Bio-luminescence :)

I just got back from Taganga, a beautiful city on the Caribbean. Oh, how I love Colombia :)

I spent the week scuba diving and relaxing. We played plenty of card games and took naps and read... and of course, went scuba diving!

I absolutely love scuba diving. I love seeing the beautiful and unique creatures under the water. I love floating above corral. And, if I were to be completely honest, I love the weightless feeling best. If you know anything about scuba diving, then you know that the correct position to assume is a horizontal swimming position. I rarely swim horizontally. You're more than likely to find me floating upside down and spinning in circles. I love "laying" on my back and watching the bubbles float to the surface. I love the silence... well, hearing myself breathing and then being surrounded by the ocean's silence. I feel like every immersion is like pressing the "mute" button on the rest of the world.

Our last immersion was on Thursday night. Yup, night :)

I was the first one ready and rolled into the black water while I waited for everyone else to jump on in. As soon as I looked down and realized that I couldn't see anything... even seeing the faces of those in the boat. I started giggling like crazy, realizing that I was going down without a flashlight. You see, there were seven of us, but only four flashlights. My partner would have a flashlight, but I wouldn't.

Since I had to stay close to my partner the whole time, I was limited in my underwater acrobatics, which didn't help me stay warm at all. I was completely dependent on where he pointed the flashlight and I found myself getting slightly bored. I wondered how far from the group I could wander before I couldn't see them anymore. Luckily, I didn't try that one out. However, when the light wasn't shining my way, I'd just float and wave my hands back and forth, playing with the bio-luminescent plankton.

At one point, our leader had everyone turn off their lights and we just began waving our hands, kicking our legs and basically doing ANYTHING to get the water around us to move. The water was glowing green. Unbelievable.

Oh, how I love green glowy things :)

Monteria: An Overview

We arrived in Monteria around 10:00 am on Friday morning. Martha and her husband, Alfonso, were there to pick us up. Immediately, we were welcomed by their loving, latin hospitality. As we drove through Monteria, Martha began telling us about the city and the work that World Vision is carrying out there.

I was shocked to hear that 74% of the population live in slums (they call them "communities"), suriving in absolute poverty. I looked out the car window and saw nice houses, nice cars and nicely dressed people. And these are the 26% who are rich... I thought to myself, feeling slightly nauseated by the contrast. She continued to tell us that Monteria was a microcosm of the problems Colombia faces-- the corruption, the poverty and the violence. Every day, she told us, there were deaths. Drug trafficking was quite common and most deaths were related to the cartel.

Though I learned in my classes this last year that Colombia had achieved universal primary education, I saw first hand that many children roam the streets, unable to enter the overcrowed public schools and incapable of affording private schools.

We visted ASODESI, a World Vision sponsored school where Martha is the director. There, she gave us a tour and told us more about the work they do. From there, we went into one of the slums, La Candelaria. One of the school staff members accompanied us and we visited a family whose children went to ASODESI. They graciously welcomed us into their humble home and offered us chairs to keep us from sitting on the dirt floor. They shared with us the difference World Vision has made in their lives and their gratitude toward God and the work that they do. Polo, their 12 year old son, proudly sang a typical coastal song for us. He then told us that his dream was to one day become a veterinarian.

I later asked Martha if this was an attainable dream, or if that's all it'd ever be... a dream. She fervently shook her head and assured me that because of his education at ASODESI there was definitely a possibility of him one day becoming a veterinarian. I smiled.

Saturday and Sunday we traveled with Martha, Alfonso and their 13 year old son Felipe, to Tolú and Coveñas-- two coastal cities. We were able to spend time on the beach and swimming together. My mom and Martha were able to talk for hours. It was clear that she was often lonely and didn't know who to share the struggles of her job with. She was able to pray and share this burden with my mom. I know she was deeply blessed by this time together.

Monday morning we on our way to ASODESI bright and early: 5:30 a.m. The weather is incredibly hot all year round, making it impossible to do much in the afternoon. Most schools start at 6:00 a.m. to take advantage of the coolness of morning. The temperature easily reaches 40ºC (99ºF) every day for a couple of hours... finally cooling down some by 8:00 p.m. But even then, I slept with a fan on and absolutely no sheets every night, still waking up warm.

At 6:00 a.m., we participated in a teachers' meeting at ASODESI. They had a small devotional and then shared with us more about the school. Of the 650 students, the vast majority sponsored by World Vision. The kids still pay a small amount every month (about $15 USD). However, there are many who still can't afford to attend. These $15 obviously don't cover the costs involved with running a school. Martha continuously worries about the sustainability of the school.

