Wow...I'm coming home in 5 days.
I'm wondering what the change will be like. I remember coming home from Asbury for the first time and almost feeling like where I was wasn't home...not because I really felt that Lexington was not my home, but just because it was so strange. So it will be interesting to see what it will be like after three months in another country.
Right now I'm kind of swinging back and forth in terms of my...well, I guess I could say, "emotions," but I don't know if that's the right word. I am very ready to come home. But I also do not want to leave these boys. The past few weeks haven't really been filled with a bunch of major events to write about, but rather simply an increasing development in our relationships...I've started to feel very close to some them. I've been asked by a quite a few boys if I can take them back to the states with me. Believe me, when it comes down to it, I wouldn't hesitate...it's just pretty much impossible (and in some cases just wouldn't be the right thing to do) considering a vast amount of circumstances.
English has been going well with the boys I've been working with, although there has hardly been any structure. The original plan was for there to be an arranged time for me to teach that, along with piano, in the afternoon, but right after that was decided, I left the farm for two weeks (the first week because I was sick; the second week due to the eye surgery...which, btw, I just had my last follow-up appointment today, and everything is great). So I think those plans were kind of forgotten. Basically, what I've been doing in the afternoons is, besides quiet time, writing, etc., is developing a relationship with the boys and teaching English frequently, but very randomly (although there have been a few planned classes here and there, but I've had to figure out the boys' schedules for myself in order to do them). But the thing that makes me the happiest is that I have seen a vast amount of progress in Carlos and Yilmar's English over the past few months. I've even learned a lot about my own language...mainly how ridiculous it is, haha (not that I didn't already know that, but I didn't fully realize it until I tried to teach it). Spanish is an easy language to read and spell...I've found myself correcting native speakers' spelling on several occasions. I've tried to stop correcting people in English, but since I had never corrected people in Spanish before this trip, the temptation was just too difficult to resist.
Anyway, I think that teaching English as a second/foreign language is going to play a part in my future. I'm not going into detail about that.
Katherine is pregnant! About 6-7 weeks by this point, actually. I suppose there's nothing else major to say about that except to pray for her fatigue and nausea. I wasn't there when Katherine told her family for the first time, but Brian filmed their reaction, which was very "Latin" (which is like a synonym for "loud", haha). Katherine herself is not a very touchy person, so it's driving her crazy that everyone feels entitled to touching/pushing her belly without even asking...and it's pretty entertaining to hear her talk about it.
My Gollum/Smeagol impression has been revealed to the boys at the farm, and for any of you who were in Jamaica when I revealed my Spongebob impressions to the kids there, you can probably imagine what that is like. I showed it to a few boys one morning (I can't remember why...I think it's because we were having a "Senor de los Anillos" discussion...many of the boys are fans). Then, the next night after dinner, one of them was trying to get me to do it again and show some of the other boys, but I didn't really want to, because there were so many people there (and I don't like the pressure...I prefer to be spontaneous with my impressions). But finally, he pushed me over the edge, and I, without warning, pulled off my shirt and threw it to the side, and then proceeded to do the whole scene from The Two Towers when Gollum/Smeagol have the big argument with each other. By the time I was done, there were probably 15-20 boys standing around watching, and it ended in a wild round of applause. It was fun, but now some of the kids won't stop asking me to do the impression. One of the boys, Miguel, has given me a new nickname: Smeagolas. I like it.
I have had some major internal struggles while I've been here, some of which I have hinted at in past blogs...but I know that God has been using those struggles to strengthen and teach me, and I think even to show me part of what he has for me in the future...but I must continue to pray in those areas. My beliefs clash with many that I have heard and seen displayed among the Foundation (one of the smaller ones of which I have been writing about here and there, and may post something about before I leave), but I have mostly kept silent for reasons about which I will not go into detail, but I have felt like God has wanted me silent, and, as I just mentioned, to be taught...and, as I have mentioned in past blogs, to humble me.
This is most likely the last blog I will post here about what's actually going on in Medellin (although, as I mentioned earlier, I may post that other blog if I get the chance). I wish I could have posted more about the trip, and in more depth. I have left out much about the struggles I have felt here, mainly because I don't like my life being a completely open book online. Also, I have left out a few things that have occurred which I did not feel were suitable to post publicly for whatever reason. I'm sure that I will share with some of you more in depth when I return...hopefully many of those "sharings" will be over a plate of Don Juan's.
This week, I hope to have a party for the boys before I leave: Brian told me that most of the boys' favorite foods are pizza, lasagna, and pinto beans, haha. So I'm going to try to get the ingredients for the cook to make some lasagna (which would be a big-time aberration, believe me...I've never eaten so much rice in my lifetime...not that I'm complaining...I love rice).
I also doubt I will have time to post any more pictures before I come home, but I can once I get there. Yep.
I love you guys...see (most of) you within a week!!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
"I SEE!!!" said the near-sighted man.
So...I had my eye surgery Tuesday...and I now have 20/20 vision! Just thought that you would all like to know. God's pretty awesome.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
3 weeks later...
Wow. It's been a long time since I've written on this thing. Earlier this week I got sick with fevers and diarrhea and had to come home from the farm, and next week I will be here as well because my eye surgery is scheduled for next Tuesday (if the second exam on Monday goes okay), so I've been having/will have a lot of opportunities to use the Internet (not that that's necessarily a good thing).
I suppose a few updates are in order...
Most importantly, although some of you with whom I've communicated privately already know, Andres Felipe has returned!! He actually returned quite a while back, so this isn't new news, but that doesn't make it any less exciting. A very big THANK YOU goes to everyone who prayed, because I'm certain that prayer played a part in his return.
I have actually been starting to feel a little homesick of late. I still love it here, but I'm also eager to get back home, see people, fix up the camper, move to the Hunsuckers' land :-), work at Oak Forest, be with my small group, and get started on what God's got planned for us/me! Oh, and I've been having some major Don Juan's withdrawals...that will be the first thing on the agenda when I get back in NC, so my flight(s) better not be late. But anyway, pray that I will stay focused on what God wants me to do here even though I'm also looking toward the future.
As you read earlier, I have decided to do the eye surgery! I've been to the doctor for one exam, and felt completely safe and secure. The doctor who performs the surgery studied in the US, speaks English, and has performed thousands of surgeries over the past twelve years. I have another exam on Monday, and if everything is okay, I will have the surgery Tuesday. No, I'm not nervous (yet...I imagine that won't be until the morning of).
There are three new boys at the farm!!!! *joy*
Now, a few "highlights" from the past few weeks...
The first weekend I was at the farm after I wrote the last blog, I spent a lot of time painting (I think I might refuse to ever pick up a paintbrush again after this trip). That's actually why I went over the weekend...they had some kind of inspection coming up and a lot of painting had to be done ahead of that. I went up with Fernando, Sergio (a guy that works for the Foundation), and Montes (a guy around my age who volunteers a lot with the Foundation and is hard of hearing). There's not really much to say about the painting part, but other great things happened that weekend. There's a girl my age (no, it’s not going to happen) who just recently started working with the foundation (about the time I arrived in Colombia) whose name is Bibiana, and she, along with Veronica, were at the farm that weekend. We hung out together, prayed together, shared the Word together, etc. One night, Veronica wasn’t there and something ridiculous yet entertaining (and parts of it full of happiness) happened, but before I share that, I need to share something about Colombian culture that I find quite disagreeable.
People are obsessed with romantic relationships here. Everyone is expected to get married. Everyone needs to have a “novio” or “novia” (boyfriend or girlfriend). When I tell people that I am happy single, I’m not looking for a girlfriend, and that I might be like Paul and not get married, they don’t understand why (and sometimes bombard me with questions). It’s fine for them…if they want to get married, then God can give them a great gift with that. I just wish they would quit bugging me about it (although a few cases of this, like the one I’m getting ready to share, are somewhat entertaining).
Bibiana is a pretty girl (again, like I said, it’s NOT going to happen), and the fact that she’s my age makes matters worse. Veronica is 36 (yes, I know she doesn’t look it at all), so there haven’t really been any problems there. Anyway, it started when I was painting with Montes and he asked me if I was in love with her (as though I could be after having barely talked with someone). I told him no, that we were just friends, and then he kept talking about how beautiful she was, blah blah (it got slightly annoying, yet still entertaining). Anyway, Bibiana wasn’t there then. In the evening, Bibiana and I were sitting on one of the benches outside at the farm, and about four or five of the younger boys were with us, some sitting on our laps, some beside us, etc. They started asking if we were boyfriend/girlfriend, if we wanted to get married, etc. and Bibiana started to get really embarrassed. I wasn’t embarrassed; I just thought it was funny. Marlon was like, “He’s a rich gringo, you need to marry him” (except with his speech impediment, he said “glingo,” which made it even funnier/cuter). Then some of them were trying to touch my mouth and then touch her mouth. Marlon (and I think maybe one or two others) started calling us Mama and Papa. She continually got more embarrassed, I was mainly laughing. I got most of it to end finally when I told them I’m going to be single forever…not that I necessarily plan on that, but it shut them up. My favorite part of the whole evening (not because it was funny, but because it made me extremely happy/sad at the same time) was when David (Marlon’s older brother) told me he didn’t really have a father and asked if I would be his “padrino” (godfather). I told him that I would be happy to.
Friday the 24th was a really good day, minus the fact that I got a monkey (their name for a pulled muscle in the neck) when I was lying back down in bed in the morning. It was Yerson’s birthday, and I was able to take him to the store nearby and let him pick out some junk food to eat. He seemed kind of overwhelmed when I told him twice that he could pick something else too. On the way there and back, we talked a lot. He tries to use the few English words he knows whenever possible. He told me that his dream was to learn English, go to the US and become a pilot, and to bring his family out of poverty. He lives in a neighborhood called “Popular 2,” where, according to him, there is a lot of *makes an impression of a machine gun* and drugs. I asked Katherine about the neighborhood, and she told me that she went there once with YWAM, and that in the short time she was there, there was shooting (and that she feared for her life). Of course, I want all of these kids to come back to the states with me, but I think the best thing I can do for them now is to pray for them, be an example to them, and support the Foundation.
On that same day, most of the boys, a few tutors, and I went on a long walk/hike...through hills, across creeks and bridges…some of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. It was a blast. You can see a few of the pictures from it on my Photobucket page, before my memory card became full. One of the tutors loaned me his memory card, but now nobody can seem to get the pictures off of it…which is extremely frustrating, because there are some GREAT pictures on there. If anyone has any suggestions for what to do let me know…I’m wondering if it’s because we switched the card from one camera to another. Anyway, even if we never get the pictures off, I suppose I will still have the memories to dwell on.
