Two more days left in Colombia is putting a lot of perspective on how God’s worked in the last month. Here are 11 things (with pictures) that God showed me this month. 11 beautiful things about Colombia.
1. Agua Panela and Bread is a seed for Christ’s work.
Agua Panela, also known as sugar water and bread is passed out each Wednesday night from 8:30-9:30 in a one block area where dealers, addicts, homeless, and prostitutes gather together. Each Wednesday the foundation talks about how God can help them, and how the foundation can help them. Our last Wednesday night- 1/30/2019 two people we prayed for promised to show up to the foundation in the morning.
(I snuck a quick photo of the block we prayed on, hundreds of people all getting high in the same block)
2. Manantiales- a home for the displaced.
Colombia is home to the largest number of displaced people. Manantiales is one of the largest displacement cities. The foundation feeds these families weekly and brings them to church each week.
(This picture is of a kids program we helped at, after delivering food to the kids. It housed and feed 200 children each Saturday)
3. The Homeless Shelter, providing homes and spaces for men daily.
Each night at 7:00 pm men line up at the door of the foundation, all their belongings in their hands. They sign in and grab a clean mat, a bite to eat, and lay down for the night with a safe and cool place to lay their heads. They’ve served 13,000 men with their homeless shelter.
4. The homes and a city nestled in the mountains.
Amidst the rolling mountains lays a city of gold, Medellin. A city with scars that mark its beauty. It’s buildings spark alive at night, reminding the gated city of the hope of God as he lights a candle in the city.
5. The teachers are resilient and amazing!
My heart went out to the city and their teachers after learning that one teacher taught 80 students a day. 40 in one class in the morning, who then went home for the day, and 40 in the afternoon. (Due to a low percentage of teachers). They let us come and preach the gospel in their school, and teach them about themselves!
6. The Children
Wow, kids here love to love on you and make friends. I met, hugged and giggled with too many adorable children. The best way to break a language barrier? Make a kid laugh by acting a fool!
7. Clean delicious water!
As a first time traveler outside the USA I was well aware of everyone saying get yourself some clean drinking water. Medellin’s water in clean and when it wasn’t we got to buy bags of water! A child even ran off with my water bottle yesterday- luckily I caught up to her.
8. Futball.
I’m very bad, but our squad evangelized somedays by just bringing a (soccer) futball to the local park and played with anyone that showed up and wanted to join.
(Carly headbutted the ball today like a QUEEN!) And look at those braids!
9. Evangelism in the park!
We also got to go to evangelize in the park. Sometimes it looked like worship, sometimes futball, and sometimes it was talking to a family and their children about God.
10. The meals!
Every single morning we wake up to a warm piece of bread, sometimes with eggs. Every day at 11:30 we can expect soup, rice, meat, and sometimes banana bread. Every day at 5:00 we can expect rice, a sandwich, or a cut of meat. The woman that cook the meals and the meals are amazing. Especially the homemade cheesy bread- YUM.
11. Community value.
Medellin or Colombia as a whole has a strong sense of community. They watch out for one another, respect the church, and laugh at foreigners trying to communicate with them. It’s been a joy joining their community for the past month. I’ve laughed with people on the street, cried for people’s stories, and felt God move through the community at my feet.
