So at some point we were told that brokenness typically begins around month four of the race. I had completely forgotten about this until we arrived in Colombia to begin month four of ministry. Having just finished a very comfortable month three in Ecuador, I was a little unprepared when we got to our ministry site in Bogota and I discovered things would be very different from last month.
The beginning to our month here was challenging for several reasons:
We are living in a church basement and can’t walk outside without being accompanied by a local Colombian (since we’re the first World Race squad to ever come to Colombia, they are being extra cautious about safety). Up until this month we had been able to leave and explore freely, so the fact that we can’t set foot outside the church unless we have a guide has been difficult.
Our meals are prepared for us, which is nice because we don’t have to shop for groceries and cook but it also means I don’t get to choose what I eat. If I never have to eat rice again after this month I won’t be sad about it (although with Asia being our next destination, I think rice will be an inevitable part of my life for the next few months).
We get one hour of internet per week on a shared computer for communication with the outside world. This is the most limited I have been so far with communication back home, and it hasn’t been easy. I’ve really started feeling homesick this month, and the fact that communication is so limited seems to make it worse.
Giving up comforts is something I’ve struggled with while being on the race. I’ve told myself I need to get better about not running to comforts (aka food, chocolate cake, wifi, etc.) all the time, but most times I haven’t actually been able to follow through. So when I realized I wouldn’t really have a choice this month and would be forced to give them up, I wasn’t exactly happy about it. I felt like I was in prison the first week we were here. I cried several times. The brokenness I had heard about finally started to become a reality. But I also knew it was necessary. As much as I like being comfortable, that isn’t what the World Race is about. This month in Colombia is a great reminder of that. God knew what He was doing by putting me in a place where I would have zero control over anything and where I would have all my comforts taken away. As difficult as this month has been, I know God has me here to stretch me and make me rely more on Him.
Despite the challenges, ministry has been going really well! We are working with an organization called IncaLink, which has ministries all throughout South America. Our hosts are incredible and I absolutely love the Colombian people! We have been working with kids and youth a lot. Our first week we did vacation Bible school every afternoon because the kids were out of school that week. Last week we visited local schools in the city, where we shared the Gospel through songs, skits and testimonies, and we had the opportunity to pray for students. We’ve also done street evangelism, visited a community center for the elderly, and spent a lot of time with the youth from the church. It has been a busy and exhausting month, but building relationships with the people here has been such a great experience. I’ll try to upload some photos in my next blog, so be on the lookout for that!
On another note, my final financial deadline is coming up in a couple months. I still need to raise a little over $3,500 by January 1 to be fully funded and stay on the race. If you feel led to help support me, you can click on the “support me” tab at the top of the page. Every dollar is greatly appreciated, and no amount is too small! Thanks so much to everyone who has supported me both financially and prayerfully. I would not be here without your prayers and support!