I’ve now officially started English classes with Carlos and Yilmar, and I think they are going very well. They’re already learning English from other sources, so I’m kind of just supplementing them. The first week we learned the parts of the body (I learned them all in Spanish as well), and they’re learning the scripture Matthew 5:38-39 in English, because it has “eye,” “tooth,” and “cheek” in it. The next lesson will be about clothing, and we will do verse 40, which has “shirt” and “coat”…and then finally distances, measurements, and movement verbs, with verse 41, talking about going “1” or “2” miles. After that, besides a week where I’m going to do some miscellaneous grammar and let them try to translate a letter that a friend of mine sent to the boys at the farm, it will be time for me to come home! I regret not being able to do more to help with English, but fortunately, Laurie (the American woman who came earlier on in the trip) is planning on coming down here to live, and her work with the Foundation is basically going to be just to teach English, which will be awesome. It will help the boys so much in the future with jobs if they are bilingual.
Oh, and I also think I’ll be teaching a little bit of piano to some boys as well. Ummm…yeah. Short paragraph.
Anyway, after this VERY long blog, which I hope makes up for my long absence, I think it’s time for me to end. Like I’ve said before, I wish I had the time/capacity to write more about details and my interactions with the boys, but I just simply am not able.
If anyone wants to know how specifically to pray…first, give thanks that my sickness has all but gone away. It was pretty rough, but it gave me time to relax, so there were plenty of reasons to praise God in the midst of the cold chills and diarrhea, haha. The things for which I’ve asked for prayer in previous blogs, please continue. Also, as I mentioned earlier, pray that my focus will not be diverted as I begin to look forward to coming home (four weeks from today). Pray for my eye surgery on Tuesday, for the financial situation of the foundation, and, obviously, for the boys at the farm…that they would come to a real knowledge of the Truth…that they would really understand what it means to love God and others (particularly their fellow farmmates).
Thanks for reading!
I suppose a few updates are in order...
Most importantly, although some of you with whom I've communicated privately already know, Andres Felipe has returned!! He actually returned quite a while back, so this isn't new news, but that doesn't make it any less exciting. A very big THANK YOU goes to everyone who prayed, because I'm certain that prayer played a part in his return.
I have actually been starting to feel a little homesick of late. I still love it here, but I'm also eager to get back home, see people, fix up the camper, move to the Hunsuckers' land :-), work at Oak Forest, be with my small group, and get started on what God's got planned for us/me! Oh, and I've been having some major Don Juan's withdrawals...that will be the first thing on the agenda when I get back in NC, so my flight(s) better not be late. But anyway, pray that I will stay focused on what God wants me to do here even though I'm also looking toward the future.
As you read earlier, I have decided to do the eye surgery! I've been to the doctor for one exam, and felt completely safe and secure. The doctor who performs the surgery studied in the US, speaks English, and has performed thousands of surgeries over the past twelve years. I have another exam on Monday, and if everything is okay, I will have the surgery Tuesday. No, I'm not nervous (yet...I imagine that won't be until the morning of).
There are three new boys at the farm!!!! *joy*
Now, a few "highlights" from the past few weeks...
The first weekend I was at the farm after I wrote the last blog, I spent a lot of time painting (I think I might refuse to ever pick up a paintbrush again after this trip). That's actually why I went over the weekend...they had some kind of inspection coming up and a lot of painting had to be done ahead of that. I went up with Fernando, Sergio (a guy that works for the Foundation), and Montes (a guy around my age who volunteers a lot with the Foundation and is hard of hearing). There's not really much to say about the painting part, but other great things happened that weekend. There's a girl my age (no, it’s not going to happen) who just recently started working with the foundation (about the time I arrived in Colombia) whose name is Bibiana, and she, along with Veronica, were at the farm that weekend. We hung out together, prayed together, shared the Word together, etc. One night, Veronica wasn’t there and something ridiculous yet entertaining (and parts of it full of happiness) happened, but before I share that, I need to share something about Colombian culture that I find quite disagreeable.
People are obsessed with romantic relationships here. Everyone is expected to get married. Everyone needs to have a “novio” or “novia” (boyfriend or girlfriend). When I tell people that I am happy single, I’m not looking for a girlfriend, and that I might be like Paul and not get married, they don’t understand why (and sometimes bombard me with questions). It’s fine for them…if they want to get married, then God can give them a great gift with that. I just wish they would quit bugging me about it (although a few cases of this, like the one I’m getting ready to share, are somewhat entertaining).
Bibiana is a pretty girl (again, like I said, it’s NOT going to happen), and the fact that she’s my age makes matters worse. Veronica is 36 (yes, I know she doesn’t look it at all), so there haven’t really been any problems there. Anyway, it started when I was painting with Montes and he asked me if I was in love with her (as though I could be after having barely talked with someone). I told him no, that we were just friends, and then he kept talking about how beautiful she was, blah blah (it got slightly annoying, yet still entertaining). Anyway, Bibiana wasn’t there then. In the evening, Bibiana and I were sitting on one of the benches outside at the farm, and about four or five of the younger boys were with us, some sitting on our laps, some beside us, etc. They started asking if we were boyfriend/girlfriend, if we wanted to get married, etc. and Bibiana started to get really embarrassed. I wasn’t embarrassed; I just thought it was funny. Marlon was like, “He’s a rich gringo, you need to marry him” (except with his speech impediment, he said “glingo,” which made it even funnier/cuter). Then some of them were trying to touch my mouth and then touch her mouth. Marlon (and I think maybe one or two others) started calling us Mama and Papa. She continually got more embarrassed, I was mainly laughing. I got most of it to end finally when I told them I’m going to be single forever…not that I necessarily plan on that, but it shut them up. My favorite part of the whole evening (not because it was funny, but because it made me extremely happy/sad at the same time) was when David (Marlon’s older brother) told me he didn’t really have a father and asked if I would be his “padrino” (godfather). I told him that I would be happy to.
Friday the 24th was a really good day, minus the fact that I got a monkey (their name for a pulled muscle in the neck) when I was lying back down in bed in the morning. It was Yerson’s birthday, and I was able to take him to the store nearby and let him pick out some junk food to eat. He seemed kind of overwhelmed when I told him twice that he could pick something else too. On the way there and back, we talked a lot. He tries to use the few English words he knows whenever possible. He told me that his dream was to learn English, go to the US and become a pilot, and to bring his family out of poverty. He lives in a neighborhood called “Popular 2,” where, according to him, there is a lot of *makes an impression of a machine gun* and drugs. I asked Katherine about the neighborhood, and she told me that she went there once with YWAM, and that in the short time she was there, there was shooting (and that she feared for her life). Of course, I want all of these kids to come back to the states with me, but I think the best thing I can do for them now is to pray for them, be an example to them, and support the Foundation.
On that same day, most of the boys, a few tutors, and I went on a long walk/hike...through hills, across creeks and bridges…some of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. It was a blast. You can see a few of the pictures from it on my Photobucket page, before my memory card became full. One of the tutors loaned me his memory card, but now nobody can seem to get the pictures off of it…which is extremely frustrating, because there are some GREAT pictures on there. If anyone has any suggestions for what to do let me know…I’m wondering if it’s because we switched the card from one camera to another. Anyway, even if we never get the pictures off, I suppose I will still have the memories to dwell on.
I’ve now officially started English classes with Carlos and Yilmar, and I think they are going very well. They’re already learning English from other sources, so I’m kind of just supplementing them. The first week we learned the parts of the body (I learned them all in Spanish as well), and they’re learning the scripture Matthew 5:38-39 in English, because it has “eye,” “tooth,” and “cheek” in it. The next lesson will be about clothing, and we will do verse 40, which has “shirt” and “coat”…and then finally distances, measurements, and movement verbs, with verse 41, talking about going “1” or “2” miles. After that, besides a week where I’m going to do some miscellaneous grammar and let them try to translate a letter that a friend of mine sent to the boys at the farm, it will be time for me to come home! I regret not being able to do more to help with English, but fortunately, Laurie (the American woman who came earlier on in the trip) is planning on coming down here to live, and her work with the Foundation is basically going to be just to teach English, which will be awesome. It will help the boys so much in the future with jobs if they are bilingual.
Oh, and I also think I’ll be teaching a little bit of piano to some boys as well. Ummm…yeah. Short paragraph.
Anyway, after this VERY long blog, which I hope makes up for my long absence, I think it’s time for me to end. Like I’ve said before, I wish I had the time/capacity to write more about details and my interactions with the boys, but I just simply am not able.
If anyone wants to know how specifically to pray…first, give thanks that my sickness has all but gone away. It was pretty rough, but it gave me time to relax, so there were plenty of reasons to praise God in the midst of the cold chills and diarrhea, haha. The things for which I’ve asked for prayer in previous blogs, please continue. Also, as I mentioned earlier, pray that my focus will not be diverted as I begin to look forward to coming home (four weeks from today). Pray for my eye surgery on Tuesday, for the financial situation of the foundation, and, obviously, for the boys at the farm…that they would come to a real knowledge of the Truth…that they would really understand what it means to love God and others (particularly their fellow farmmates).
Thanks for reading!
Friday, April 17, 2009
Midget blog
New (but few) pictures.
Thanks for emails.
Pray for humility for me.
Also, keep praying for Andres Felipe.
Leaving for the farm tomorrow, won't be back until next Friday (but that, like everything else here, is subject to change, haha...).
Will be sending postcards soon (found a way to get them to the US quickly...woot).
Thanks for emails.
Pray for humility for me.
Also, keep praying for Andres Felipe.
Leaving for the farm tomorrow, won't be back until next Friday (but that, like everything else here, is subject to change, haha...).
Will be sending postcards soon (found a way to get them to the US quickly...woot).
Friday, April 10, 2009
Semi-farewell
"But the Lord answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered by so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.'"
~Luke 10:41-42
I'm assuming that most of you reading know the context of that verse. Well, I've felt like a Martha of late. I want to be more of a Mary. I've expressed this frustration in previous blogs, in different wording. Well, I'm going to do something about it...I'm going to cut down on what I feel are my "obligations," but really aren't, one of which is this blog. I no longer plan on writing a regular summary of the week's events. I probably won't stop writing altogether (probably), but it will be very sporadic and short when I do, and will mostly include things like major events, random thoughts/convictions, or prayer requests.
