God Speaks in Other Languages!

My last week in Colombia I had an awesome opportunity to serve in Villeta, a town outside of Bogotá, on a service trip with my Colombian youth group.  They do a service trip, called Tour Kairos, for a week long during break every year in different cities in Colombia to support and encourage one of their sister churches. It was a huge blessing from God and the best way to finish my time (for now) in Colombia! It was a week of Spanish Immersion while serving the Lord with many Colombian loved ones God has placed in my life!

Tour Kairos 2013 

There was a group of about 15 of us from my church (Centro De Desarollo Cristiano) in Bogotá.

The Kairos 2013 Team!

Every morning we would wake up at 4:30 to walk over to the city colosium to pray for the Cuenta Regresiva Concert that was going to happen the last night we were there.

VBS with the kiddos!

Afterwards, we would return to the church to do a Vacation Bible School for the children and have a skit, game, songs, & Bible Story with them. I learned some pretty awesome children's songs in Spanish that will definitely come in handy on The World Race next year!




In the afternoons we had "jovenes" or youth group where it was focused on "Resistencia" or Resistance...like resisting things of this world.  The focus verse was:

Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

 I was also able to get to know some of the high school youth in the community which was great.

At night we would go to the town's central park and do evangelism.  We invited people to the concert, sang a couple worship songs, did a skit, had a message, and prayed.  Then we went around to the people to talk to & ask for prayer requests to pray for them.  Starting conversations in Colombian for me is so much easier because people were so curious about where I was from and why I was in Colombia -- a great conversation starter and segway to what God is doing in my life!

Camping!

Then on Friday night another youth group came and about 55 high school youth including ours went to a finca (farm) outside of villeta and went camping! We had a campfire and this was my favorite part of the week:

Aniz, Tatiana, Paola, & myself camping!

An 8 year old boy named Mateo had been my shadow all week because his mom was our cook at the church and he was super intrigued with my English.  He was sitting next to me by the fire & I asked him if I could pray for him and so I did--in Spanish.

Then there was a time for just us praying to the Lord outloud by ourselves and I was praying to God in English because it's easier for me to pray to God in English. Then we were singing worship songs in Spanish.

Mateo & I at the Cuenta Regresiva concert!

Mateo asked me (in spanish for course), "Why are you singing in Spanish?" in which I replied, "Because I'm in Colombia and we sing in Spanish here." Then he asked "Then why were you praying in English earlier??" I replied "Because it's difficult for me to pray in English becasue my language with God has been English for most of my life." Then he went on saying, "No it's not! It's easy...you were praying for me in Spanish earlier and it was good."  I replied with a smile on my face, "yeah Mateo..you're right...I need to learn to pray to God in Spanish."

Little did I know I was going to pray in Spanish in front of the entire youth only a few minutes after that moment! God's so great like that! Always there to prepare us and give us confidence when we need it!
 

Campfire (When God Spoke Through Me!)

Then our leader Alejo was walking around the fire and talking and started talking about Resistencia and he started talking about a friend of his who comes to mind that is a good example of denying things of the world and following the Lord.  The more he talked about this person the more I realized "Wait a minute...is he talking about me?!" Then he called me up to the front in front of everyone!

He then proceeded with this next set of Questions & my answers:

Where are you from? The United States
Exactly where in the United States? Nebraska
And what do you miss about Nebraska? steak! (haha)
And why did you come to Colombia? Because God called me

Then he went on explaining how I left my country, family, friends, culture, favorite food, and more for the sake of serving the following the Lord.

He then asked these next questions:
Do you want to have a boyfriend someday? Um......yeah...
And do you want to get married someday? Um....yeah...I would like to (thinking where the heck are you going with this?!?!)
And what's the number one thing you look for in a future spouse?  That He loves the Lord more than He loves me
And do you want to live a pure life? Yes!!!! (It was at this point in my head God told me to speak about purity)
And when do you want to have a boyfriend? Um...when God wants me to have a boyfriend...

He then went on talking about the first time he heard me answer that way he was impressed and how we should wait on the Lord's timing and trust the Lord and not just have a boyfriend/girlfriend or someone just because it's what the world says we need to do.

He then asked me to pray for the whole group that we would resisit things of this world and wait on the Lord (which at this point because of the Mateo incident I was confident in praying outloud in Spanish) but before I asked Alejo if I could say something first and he let me.