Around 8:30, my mom was given the floor... she began speaking to the 48 staff members about the importance and value of their jobs. She then asked me to share 15-20 minutes about what kind of impact my teachers had on my life. Believe me, I had plenty of material to fill. She continued speaking about education and personal development for the next five hours. I was amazed at their ability to focus for seven hours (6:00 am to 1:00 pm), sitting in a room with the temperature steadily rising.

After the "conference" we met with the English teachers for a while. One of the school's emphasis is English as a tool to break the chains of generational poverty. The English teachers were all from Monteria and had learned English at the university there. However, their English was quite limited. One of them had never spoken to a native English speaker before. I was shocked. They had no text books, yet were expected to teach poor children English in crowded classrooms with little to no materials. Wow.

The next day was pretty similar to the first. We shared ideas about how to make classes more didactic. I was able to share a lot about my teachers' teaching methods and we played a lot of games. It was quite fun.

On Wednesday morning we were invited by Samuel (the music and art teacher) to visit the community with him. I was ecstatic. We weren't sure, however, if we were going to be supporting an event his church was having or if we were actually running the event. We arrived at the community and found dozens of kids waiting inside the church for us. Turns out, we were running the event :).

We quickly got organized and split responsibilites. Thankfully, we had bought 90 eggs and the church had hard-boiled them for us. We brought an Easter egg decorating kit with us and decided that would be our hands-on activity. Samuel and I sang songs with the kids in 90º weather and then my mom shared a Bible story. We then broke up into groups and had them color eggs. They absolutely loved it and then were able to bring an egg home with them to eat later.

Wednesday was by far my favorite day of the trip. Samuel insisted that we were always welcome there. His dad was the pastor of the church and they are committed to seeing transformation and redemption in the lives of the community members.

Thanks for your prayers :) I'll continue sharing reflections about specifc parts of the trip in time.

Monteria

As I type this, I'm wearing a hoodie and socks.

I'm almost in shock that I'm wearing that much clothing... I just got back from Monteria, a coastal city in Colombia where the heat in unbearable. Wow, I really am heat intolerant. No joke, it was 30 C (about 87F) at 6:00 or 7:00 pm. Sitting felt like a task, because the heat simply drained any and all energy I had. Days began extremely early due to the heat... my COLD shower at 5:00 am felt refreshing because I felt HOT as soon as I woke up.

Anyway, it's nice to be back in Bogota again, though I loved Monteria.

I'll be posting several posts (every couple of days) about different aspects of our little missions trip to Monteria. The first will probably come some time tonight :)

With that, I shall conclude :)

Thanks for your prayers these last couple of days!

Get Involved with Egipto

True to my word, here I am sharing with you guys how you can get involved with what God is doing in Egipto.

They have finished bargaining for a piece of land within the neighborhood. The dream for this lot is to have the following

1. A rehabilitation center for gang members (art and other activities)



2. School reinforcement, homework support and cafeteria for children



3. Crisis attention center for women and children



4. Church

The 300 meter lot costs $52,000,000 Colombian pesos (about $30,000 USD)... Each square meter costs $176,000.000 Colombian pesos (about $100 USD). If 300 people purchase one meter, then the Buena Semilla can begin developing the projects mentioned above.

Get your youth group involved, your student organization, your family or your friends... buy one square meter and be part of the work God is already doing in Egipto!!

If you're interested in purchasing a square meter (or meters!!) ... let me know, either through comments, Facebook, email (vivi.afanador@gmail.com) or any other way. I will let you know what to do next :)

Criminal

"Un criminal-- criminal-- de las calles de Egipto... criminal..."
I shivered, not knowing if it was the cold or the lyrics... either way, I zipped my jacket up some more. A criminal-- a criminal-- off the streets of Egipto... criminal. That line kept repeating itself over and over and over in my mind.


NOTE: This post is sort of a continuation of several posts. To get the most out of it, I recommend you go back and read "A Spiritual Diagnosis," "Half-Human, Half-Monster," and "Wow, Wow, Wow :)."


I sat there trying to wrap my mind around the situation. Yes, I was really sitting in Egipto-- one of the most notoriously dangerous neighborhoods in Bogota-- after dark. Yes, I really had walked up the hill, greeted gang members and entered the Buena Semilla. I really was watching three gang members perform a song they had composed: "Criminal." Yes, Elias really was preaching the Gospel to gang members and their families in Egipto. What ever happened to normalcy? I whispered this to my mom and we started laughing... I tried imagining explaining this to friends... Maybe during the "what I did this summer" talks once I was back at school... I couldn't quite imagine it.