Speaking of prayer requests...one of the boys from the farm has gone missing. His name is Andres Felipe. From what I've understood, he went to the city last week for a doctor's appointment, then no one knew where he was, then he showed up at his house (although he and his mother have a poor relationship), and afterwards disappeared. There are many temptations on the street for him to return to his former lifestyle, so please, please pray for him. Pray for his protection, for resistance to temptation, and for reconciliation...with God, foremost, but also with his mother. And pray that he will return to the Foundation.
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Also, I have posted more pictures (see how ridiculous this all seems in light of the previous paragraph)...hopefully you will be able to find them from the link in a blog or two back. I don't know how often I will be posting pictures in the future either...probably also more sporadically (or maybe regularly, but without titles & descriptions, because they take up time)
I'm sorry for those who have enjoyed reading my "adventures" (not so sure why, haha), but I need to try to keep both feet in Christ and in Colombia.
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Oh, another quick thing. I know this is going to sound crazy, but I'm considering getting laser eye surgery while I'm down here. It only costs $500, for BOTH eyes. In the states it can range from $2-3000, I think. Brian told me about all of this, and that it's completely safe. I normally wouldn't spend my money on such things, but I after thinking about it, I realized I would be saving thousands of dollars over the course of my life, without having to buy glasses/contacts every few years or pay for eye doctor appointments. It seems like a reasonable investment to me...what do you guys think?
BTW, for those of you who may wonder, understandably, if I would be using the money you so generously gave to me for this trip for eye surgery, I wouldn't be...this money is from elsewhere.
~Luke 10:41-42
I'm assuming that most of you reading know the context of that verse. Well, I've felt like a Martha of late. I want to be more of a Mary. I've expressed this frustration in previous blogs, in different wording. Well, I'm going to do something about it...I'm going to cut down on what I feel are my "obligations," but really aren't, one of which is this blog. I no longer plan on writing a regular summary of the week's events. I probably won't stop writing altogether (probably), but it will be very sporadic and short when I do, and will mostly include things like major events, random thoughts/convictions, or prayer requests.
Speaking of prayer requests...one of the boys from the farm has gone missing. His name is Andres Felipe. From what I've understood, he went to the city last week for a doctor's appointment, then no one knew where he was, then he showed up at his house (although he and his mother have a poor relationship), and afterwards disappeared. There are many temptations on the street for him to return to his former lifestyle, so please, please pray for him. Pray for his protection, for resistance to temptation, and for reconciliation...with God, foremost, but also with his mother. And pray that he will return to the Foundation.
-------
Also, I have posted more pictures (see how ridiculous this all seems in light of the previous paragraph)...hopefully you will be able to find them from the link in a blog or two back. I don't know how often I will be posting pictures in the future either...probably also more sporadically (or maybe regularly, but without titles & descriptions, because they take up time)
I'm sorry for those who have enjoyed reading my "adventures" (not so sure why, haha), but I need to try to keep both feet in Christ and in Colombia.
-------
Oh, another quick thing. I know this is going to sound crazy, but I'm considering getting laser eye surgery while I'm down here. It only costs $500, for BOTH eyes. In the states it can range from $2-3000, I think. Brian told me about all of this, and that it's completely safe. I normally wouldn't spend my money on such things, but I after thinking about it, I realized I would be saving thousands of dollars over the course of my life, without having to buy glasses/contacts every few years or pay for eye doctor appointments. It seems like a reasonable investment to me...what do you guys think?
BTW, for those of you who may wonder, understandably, if I would be using the money you so generously gave to me for this trip for eye surgery, I wouldn't be...this money is from elsewhere.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Bloggity blog blog
To be honest, I'm not really in a blogging mood right now (I'm somewhat exhausted), but I decided it would be better to go ahead and do it now while I have the time rather than wait until I AM in a blogging mood. So, if I don't sound very enthusiatic about my awesome week, I do apologize.
It's hard to believe I've been here three weeks already! Time flies...etc, etc. This week, as I told you in the last blog, I was at the boys' farm this whole week. I am surprised at how well my relationships are developing despite the language barrier (which, btw, is being torn down rapidly...only two people at the farm speak English, so I have learned a LOT). I can already see that it's going to rip me apart when I have to leave in June. One kid has already asked for my mailing address, so I'm pretty pumped about keeping that up. It will be so much cooler than Facebook.
I've been doing a lot of English instruction this week. Two of the boys, Yilmar and Carlos, who have both been taking English lessons from others, are very eager to learn. They can speak a little bit in complete sentences, but not much...mostly a mix of words...but they've improved a lot even over this past week! I've told them that when I'm talking with them, I'll try to speak in English the whole time unless they absolutely can't understand, in which case I will speak in Spanish. I'm also becoming good friends with Veronica, who I mentioned in my last blog, and we're helping each other out a lot with English and Spanish (we call each other profesor/a). (Oh, and for those of you who will raise your eyebrows at me mentioning a girl...no, it's not going to happen.)
A lot of what I've been doing this week has been working with the construction/maintenance man at the farm, whose name is Fernando. The reason for this is because it's a good position for one who is still in the process of learning Spanish, but it gives me a chance to develop relationships with the boys as well. I did a lot of grunt work (where Fernando did the main stuff and I just helped here and there), plus a few things with the boys...painting, digging post holes, cleaning cement mess, mixing cement, installing a door, etc. etc. I'm not a big fan of manual labor, and I don't feel guilty saying that, but it has been a good experience for me (something I think everyone should do here and there). The cement messes were a humbling experience (there were probably about 10 of them).
I was asked the other day if I had experienced culture shock yet...I haven't. This person told me it would probably be soon...that it normally takes about a month. Supposedly a girl who stayed here for about six months (and just recently left), after about a month of being here, went through a phase where she pretty much didn't want anything to do with anybody and wanted to go home. I really don't think that's going to happen to me...I think I'm going to rebuke culture shock, haha. I've hardly had any frustrations down here thus far in terms of just being a different culture/context...I've gotten over the whole Spanish thing...other than that, unless you count ice-cold showers in 50-something degree weather (which has been humbling and a good experience regardless) and the lack of drinking water (a problem which has now been fixed, as there is a store within walking distance of the farm which sells gallons of water), I've been fine.
I plan on leaving the worship team at the foundation. There are a few reasons for this, the main one being that the weekend needs to be a time of rest and prayer for me, along with getting some things done that I can't do at the farm, and having that 2-3 hour practice on Saturdays (plus the 40 minutes-1 hour time span it takes to get both there and back on a bus/taxi) does not allow for it. I might still do a "special" song on occasion (which I'm supposed to be doing this coming Sunday), and I would love to help teach one of the boys there who's learning to play piano (so that he can start playing with the group)...so hopefully I can help out in those aspects. I have yet to break all of this to the leader, so pray that it won't be too much of a struggle when I do (I've already spoken of the persistence of the people here).
I want to take one of the boys at the farm home with me. His name is Marlon, he's 9 years old (though he looks more like 7), and is probably the cutest kid I have ever seen. It's funny, because I have a hard enough time understanding some of the kids as it is, but he also has a speech impediment to go on top of it (he pronounces his "R's" like "L's"). Hopefully I will get my new pictures posted online this weekend, which include some of him. I also got a video of him singing a song, but I doubt I'll have any way to post that. The boys here call me, along with all of the other adults, tutors, etc., "tío" and "tía," which mean uncle and aunt. For me, it's very endearing. Also, a lot of people have been calling me "Nico," their version of Nick, which is short for "Nicolas." I think I like it better than Nick (it's actually what I've wanted to call my first son, if I ever end up having kids).
With all that has been going on here, I had completely forgotten that next week is Holy Week. Supposedly, most of the kids won't be at the farm next week, but will be on vacation. Veronica asked me if I could pay some special attention to two of the kids who will be there, because if I understood her correctly, they don't have anyone to go home to. So I look forward to getting to know them and encouraging them.
There are many other details, but I'm actually going to spare them this time. I have other things I need to get done, plus two of the boys from the farm are staying here at B&K's this weekend.
So, ciao.
It's hard to believe I've been here three weeks already! Time flies...etc, etc. This week, as I told you in the last blog, I was at the boys' farm this whole week. I am surprised at how well my relationships are developing despite the language barrier (which, btw, is being torn down rapidly...only two people at the farm speak English, so I have learned a LOT). I can already see that it's going to rip me apart when I have to leave in June. One kid has already asked for my mailing address, so I'm pretty pumped about keeping that up. It will be so much cooler than Facebook.
I've been doing a lot of English instruction this week. Two of the boys, Yilmar and Carlos, who have both been taking English lessons from others, are very eager to learn. They can speak a little bit in complete sentences, but not much...mostly a mix of words...but they've improved a lot even over this past week! I've told them that when I'm talking with them, I'll try to speak in English the whole time unless they absolutely can't understand, in which case I will speak in Spanish. I'm also becoming good friends with Veronica, who I mentioned in my last blog, and we're helping each other out a lot with English and Spanish (we call each other profesor/a). (Oh, and for those of you who will raise your eyebrows at me mentioning a girl...no, it's not going to happen.)
A lot of what I've been doing this week has been working with the construction/maintenance man at the farm, whose name is Fernando. The reason for this is because it's a good position for one who is still in the process of learning Spanish, but it gives me a chance to develop relationships with the boys as well. I did a lot of grunt work (where Fernando did the main stuff and I just helped here and there), plus a few things with the boys...painting, digging post holes, cleaning cement mess, mixing cement, installing a door, etc. etc. I'm not a big fan of manual labor, and I don't feel guilty saying that, but it has been a good experience for me (something I think everyone should do here and there). The cement messes were a humbling experience (there were probably about 10 of them).
I was asked the other day if I had experienced culture shock yet...I haven't. This person told me it would probably be soon...that it normally takes about a month. Supposedly a girl who stayed here for about six months (and just recently left), after about a month of being here, went through a phase where she pretty much didn't want anything to do with anybody and wanted to go home. I really don't think that's going to happen to me...I think I'm going to rebuke culture shock, haha. I've hardly had any frustrations down here thus far in terms of just being a different culture/context...I've gotten over the whole Spanish thing...other than that, unless you count ice-cold showers in 50-something degree weather (which has been humbling and a good experience regardless) and the lack of drinking water (a problem which has now been fixed, as there is a store within walking distance of the farm which sells gallons of water), I've been fine.