This is what came out of my mouth:

I'm 24 years old but when I was about 15 years old I was at a campfire like this and the speaker said he started a journal for his future wife. I thought it was a cool idea! So I started one.  Then two years ago I stopped writing in it because I was waiting for my future husband more than the return of Christ.  I was more excited to know who my future husband was than seeing Christ someday! I do want to get married some day but if that doesn't happen it's okay because we, the Christians, are the bride of Christ. The Bible says that one day Christ is going to return, take us home, and we're going to have a wedding that is way better than any wedding or marriage will ever be on this earth and we need to get prepared!

Then I went into a purity talk in Spanish and how we should stay pure and live a pure life physically not just for our future spouse but more importantly for the Lord and to glorify and honor Him in all that we do!

Then I ended up praying in Spanish (with confidence that Mateo spoke to me) asking the Lord to give us strength to resist the things of this world.  It's hard praying in Spanish because you have to use a form of subjunctive that we don't even use or have to think about in English.  That night my friends from church told me that was the best they had ever heard me speak Spanish.  That's when I knew it was ALL God speaking.

The next day a few of the high school girls and also a guy came up to me to thank me for the talk and that it really spoke to their heart. 

That was the first time I had felt that God was speaking through me in SPANISH. I was in awe at how great our God is and give Him all the Praise and Glory for speaking through me because that's exactly what I want! That's the reason why I want to learn Spanish!

It was like the 3rd to last night I was in Colombia and I take it as God saying, "Alright Allie...you're ready for this race!...just be willing and I WILL use you & speak through you in the Spanish speaking countries for MY glory."

Recyclers!

I know I asked for prayer requests to see the recyclers one last time.  Praise & thank the Lord that He permitted me to see them! I went to their house the Monday before my flight & they were there so I was able to give them a few things I was leaving in Colombia, talked with them, and then prayed for them.  The oldest girl has Facebook so I'm still able to stay in contact with them and if/when I go back I can know where they're living to see them again. Praise God!

Departing Colombia But Feeling Extremely Loved

Then came Monday and a bunch of my friends from church came to the airport to send me off! Some were even surprises that I didn't know were going to come. It was the best goodbye I have ever had! I felt so loved. They prayed for me, we hugged, and then I got on the plane and cried.  It was one of the biggest bittersweet moments of my life knowing what I'm leaving behind but looking forward to what lies ahead.

My Dearly Loved Colombian Friends!!

Prayer Requests

 Right now I'm back home in Nebraska....for the next 6 months.  I have some pretty big prayer requests though:

1. Pray for my heart...it hurts. I love being with my family but it's hard being away and I'm going through reverse culture shock and it's so weird!

2. Pray that God brings opportunities in my life here to serve Him.  Since leaving the Recyclers & my church jovenes group & playing in the praise band I feel like I don't have much purpose here (which is definitely a lie)

3. Pray for Spanish Speaking opportunities!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5. Pray that I don't take for granted the precious time I have to spend with my family during these 6 months!

4. Pray for this to be a time where I can get even deeper in my relationship with the Lord before heading out again on The World Race.





 

The Recyclers & God's Faithfulness!

This blog post is a recap of the year on how God has been faithful in allowing me to not only serve in El Camino Academy as the 5th grade teacher but also outside of the school in a poor community near my apartment and this is the story:

A Call to Pray
It all started back in August when I would run past a community made of shacks that lie between very nice huge apartment buildings.  It's located along the bike path that I run on which is behind my apartment complex and it's only like 4 city blocks away from where I live. Every time I ran past it, God put an urge in my heart to pray for that community--that his love would shine and that His glory would fall and that He would reign in those peoples' hearts.  I would see little kids playing outside in their torn clothes and my heart would melt and be filled with compassion. So for my first semester here all I did was pray and towards the end asking the Lord of an opportunity to start a relationship with them. 

A Culture to Learn
 It was in January when I started investigating about the culture of that community.  I came to learn that it was a "recycling community" meaning it was made up of people who live off of things found on the streets and sell things that could be recycled and keep the rest of it to live off it. One of the teachers at our school has worked with this type of community before but in a different area of Bogotá so I was able to ask him about the culture.

A Call to Obey
After more time of little spurts of prayer whenever it crossed my mind, I was running one day and ran past a few of the girls that were playing with a jump rope.  I said "Hola chicas" to them and they responded "Hola!" with beautiful smiling faces.  I just kept running though.  About 1 and a half minutes later and almost arriving to my apartment complex God convicted me and I heard "Now's your chance to introduce yourself!" After second guessing and thinking it'd be weird to return  I decided I just had to trust and obey no matter how uncomfortable it was.  I returned and the girls asked me if I was from the united states and I told them yes.  At this time I still wasn't SUPER confident with my Spanish but we had a broken converstion and I got to know their names and played with them and even learned a jump rope game in Spanish!  It made my heart so filled with joy knowing that God had answered what I had been praying for for such a long time!

