Colombia

*(names have been changes for privacy reasons)* Back into the swing of things again and I am super pumped for this year.   Remember the time that I was sharing how I felt that there was no visible fruit last year and how that was really discouraging to me, well a couple weeks ago God blessed me with being able to see some of His fruit from last year, some fruit after a year of tears and prayers.   As some of you also know that for birthdays I take the teen girls out for ice cream.   This is a good one on one time and just a time for them to get out and do something special.   First up every year is Maria.   Last year when I took her for ice cream, conversation was a little strained, a lot of her answers to my questions were just one word and lets be honest, there were a lot of awkward moments.   As this year rolled around first up again was my beloved Maria and we had an awesome time.   We laughed, we talked and she was really honest with my...

Once again its has been way to long since I wrote…. The year ended with some sad news, that one of the families that I work with in Cazuca, their father was shot and killed.   He leaves behind a 4,8 and 11yr old.   Their family owns the bar across the dirt road from Mary and whenever I go to her house I would pass their house.   I would often ask the oldest Bryan, if he was going to come play today, which often his answer was that he couldn’t because he had to stay home and work at the bar.   I remember once, when he saw me coming, he comes running out telling me how he can come and play today, “teacher, teacher”, he says to me, “today I am allowed to come, I don’t have to work.”   I often think of this little boy and how already at 11 years old, he wasn’t really allowed to be a child and how much more that’s going to be now with his father gone, as he has to be the “man” of the house.   Please keep this family in your prayers.   Unf...

I think this is the closest together that any of my blog posts have been ever. I just wanted to remind you guys to pray for our team and Colombia on Halloween.   As some of you might remember Halloween here is a little darker then it is in North America and Satan uses this day to let others know of his darkness and his power ( I am thankful that our God is greater and our God is stronger).   From 6-9pm we will be opening on of our ministries so kids can come in and have an alternative to be on the street where, especially in their neighborhood is extremely dangerous.   We need all the prayer warriors we can get so please please pray especially this time.   Pray for safety for our team and for the kids, pray against attacks and for God’s light to shine despite the darkness that is in the neighborhood we will be in. Well I am at it a couple other prayer requests.   This week I will be starting teaching sexuality to the teenage girls we have and I rea...

Again it has been awhile since I last wrote and my life has continued to be crazy.   As some of you know I was an illegal immigrant for few days, was given 30 days to leave Colombia.   Pretty crazy adventure.   For some reason I had in my head that my visa expired on September 8 th but it actually expired on September 1 st .   So by the time I realized I was already illegal for 3 days.   I had to pay a fine and was given 30 days to leave the country.   I work with four Venezuelans from the city and as I was getting ready to leave there was a family here from Venezuela visiting and it worked out that I could travel with them.   I flew to the boarder town Cucuta then did the whole walk across the boarder thing and then it was a six-hour drive to the town of Merida.   I was so thankful that I had a family to do the boarder crossing with because I probably would of sat on the side of the road and cried.   I was really blessed in...

What has been up with my life you may have ask.  Well it has been pretty crazy and kind of a whirlwind.  As some you may know my mom went in for a hysterectomy and once the operation was over they found cancer in her fallopian tubes.  It was pretty hard being away from my mom in this time, especially since she is so supportive and has always been there for me and when she needed me most here I was in Colombia.  God is good though, I went home for three weeks in July and August to spend time with my mom, and even better news is the CT Scan results showed that when they did the hysterectomy they got out all the cancer. Dr. Schpensky said there is no cancer, but Mom is doing chemo just for prevention sake.  And those of you who know my mom know that she is handling it in true Esther fashion and is so positive,  She is so strong and after three chemo treatments has not even gotten sick.  My mom is so stro...

Even though Friday is my longest day, even though it takes me an hour to get there and an hour to get back, even though there is a crazy amount of kids which results in a crazy amount of noise, to me Friday is a day of rest. Friday is the day I work up in Cazuca instead of at the school.   Friday is the day that I don’t have to worry about disciplining kids to get them ready for a “normal” school, Friday is the day where I don’t have to constantly tell children to sit still, not to fight, to get into a line, where I don’t have to talk to them about respecting others including teachers or not to lie, Friday is a day where I don’t have to hold my breath and have to remind myself to have patience. Don’t get me wrong I love what I do the other days and the “discipline” with the children is necessary. But Friday is the day where I get to color with kids, Friday is the day that I get to play legos with kids.   I have played countless games of snakes and ladders, coun...

Once again I sit knowing that it has been way to long since I last blogged and updated you about life in Colombia… Well life in Colombia continues to be life in Colombia.   Truth be told I had a couple hard months.   Looking back I say it was homesickness.   It confused me a little because I love life here in Colombia and I have no doubt that I am exactly where I am suppose to be, but it has been 16 months since I have set foot on Canadian soil, and for me that is a long time and I have decided that I am allowed to love Colombia and love being here and miss home all at the same time, its allowed.   I am doing much better though. Things at the school have been pretty tough as well.   The situations with our families just keep getting worse and at times their situations seem hopeless.   One of the continuing ed kids is being suspended, another one failed 6 of his classes and just doesn’t really show up a school and was recently expelled because ...