I plan on leaving the worship team at the foundation. There are a few reasons for this, the main one being that the weekend needs to be a time of rest and prayer for me, along with getting some things done that I can't do at the farm, and having that 2-3 hour practice on Saturdays (plus the 40 minutes-1 hour time span it takes to get both there and back on a bus/taxi) does not allow for it. I might still do a "special" song on occasion (which I'm supposed to be doing this coming Sunday), and I would love to help teach one of the boys there who's learning to play piano (so that he can start playing with the group)...so hopefully I can help out in those aspects. I have yet to break all of this to the leader, so pray that it won't be too much of a struggle when I do (I've already spoken of the persistence of the people here).
I want to take one of the boys at the farm home with me. His name is Marlon, he's 9 years old (though he looks more like 7), and is probably the cutest kid I have ever seen. It's funny, because I have a hard enough time understanding some of the kids as it is, but he also has a speech impediment to go on top of it (he pronounces his "R's" like "L's"). Hopefully I will get my new pictures posted online this weekend, which include some of him. I also got a video of him singing a song, but I doubt I'll have any way to post that. The boys here call me, along with all of the other adults, tutors, etc., "tío" and "tía," which mean uncle and aunt. For me, it's very endearing. Also, a lot of people have been calling me "Nico," their version of Nick, which is short for "Nicolas." I think I like it better than Nick (it's actually what I've wanted to call my first son, if I ever end up having kids).
With all that has been going on here, I had completely forgotten that next week is Holy Week. Supposedly, most of the kids won't be at the farm next week, but will be on vacation. Veronica asked me if I could pay some special attention to two of the kids who will be there, because if I understood her correctly, they don't have anyone to go home to. So I look forward to getting to know them and encouraging them.
There are many other details, but I'm actually going to spare them this time. I have other things I need to get done, plus two of the boys from the farm are staying here at B&K's this weekend.
So, ciao.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
The Plan
Okay, I really need to get to bed right now, so I'm going to try to type all of this very quickly.
I will be leaving for the boys' farm again tomorrow morning and will be there until this Friday evening (as far as I know...things change a lot here). I will not have Internet access during the week. This may end up being a regular routine...farm during the week, B&K's on the weekend.
I played today at the church service and it went pretty well (we got to practice yesterday). However, I probably will not be continuing with the group. More on that later.
Brian, Jonathan, and Isaac have left. Laurie will be here until April 6th.
The water park with the girls on Friday was fun times.
I have posted my first round of pictures on Photobucket. I'm really ticked off right now because the pictures are all out of order....you'll just have to try and figure them out (I think they're more backwards in terms of date taken right now, with a few randomly strewn out.) Hopefully I will get it fixed next weekend. Here's the link: http://s728.photobucket.com/albums/ww282/8BrickNady8/Colombia%201/
I'm sorry for being slow to respond to emails and comments, but I assure you that I have read them all, and appreciate them very much. I will do my best to respond, but know that if I don't, it's only because my time is limited.
Hmmm...that was a lot easier. Maybe I should do this kind of blog more often...
I will be leaving for the boys' farm again tomorrow morning and will be there until this Friday evening (as far as I know...things change a lot here). I will not have Internet access during the week. This may end up being a regular routine...farm during the week, B&K's on the weekend.
I played today at the church service and it went pretty well (we got to practice yesterday). However, I probably will not be continuing with the group. More on that later.
Brian, Jonathan, and Isaac have left. Laurie will be here until April 6th.
The water park with the girls on Friday was fun times.
I have posted my first round of pictures on Photobucket. I'm really ticked off right now because the pictures are all out of order....you'll just have to try and figure them out (I think they're more backwards in terms of date taken right now, with a few randomly strewn out.) Hopefully I will get it fixed next weekend. Here's the link: http://s728.photobucket.com/albums/ww282/8BrickNady8/Colombia%201/
I'm sorry for being slow to respond to emails and comments, but I assure you that I have read them all, and appreciate them very much. I will do my best to respond, but know that if I don't, it's only because my time is limited.
Hmmm...that was a lot easier. Maybe I should do this kind of blog more often...
Thursday, March 26, 2009
I'm not dead.
Soooooo....it's been a while...sorry. I was going to blog last weekend, but there were some major issues with electricity at Brian and Katherine's all weekend long. Neither the internet nor the international phone line were available (not that that was a particularly bad thing). And then I went to the boy's farm on Monday and was there until the afternoon today. So this is really the first access I've had for about a week. So, for the people who have left comments and/or emailed me, hopefully I will get to respond soon!
There's been so much going on....it's crazy (in a good way). I'm going to have a really difficult time deciding what to leave out and what to post. I'll probably have to cut more than half, and this blog will still be ridiculously long.
I think I shall do what I did a few blogs back, and start out with some general information, updates, adjustments, etc....it's a lot easier for me and my list-making self...
~My Spanish has been improving a lot...especially when it comes to speaking...but my listening is getting better as well, even though it's still sometimes difficult. The good thing is, praise God, that I've passed the major frustration phase. So now I'm just trying to learn what I can and cope with what I don't know. I've found that the best way for me personally to learn is to talk with native Spanish-speakers who are trying to learn English, for several reasons. One, I don't feel as insecure with my screw-ups (however, I've mostly gotten over the insecurity of speaking now) because they mess up English as well. Also, sometimes if I don't know how to say something in correctly in Spanish, they may know it in English. We help each other. I've had the opportunity to do it with two people. One is Katherine's aunt, Lucelle (sp?), who lives in an apartment in the city...we had a pretty entertaining conversation about the difficulties of each other's languages, different dialects, etc. I warned her of pronunciations such as "I dunno," "I wanna," and "I'm gonna." We don't think about that kind of stuff because it's so natural for us, but imagine someone who doesn't know your language trying to understand you....especially when english is already a ridiculous language. The other person is Veronica, who works with Open Arms, sings in their worship team, and was at the boy's farm this week. They sing a lot of American P&W songs down here, translated into Spanish, but she also knew a lot of English songs...so we tried singing some of them together. Anyway, enough about Spanish...on we go...
~Colombians don't drink that much water. For anyone who knows me, that is a problem...water is about all I drink. Colombians tend to drink coffee, various fruit juices, or hot chocolate. So it's been a bit frustrating to not always have water available. I don't like coffee...the hot chocolate has been pretty good...juices...eh (not much of a fruit person). I need water. Trying to figure out a way to accommodate that.
~(For my dear friend, Joseph) I have been very pleased with Colombian food overall. It's not really at all like Mexican food (or at least Amerexican food, haha) for the most part. Lots of beans, lots of rice. Arepas are the most common new thing for me. They're kind of like tortillas, but not really. It'd be best to look them up, because they're hard to describe. The large flat ones that are fried I love, but the little ones that are more like rolls would better serve as a doorstop if they were a bit more heavy. There are also a lot of new fruits (and I've actually tried some!). Some can be found in the US, like papaya (I think), mango, etc. But there is this one fruit called granadilla (which sort of looks like a grenade), and you eat it by sticking your finger in, pulling it open, and sucking out the seeds/juice. If you can call it juice. I can't decide whether it looks more like snot or frog eggs (someone told me that one nickname for it is "Hong Kong booger snot". Hmmm...go to this link: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Granadilla.jpg
I just don't think I'm ready for it yet. Oh, and for Mrs. Laventure, I tried yuca the other day, and I actually thought it was pretty good! I didn't particularly care for the texture, but the taste was good.
~One thing that's overwhelming to me is how much could be done to help people here...in the city in general, not just with Open Arms. I mean, in the US, it's like, you might see a homeless person here and there and be able to feed them, bring them in your home, etc. But here, the situation is so extreme (well, at least, compared to the US), you don't really know what to do. To put it bluntly, it's almost like you just have to ignore many of the struggles going on around you because if you don't, you would never sleep (I'm not saying it has to be that way, that's just how it feels sometimes). Rare cases in the US are normal here. It would be difficult to focus on anything but more extreme cases of poverty. I'm trying to let God teach me how to cope with that...only having to simply walk down the street to encounter a real need. I suppose I could use prayer in that aspect, because it's frustrating. The thing is, I know that the Lord is able and willing if His body would move. When you're doing missions/ministry work, especially when targeting a more specific demographic like Open Arms, it can be easy to pass by the blind man walking down the country road or the young man trying to sell sweets at stoplights or on buses (which, btw, is basically everywhere).
~This is a little random, but a long-time question of mine has sort of been answered here. Any of you who read the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, surely have noticed the significance of names, and how names' meanings normally have something to do with the person receiving the name. Like, Esau meaning "hairy," for instance. Would Isaac calling for Esau basically be like him saying in English, "Hey, hairy! Come over here!" Cases like that. Well, there's a woman at the foundation whose name is Soledad, which means "loneliness" or "solitude." So yes, when you greet her, it's really like saying, "How ya doin', loneliness?"
~There was a bathroom in a downtown restaurant where the only separation between it and the dining area were some "saloon" doors. People who were eating could see the legs of my peeing self. Just saying.
~You're not supposed to flush toilet paper here, because the toilets clog easily. That's a hard habit to break. Many hands dripping yellow transferring wet paper to trashcan.
~Sorry for the TMI of the last two bullets.
Ok, on to life here. Last week I spent most of my time at the foundation, up through Friday. Most of the time I was helping to paint the room where they have church services, among a few other things. It got pretty frustrating after a while, because when I thought it looked fine, it apparently needed another coat (or two). I did interact with kids at the foundation a little bit one day, but last week, being my first week, was more or less a time for me to adjust, get to know my surroundings, cope with the Spanish bombardment, etc. To save me time, I won't write about the sausage incident which happened last week, but please ask me about it when you're talking to me personally.
This whole praise team thing has been an...interesting...experience. I brought home a keyboard last week and Katherine got the names of the songs for the next Sunday so that I would hopefully be able to actually learn some of them. But, the whole power incident started on Thursday evening, so no dice. Basically, (and all of you who know me at all know how much this would stress me out), I arrived on Sunday morning about two hours before the service, and they expected me to learn (and figure out an accompaniment for) about 7 Spanish songs, none of which I had heard before, neither for which I had any sort of music or chord sheets, in two hours, with the rest of the band practicing around me as well. I got a little frustrated, and this little person inside of me wanted to scream "HOW DO YOU PEOPLE EXPECT ME TO DO THIS?!?" I expressed these problems (calmly) to a few people, and most responses were like, "Oh, you can do it," "Oh, you're good enough," "Just try it," etc. etc. It ended up working out that I only played one song on Sunday...I'm not sure what the future holds with this whole thing, but I know I can't handle continuing like that. So pray for me in my decision-making there. Katherine said that it's part of the culture here...the "You can do it," mentality, and the "friendly" pushiness. Both she and Brian warned me that I have to learn how to say no to things, or else I'll never be able to rest (I may have said that in a previous blog...not sure...oh well.)