A Faithful Answer
A couple months went by and I would greet them and play with them sometimes when I saw them on my runs.  I then wanted to introduce myself to their parents because I didn't want to be the weirdo creepy gringa that stopped by and played with their kids.  I was praying for an opportunity to introduce myself and again more time had passed.  Finally one day another teacher and I were going to go outside and just relax, read, and worship with my mandolin.  Before we did that I asked her if we could just take a short walk down to the recycling community just to see if the kids are outside.  So I took my mandolin and we made our way down there.  One of the girls, let's call her V :), was outside of her house. We sat down and talked with her and I asked her questions about Jesus but my spanish was still too broken at that point to really do anything.  I ended up learning that she was taking in English class in her school. She went inside and got her english notebook and she was showing us what she was learning.  Then she asked about my mandolin and I played it and we sang "Eres Todopoderoso" Then I remembered that I wanted to introduce myself to her parents. I asked them if they were home and she told me her mom was.  They invited us into her house and I introduced myself and we talked a little bit too.  It was so great! Another moment where God was faithful and answered that prayer!!

A Disappointed Heart
Then it was in March when I went to the Amazon for a week and after coming back from the Amazon I didn't see them for a LOOOOOONG time.  The other teacher and I stopped by their house once and there were people there but no one I knew. They said they didn't know anyone with the names I asked for. I was really confused and it had been so long that I questioned myself if I had even remembered the right names.  After that I was thinking that maybe they had moved and that the time with the recyclers was over.  Even though they weren't there I still prayed for that community every time I ran past it.

A Renewed Hope!

This is V at the park!

Then, it was about 3 weeks ago when I ran past the community again thinking MAYBE I would see someone I knew.  I passed it and no one was there. My hope of seeing them again had left. Then a couple seconds later while I was running toward the street I saw a girl and her mom walk towards me.  They both had big smiles on their faces and I couldn't believe it but it was V and her mom! We greeted each other and talked about how we hadn't seen each other for a really long time.  I asked her how school was going and her english class. She said good but the English teacher left. I told them that I was leaving July 2 and not returning but I wanted to see them again before I left. They agreed and said they're home on the weekends.  Then I got an idea and I asked her if she'd like it if I taught her a little English before I left.  She was really excited and her mom said it was okay. She asked if we could sing the song about Jesus too. I told her of course I'll bring my mandolin and we can sing songs to Jesus!

V, her cousin a, and I at our Second Lesson!

Lesson #1 (Saturday May 25)
Three Saturdays ago I went to her house at 10 a.m. for our first lesson. We ended up going to a small park behind it with monkey bars and a slide. Her two cousins came with us. She brought her notebook and pens and we read Genesis 1 in Spanish but then I would tell her some of the words in English and she would write it down. We then played and talked and her cousin came out too and they told me about how sometimes they see a "ghost" in their house that scares them. At first I asked if they were talking about a movie and they told me "no...es real!" Of course right away my mind goes to demons and spiritual things like that. We ended up playing some more and I took out my mandolin and we sang some songs.  It was great!

Lesson #2 (Saturday June 1)
The next Saturday I went at 10 a.m. again and I taught her the alphabet. I asked her more about the "Ghost" and they told me it was more like a zombie and that the little girl has seen it's "face" I told them that Jesus is bigger than Zombies and we can pray that Jesus makes them leave.  So I prayed in Spanish and they ended up turning into a repeat after me prayer. It was super cool.  Then afterwards we sang "Eres Todopoderoso" to Jesus.  Then, we played tag again and it was time for me to leave.

Lesson #3 (Saturday June 8)

V & I with the other precious girls from the community after
playing an exhausting game of tag and singing songs to Jesus!

So this lesson wasn't really an English lesson at all.  She just wanted to talk and play.  I taught her the song "Es por Ti" that I wrote last fall. Then 5 other girls from the community came to play!! It was so great! We played tag and then they knew the song Eres todopoderoso and they wanted another one so I taught them "Es por Ti" and I asked them Es para quieeeen?!?! and they reponded Jesúuuuuuuuuuuus!!!" It was super adorable and a lot of fun.  Again my heart was so full of joy! V told me that her break from school starts this Friday which is awesome because then it's possible I could go over to their house during the afternoons these next couple weeks.  But then she told me she was going to her aunt's house and the other girls said they may or may not be there either. They asked if I was coming tomorrow (Sunday June 9) and I told them that I would try and I could at 8 in the morning since I wasn't playing in the praise band this Sunday.

