This is beginning to be a real problem. Here I am again in my favorite coffee shop, completely soaked from running from my bus stop to my house and from my house to the coffee shop without an umbrella, but with at least an hour on my hands to finally write a blog again. I know its been too long, because couldn't remember my logon information for my own blog. Seriously took me 5 minutes to access this thing. I am still loving life in Beautiful Bogota. Just not the two people making out at the table across from me. Usually I dont mind all the lovey couples here, but these two make an especially loud smacking noise when they kiss and they have kissed at least 57 times in the last two minutes. I am refraining from throwing my coffee cup at them. I wish I knew what my best friend thought about all the passionate souls making out everywhere in Colombia. Oh wait, I will find out in 3 days!!!!! I have the priveledge of picking up Jamie Marie Peckous at El Dorado Airport Saturday night! I dont know if I have ever been more excited or thankful to see her. We will get to have a whole week of galavanting around Bogota during Semana Santa. A week off of school and adventures with my best friend couldn't come at a better time. I have been feeling exhausted and a little burnt out lately. Somedays all I can do is go to school, teach English after and then go to sleep before 8 like a wimp. School has been great because we have been studying the Easter Story. Throughout the whole year, I always feel closest to my Savior at Easter. I love the beauty of the whole story coming together, from the passover to the last supper, seeing all the prophecies coming true, and reflecting on what Jesus did for us. It was nice to worship this morning in English and Spanish with all my co-workers. Man, am I going to miss worship wednesdays next year.
We have had some great oppurtunities to serve in the past month. Two weekends ago I went with some 10th graders to Luz y Vida, a special needs orphanage. I have been wanting to visit this place all year, but honestly when the day came I wasn't that excited. After waking up at 6 on a Saturday, I actually arrived on time to our meeting point. A miracle I know. The van driver was the only one else there. After about ten minutes, two other teachers showed up, but no students. 30 minutes later we are still waiting, start calling around and realize the girls who had signed up aren't coming anymore and there are only two boys still going. One of the boys was confused, had ridden a bus to school, realized no one was there and was on his way back. So after a hour and a half, we have two high school boys. Was it worth it? Two high school boys and three teachers going to an orphanage with over 900 special needs children? Yes, almost a 1000 children. We had developed some pretty terrible attitudes during our wait. We decided to take the long trip there anyways and prayed God would use us however small a group we were. When we arrived they took us to the top floor where the children who have the most profound disabilities are. I have worked with plenty of special needs kids during college. I've smelled the smells, seen the feeding tubes, heard the strange sounds of a trach, watched the repetitive movements, and seen the vacancy in children's eyes before. But I was still caught off gaurd when we entered this room. We stood awkwardly for about 1o minutes and then slowly started trying to connect with the children. Only 4 out of about 30 children and babies could sit up or move on their own. We were told not to pick up or hold these children because they would be too sad after we left. The rest of the children were strapped into wheelchairs or laid flat on mats on the floor. There were about six staffed-workers in the room who were constantly changing diapers, feeding tubes and giving medicines so they didn't have much time to love or show affection. It was a joy to get to do that. One beautiful, but rather demanding, girl attached herself to me when I first arrived. She would point to her arms, legs or back for me to rub and anywhere I went, I had to have one hand on her at all times. I loved her. One girl just wanted to rub and hold my hand, every few minutes she would pull it to her mouth and kiss it. Other children didn't respond much or even make eye contact. Some cried and could not be comforted. It was overwhelming, but the sadness I felt was nothing compared to the joy I felt everytime I looked over at one of the 10th grade boys clapping with the children, rubbing their backs or pushing them around in their wheelchairs. Some of the children would make the most high-pitched squeals of happiness when they were given any attention at all and it became the boys goal to hear that sound. I had to make myself not watch them or I would tear up everytime. So, so beautiful and 100% worth it. It was neat to see their hearts soften so much in just the 3 hours we were there and become true servants.
I would like to take a moment to brag about one of my friends who does way cooler stuff than I ever will, but invite me to help her. Maggie Long, my closest friend here, Colombian sister, and empanada-selling business partner started a sandwhich ministry with the 5th graders she teaches. There is this awesome place called The Jungle who opens their doors to street kids in Barrio Santa Fe once a month. This place is a YWAM run ministry and built by a team of people in Texas. It is pretty well equipped with a rock-climbing wall, a foam pit to jump in, a suspending bridge and of course a Wii. The perfect place to have fun and escape reality for a few hours. The children that come truly need an escape and deserve it more than once a month. Its in a neighborhood where drugs, prostitution, and homelessness is everywhere you look. Not the safest place, so I know it made Maggie a little nervous to bring her group of 5th grade students there every month. The thing I love about ECA is that they don't sugarcoat anything for the students. They explain to them that you will be working with children who come from abusive homes, whose parents are fighting addictions and choose not to provide for their families and who are sometimes involved in prostitution. If there wasn't a D.A.R.E program in my elementary school growing up, I wouldnt have known what drugs were, let alone prostitution. I was so sheltered. It has been so awesome to see them raising money every week through bakesales, fundraisers and by just bugging people to give them 2 mil. Once a month they make over 200 sandwhiches and head down town early on Saturday. We get to play with children, hold babies, visit with the pregnant teens who bring their babies, worship, eat and have fun. The 5th graders hold nothing back. I am so proud of my friend maggie, her class and their willingness to meet a need for an amazing ministry already in place.
I hope that you are enjoying Spring break with your families! Love you all!
I am in the fourth quarter at school and am seeing so much fruit from my Kindergarten students. They make me so happy and are learning so much. Here are some recent pictures of my class:
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