Last weekend, a work team arrived from the US (from Portland, OR). They were all from Multnomah Bible College (on spring break). A woman named Laurie, who manages their Intercultural Studies department, and has worked with Open Arms several times, was the team leader. Then there were three guys...Brian, 35, getting his MA (in idk what), Jonathan, 32, in seminary, and Isaac, 21, an undergrad student. I know it doesn't mean much if you haven't met him, but I just feel it necessary to say that Brian is probably the funniest guy I have ever met. I perhaps shall tell you specifics of his hilarity when I speak with some of you in person.
Anyway, they stayed here at B&K's for most of the weekend. And on Monday, we went to the boy's farm.
Love.
I definitely think that the farm is where I will end up serving most of my time here.
First of all, the countryside is incredibly beautiful...I really wasn't expecting it. It's up in the mountains, a good distance away from the city. I think it's probably as green as Ireland. The weather has been similar to what it was like in Ireland as well (mostly overcast/occasional showers), except a little warmer.
When we first arrived Monday in the early afternoon, none of the boys were there yet, because it was a holiday. Our time at this point consisted of finding our quarters, unpacking, helping someone get his car out of the mud, eating, exploring, taking pictures, and most importantly, watching someone string up and kill chickens (and I almost became a vegetarian). We started are work for the week as well. Of course, I ended up painting again. Kids began to start trickling in around late afternoon/early evening. I thought beforehand that I might have been frustrated not being able to communicate very well with the boys, but quickly, to my great joy, I found that that would not be a problem. Although I couldn't always say what I wanted to say, nor could I always understand what they were saying, friendships developed almost instantaneously. So much of communication is nonverbal, and you don't really realize it until you can't do that much speaking.
I love these boys already. Although there are a ton of behavioral issues present, there is also great love and affection. For every fight I see, I'm probably hugged 20 times. The child in me is really allowed to express himself there...imaginary lightsaber battles, spinning kids around, back rides, ridiculous dancing, hide-and-seek, you name it. It's been a little difficult remembering names...there are almost 40 boys there, with an age range of about 7-17. Really common Spanish names like Jorge and Guillermo are easy to remember, but ones like Yilmar and Arnulfo are a bit more difficult.
Right now, while I can't communicate with the boys particularly well verbally...I'm just trying to set an example for them. I know it's cliché, but actions speak louder than words. Hopefully I will soon be able to add words to those actions as I share the life of Christ in me. They will continue to bless me and I will continue to bless them.
The guys from the work team have been a big blessing and encouragement as well, but they will be leaving next week. This week with the team at the farm has been sort of introductory...I haven't yet dove in. Normally there won't be works teams. And normally I won't be painting. Thank God.
You've probably noticed how the farther down my blogs you read, the less details that are present. That's because I kind of get a little tired of writing, so I'm sorry for that. I will write more about the boy's farm later...there will be plenty of material in that area.
Tomorrow, it's off to a water park with the girls from the program. And hopefully I'll get to post pictures some time.
I love you all.
And I need sleep. Goodnight.
Oh, and one brief request...please pray that I don't let the busyness of working "for" God negatively affect my relationship "with" God. That's a big struggle here. I need to rest in Him.
There's been so much going on....it's crazy (in a good way). I'm going to have a really difficult time deciding what to leave out and what to post. I'll probably have to cut more than half, and this blog will still be ridiculously long.
I think I shall do what I did a few blogs back, and start out with some general information, updates, adjustments, etc....it's a lot easier for me and my list-making self...
~My Spanish has been improving a lot...especially when it comes to speaking...but my listening is getting better as well, even though it's still sometimes difficult. The good thing is, praise God, that I've passed the major frustration phase. So now I'm just trying to learn what I can and cope with what I don't know. I've found that the best way for me personally to learn is to talk with native Spanish-speakers who are trying to learn English, for several reasons. One, I don't feel as insecure with my screw-ups (however, I've mostly gotten over the insecurity of speaking now) because they mess up English as well. Also, sometimes if I don't know how to say something in correctly in Spanish, they may know it in English. We help each other. I've had the opportunity to do it with two people. One is Katherine's aunt, Lucelle (sp?), who lives in an apartment in the city...we had a pretty entertaining conversation about the difficulties of each other's languages, different dialects, etc. I warned her of pronunciations such as "I dunno," "I wanna," and "I'm gonna." We don't think about that kind of stuff because it's so natural for us, but imagine someone who doesn't know your language trying to understand you....especially when english is already a ridiculous language. The other person is Veronica, who works with Open Arms, sings in their worship team, and was at the boy's farm this week. They sing a lot of American P&W songs down here, translated into Spanish, but she also knew a lot of English songs...so we tried singing some of them together. Anyway, enough about Spanish...on we go...
~Colombians don't drink that much water. For anyone who knows me, that is a problem...water is about all I drink. Colombians tend to drink coffee, various fruit juices, or hot chocolate. So it's been a bit frustrating to not always have water available. I don't like coffee...the hot chocolate has been pretty good...juices...eh (not much of a fruit person). I need water. Trying to figure out a way to accommodate that.
~(For my dear friend, Joseph) I have been very pleased with Colombian food overall. It's not really at all like Mexican food (or at least Amerexican food, haha) for the most part. Lots of beans, lots of rice. Arepas are the most common new thing for me. They're kind of like tortillas, but not really. It'd be best to look them up, because they're hard to describe. The large flat ones that are fried I love, but the little ones that are more like rolls would better serve as a doorstop if they were a bit more heavy. There are also a lot of new fruits (and I've actually tried some!). Some can be found in the US, like papaya (I think), mango, etc. But there is this one fruit called granadilla (which sort of looks like a grenade), and you eat it by sticking your finger in, pulling it open, and sucking out the seeds/juice. If you can call it juice. I can't decide whether it looks more like snot or frog eggs (someone told me that one nickname for it is "Hong Kong booger snot". Hmmm...go to this link: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Granadilla.jpg
I just don't think I'm ready for it yet. Oh, and for Mrs. Laventure, I tried yuca the other day, and I actually thought it was pretty good! I didn't particularly care for the texture, but the taste was good.
~One thing that's overwhelming to me is how much could be done to help people here...in the city in general, not just with Open Arms. I mean, in the US, it's like, you might see a homeless person here and there and be able to feed them, bring them in your home, etc. But here, the situation is so extreme (well, at least, compared to the US), you don't really know what to do. To put it bluntly, it's almost like you just have to ignore many of the struggles going on around you because if you don't, you would never sleep (I'm not saying it has to be that way, that's just how it feels sometimes). Rare cases in the US are normal here. It would be difficult to focus on anything but more extreme cases of poverty. I'm trying to let God teach me how to cope with that...only having to simply walk down the street to encounter a real need. I suppose I could use prayer in that aspect, because it's frustrating. The thing is, I know that the Lord is able and willing if His body would move. When you're doing missions/ministry work, especially when targeting a more specific demographic like Open Arms, it can be easy to pass by the blind man walking down the country road or the young man trying to sell sweets at stoplights or on buses (which, btw, is basically everywhere).
~This is a little random, but a long-time question of mine has sort of been answered here. Any of you who read the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, surely have noticed the significance of names, and how names' meanings normally have something to do with the person receiving the name. Like, Esau meaning "hairy," for instance. Would Isaac calling for Esau basically be like him saying in English, "Hey, hairy! Come over here!" Cases like that. Well, there's a woman at the foundation whose name is Soledad, which means "loneliness" or "solitude." So yes, when you greet her, it's really like saying, "How ya doin', loneliness?"
~There was a bathroom in a downtown restaurant where the only separation between it and the dining area were some "saloon" doors. People who were eating could see the legs of my peeing self. Just saying.
~You're not supposed to flush toilet paper here, because the toilets clog easily. That's a hard habit to break. Many hands dripping yellow transferring wet paper to trashcan.
~Sorry for the TMI of the last two bullets.
Ok, on to life here. Last week I spent most of my time at the foundation, up through Friday. Most of the time I was helping to paint the room where they have church services, among a few other things. It got pretty frustrating after a while, because when I thought it looked fine, it apparently needed another coat (or two). I did interact with kids at the foundation a little bit one day, but last week, being my first week, was more or less a time for me to adjust, get to know my surroundings, cope with the Spanish bombardment, etc. To save me time, I won't write about the sausage incident which happened last week, but please ask me about it when you're talking to me personally.
This whole praise team thing has been an...interesting...experience. I brought home a keyboard last week and Katherine got the names of the songs for the next Sunday so that I would hopefully be able to actually learn some of them. But, the whole power incident started on Thursday evening, so no dice. Basically, (and all of you who know me at all know how much this would stress me out), I arrived on Sunday morning about two hours before the service, and they expected me to learn (and figure out an accompaniment for) about 7 Spanish songs, none of which I had heard before, neither for which I had any sort of music or chord sheets, in two hours, with the rest of the band practicing around me as well. I got a little frustrated, and this little person inside of me wanted to scream "HOW DO YOU PEOPLE EXPECT ME TO DO THIS?!?" I expressed these problems (calmly) to a few people, and most responses were like, "Oh, you can do it," "Oh, you're good enough," "Just try it," etc. etc. It ended up working out that I only played one song on Sunday...I'm not sure what the future holds with this whole thing, but I know I can't handle continuing like that. So pray for me in my decision-making there. Katherine said that it's part of the culture here...the "You can do it," mentality, and the "friendly" pushiness. Both she and Brian warned me that I have to learn how to say no to things, or else I'll never be able to rest (I may have said that in a previous blog...not sure...oh well.)
Last weekend, a work team arrived from the US (from Portland, OR). They were all from Multnomah Bible College (on spring break). A woman named Laurie, who manages their Intercultural Studies department, and has worked with Open Arms several times, was the team leader. Then there were three guys...Brian, 35, getting his MA (in idk what), Jonathan, 32, in seminary, and Isaac, 21, an undergrad student. I know it doesn't mean much if you haven't met him, but I just feel it necessary to say that Brian is probably the funniest guy I have ever met. I perhaps shall tell you specifics of his hilarity when I speak with some of you in person.
