As I had mentioned in a previous post, I wanted to make a whole blog post on my Thursdays in Medellín, Colombia.
On all but one of my Thursdays there, I would visit a neighborhood called “8 de marzo,” which literally translates to “8th of March.” This neighborhood faces challenges such as extreme poverty and internal displacement, among others. It has, historically, been characterised by poverty and violence.
This Documentary trailer shows the backround of the armed conflict between this neighborhood and another— “La Sierra.”
The organization that we worked with, “Pa’ Mi Barrio,” (which stands for “For My Neighborhood”) works to tackle the challenges of longtime poverty, poor use of leisure time, illiteracy, unemployment, and broken homes through programs such as a feeding program for youth, educational workshops, vocational workshops, parenting classes, counseling, and more!
One of the other things I truly admired about the organization “Pa’ Mi Barrio” was their scholarship program. Currently, the organization holds 32 scholarships— most in school, a few in college, and even a few single mothers.
Although our tasks seemed menial— we worked alongside single mothers and washed dishes, we attended vocational programs, and prayed over the ministry— I was amazed by the fruit that was so evident through the programs here. The kids were so well behaved and healthy.
Every program and every volunteer was intentional about reflecting godly behavior.
To to the right, Emanuel is showing us his skills on the guitar while also singing.
In fact, those if us that went had to learn to correct some of our own behavior so that we could be the very best role models for the kids. Some of the things we giggled over correcting included:
- Not sitting on kid-sized chairs
- Not sharing food with others as each kid ate EVERYTHING on their plate
- EACH child also thanked the moms working in the kitchen after they would put their dishes in a bucket to wash
- Do not touch food with hands. Use napkins and/or utensils
- When the quiet signal comes up, all are attentive and quiet
- Praying before every meal
- Wearing closed-toed shoes as sandals were considered being, practically, barefoot
Our visit here inspired me to read the book “Boundaries with Kids” by Henry Cloud and John Townsend. This is where I have become truly convinced of the fruit and benefit of healthy boundaries and consistency in the life of a child.
Two nights before we left Medellín, Colombia, I had the opportunity to eat dinner with Ron and Deisy, founders of “Pa’ Mi Barrio.” Hearing their story and the way they glorified God through all of it was such an inspiration. I am still in contact with them and wished I could have spent more than just the few days we had with them and the organization. I know I could have taken in so much more.
If you’d like to find out a little more about this organization, here is their website in English: http://pamibarrio-english.weebly.com/
And their most recent Youtube video:
Only $1,741 left for me to fundraise! Thank you to all who have supported and prayed!
be on the lookout for my next blog post in the next couple of days on my time here in Rwanda!!!
