Think of a place that is your safe haven; a place where you are free to be yourself. No one talks bad about you or demeans your character, no one makes fun of the way you say or do things. You are in a judgment-free zone. You are comfortable. You are loved. Do you have your place?
Keep it in your head. I will come back to it.
This month my team is in Bogota, the capital city of Colombia containing 8 million people. People are literally stacked on top of each other. They have apartments that are over 20 floors, and how they build houses on mountains this steep I have no idea. Bogota is a city crawling with people; people that are beautiful inside and out. When we foreigners think of Colombia our minds tend to go to the drug cartel and the dangers that keep us from traveling to this country. While yes, this is going on, this is not how Colombians view their own country. Now that I have gotten to know the people here, it is not at all how I view their country either.
Instead of thinking of the drug problem, I now think of warm, friendly faces. I think of the hugs and kisses and touches given to express their adoration towards you. I think of their unity as a country. I think of the fresh fruits you can buy in the markets that taste so much better than our American processed fruits. I think of mountains, crazy elevation and overpopulated cities. I think of giving hearts and the laughter shared as we attempt to speak Spanish. I think of people that have touched my heart from spunky 5 year olds to silly, old women. I think of how God has knocked down the language barrier and allowed relationships to form in this place. I think of coffee.
These are the things that come to mind when I think of Colombia.
Remember your safe haven? That place where you can be vulnerable without shame?
For many children, a secluded church at the tippy top of a mountain is their safe haven. Every day they make the trek up this very steep mountain (talk about a leg work out!) because they know what awaits them: food, laughter, attention, games, friends, homework help, smiles, SAFETY. Wouldn’t you love a place that offers that?
OASIS is the before and after school program at La Alianza Church that makes this possible for the children. I cannot say enough good things about this church and the ways they serve their community. When I say they provide a safe haven for these kids, they truly provide that kind of atmosphere. The staff serves meals cooked with love, tend to them as if they are their own and shine the light of Jesus on them as if their life depended on it (which it does, right?).
This ministry reminds me of God’s heart for people. He wants to be a safe haven; He wants to be that place where you are free to be you- free to laugh, free to hurt, and free to discover your identity. Because He chooses us, we no longer have to be slaves to fear. We are FREE, and when we have experienced that freedom in Jesus, I believe God allows us to become safe havens for others so we can point them to the best safe haven of all.