Anyway, they stayed here at B&K's for most of the weekend. And on Monday, we went to the boy's farm.
Love.
I definitely think that the farm is where I will end up serving most of my time here.
First of all, the countryside is incredibly beautiful...I really wasn't expecting it. It's up in the mountains, a good distance away from the city. I think it's probably as green as Ireland. The weather has been similar to what it was like in Ireland as well (mostly overcast/occasional showers), except a little warmer.
When we first arrived Monday in the early afternoon, none of the boys were there yet, because it was a holiday. Our time at this point consisted of finding our quarters, unpacking, helping someone get his car out of the mud, eating, exploring, taking pictures, and most importantly, watching someone string up and kill chickens (and I almost became a vegetarian). We started are work for the week as well. Of course, I ended up painting again. Kids began to start trickling in around late afternoon/early evening. I thought beforehand that I might have been frustrated not being able to communicate very well with the boys, but quickly, to my great joy, I found that that would not be a problem. Although I couldn't always say what I wanted to say, nor could I always understand what they were saying, friendships developed almost instantaneously. So much of communication is nonverbal, and you don't really realize it until you can't do that much speaking.
I love these boys already. Although there are a ton of behavioral issues present, there is also great love and affection. For every fight I see, I'm probably hugged 20 times. The child in me is really allowed to express himself there...imaginary lightsaber battles, spinning kids around, back rides, ridiculous dancing, hide-and-seek, you name it. It's been a little difficult remembering names...there are almost 40 boys there, with an age range of about 7-17. Really common Spanish names like Jorge and Guillermo are easy to remember, but ones like Yilmar and Arnulfo are a bit more difficult.
Right now, while I can't communicate with the boys particularly well verbally...I'm just trying to set an example for them. I know it's cliché, but actions speak louder than words. Hopefully I will soon be able to add words to those actions as I share the life of Christ in me. They will continue to bless me and I will continue to bless them.
The guys from the work team have been a big blessing and encouragement as well, but they will be leaving next week. This week with the team at the farm has been sort of introductory...I haven't yet dove in. Normally there won't be works teams. And normally I won't be painting. Thank God.
You've probably noticed how the farther down my blogs you read, the less details that are present. That's because I kind of get a little tired of writing, so I'm sorry for that. I will write more about the boy's farm later...there will be plenty of material in that area.
Tomorrow, it's off to a water park with the girls from the program. And hopefully I'll get to post pictures some time.
I love you all.
And I need sleep. Goodnight.
Oh, and one brief request...please pray that I don't let the busyness of working "for" God negatively affect my relationship "with" God. That's a big struggle here. I need to rest in Him.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Response to blog comments
So...this is not a normal blog post, so it doesn't count as part of my self-imposed "limitations." I'm just responding to some of the people who have left comments on here.
Mama - Well, I'll just talk to you on the phone. And yes, I got the small group email! Make sure you tell Carla that you're "proud of me" (you'll understand when she responds). Oh, and those "Mama" prayers should not include ones such as "please don't let Nick be taken hostage by the FARC," because what if God wanted me to share Jesus with them? :-P
Mychal - I'm not surprised that you're obsessed with my blog...I mean, it's me, right? ;-) JK..........oh, and BTW...they have chicken feet here as well. They even sell it frozen en el supermercado (can you figure that one out? haha.). P.S. I think you would get a lot more business on the streets here. Just throwing that out there...............
Wendy - I'm actually writing down a few words/phrases each day so I can sort of remember what happened. I have a good memory, so that should work out, haha. And that video was pretty hilarious...did Grady injure himself near the end, because it looks like it! Oh, and make sure you let me know how the Human Video skit goes at the Renewed conference (unless it's bad enough to dampen my spirits...then you can just conveniently forget...but I highly doubt that will happen...Gray's probably a more "holy" actor than me...).
Mrs. Laventure - Haha, I didn't actually think your classes were a waste of time (but I think you know that)....but it felt like ALL of them were at first. I was like...I've taken 17 credit hours of Spanish and I can hardly understand a word these people are saying! But it's already gotten a lot better. The people who speak more slowly and enunciate (mostly people who are particularly considerate of my "Spanish status") I can understand almost completely! But my speaking is improving a lot faster than my understanding. Oh, and have yet to find your peso...the earliest I've found was 1992, I think.
Natalie, Jimmy, and Tanya (grouped together because your posts were somewhat similar in content) - Thanks so much for the encouragement/prayers! Oh, and Natalie...please send me an email at thehonorabledropout@yahoo.com about any major community updates!
4ZQeMDwCvP.qmHmZ7hY46mqODKbKhwtY5UlZcA-- - Thanks, whoever you are...............
Yep.
Mama - Well, I'll just talk to you on the phone. And yes, I got the small group email! Make sure you tell Carla that you're "proud of me" (you'll understand when she responds). Oh, and those "Mama" prayers should not include ones such as "please don't let Nick be taken hostage by the FARC," because what if God wanted me to share Jesus with them? :-P
Mychal - I'm not surprised that you're obsessed with my blog...I mean, it's me, right? ;-) JK..........oh, and BTW...they have chicken feet here as well. They even sell it frozen en el supermercado (can you figure that one out? haha.). P.S. I think you would get a lot more business on the streets here. Just throwing that out there...............
Wendy - I'm actually writing down a few words/phrases each day so I can sort of remember what happened. I have a good memory, so that should work out, haha. And that video was pretty hilarious...did Grady injure himself near the end, because it looks like it! Oh, and make sure you let me know how the Human Video skit goes at the Renewed conference (unless it's bad enough to dampen my spirits...then you can just conveniently forget...but I highly doubt that will happen...Gray's probably a more "holy" actor than me...).
Mrs. Laventure - Haha, I didn't actually think your classes were a waste of time (but I think you know that)....but it felt like ALL of them were at first. I was like...I've taken 17 credit hours of Spanish and I can hardly understand a word these people are saying! But it's already gotten a lot better. The people who speak more slowly and enunciate (mostly people who are particularly considerate of my "Spanish status") I can understand almost completely! But my speaking is improving a lot faster than my understanding. Oh, and have yet to find your peso...the earliest I've found was 1992, I think.
Natalie, Jimmy, and Tanya (grouped together because your posts were somewhat similar in content) - Thanks so much for the encouragement/prayers! Oh, and Natalie...please send me an email at thehonorabledropout@yahoo.com about any major community updates!
4ZQeMDwCvP.qmHmZ7hY46mqODKbKhwtY5UlZcA-- - Thanks, whoever you are...............
Yep.
MAILING ADDRESS
Okay...for the people who have been asking, here is my mailing address. If you want to make sure your letter gets to me before I come home, you should probably mail it soon...Brian said it could take up to two months.
Nick Brady
Calle 49A No. 37 - 56
Medellín, Colombia
(yes, there's no zip code)
And Mama...could you tell Granny (along with anyone else to whom this situation applies), because she said she would write me if I wrote her, that she would need to go ahead and write me now rather than wait because by the time my letter would get to her, it would probably be too late for her to send one....?
Oh, and to anyone who has AIM...I've been getting on AIM Express some, so sign on sometime in the evening...you may see me!
Nick Brady
Calle 49A No. 37 - 56
Medellín, Colombia
(yes, there's no zip code)
And Mama...could you tell Granny (along with anyone else to whom this situation applies), because she said she would write me if I wrote her, that she would need to go ahead and write me now rather than wait because by the time my letter would get to her, it would probably be too late for her to send one....?
Oh, and to anyone who has AIM...I've been getting on AIM Express some, so sign on sometime in the evening...you may see me!
Monday, March 16, 2009
How's the weather in there?
Hmmm...I think I shall start this blog off with some general information/statements before recounting a few recent events. Yes, that would be best.
~First, I could never drive here. Never. I think that, rather than defensive driving, they teach offensive, aggressive, reckless, crazy driving in their schools. From what I can tell, that seems like the only way to survive on the road. Not that I'm complaining...it's been an adventure. I'm just saying...I couldn't do it.
~The weather here is indeed magnificent...especially at Brian and Katherine's home in the mountains. 60s and 70s...in case you were wondering.
~I think this whole Spanish acquisition thing is going to get worse before it gets better. By the time I got home today, I didn't want to have anything to do with the Spanish language (okay, maybe that's exaggerating a little bit...). But I was definitely drained, mentally. Part of it was because I had read this 14-page document about FBA (Fundación Brazos Abiertos...or Open Arms Foundation) that was all in Spanish. I really did feel like shouting in frustration about halfway through. Please pray for me...I mean, I know it's going to get better, and overall I'm okay...I just get a little discouraged sometimes trying to interact with people.
~In reference to the title of this blog, the main building for the Foundation downtown has a section where there's no roof. It rains inside...I mean, it's not something to be repaired...it was built that way. There's a drain on the floor. It's difficult to describe it (really the whole building is very unique)...hopefully I will eventually get some pictures posted.
Okay, enough with the generalities. Yesterday I experienced my first Colombian church service. We arrived about two hours early because of some things that Brian and Katherine had to do, so I mostly sat around and felt awkward...although Katherine sat with me a lot of the time and introduced me to people here and there. The worship team practiced as we sat...it consisted of a boy (probably in early high school?) playing keyboard (using its drumbeats for percussion) and singing lead, along with two other girls singing back-up, whom I found out were his sisters. They actually sang a few Spanish versions of P&W songs from the States (like "Draw me Close" or whatever it's called).
During the actual service, people got very into the music...lots of dancing, clapping, raising of hands. They had a screen with Powerpoint for the lyrics, so I was very happy to be able to understand/sing along with all of the songs (I can read Spanish a lot better than I can understand others speaking/singing it).
I couldn't really understand one of the pastors who read Scriptures, prayed, did announcements, etc. throughout the first part of the service, partly because he was so fast, and partly because the room was noisy. There were a lot of people in that somewhat small room...mostly kids (not from the program, though). When it was time for the kids to leave the service for their own classes, between the kids and the adults who were teaching them/helping, the population of the service probably shrunk by 85%. When a different pastor came up to give the sermon. I could understand him very well (which made me exceedingly jolly)! He talked about the early church and the importance of meeting in homes, in small groups, etc....for those of you who know me and my passions....ironic, huh?