So, I'm not even sure how to explain what happened or what we did because I feel like the focus of activity was much more internal than it was external. But oh well, I'll try... and of course, there will be plenty of my processing going on as well :)

True to latin schedule, my parents and I arrived at Las Aguas Transmi station around 5:50pm-- 10 minutes before the program in Egipto was "begining." We figured we'd still be fine, considering it was a five minute taxi ride. However, no taxis were willing to take us to Egipto. Really? I gave an exasperated sigh and suggested we walk. The look my dad gave me was enough to let me know that I should keep my dumb suggestions to myself. Eventually, we caught two different buses and got to Egipto... at 6:30.

I was really worried we had missed most of the program, but my worries were in vain, because they hadn't even started. As we walked up to the Buena Semilla, I saw several men standing outside the door. The smell of cigarettes and alcohol was undisguised. I unwillingly admitted that if I encountered any of these men on the street under any other circumstances, I would be terrified. Anyway, we were warmly welcomed and we entered the Buena Semilla. There, Elias gave us a small tour of how it has changed. The patio had about 70 chairs (I'm REALLY bad at estimating, but that's my guess) set up in front of a big screen.


My mom then introduced me to Andres, one of the six who mugged theGEBC team. He's an artist and painted a mural in the Buena Semilla home. One quote caught my eye: "Porque la buena semilla es la palabra de Dios (Because the good seed is God's word)."I smiled. We talked for a while and he told me about his one-year old daughter.

Later, I was introduced to Emiliano (AKA Niga) who is the gang leader, seeking peace. He had a scar running down the left side of his face and he was missing several teeth. Though his appearance was quite intimidating, I felt extremely comfortable and welcomed in his presence. My mom later shared with me that he had been abandoned in Egipto's park as a small child. One of the gang's decided to care for him and would bring him food. For much of his early childhood, he grew up under makeshift structures in the park, depending on the gang for food. The gang leader during that time was Victor (recently killed in January). Victor became much like a father to Niga and took him under his wing. It wasn't long until Niga fully joined the gang, and recently becoming the new gang member after Victor's death.

Soon, the program began. Elias shared the Gospel... he assured these men and women that God was searching for them... he was pursuing their hearts, with arms wide open, ready to welcome them into his family. He promised them change and redemption was possible. I looked around me, my soul consumed by prayer, but my mind trying to gage how many were listening to these words of Truth.

Then, Niga shared that while in prison most recently, he was able to learn a lot about music and he began composing songs. They made a music video (you can watch it here) with the help of a man from Elias' church. He shared about the violence and the criminal activity that they were surrounded by.

Then... then they began rapping. They apologized for growing up on the streets of Egipto. My heart broke. As if they even had a choice. I watched these men and tears blurred my eyes. They were all under 30 and had literally witnessed nightmares. The lyrics spoke of blood running down the streets. I wondered how much of that blood belonged to their loved ones. I asked myself how many deaths they had been part of and how many widows and orphans they had comforted. These questions pained my heart.

This... this was their existence. A miserable life. They admitted that they had seen and experienced things that should never happen--ever-- and yet... they do.

At the end, Andres walked us down to the bottom of the hill. I smiled, comforted by the presence of our "bodyguard." During our conversation he said something heartbreaking... "But you need money... because in this world, without money... you're nothing."

My first reaction was to fight that comment. Money ISN'T everything!! I wanted to tell him... I wanted to make him see. But then, another thought popped into my head. And who are you-- you who have never been hindered by a lack of money-- to tell this to Andres? Its true... I've never been hindered. Sure, I can't afford to go shopping every weekend, or buy the nicest brands, or go on expensive cruises or buy fancy makeup... but those aren't limitations. These men truly have been limited in their life, their choices and their opportunities because of a lack of resources.


I really don't understand hunger. I don't understand cold or sickness. I don't understand poverty or desperateness. I don't understand violence. I don't understand death. And not only do they understand these profoundly and intimately, but its all they've ever known.

Why?

Why have I been blessed so much? Why do I have two, healthy parents who love me? Why do I have the privilege of higher education? Why have I been gifted with bilingualism? Why do I have the capacity to think analytically? Why was I born into a Christian family? Why have I been so sheltered from death? Why can I afford vacations? Why do I have a laptop, camera and an iPod? Why am I literate and own a Bible in various languages and translations? Why can I go to a doctor when I'm sick?

