Oh Summer... You're half-way over

"Tutoring."

I hate how that seems to be my answer for every question:

- "What's your schedule look like tomorrow?"

- "What have you been up to?"

- "Why do you have to leave early?"

- "Why are you so tired?"

Oh, why am I so tired?

I've been tutoring like a mad woman for the last three weeks... and now? Now I feel like I've become a mad woman. My summer hasn't been quite the summer I was expecting. Don't get me wrong, its been an absolutely incredible summer so far... just very, very, very different than I was expecting. But let's be honest, how often do things go the way we expect??

So, back in April I was really excited about two possible jobs this summer: one with Opportunity International and one with World Vision. Either one sounded amazing. I was going to get experience working with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in my home country. Really, could it get any better?

Maybe not.

Both of the jobs kind of fell through. I then thought I'd work for an English Institute teaching English at companies. Interesting experience, I thought to myself. But for a variety of reasons that didn't end up working out either.

After Deepika and Carina left, I figured I'd just start tutoring until I figured things out. And now, three weeks later, I've been tutoring on an average of five hours a day. I'm losing my mind... really, I am. However, I'm so thankful for the fact that I have jobs... and that I can make money to cover university expenses in the fall. Also, its quite a plus... but my students are fabulous. I love them all :) So it makes tutoring that much better =D

So, with all that being said...

I can't believe its almost July. Summer really is flying by!!

I'm looking forward to a trip to Prado this weekend :) Hopefully that works out!! And then... (you all can be praying about this) my family is hoping to travel to the Colombian coast to do some ministry with a poor school up in Monteria. We'd be teaching some workshops and then helping out and loving people in the slums in the afternoon :)

Teams, Teams, Teams :)

It's been about twenty four hours since the GEBC team left. Though I absolutely loved having them here, I kind of let out a sigh of relief. Teams are always exciting... and always exhausting. Though I wasn't with them 24/7, I still thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them and partner with them at a variety of ministries.

It's been a while since I've felt connected to Glen Ellyn Bible Church. Spending one semester in the Wheaton area four years ago, is hardly enough to maintain that connection. The majority of the friends I made four years ago are no longer at GEBC, and I need to remind myself that GEBC is still my family's home church even if it doesn't always feel like home.

However, getting to know this team of sixteen gave me more connections at church than I've had in a while. It was nice to see Fletch and Mama Jane and several other students again and it was great to meet so many other fabulous people. I look forward to seeing them around on my infrequent visits to GEBC during the semester.

During these last two weeks I was asked, "Does it feel weird to only be 19 and already be translating and leading teams?" I hesitated, but had to reply 'no.' Due to my parents' jobs I've found myself in many translating positions in the past. Though I've never actually led a team before, I was pretty involved with helping out with the logistics of the ministries we visited with the GEBC team. I absolutely LOVE being part of mission trips that come to Colombia. I LOVE watching the members experience Colombia for the first time. I LOVE knowing that for some, it isn't the first time, but fell in love with it on a previous trip.

My heart flutters when I see others gain a love for the Colombian people... for the country I love so deeply. I'm always encouraged to see North American teenagers give of themselves, selflessly serving people in need. I was impressed with this year's GEBC team-- their maturity and heart for God was evident. They had various obstacles in just two weeks-- being mugged, several health issues, etc-- and yet, they still were on fire, ready to serve God.

They were willing to be the seed that must die before it can bear much fruit.

All Things New

It wasn't my first time and yet, I still felt a little uncomfortable. As we zig-zagged our way through the orphanage's hallways, I felt my heartbeat accelerate. I knew what was waiting upstairs.

A big room with white walls. Mattresses scattered about the floor. Baby chairs lining the walls. Special needs children everywhere you turned.

You could hear the moaning and the crying way before entering. The hair on the back of my neck was on end... and upon entering, I struggled to breathe easily. My eyes took in the sight and my heart broke.

Dozens of children lay on mattresses or sat in chairs. They couldn't speak and few could make any significant movements. Some had obvious physical deformities and all had special needs.

The nurses soon gave us jobs. For the most part, we just fed kids. Feeding one child could take up to an hour, because spooning liquid into their mouths was a tedious process. Those who weren't feeding simply sat next to other children and comforted them. It was incredible to see how though these kids couldn't speak, they could sense a tender presence. Their sobbing quickly turned into quiet moans.

I was impressed with how the GEBC team responded to these children. Though I'm sure many have had contact with special needs children in the past, I don't think anything could have fully prepared them for this orphanage. And still, many without hesitation, stooped down and cuddled children, singing softly or simply rubbing a child's hand. It was beautiful to see the love of God penetrating this seemingly forgotten orphanage.

After feeding one child I went over to Juan David, an older child who also happened to be blind. He was curled up in the fetal position, rocking back and forth to the rhythm of his moans. I gently touched his shoulder and he instantly sat up and reached up to grab me. He pulled himself up and climbed up onto me. Once he was comfortable he nestled his head into my neck and kept rocking back and forth. He couldn't keep still and for an hour, we kept moving around trying to find the most comfortable position for the two of us. As I hugged him, I prayed for him.

