Hello from your favorite World Race team! Month 3 in Colombia was pretty cool for all of us. We all loved it there and learned so much. Working with Ciudad Refugio was a blast and we all left a little part of our hearts back in Medellin. Here are some of the highlights:
Janine Hald
Colombia was definitely a game changer for me. I absolutely loved my time in Medellin and had an incredible time trying all the different types of ministry Ciudad Refugio had to offer. If you couldn’t tell from my three-part blog series (read them here: 1, 2, 3), I really loved going to the Bronx. Serving this specific population was one of the hardest and most amazing things I’ve ever been able to do. The Bronx opened my heart to a whole new understanding of compassion and love. I also really enjoyed working with the women in the recovery program. Ciudad Refugio allows recovering addicts to apply to stay at the foundation and work in the kitchen as they work through sobriety and develop their relationship with Jesus. We got to do Bible studies with the women and help them cook a few times. I wish I would have had more time to really get to know them and spend time with them.
I really loved my time in Colombia. The Bronx was one of my favorite ministries that I’ve ever done. Check out the blog I wrote about it!
Colombia taught me that following the Lord is easier than I make it out to be. Too often I get caught up in how a church operates and take my focus off of Him. Being in this incredible environment with Ciudad Refugio forced me to seek the Lord in a different way. It allowed me to strip away the “fluff” and understand what’s actually important in my relationship with God.
I absolutely fell in love with the food in Colombia. Ciudad Refugio has an adorable bakery on the first floor where men and women in the recovery program get to work. We ate all of our meals in the bakery and got to buy fresh pastries and chocolate fraps whenever we wanted. My favorite treat was the churros – donuts coated in sugar with arequipe (similar to caramel) in the middle.
I immediately fell in love with Colombia the second we drove in. God taught me a lot and created some cool friendships. From the Bronx ministry, I learned exactly how important it is to make eye contact with people to show them that they are loved and seen. We are all one decision away from where they are, and I am so thankful for God’s grace over my life that has set me free! I could very well be on the streets just like these people, but He has protected me all my life and has kept me from slipping too far. My heart broke for these people who are living in darkness, but there’s always hope for them. I saw it through the people who come to the foundation to turn their lives around. They are the ones making the very bread for the bakery that goes to the people they may have slept next to on the streets. Ciudad Refugio is a powerful ministry and God is moving so much in Medellin, Colombia!
If there’s one word to describe my time in Colombia, it’s “abundance.” I had so many powerful experiences and loved every second we were there. Read my blog to learn all about it!
Thanks for keeping us in your prayers! At the end of the month, we’ll be switching teams, which we’re pretty sad about. Please be praying for our last month together as we do construction and landscaping work in Ecuador with El Refugio.
I love learning about what I learned in Colombia!!¡
You could always just write your own thing instead of making me wing it Blaudia…
Always love the Squash updates 🙂
Me tooooo! Only one more left :,(
Happy Thanksgiving Squashes! Always looking forward to the posts!!
Thank you! Hopefully you’ll get to meet all the Squashes one day!
Yes definitely started off rough, but it’s been such an incredible 4 months with them!
I love all your nicknames for your team! Thanks for the updates. It’s sweet to see how you and your tream thrived during this month, despite challenges!