Month 7 is complete. Crazy. It flew by! I loved Planeta Rica and the community we were in. It was a great month, full of so many observations and interesting things. God is definitely doing some amazing things there and it was great to be a part of the ministry there for the month.
1. No one is too old for games at birthday parties.
We had the opportunity to attend a birthday party one of the first days we were in Planeta Rica. And as we were sitting with a bunch of adults, a version of hot potato busted out and just like children, the adults were screaming and trying to get the hot potato out of their hands. Quite a hilarious experience.
2. It’s all one big family.
Sure, a good portion of the people are actually related in the church. But it was so hard to differentiate if people actually were family because of their love for one another. It was a beautiful sight to see and such a comfort after being away from my family for 7 months now.
3. It’s a front porch community.
In the evenings, I saw everyone sitting out on their front porches in lawn chairs, talking to their neighbors and even watching tv together. I don’t even think back porches and decks are a thing here. It’s something that I love seeing though and hope to be a part of a front porch community wherever I may land because I want to know my neighbors and be a part of each other’s lives.
4. People are really open to hearing the Gospel.
One day of ministry was spent going from door to door and evangelizing. When we would knock on the doors and after only a few shorts words were exchanged, we more often than not, were invited into the house. Then there would be a 5-10 minute sharing of the Gospel and an invitation to come to church. And the weirdest thing was people actually listened and were engaged in the conversation. They took it to heart what we were saying and were very open to it. Such an incredible experience I won’t forget. Be praying for Colombia since they are a country very open to hearing the Gospel.
5. People are so hospitable.
I may have just met the person two seconds before, but without any hesitancy or regardless of the state of their house, they invited me in. And always offered me something to drink or eat. And made me feel at home. Definitely something I’m learning and want to put into practice from this month. I think Planeta Rica was a place that felt most like I was at home so far on the race.
6. They have rain days.
Like we have snow days in the midwest. There was a couple of times throughout the month where it was storming and raining pretty hard. And everything just got shut down. Kids didn’t go to school in the morning. People didn’t come to the evening church service. Which makes sense since most everyone walks or rides a motorcycle around town. But still I had to chuckle of the thought of having a rain day.
7. It’s not uncommon to see a horse walk down the street pulling a cart.
At first, I couldn’t help but stare, but after a couple of days, it was normal. There were horses that delivered clean water to homes by pulling carts with huge gallon drums on the back. There was actually a house right across the street from us that had a horse for that purpose. It also wasn’t a rarity to see a donkey pulling some sort of cart as well.
8. Coffee. Yes.
For those of you who know me in the least bit know that I love coffee. And it just doesn’t get better than Colombian coffee. Even back home, that is my coffee of choice. So what better of a month than to have it each morning?! And to be able to drink it as served, which usually was just some sugar in it. And to be able to buy a bit of this goodness fresh for really cheap. Man it was a great month full of so many cups of joy.
9. Crocs & Converse
Everyone owns both. And everyone wears both. Such a colliding of cultures, maybe even decades, yet that’s the style. So if you ever go to Colombia, rock the Crocs without any shame. And don’t forget your clean white Converse for there rest of the time either.
10. On holidays, people get together at the family farm.
Forget the cottage or lake house. Family farms are the place to be on those special days off. To get together with family, play games, relax in hammocks, go exploring through the fields, and picking mangos straight off of the mango trees. A couple of us got to experience Colombia’s Independence Day at the farm just hanging out with the family, which made me feel quite at home.
11. Drinking water comes in plastic pouches.
Think capris sun, but without a straw. And not quite as heavy duty. So maybe like a freeze pop, but with water in it. All you do is pull one out of the freezer, poke a hole in the corner with your teeth and drink away. Clean water. Dehydration at bay because hydration is not a joke.
And if you really would like to see more of what my month looked like, check out my latest video on Youtube. Just click HERE!