After the service, among many other introductions, I met the keyboardist, whose name is Erlin. He can speak English very well, and from a first impression, I like him a lot. Anyway, apparently people there had already been informed that I play the piano, and we talked a little bit about it. I was pretty much drafted to be a part of the worship team by the pastor who gave the sermon. Not that I really mind...I just find it somewhat amusing. Brian and Katherine had warned me about these sort of drafts that occur throughout the Foundation...and told me that I need to learn to be able to say no, or else I'll always be busy. I can already see the truth in this. But I think that this worship team thing will probably be a great experience. They're really just getting started, it seems, and it looks like anyone who wants to be in some way involved (even if they don't have musical abilities), can. I may be helping teach a few kids to play the piano...I think that will really be a blessing.
Man...I'm really hoping that it's just the newness of everything that's compelling me to write so much detail. This is time-consuming. I'm going to skip the rest of yesterday.
This morning, Brian and I, along with two other American volunteers, Ben and Jennifer, went to the girl's house to take part in a time of prayer, worship, and fasting. We prayed over all of the girls who were there. I was brought to tears as we asked the Lord to help these girls overcome the strongholds in their lives by the power of the Spirit. I learned a lot today about what some of these girl's former lives had been like, and what they're still going through now...and...well, I don't know if I feel right sharing it here, for several reasons. I mean, I'm sure most of you have heard similar stories before through a variety of sources...it's just a whole different experience to see their faces. To hear their voices. Please pray, not only for these girls, but for the staff & volunteers, that through them the girls would be able to know intimately the love that Christ has for them....and that they would allow that love to transform them.
--------------------------
From this point on, I thinking I'm going to start blogging a lot less frequently...maybe once, possibly twice a week...and simply picking out highlights of the week. I've already had to leave out a ton, in just this short time, and it has taken up a lot of time that really should have been devoted to sleep. Therefore, please hold me accountable. No more than two blogs a week.
Good night.
~First, I could never drive here. Never. I think that, rather than defensive driving, they teach offensive, aggressive, reckless, crazy driving in their schools. From what I can tell, that seems like the only way to survive on the road. Not that I'm complaining...it's been an adventure. I'm just saying...I couldn't do it.
~The weather here is indeed magnificent...especially at Brian and Katherine's home in the mountains. 60s and 70s...in case you were wondering.
~I think this whole Spanish acquisition thing is going to get worse before it gets better. By the time I got home today, I didn't want to have anything to do with the Spanish language (okay, maybe that's exaggerating a little bit...). But I was definitely drained, mentally. Part of it was because I had read this 14-page document about FBA (Fundación Brazos Abiertos...or Open Arms Foundation) that was all in Spanish. I really did feel like shouting in frustration about halfway through. Please pray for me...I mean, I know it's going to get better, and overall I'm okay...I just get a little discouraged sometimes trying to interact with people.
~In reference to the title of this blog, the main building for the Foundation downtown has a section where there's no roof. It rains inside...I mean, it's not something to be repaired...it was built that way. There's a drain on the floor. It's difficult to describe it (really the whole building is very unique)...hopefully I will eventually get some pictures posted.
Okay, enough with the generalities. Yesterday I experienced my first Colombian church service. We arrived about two hours early because of some things that Brian and Katherine had to do, so I mostly sat around and felt awkward...although Katherine sat with me a lot of the time and introduced me to people here and there. The worship team practiced as we sat...it consisted of a boy (probably in early high school?) playing keyboard (using its drumbeats for percussion) and singing lead, along with two other girls singing back-up, whom I found out were his sisters. They actually sang a few Spanish versions of P&W songs from the States (like "Draw me Close" or whatever it's called).
During the actual service, people got very into the music...lots of dancing, clapping, raising of hands. They had a screen with Powerpoint for the lyrics, so I was very happy to be able to understand/sing along with all of the songs (I can read Spanish a lot better than I can understand others speaking/singing it).
I couldn't really understand one of the pastors who read Scriptures, prayed, did announcements, etc. throughout the first part of the service, partly because he was so fast, and partly because the room was noisy. There were a lot of people in that somewhat small room...mostly kids (not from the program, though). When it was time for the kids to leave the service for their own classes, between the kids and the adults who were teaching them/helping, the population of the service probably shrunk by 85%. When a different pastor came up to give the sermon. I could understand him very well (which made me exceedingly jolly)! He talked about the early church and the importance of meeting in homes, in small groups, etc....for those of you who know me and my passions....ironic, huh?
After the service, among many other introductions, I met the keyboardist, whose name is Erlin. He can speak English very well, and from a first impression, I like him a lot. Anyway, apparently people there had already been informed that I play the piano, and we talked a little bit about it. I was pretty much drafted to be a part of the worship team by the pastor who gave the sermon. Not that I really mind...I just find it somewhat amusing. Brian and Katherine had warned me about these sort of drafts that occur throughout the Foundation...and told me that I need to learn to be able to say no, or else I'll always be busy. I can already see the truth in this. But I think that this worship team thing will probably be a great experience. They're really just getting started, it seems, and it looks like anyone who wants to be in some way involved (even if they don't have musical abilities), can. I may be helping teach a few kids to play the piano...I think that will really be a blessing.
Man...I'm really hoping that it's just the newness of everything that's compelling me to write so much detail. This is time-consuming. I'm going to skip the rest of yesterday.
This morning, Brian and I, along with two other American volunteers, Ben and Jennifer, went to the girl's house to take part in a time of prayer, worship, and fasting. We prayed over all of the girls who were there. I was brought to tears as we asked the Lord to help these girls overcome the strongholds in their lives by the power of the Spirit. I learned a lot today about what some of these girl's former lives had been like, and what they're still going through now...and...well, I don't know if I feel right sharing it here, for several reasons. I mean, I'm sure most of you have heard similar stories before through a variety of sources...it's just a whole different experience to see their faces. To hear their voices. Please pray, not only for these girls, but for the staff & volunteers, that through them the girls would be able to know intimately the love that Christ has for them....and that they would allow that love to transform them.
--------------------------
From this point on, I thinking I'm going to start blogging a lot less frequently...maybe once, possibly twice a week...and simply picking out highlights of the week. I've already had to leave out a ton, in just this short time, and it has taken up a lot of time that really should have been devoted to sleep. Therefore, please hold me accountable. No more than two blogs a week.
Good night.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
¡Yo he llegado!
So...my second evening in Colombia. I already love it here.
But before I talk about Colombia itself...I think I'll mention some of the events from the journey here.
Let's just say that I almost had to postpone the trip. I arrived at the airport with my parents yesterday morning, and everything was running smoothly until I arrived at the gate. I sat down to rest from carrying my bag, and I overheard a conversation between some travelers and a person at the counter. It was not a happy conversation. From what I could tell, the flight to Miami (my flight) was severely overbooked, and there were not any other options to get there. I wasn't sure whether or not this would affect me, but I became a little uneasy. I decided to find out for myself what was going on, and talked to the counter-lady (idk what her job is called). She looked me up after I showed her my ticket, she and told me that I was confirmed for the flight but I didn't have a seat. In a nutshell, unless some people with flexible schedules were willing to give up their seat, I wasn't going to Miami any time soon. I asked her to be honest about my chances, and she said they weren't good.
So I went to call my parents at the payphone. Then I prayed...a lot. I was a little stressed, but not worried, because I knew that God would take care of the situation whether I made it to Colombia that day or not. They told me I'd have to wait until the last minute to see if I could get on. After everyone had already boarded, all the people who were denied seats were anxiously waiting to see if their name would get called. Praise God, some people didn't make the flight in time (maybe not praise God for them, but for me...haha), and I was the fourth or fifth name called to get one of the open seats. I almost shouted with joy.
I don't care what the economy is like...airlines should not overbook their flights. It's bad business.
Anyway...the flight to Miami was fun, because I got to know the guy sitting beside me (who also almost didn't get a seat). Unfortunately (and rather stupidly), we never exchanged names. But he was around 30 years old and lived in Charlotte, but he was originally from Israel. He had a very interesting story...grew up on a kibbutz (a sort of socialist, Zionist agricultural community), served in the military (like every Israeli) in Lebanon, moved to Alaska and worked in commercial fishing, worked with a moving company in LA, went on a backpacking trip in South America, drove an ice cream truck in Greensboro (and attended UNCG!), and now owns a small business in Charlotte. I may have left something out. Anyway, he had been in Colombia for two months, and he told me a lot about the country, the people, great places to visit if I had the time, etc. It was pretty awesome. He let me call my parents on his cell phone when we landed in Miami, because I didn't have time to call them again when I left.
The Miami airport was somewhat intimidating. It was a new experience, because for the most part, Spanish was the primary language on signs, documents, etc., and most of the people working there were Hispanic...me gustaba. When I arrived at my gate, I sat for a while, and while I was filling out my customs form, and elderly Hispanic man, whose name was Luis, came and sat beside me and struck up a conversation. His English wasn't fantastic, but it was still very understandable! He was on his way to Cali, Colombia (where he was originally from) to visit his 98-year-old mother, who was sick. He brought up politics and the economy, and told me how bad Bush was and how he was sorry he voted for him. I thought it was pretty funny. We talked about his long time here in the US, his experience learning English, how the letter "t" doesn't count here in the south in many cases (like in the word "water"), among other things. The best part was when he said he needed to go "make a pee-pee". I think I might start using that phrase myself.
The flight from Miami to Medellín was somewhat uneventful. I was a little concerned because of Mrs. Laventure's past experience with the Avianca airline, but apparently it has improved greatly over the past 20 years. Outside my window were some of the most incredible cloud formations I'd ever seen. Sidenote: I hope that when heaven and earth are restored that Jesus lets me walk on the clouds.
Throughout my experience with the Miami airport and the flight to Medellín, I was beginning to feel, as Mrs. Laventure and others had warned me, that all my previous Spanish classes were a waste of time, haha. Well, maybe that's an extreme way of putting it, but Spanish in the real world is a lot different from the classroom. I could only catch words here and there and get a very small gist of what people were saying overall. But I think it's already starting to get a little better.
Besides someone in a military uniform frisking me in the Medellín airport, nothing else of significance happened until I was found by the family with which I am staying currently. Their names are Brian and Katherine Miller. Brian is a 33-year-old (I think) American, originally from WV, and his wife is a 26-year-old Colombian woman. They have been extremely friendly, welcoming, and helpful. They took me out to dinner at this place called "Crepes and Waffles," where I got this thing called a Panne Cook with curried chicken (it was basically a bread bowl). Delicioso. They kind of showed me the ropes there (well, talked about the ropes really), let me ask questions, told me about Colombian culture, and recounted past stories that had happened at the foundation. They're both very funny and down-to-earth, and I already feel at home.