It was easy to get discouraged and wonder where his life fit into God's greater purpose. And for a while, I was discouraged. My heart broke realizing that Juan David's entire life would be spent in this orphanage, because adoption was highly improbable. And yet, I felt God's comforting whisper, reassuring me that his sovereignty and love were compatible.

My mind drifted back to the Adam and Eve. And the fall of man. And the curse that followed. All of creation was cursed. Genetics were cursed. These children were born with these illnesses and disabilities because they were born into a cursed world.

My heart throbbed and yet I was comforted, knowing that my beautiful savior, was at work redeeming humanity... Christ didn't just come to save us from our sin, but also from our pain, our sickness and our shame. Not one of these precious children were unknown to God. I joyfully imagined the day that they would sing and leap in heaven, running into the arms of the One who had made all things new.

Half-human. Half-monster.

"This is who we are," Emiliano covered one half of the drawing... "And this is who we want to be," he said as he revealed the other half.

I analyzed the drawing carefully. It was a face of some sort. Half of it was monstrous-- the skin was gone and only hollow bones remained. Sadness emanated from the empty eye. And the other half was a beautiful human face. Half-monster, half-human.

One week ago the GEBC team was robbed in Barrio Egipto (read previous post). The team was hurt, scared and a little confused. Why would God bring them to Colombia to work with the poor in Barrio Egipto, only to get robbed on the first day? However, we really do serve a God who can and will work all things together for good...

Pastor Elias, who heads up the ministry in Barrio Egipto, immediately began walking around the community and talking to people in Egipto. In order to put pressure on the thieves, he closed down the Buena Semilla. After two days of interrogations and conversations, some new information came to light. Apparently, in Egipto there is a law stronger than the legal law.

No one hurts anyone associated with the Buena Semilla... or else you leave the neighborhood. Or... you die.

The gang members were horrified when Elias let them know that the group they had robbed were on their way to work with the kids at the Buena Semilla. They were filled with remorse and claimed that they had no idea. They felt horrible and immediately wanted to ask the team forgiveness... and wanted to give them a glimpse into their lives.

So on Friday the team members and my mom met Elias and the gang members and their leader, Emiliano. They took turns apoligizing to the leaders and asking forgiveness. Then, they opened their hearts and shared about their lives in Egipto. They grow up only knowing violence. Most, if not all, had witness murders-- most likely, the murders of their own fathers. When the average life expectancy for men is 28, death runs rampant. They have become all but desensitized to sin and the damaging effects.

Emiliano shared a drawing he had made... allowing the GEBC team to see their internal struggle.

Half-monster. Half-human.

Oh, aren't we all? Without Christ we're tormented by conflicting desires. We know what's right, yet we don't do it... and we do what we don't want to do. We must experience the freedom in Christ, when he gives us new desires and transforms our hearts into hearts the beat to bring him glory.

This drawing was simply an explicit explanation of the human condition.

Half-monster. Half-human.

And when the team was able to forgive these men when they had nothing to offer in return... it was an explicit demonstration of the precious Gospel of Christ.

This was the message the GEBC team was able to share with gang members in Barrio Egipto. Elias had tears streaming down his face, realizing that this was an incredible breakthrough... some missionaries live a lifetime before seeing gang members repent.

And yet, this team of high schoolers from GEBC had witnessed this miracle. I wonder if they ever thought a simple prayer could do so much in so many unlikely ways.

"Use us to bring glory to your name."

A Spiritual Diagnosis

"The team was held up and robbed at knife-point."

The words came like a punch to my stomach. I felt a whirlwind of thoughts swirling through my mind at a sickening pace. I gripped my cell-phone and managed to

ask my mom, "Where? Was anyone hurt?"

"I'll tell you the story when I get home," was her only reply.

I hung up and allowed the words to sink in. Our home church (GEBC)

in the Chicago area had sent a team of 12 high school students to Colombia-- my home-- on a short missions trip. This wasn't the first time Bogota had been a GEBC missions destination, but it was the first time they were coming focused on working with the poor in the worst parts of Bogota. And working with the poor in large cities always involves risk.

Always.

I suppose it was bound to happen at some point. As a missionary family

in Bogota, we've seen, hosted and planned several mission trips to Colombia. But this was the first time any team had come into such proximity with the violent effects of sin.

After talking to my mom, more details began to fill in gaps of the story. Five men approached the group of eight as they were walking up to a children's home (Buena Semilla, which means 'The Good Seed") in Barrio Egipto. They were armed and demanded their valuables. Several cameras and cell phones, the church credit card and the pastor's wedding rings were stolen. Some of the men threatened the girls on the team, showing them their knives as a tool of intimidation. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

My thoughts kept bouncing back and forth between praying for the team and hurting for the thieves. These men probably had younger siblings or cousins who benefitted from the services that Buena Semilla offered. No doubt that they knew the pastor who had poured out his life for these people for over half a decade. And yet, they weren't free from the devastating effects of sin.

