Time for my month 8 recap of Colombia! 
New month, new continent! Welcome to South America! Wow, Colombia was such a literal breath of fresh air after Asia. We stayed in Colombia’s second largest city Medellín. Nicknamed the land of eternal spring Medellín is in a valley nestled in between beautiful green mountains. The green and mountains fed my soul. Although I was in another city the green forested mountains were only a short trip away and always in sight. It was such an answer to prayer after being in big city after big city (not that those places weren’t amazing, they were!) but Medellín filled my nature loving heart in a way that it had been missing. Also, the city’s layout was picturesque as well. Bonus fun fact: it has a cable car line as part of its public transportation system! Ok enough doting on Medllín <3
Ministry:
My team and I partnered with a Youth With A Mission (YWAM) safe home for children. There were 30 some children living in the home. Some of these kids were orphans and some had parents who were too impoverished to properly care for them. A note about Colombia is that it is number one in the world for internally displaced people. Due to the conflict and violence within the country many people were forced to flee from their homes in the country to the cities. We were told that everyone knows someone who has been killed due to this violence. These are some of the factors that play into why a child ends up going to this safe home.
When the children come to YWAM they live in a home where they can have three meals a day, an education, and (bonus) be taught the love of Jesus!
The home was three stories. The boys lived on the first floor, girls on the second, and staff (plus us!) on the third floor.
We were on a rotating schedule between helping with the girls, boys, staff kitchen, and children’s kitchen.
When we were with the children we would help them do their chores, do homework, and have quality get to know you time. I wasn’t the best at helping with Spanish homework but I would try to give emotional support. I remember the first day I overconfidently said that I could help a first grader with his reading comprehension homework. I didn’t make that mistake again lol.
Wow, these kids really stole my heart. I really became friends with them.
The boys really loved to make oragami anything and wrestle! At first I was nervous to hang out with them because I am from a family with a majority of girls but that left once I learned that if I threw them around a bit we would become instant friends! Sadly, I didn’t get good at oragami but man I am great at throwing these boys around. It was so much fun! By the end of our time we had taught them how to tap shoulders and run away and give each other dead legs (pressing the back of someone’s knee so their leg buckles). By the last day, we all had to watch our back because 15 boys would all be trying to give us a dead leg at any moment.
The sweet girls were so cute but also really loved to wrestle. They were also really great at braiding hair. Most of my time with them was spent playing games and going to the park.
I fell in love with working in the kitchen while there. In the staff kitchen I would always work with this sweet woman named Rosealba. She taught me how to make Colombian carrot rice, fry up plantains, cut yucca in my hand, and make various juices. She is amazing!
In the children’s kitchen I would work with Pastora Liliana (Lilo) and Ronan. They were so much fun to be with. Meet the crew!
Lilo was in charge of that kitchen and was such an inspiration. She served these children through fulfilling their most basic need for food. And man could she cook! Her meals were amazing! She would also love on these children in such a personal way. They all loved her and so did I! I loved being her sous chef.
I really bonded with Lilo. We got to hang out with her one Sunday when she invited us to her church and home. We hung out with her family and of course ate yummy food!
Once a week we would go out at night with about 10 staff and older kids to do outreach to the homeless by serving them hot cocoa and sandwiches.
We would start in an apartment building and someone would go gather all of the mothers with small children. Once they all arrived we would fellowship, tell them about how Jesus loves them, and then we would serve the food.
After that, we would take to the street. We would serve the population on a specific street where people were mostly on drugs. There were people selling the drugs and it was explained that this particular drug cost less than $1. It was such easy access. Then we would wander from place to place always drawing a crowd of hungry people until we ran out of supplies.
Karaoke Night:
Twice a year the home puts on an official karaoke competition night for the staff and kids. I unknowingly ended up singing Taylor Swift “You Belong With Me” with my squad mate Bri. We nailed it! Anyway, I could really tell that the kids really prepared for the night.
This night really touched my heart. When the younger kids were singing the older kids would clap along loud in support. It was so beautiful to see them really rooting for each other and caring. It really felt like they were a family. I know not everyone always gets along but when it counted they all banded together to support each other. I almost cried sitting in the back watching all of it happen.
This YWAM home was definitely the hardest ministry for me to leave. These children were so amazing, special, and definitely wonderfully and fearfully made by the Lord and they are going to change their world! I miss them all!
Fundraising Update: We have officially raised $18,038! Only $562 to go until I’m fully funded! Thank you all so so much!!!!
As always, I invite you to make my journey, your journey. Here are three simple ways:
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