Cuidad de Refugio is a busy place with many different programs and ministries going on though out the week, therefore every day looks different. Bear with me as attempted to explain a week at Cuidad de Refugio. There will be a summary video at the end that my teammate Kaelyn made.
Monday was adventure day for our world race squad. A day where we can go and explore the country we are serving. So far, we have had two adventure days. The first adventure day most of the squad rode a bus about two hours away to Guatape. While we adventured in Guatape we walked around the town and even met a friend Alejandra. My squad leader Maddison and squadmate Isabel did most of the talking but we had an opportunity to share Jesus’ love and hear some of Alejandra’s story. Later most of us walked up 740 stairs at Piedra del Penol, well my team leader Sydney and I practically raced up the stairs. Thankfully the view was breathtaking, worth the heavy breathing, and sweat.
Tuesday was a day set apart to sabbath with the Lord. I have been reading Ecclesiastes, Acts, and Proverbs 119. During sabbath, I rest, read, listen to the podcast, and have a fun conversation with many of my squadmates. My teammate Christy and I looked at verses about the Holy Spirit together and shared ideas and thoughts. Oh, and I drink lots of coffee. The next sabbath I rested and read more of Acts, listen to a podcast my mom sent me. Most of this day I just spent time with Jesus.
The first Wednesday I worked in the kitchen from 5 am to 12, with a break for breakfast. The following Wednesday we separated clothes and bagged them for families in Manantails and then went to the English club. A club at the school to help kids learn English. They love practising with native English speakers and we were happy to get to speak English. Both Wednesday we ended the day with Church and then at 8 pm we take agua panela y pan (sugar water and bread) to the bronxs and offer an alternative to drugs by passing out brochures for the foundation. The foundation has a drug rehabilitation program. The bronxs is a surreal place covered in darkness, but Cudiad continues to bring light and give the people their dignity by looking them in the eye and reminding them that God loves them. One man told our squad leader Maddison that when they come with agua panel that it given them hope and that all the volunteers radiate light.
Last Thursday I worked in the kitchen early in the morning until 12, but the second Thursday I went up the mountain to Manantilas for house visits and to give families a food care package. I was in a group with a leader who had graduated from the program named Jason, a guy who was about to graduate named Carlos and my squadmate Racheal. We walked around and visited families, had them fill out some paperwork, played with the kids and gave then cookies, and then gave then the care packages with food. Lastly, we took a picture of the families in front of their home, so Cudiad can make a map of the families in Manantials. They were all so thankful and kind. It did not feel like we did much other than walk around and hang out with people, but our host told the leaders that she had the opportunity to go to places she had not been to in Manantalis and that gave her the opportunity to tell more families about the foundation.
The past two Fridays I have had the honor to go to an elderly home and love on people. The first time we went we only brought a guitar. We sang, hung out with the people, and loved on them the best we could. The next Friday we went to the elderly home again, but we brought a guitar, cookies, chocolate, paper, crayons, playdogh, and a puzzle. We hung out, danced, sang to Jesus, and we served them cookies. Later we split up to do some activities where some colored, others played with playdogh, and some put together a puzzle. My favorite part was dancing with the elderly people and seeing then light up with joy like they were still in their 20s.
Saturdays we go up to Manatiles and have children’s programs for the first half of the day. Saturday night there is a Church service for the homeless men and men in the program specifically. The second Saturday we did not have the program we finished doing the house visits. Our squad was invited to go and my teammate Christy had the opportunity to share a teaching. After Christy shared her word of encouragement there was some extra time and the translator asked our squad if anyone would like to pray or share a testimony. Well, I have no idea why but I jumped up to share my testimony. The following Saturday I had the opportunity to share a message about Acts 5, and it was such a beautiful message from the holy spirit. My prayer is to always be a tool ready to be used in Gods workshop.
Sunday, we have Church service, where our squad is split up to help with the different children’s programs. I have specifically served with babies to two-year-old’s and then teens. Then the last two Sundays I hung out with the teens who come to Church from Manantiles. After church, our team did journey markers, which are actually one of my favorite team time events. Journey markers are laid out with good questions to get our brain juices following (ex: what lies has the devil told you? how has that affected the way you act around others?). Next, we watch a video from the bible project. Lastly, we end with questions that help us process what we have learned and vision cast for the next week or month.
