Colombia: Through my eyes (Days 5 & 6)

July 27 & 28, 2011

Cartagena, Colombia

Wednesday and Thursday were rough days for me. I felt terrible on and off on Wednesday and all day on Thursday. I couldn’t even write. I just ate snacks, drank lots of water, and took some medicine, but nothing seemed to make me feel better.

Wednesday was a free day for half of the team. All the members of the team who had sponsored children in Colombia got to meet their child. We all went to Cocoliso Resort, which was part of the Islas del Rosarios. When we got to the boat dock, the children were all lined up with a staff member from their project and a translator, and watching their faces as each child recognized their sponsor was absolutely amazing. The island was beautiful. I spent most of the day napping the hammocks and then swimming with some other team members and their sponsored children. Even though I didn't have a sponsored child in Colombia, the best part of the day was getting to see the children warm up to the sponsors. At first most of them were shy or grouchy, but by the end of the day, these children did NOT want to leave. It has been so cool getting to see how Compassion and the sponsors really do make a dramatic impact on the lives of these children.

Sponsor with her child and a translator on the way to Cocoliso

Thursday was our first day at the 2^nd child development center. It was obvious that this center was in a very poor neighborhood but it was still nicer than the last center we were at. They had much bigger classrooms and even electricity and fans! Although one of their bathrooms didn’t have a door and it was open to the outside area. (The second day, though, they brought a sheet to cover the opening for us.)

Even after 5 days of being here, I am still not used to the warm welcome we receiv everywhere we go. Two long lines of kids stood to greet us and lead us to our seats. Then we listened to a welcome from the pastor and also from a 10 year old boy who recited a little speech in very good English. The same boy led the group in singing the Colombian anthem while children passed out Colombia hats. Then several girls performed yet another traditional Colombian dance, which I loved.

After the welcoming ceremony we started our VBS. When we finished the music, I started feeling awful, so I sat in the principal’s office with a fan. At first I felt guilty about just sitting there, but two wonderful women on the team came to talk and pray with me. I felt good enough after lunch to go on our home visit. The coolest thing about the visit was that my group ended up going to the house of a 12 year old girl named Patricia that had clung to me ever since I stepped off the bus that morning. She lived with su mama y dos hermanas y uno hermano. 

The house was similar to the 1^st one we went to: stone, only 2 rooms, dirt floor, no running water, no bathroom, but it seemed a little bit nicer than the previous one. They even had a refrigerator, which we learned that the mother used to sell meals and fruit. A hammock was strung across the middle of the room, which I thought was kind of neat. While our translator helped up communicate with the family, a large group of kids gathered around the open doors and windows and leaned in to watch what was going on. I thought that was kind of funny. Nowhere in the US would that happen. But here, neighbors are family. ‘What’s mine is yours’ seems to apply to everyone in these communities. The idea of privacy doesn't seem to be as important here as it is back home.

Eating watermelon with Patricia's family

 The mother had prepared a tray of fruit for us and halfway through our visit, Patricia’s older sister went the fridge and got out a huge tray of sliced watermelon for us. We learned that Patricia was the only child in the Compassion program and therefore the only one able to attend the school, although I’m sure the family received some benefits as well. Patricia loves math, and she wants to be an accountant when she grows up. I had so much respect for the mother. She said the hardest part of her life was being a mom and a dad, but thanks to Jesus and the Compassion program, they were surviving. Before we left, we gave the family our home visit gifts and prayed for them. They were incredibly grateful. While I didn’t know the family’s whole story and only spent 30 minutes with them, when I left, I genuinely cared for them. 

A picture with Patricia (in the red shirt) and her family

  I started feeling sick again on the way back to the hotel, so I didn’t eat dinner. That night we had 3 guests from Compassion’s Leadership Development Program (LDP). This program was created for kids who turn 18 and are no longer eligible for sponsorship. Compassion helps them prepare for the next phase of their lives.

Our 3 guests talked to us about what Compassion has done for them. All of them suffered from physical, emotional, and financial hardships. One boy said, “sometimes we ate, sometimes we didn’t”, and the other two shared similar stories that made me sick to my stomach. It was heartbreaking. After hearing where they are now –all of them are in college pursuing a degree- and then seeing everything I’ve seen this week, I have developed a great respect and admiration for Compassion. Compassion gives these children not just money, but hope. Love. A future. God. It has been a blessing to be on this trip and see all that Compassion does, and to be a part of that hope and love for the children of Colombia.

After the presentation, we had our team meeting and worship time. A woman from the team that I had talked to earlier that day stood up and read some verses from Psalms that she thought God wanted me to hear. The other woman came over to stand by me as I started crying uncontrollably. It has just been such a struggle being sick on this trip. I hate being sick, especially away from home and without my family. I didn’t want to miss out on anything on this trip and I didn’t want anyone on the team to think I was weak or lazy. I felt like I was wasting the money of everyone who had donated money to do this mission. I was just guilty that I wasn’t able to enjoy every day completely.

After the meeting another good talk with the same two women, I started to feel better. Thursday night I spent a lot of time praying and reading my Bible, just trying to see how I could use my sickness to glorify God. But really, I just wanted to feel better. I felt cheated. I realize that nothing gets past God, but I couldn’t understand why I was so sick, especially at a time when I thought God was going to use me in a big way. I prayed that God would give me the strength to enjoy our last day in Colombia.

from Jess, with love

always