And this list could go on, could it not?

Probably one of the most frightening verses (for me, personally) is in Luke... "To those who have been given much, much will be required." I cannot deny or ignore that I-- and if you're reading this, then you too-- have been given much!

I feel overwhelmed. I feel that I have been given sooo much, and I struggle under the weight of those implications. My talents, my gifts, my blessings MUST be invested in the Kingdom. It cannot be any other way. I don't want to cheapen the significance of Christ's death by simply "living abundantly" and serving and filling any desire of my flesh. Oh, our Savior died for so much more than that!!

May the blessings I have been given be used to bless others. May those in Egipto be blessed through our lives... and through the redemptive work of Christ.

Note: As I learn of more ways you can help the ministry in Egipto, I will certainly let you know! But for now... prayer is vital!

Lit by Lightning

The entire valley lit up with a flash of lightning. I waited for the sound of thunder but there was only silence. As the silence engulfed me, I wondered if I had imagined the lightning... after all, there was no thunder. Just before I turned my head, another brilliant flash from heaven paralyzed me.

No, definitely did not imagine it.

I grabbed a jacket, put some sweatpants on and headed outside. There, surrounded by beautiful gardens, I sat on a stone wall looking over a valley covered in trees. The city of Paipa sparkled, its lights nestled in the mountains. The fresh air was intoxicating, instantly refreshing. And then, then there was the lightning.

And as I sat there, watching God put on a marvelous light show, I simply prayed. I wasn't sure how to approach such a majestic God, when I was overwhelmed by his power and beauty. But it was impossible for thanksgiving and praise to NOT flow from my heart... I was literally unable to move for a while, simply overcome by the lightning flashing over the valley.

Saturday morning, my family left for Paipa (a city about 3.5 hours away from Bogota). One of my dad's old friends offered his house up for us, so we could get away from the city. Upon arrival, I was shocked to see the house. It is honestly one of the most beautiful houses I have ever seen. I'll try to get some pictures up later...

But anyway, I've had the most relaxing time... I've enjoyed spending extended time with God... simply reading the Bible and praying. Especially praying... There isn't much to do here, except sit outside and read. I've been refreshed, comforted and encouraged through Scripture. I've sense God removing fears, confirming dreams and encouraging my heart.

Yesterday I journalled extensively on Barrio Egipto. I promise I'll write a post about Egipto and the movie and the gang... I'm just still struggling to process it all.

Please, continue to lift this neighborhood up and the people living there. Pray for Pastor Elias as God has opened new doors for ministry... Pray for protection. Pray for Emiliano (Niga)-- the gang leader-- who has expressed the desire to change. Pray for the rest of the gang... that they would catch the vision of transformation and that they'd turn to Jesus as Savior. Pray for the children in that neighborhood, as they grow up surrounded by violence... ask that God would protect them and heal their hearts.

Please... Pray for Barrio Egipto.

Wow, Wow, Wow :)

I write with much excitement. In fact, my typing is pretty awful... I've been making quite a bit of typo's as I try to write because I'm just simply excited and amazed by the work of God's hand. So please, be gracious and forgive any spelling errors you may find :)

Some of you may remember some posts a couple of weeks ago concerning the team from GEBC and their robbery in Egipto. If not, feel free to go back and read them ("A Spiritual Diagnosis" and "Half-Human, Half-Monster"). Anyway, I write as a follow-up...

God has been doing MUCH in Barrio Egipto since the weeks following the robbery. He has softened the hearts of the gang members and allowed Pastor Elias to see a way into the lives of the gang members in Egipto. They have been brainstorming about various ways they can keep teenagers off the streets and a life free from violence. You see, in Egipto, the life expectancy for men is a mere 27 years!! Violence and criminal activity has marked their reality for decades.

And yet, there is so much hope for change!

Elias talked with the gang leader and asked how they could support the disbandment of his gang. He admitted that they had been working on a documentary/movie about their lives and would love to finish it and show it to the neighborhood. Tonight is the official movie opening. The gang has spread the news and has invitedall gang members in Egipto to come and watch it tonight at the Buena Semilla. They insisted that Elias share the Gospel...

So tonight, my family has the privilege of gathering with 50 plus gang members to watch a movie about their lives and the hear the Gospel preached. They have showed signs of recognizing that Christ really is the only one who can break their generational sin, but haven't made concrete steps toward Calvary yet...