Their house is absolutely beautiful, and it's way up in the mountains, about 25 minutes outside of the city of Medellín, which is in a valley. The power was out when we got here last night, so we had to use candles and flashlights, but it was an adventure. I will post pictures of the house and the outdoors here when I get the chance, because it's hard to describe. Just know that it's very quaint, quiet (except for some of what I assume are family gatherings from neighbors, but they're fun to listen to), beautiful, with different kinds of flowers everywhere. Today I helped with chores, drove to the market with Brian, Katherine made an amazing lunch, and I worked a lot on my Spanish. It's really a lot easier to learn in this context, and Brian and Katherine have helped a lot. Katherine asked me if I would be willing to go to a store within walking distance to buy some cabello de angél (angel hair pasta) and a soft drink called "Quatro"...my first experience buying something in Spanish. I accepted, and the trip went very well...I was excited, haha.
Basically, I think this trip is going to be life-changing and a real blessing. Yeah, I know I'm kind of cutting this short, but I'm tired of typing. Hopefully my future blogs will not be so detailed, wordy, random, and boring...but I just wanted to share a lot since I just arrived and everything is so new.
Thank you guys for all of your prayers and thoughts!!
Love, grace, & peace,
Nick
But before I talk about Colombia itself...I think I'll mention some of the events from the journey here.
Let's just say that I almost had to postpone the trip. I arrived at the airport with my parents yesterday morning, and everything was running smoothly until I arrived at the gate. I sat down to rest from carrying my bag, and I overheard a conversation between some travelers and a person at the counter. It was not a happy conversation. From what I could tell, the flight to Miami (my flight) was severely overbooked, and there were not any other options to get there. I wasn't sure whether or not this would affect me, but I became a little uneasy. I decided to find out for myself what was going on, and talked to the counter-lady (idk what her job is called). She looked me up after I showed her my ticket, she and told me that I was confirmed for the flight but I didn't have a seat. In a nutshell, unless some people with flexible schedules were willing to give up their seat, I wasn't going to Miami any time soon. I asked her to be honest about my chances, and she said they weren't good.
So I went to call my parents at the payphone. Then I prayed...a lot. I was a little stressed, but not worried, because I knew that God would take care of the situation whether I made it to Colombia that day or not. They told me I'd have to wait until the last minute to see if I could get on. After everyone had already boarded, all the people who were denied seats were anxiously waiting to see if their name would get called. Praise God, some people didn't make the flight in time (maybe not praise God for them, but for me...haha), and I was the fourth or fifth name called to get one of the open seats. I almost shouted with joy.
I don't care what the economy is like...airlines should not overbook their flights. It's bad business.
Anyway...the flight to Miami was fun, because I got to know the guy sitting beside me (who also almost didn't get a seat). Unfortunately (and rather stupidly), we never exchanged names. But he was around 30 years old and lived in Charlotte, but he was originally from Israel. He had a very interesting story...grew up on a kibbutz (a sort of socialist, Zionist agricultural community), served in the military (like every Israeli) in Lebanon, moved to Alaska and worked in commercial fishing, worked with a moving company in LA, went on a backpacking trip in South America, drove an ice cream truck in Greensboro (and attended UNCG!), and now owns a small business in Charlotte. I may have left something out. Anyway, he had been in Colombia for two months, and he told me a lot about the country, the people, great places to visit if I had the time, etc. It was pretty awesome. He let me call my parents on his cell phone when we landed in Miami, because I didn't have time to call them again when I left.
The Miami airport was somewhat intimidating. It was a new experience, because for the most part, Spanish was the primary language on signs, documents, etc., and most of the people working there were Hispanic...me gustaba. When I arrived at my gate, I sat for a while, and while I was filling out my customs form, and elderly Hispanic man, whose name was Luis, came and sat beside me and struck up a conversation. His English wasn't fantastic, but it was still very understandable! He was on his way to Cali, Colombia (where he was originally from) to visit his 98-year-old mother, who was sick. He brought up politics and the economy, and told me how bad Bush was and how he was sorry he voted for him. I thought it was pretty funny. We talked about his long time here in the US, his experience learning English, how the letter "t" doesn't count here in the south in many cases (like in the word "water"), among other things. The best part was when he said he needed to go "make a pee-pee". I think I might start using that phrase myself.
The flight from Miami to Medellín was somewhat uneventful. I was a little concerned because of Mrs. Laventure's past experience with the Avianca airline, but apparently it has improved greatly over the past 20 years. Outside my window were some of the most incredible cloud formations I'd ever seen. Sidenote: I hope that when heaven and earth are restored that Jesus lets me walk on the clouds.
Throughout my experience with the Miami airport and the flight to Medellín, I was beginning to feel, as Mrs. Laventure and others had warned me, that all my previous Spanish classes were a waste of time, haha. Well, maybe that's an extreme way of putting it, but Spanish in the real world is a lot different from the classroom. I could only catch words here and there and get a very small gist of what people were saying overall. But I think it's already starting to get a little better.
Besides someone in a military uniform frisking me in the Medellín airport, nothing else of significance happened until I was found by the family with which I am staying currently. Their names are Brian and Katherine Miller. Brian is a 33-year-old (I think) American, originally from WV, and his wife is a 26-year-old Colombian woman. They have been extremely friendly, welcoming, and helpful. They took me out to dinner at this place called "Crepes and Waffles," where I got this thing called a Panne Cook with curried chicken (it was basically a bread bowl). Delicioso. They kind of showed me the ropes there (well, talked about the ropes really), let me ask questions, told me about Colombian culture, and recounted past stories that had happened at the foundation. They're both very funny and down-to-earth, and I already feel at home.
Their house is absolutely beautiful, and it's way up in the mountains, about 25 minutes outside of the city of Medellín, which is in a valley. The power was out when we got here last night, so we had to use candles and flashlights, but it was an adventure. I will post pictures of the house and the outdoors here when I get the chance, because it's hard to describe. Just know that it's very quaint, quiet (except for some of what I assume are family gatherings from neighbors, but they're fun to listen to), beautiful, with different kinds of flowers everywhere. Today I helped with chores, drove to the market with Brian, Katherine made an amazing lunch, and I worked a lot on my Spanish. It's really a lot easier to learn in this context, and Brian and Katherine have helped a lot. Katherine asked me if I would be willing to go to a store within walking distance to buy some cabello de angél (angel hair pasta) and a soft drink called "Quatro"...my first experience buying something in Spanish. I accepted, and the trip went very well...I was excited, haha.
Basically, I think this trip is going to be life-changing and a real blessing. Yeah, I know I'm kind of cutting this short, but I'm tired of typing. Hopefully my future blogs will not be so detailed, wordy, random, and boring...but I just wanted to share a lot since I just arrived and everything is so new.
Thank you guys for all of your prayers and thoughts!!
Love, grace, & peace,
Nick
Friday, March 13, 2009
Knot.
Well, less than five hours before my plane leaves, it finally hits me.
There's a knot in my stomach...not the bad, nervous kind...the anxious, jittery kind. I'll probably make a few bathroom visits before I leave. I really hope I can find baby wipes in Colombia. Either that, or I hope that Jesus multiplies the stash I have in my carry-on. Maybe if I give thanks before I rip one in half and use it.
One of the guys in charge down in South America called last night to confirm everything and to see if I had any more questions. It definitely made my mom feel better...apparently she thought no one would be at the airport to pick me up, and the FARC was going to abduct me and I would become a political prisoner. Well, maybe that's exaggerating.
Anyway, I'm getting ready to go eat one of my favorite breakfasts, Muffins-That-Taste-Like-Doughnuts. Then some last-minute running around. Then leaving.
Adios, amigos...I suppose that's what I need to get used to!!
There's a knot in my stomach...not the bad, nervous kind...the anxious, jittery kind. I'll probably make a few bathroom visits before I leave. I really hope I can find baby wipes in Colombia. Either that, or I hope that Jesus multiplies the stash I have in my carry-on. Maybe if I give thanks before I rip one in half and use it.
One of the guys in charge down in South America called last night to confirm everything and to see if I had any more questions. It definitely made my mom feel better...apparently she thought no one would be at the airport to pick me up, and the FARC was going to abduct me and I would become a political prisoner. Well, maybe that's exaggerating.
Anyway, I'm getting ready to go eat one of my favorite breakfasts, Muffins-That-Taste-Like-Doughnuts. Then some last-minute running around. Then leaving.
Adios, amigos...I suppose that's what I need to get used to!!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Tres días...
Three days.
Three days from this time, I will have been in Colombia for about four hours, God willing.
I've told this to everyone who has asked me about the trip, but it still just hasn't really hit me yet that I'm going to a foreign country with a foreign language for three months. It's not that I'm not excited, because I definitely am (!!!), but I don't really feel much different overall than I normally do. I think part of it is because I've been so busy lately, and part of it is because the whole thing happened so fast. I mean, I found out I was officially going about a month before departure!
Yesterday I went to visit the kids at Oak Forest UMC's after-school program, where I have worked various times in the past (and where I plan to work this summer). They decided to do a fundraiser for me a little while back, and between them and the church, they raised about $200!! I really wasn't expecting that much, so it was a great surprise/blessing. They had sort of a "going-away" party for me and presented the money like so...
And here are all of us together. Well, not all of us...some kids were absent and some had left already. Most of us...
And a goofy one...
I love those kids so much.
Really, I just love kids.
Which brings me back to Colombia. I want to give a preliminary THANK YOU(!!!!!) to everyone who has supported me in this trip either through prayer or financial contributions. I have received well over what my target was...really, more than I ever dreamed I would receive. I'll have plenty to bless the kids, the ministry, and Jesus with while down there.
I would love for any praying person who reads this to say some for me! The main thing, above all else (including safe travels), that I would like for people to pray is that Jesus will remain central to my life while down there...that this trip would be about Him, not me. I would also love for people to pray that my language acquisition would be fast and "unstressful."
And with that, I believe I shall return to the task of finishing this video for the "Renewed" women's conference, which is starting to stress me out a bit. While you're at it, pray for that.
Oh, and I will post my mailing address as soon as I get it!
Love, grace & peace,
Nick
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For anyone who has yet to read about the organization with which I'm working, here is a link to their brochure (in PDF format):
http://www.perrow.org/missions/OAFbrochure.pdf
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