I felt my heart get heavy, as it absorbed the extent of our fall-- once again. As a passionate advocate for social justice, I find it easy to get caught up in the physical reality of these people: their hunger, their nakedness, their suffering. It's much easier to see their lack of physical resources or justice and fight for those, forgetting that these are simply symptoms of a deeper problem... a deeper sickness. The Great Physician offered the diagnosis long ago: sin.

Man wasn't simply cursed with having to eat by the sweat of his brow. Woman wasn't simply condemned to feel pain during childbirth. All of creation was cursed-- perverting our desires, our dreams, our motives, our relationships. We live in a fallen world. And working with fallen people puts us right in the middle of these fallen desires.

While these men followed their greed, they were controlled by sin.

The cry for justice must be met by a freedom from sin.

Barrio Egipto

Photograph by Rob Tracy

A Piece of Colombia

Incredible how fast three weeks can fly... and how much can happen in just twenty four days.

Carina and Deepika left on Saturday night after having spent just over three weeks in Colombia. I was so blessed by their company and loved every single day. Their visit provided me with joy and fun in the middle of an odd transition back into life in Colombia. Conversations with them were full of encouragement and I consistently was pointed back to Jesus. I enjoyed seeing Colombia through their eyes-- having wonder and awe sparked within me once again. I loved introducing them to my precious friends in Colombia, sharing with them a piece of me. And I loved having them get to know my parents, allowing them to understand me a bit more.

And quite honestly, I loved getting to know them better.

Because it would take an extremely long post to go over everything we did, I'll save you guys the novel and just give some snapshots instead.

Service

When we arrived in Colombia, the fourth grade teacher at ECA had to leave, so Carina and Deepika were able to help fill in some of the holes left behind. They put together Carina's education background and Deepika's math major and taught fourth grade math several times. Though ECA is definitely not a "needy" school, they were able to bless the teachers and administration by taking a couple classes off every one else's plate.

We were able to go to my dad's foundation (www.fimcol.org) on two different occasions. The first, we simply played with kids and then led them in a crafts project... making bookmarks. I think it'd be fair to say that the kids' favorite part was the stickers-- by far. They were thoroughly enjoying looking through stick er books and pasting them all over a 2in x 5in piece of paper. The second time we showed up unexpectedly because our plans for the day were rained on, but it turned out to be a big blessing to the foundation because they were overwhelmed and were struggling to keep the kids busy that day. We were able to play with them, teach a Bible lesson and get them ready for lunch.

In addition to this, we joined ECA high school students (grades 9 and 10) on some of

their service days. We went with the ninth graders to the Recycler's ministry (the one my class was involved with for three years) and helped at a drop in center. Though there weren't many kids there at first, it was a lot of fun just running around and playing tag. Later we were able to help kids with their homework. On the right you can see a picture of Deepika, me and

a six-year old named Claudia Camila. I've known her since she was three :)

The next day we went with the sophomores to a special needs orphanage in Bogota. I had never been to this one before, so I was quite excited. It took almost two hours to get there, but it was definitely worth the drive. The three of us worked upstairs with kids who had severe special needs and we simply fed them and held them. It was marvelous.

Later on in the trip we visited another special needs orphanage about an hour away from Bogota. The kids were older here and we worked with kids who were able to run around and talk, so they were less disabled than the previous orphanage. We played Jenga, Uno, Twister, Candyland and made crafts. Deepika had to fend off young boys who were begging her to be their girlfriend.

Trips

We took two main trips while Carina and Deepika were here in Colombia. The first was to Prado, a lake about five hours away from Bogota. Since its elevation is significantly lower than Bogota's, the weather is HOT. There we were able to read, talk, sleep, swim, ski and wakeboard. We were surrounded by beautiful scenery and amazed by God's majesty surrounding us. We had an adventure Saturday night (see previous post), but were able to see God's amazing peace working throughout the whole ordeal.

Our second trip was about two hours out of Bogota. We went to La Vega and Tobia. We spent some time at the Peñuelas finca and then we headed down to Tobia for some white-water rafting and zip-lining. Deepika was extremely scared, but was able to do it anyway. I think our rafting guide sensed her fear and tried to make her side of the boat rock more. Anyway, after lunch we zip-lined between two mountains... it was about 1200 meters long and 200 meters high, and we reached a speed of about 70 km/hour. Great stuff :) Below is a picture of our zip-lining group, minus Machi who was taking the picture :)

Tourism

I hate feeling like a tourist, but we did some of that anyway!

Firstly, we went to Chicaque, a natural park a little bit out of Bogota. This definitely isn't typical tourism... but I'll include it here anyway. We went hiking for about five hours in a cloud forest. It was definitely beautiful!! But by the end of the day, Deepika and I were about to die and Carina was just dancing up the mountains.

We went to Monserrate, a famous tourist destination in Bogota. We took a cable car up the mountain and then walked around this famous Catholic Cathedral. I'm always reminded of religion's power to enslave when I walk around Monserrate. I whispered a prayer, thanking Jesus for my freedom through his work on the cross. Monserrate is also a great place to go, because you can see the a HUGE part of Bogota from the top of a mountain. It's beautifulllllll :)

Ahh... I love it when friends visit Colombia. I love sharing this corner of the world with anyone who is willing to love it in return :)

Thanks for coming, my dear friends!