Halfway done in Colombia!! Wow the weeks are flying by. It seems like it’s Sunday every two days.
We’ve had a few new ministry opportunities these past two weeks such as the elderly home, kids picnic, prayer walk, and homeless ministry (the Broncs). Every Friday, my team and one other girls team goes to this elderly home, and we paint their nails, give them haircuts, and dance with them. Communication is a little tricky because many of them can’t speak very well/clearly, and when they can, it’s only in Spanish, so we just try to show the love of Jesus through our actions. Mieko, from my team, and I also volunteered for a kids picnic after church one Sunday, and we got to eat, play, and hangout with five 8-12 year olds for a couple hours. It was a lot of fun, especially practicing more of my spanish with them! On Wednesday we went on a prayer walk, which is exactly what it sounds like. We walked around the city and stopped in different locations to pray for the specific struggles in that area.
(holding hands with the elderly^🫶🏼)
The last, but definitely most eye opening, ministry was the homeless ministry, also known as Aguapanela. Every Wednesday, the foundation we stay in sends a group to a very very rough part of the city called the Broncs. The Broncs is full of poverty, drugs, crime, and abuse, and it is where the homeless gather every day. My team was up in the rotation this Wednesday, along with one of the guys teams for safety, so after a time of worship and a sermon, we were prayed over and sent out. We cram into in the back of a truck, and as soon as we arrive, the first thing we notice is the smell: cocane and smoke. The streets are filled with homeless people selling and doing drugs, with one super crowded area with lines of drug dealer tents. When I say this place is what you would only imagine in the movies, I mean it. It did not even feel real.
A few people stayed back by the truck to pass out bread and juice, while the rest of us split off with one or two guys and a translator in each group. We walked out into the trash-filled streets, shoulder to shoulder, and all I could think was “wow, these are real people created by God.” We stopped in an area past the drug dealer tents, and with a lot of help from the translator, we talked to and prayed over a few people. We also gave them a flyer for the foundation we’re staying in because they have a shelter where the homeless can stay the night and a few recovery programs they can join, all with the goal of pointing them to Jesus. It was a bit harder for us girls because we had to take more precautions due to safety reasons, but we still got to pray over people and be extra support for the guys.
Because other teams had gone before mine, I had heard many stories and descriptions about the Broncs, which you would think would make me feel nervous or anxious to go—but it honestly made me excited. When I got there, even though I had seen nothing like it in my whole life, I wasn’t surprised. I felt very prepared, both mentally and spiritually, and even amidst the destitution and chaos, I felt safe. I knew I was protected by the guys, but the sense of security came from deeper within: I knew I was protected by the Lord. The spiritual forces are so evident in that part of the city, but the strength of the Lord is so much greater. Even though there is so much brokenness, addiction, and evil strongholds in the Broncs and in Colombia in general, there is still so much hope for those people.
A little change of topic to what our weeks look like here… we have four ministry days, one church/Selah day, one adventure day, and one rest day. Ministry is Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, usually from 9am-12pm and then from 2-4pm. On Sundays, we go to church in the morning, clean our apartments after lunch, and then have what we call “Selah day” in the afternoon, which is basically squad bonding. We put our phones away, worship, pray, write notes, play games, and have one-on-ones to connect with each other on a deeper level. Monday is our rest day, also known as Sabbath, which is a time for us to spend with the Lord and reset for the week. Thursday is our adventure day which is so much fun! I’ve explored the city, visited a super cute town outside the city, hiked 8 miles up a mountain, and most recently gone paragliding! It’s been a great way to check things off my bucket list 😁
(cute town^)
(8 mile hike^)
(paragliding!!^)
A few other random things we’ve done throughout the weeks are worship nights, team time, baking (specifically cookies, cake, and grilled cheese), bible studies, game nights, and prayer burn. Prayer burn is from 9pm-9am, and there is at least one person awake for each hour of the night, either praying or worshipping.
(beautiful sunset^ ☺️)
(my roommate Amanda!^)
My prayer request for this week is for all the homeless people at the Broncs, and that their hearts and lives would be transformed around by Jesus! My praise is that we have gotten a lot closer both as a squad and individually these past two weeks, especially with Selah days!
That was a longer blog than usual, so if you haven’t fallen asleep by now, thank you for reading! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions, want to know more, or just want to chat! Till next time…
Mo 😊
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