Anyway... I'm not very eloquent right now, because I'm simply amazed and blown away by all that God has been doing in and through the lives of this gang.

I ask that you pray... pray for tonight in a special, special, special way. The event is scheduled to be held from 6:00-9:00 pm. Lift this gathering up to Jesus. Pray that no scheme of the enemy would prevail. Ask that God would unleash his power and rain down his mercy and love. That tonight would be remembered as a night where Egipto experienced Jesus.

By the way... you can read more about all that has been happening as a result of the robbery here:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/fundaci%C3%B3n-buena-semilla/the-last-week-testimony/1799482718146

Elisa

"And I went to South Africa..."

I smiled and decided to go with it, "No way! How'd you get there?!?"


"Walking. And then I didn't know where to go, so my Papa told me to get a bus. So we took a bus," three-year old Elisa stated very matter-of-factly. This time, I couldn't hold it in and I just started laughing. My laughter egged her on and she continued telling me about her crazy adventures in South Africa... when she walked there.


This last weekend we went to Prado (again). My family tends to go there quite often, and sometimes, the trips begin to blur together. However, this trip will stand out in my memory quite distinctively because we had little Elisa along. She was quite the bundle of joy and energy. She had us laughing most of the time with her exciting stories and energetic activities. Every time she laughed, my heart swelled. I loved tubing with her... yes, that's right. We rode the tube together and I held on to her and the tube for dear life :). I loved listening to her talk and ask questions. Dani Ochoa and I spent plenty of time simply being with Elisa. It was fabulous.

The way she adored her Daddy was precious. Seriously, there was no one who could top her Daddy... because he was "sooo tall... to the sky!" and he was "sooo strong" and "soooo funny." She shrieked with joy when he tickled her and she was thrilled to have him play "tiger" (or tag) with her. "Papa" were the first words out of her mouth when she was excited about something. Ah, it was so beautiful.


Though I absolutely love kids (love, love, love, love them) I've always been a little hesitant when it comes to thinking of having my own. Yes, I know I'm definitely not ready to have kids. But, in high school most of my friends were always like, "Ah, I can't wait to have my own kids!" and I never seemed to identify with that. I mean, yes, I want to be a mom eventually and I want to have a family... but that desire for my OWN (definitely want to adopt) kids has never been too strong.


But I will say this... for some reason, being around Elisa and watching her interact with her Papa, got me a teensy-bit more excited for that stage of life in the future.


Anywayyy... as always, Prado was extremely relaxing and beautiful. It provided me with plenty of time to sit and think,
surrounded by God's majesty, secluded from "the real world." I
was blessed to have Dani Ochoa along this time :) and LOVED spending time talking with her about life and what not... Perhaps one of the most memorable conversations-- simply memorable because of the circumstances-- took place under the most amazing stars... where we stayed up talking until we hear the rooster crow!


PS- If you get my blog by email and would like to KEEP getting it by email, please reply and let me know. If not, I'll remove you from the list as to not fill your inbox with junk :)

Paper Frogs

My heart has been extremely sensitive to the homeless and the beggars on the streets of Bogota recently. This summer I've spent a lot of time on public transportation and walking to and from my tutoring classes. I've always seen beggars, but for some reason, it has hit me harder this summer.

As I walk to my tutoring classes where I'll be making more money in one hour than they need to eat that day, I get extremely uncomfortable. And my heart hurts knowing that giving them some change won't really produce any change. Buying them lunch or getting them a bag of rice won't break the chains of poverty they're bound to. My heart hurts.

I guess its as simple as that.

My heart hurts.

Today as I was paying my fare on the bus, I noticed a man was handing something out to people sitting down. I didn't think much of it, because this happens often. People get on buses and try to sell little toys, pencils or candies. But when I sat down I realized that he was handing out folded pieces of notebook paper. He began talking and my heart broke. He had a severe mental handicap and was trying to sell "paper frogs"... four of them for twenty cents.

Twenty cents.

I gave him what few coins I had and whispered a prayer.

Job Update

Ahhhh!

I'm really quite excited right now :)

I'm packing to go to Prado for the weekend, so my spirit is soaring high. I absolutely love Prado. I'm really looking forward to relaxing in such a beautiful corner of the world.

And. And. And. And...

Next week I'm going to be working with World Vision almost every day. They are having a regional conference and I'm going to help by being on the planning team. I'm really excited about this opportunity.

It seems like just yesterday I was going crazy because I was just tutoring... oh, oh, oh. Things are changing :)