So much has taken place since I’ve written last. Colombia has come and gone just like that and I’m here in Ecuador with 15 days left on this amazing journey. I think the reason why I haven’t written in a while is because I haven’t wanted to accept that the end is right around the corner. Although I am super happy to go home and see all my friends and family again, it’s going to be so bittersweet. These 11 months have been nothing that I expected but also everything that I needed.
Colombia gained a piece of my heart. Each country I have been in has been special in its own way. In Colombia I saw things I had never experienced before and my prayer, “Lord break my heart for what breaks yours” was a prayer I no longer had to continue praying because everything I saw and experienced broke my heart. Colombia has the largest population in the world of internally displaced people, and they are also the world’s number one cocaine producing country. We lived in three different areas of the city this month so we saw a lot of different things like homeless people, drug addicts, and displaced people.
One of the organizations we worked with was Ciudad Refugio. They played a huge part in helping these people get off the streets and to turn their lives around. I was so impressed with this ministry and their work. Every night, they slept 100 homeless men on the first floor of their facility. On the second and third floor of the facility they have a teen challenge program for men and women. The men in the program slept on the second floor and the women slept on the third floor. Most of the men and women in this program where once living on the streets, doing drugs, and at their very lowest with no hope. I had the opportunity to hang out with the women from the program and it was so much fun. I learned a lot from them. This month was a lot about building relationships. We did daily bible studies together, was able to help the ladies in the kitchen with donations they would receive, and also was able to host a Beauty for Ashes event for them at the end of the month honoring the women.
Aside from hanging out with the women in the program we also did prayer walks, three church services a week, door to door ministry, evangelism, kids programs, ladies bible studies in the mountains, English club, swim club, and ministry in the Bronx.
Every week on Wednesday we would go to a nearby place called the Bronx. This was a street one block long with about 500 people packed on it doing drugs and strung out. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before. We would pass out a drink with some bread and go up and down the streets talking to individuals about Christ. Our heart was to bring the hope of Jesus into their hopeless situations, and all we could do was pray that in the morning something resonated with them.
One of the last days we were there in Colombia at our ministry we were able to host a Beauty for Ashes event for the ladies. It was such a beautiful day honoring the ladies, encouraging them in their walks, and worshiping the Lord together for what He’s done in their lives.
These past 11 months have shaped my life in a way I never thought possible. The Lord has given me a heart for His people and a love for the nations. I may not know what the future holds, but I hold tightly to His promises and trust that in time it will all be made clear. I’ve come to realize that my journey doesn’t end when I step foot back into America. This is just the beginning and I am excited to continue serving Christ.
Thank you for all your prayers throughout my journey and I transition back into America! I am beyond grateful for the support I have received. Love you all so much!!
~ Calin
