57 301-222-8475 (international fees may apply!) 😉
Ending this blog on a more personal note:
If you read my Facebook/Insta post about how the Lord has been using dandelion puffs to speak to me since our rooftop debrief in Siem Riep, Cambodia, you’ll understand why I was so excited to see these bed sheets the moment we walked into our new living arrangement in Colombia this past month…did I tell you just how good He is?! I can’t make this stuff up! haha
Finally, here’s a little bit of my artwork to commemorate His faithful voice to me in this sweet season of life. Great is His faithfulness y’all 🙂