These girls wanted to learn the mandolin
so I taught them a few chords :) 

Lesson #4 (Sunday June 9) 
So, I went for a run this morning and then ended up finishing it at their house since it's on the bike path I run on.  It was 7:55 and I knocked.  V was ready to go to the park! Then we went there and talked and ran because she said she likes running.  The other girls came out and we played again but I didn't stay for long since I had to get back to shower and go to church and that's where I leave you at with this story of patience and faithfulness. 

It's not only been awesome and encouraging to see and experience God's faithfulness but also learning about God's timing.  I would have loved to have started something like this last Fall. However, God knew it was my first year of teaching and that I needed to focus on that for the time being. Also, God knew my Spanish still wasn't that good until now where I can have a conversation with the girls about Jesus and pray with them! God knows best, sees the whole picture, and we just have to trust Him.

I have three weeks left in Colombia and for the last one I will be on an outreach trip with the jovenes group from my church.  So, really I only have two more weeks with the recyclers, V, and her friends.  It gets me excited knowing that I will be doing things like this on The World Race in many different countries next year and it's like God was preparing me for the "time limit" because this has only been about a month and I'll be in each country for a month.

It's possible I won't see these girls again and today may have been the last time.  I'm going to try and go back to her house a couple more times before I leave and pray that she is there when I go but if not please join me in continuing to pray for this community and that seeds were planted and trusting that God will someday to make it grow!

Your Love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Psalm 36:5

Delight in the Lord's Will, Don't Sulk In It!

There are only 8 days of school left! My first year of teaching is ALMOST OVER!!

In these last couple weeks the Lord has been teaching me a lot.  I'd like to take some time and share it with you. :)

Ever since accepting the trip of "The World Race" starting next January (2014), I had been sulking in God's will.  I know that this is where God is leading me and couldn't be MORE EXCITED but in the midst of that excitement I have been left really sad knowing I'm leaving these dearly loved people in a couple months.

This is what I've been fighting against:
I don't want to live in the states for 6 months!
I don't want to leave these people I love!
I don't want to leave this school!
I don't want to leave these students! 
I don't want to leave this country!
I don't want to leave this daily fresh baked cheap bread!
I don't want to leave this delicious fruit!
I don't want to leave this culture!
I don't want to leave this language!

The truth is after every church service ever since I accepted "the race" I return home around 2 p.m. and just start crying because it hurts me to know I will not be seeing these dearly loved people for a while. Thankfully each Sunday that goes by it gets easier to accept the fact that I'm not returning next year.

A couple Sundays ago I was sitting in church and the Lord gave me this: Delight in My Will.

I wrote it down and took a moment to think about why I wrote that down. I realized I was being convicted and had not been delighting in The Lord & His Will.  I had been sulking in it.  I had been fighting against it...with the spirit of Jonah not wanting to go to Ninevah. Not to that extent...I really do want to go on this Latin American trip but if I had it my way I'd want it to be either right when I get back or stay in Colombia until it begins. 

However, the truth is I have decided and think the smartest thing to do is to live back in the states for 6 months to earn money & save it up while fundraising and preparing for the trip. Thank you to all of those who were praying for me while I made this decision. 

Ever since being convicted of it I've been trying to think more positive such as:
-things above and not of this earth (colossians 3:2)
-things that are true, noble, pure, excellent and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8)
-In the goodness of God & how He is our delight & eternal satisfaction. (psalm 35:9)

I should delight and find my joy in God's will that is being done in my life right now which is to serve and love Him by spending time with these people and enjoying these final few months I have here in Colombia.


Then when the next step comes I should enjoy Him and delight in His will whether that's in Nebraska, somewhere else in the united states, or traveling to 11 countries in 11 months! I know it will be great because nothing is greater than being in the center of God's will. :)

I was telling my prayer partner about what God had been teaching me about delighting in Him & His Will. She came across this book so I bought it and haven't been able to put it down.  It is rocking my world!

It's called The Dangerous Duty of Delight (Daring to Make God Your Greatest Desire) by John Piper

If you have read Desiring God by John Piper it's pretty much the same thing...only a condensed version of it.



Here's a small excerpt from the Preface of the book to get a little taste of it:

I write this little book because the truth and beauty of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, are breathtaking. I say with the ancient psalmist,

One thing have I asked of teh LORD, 

that will I seek after;

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the day sof my life,

to behold the beauty of the LORD, 

and to inquire in His temple.

Psalm 27:4

If you are a guide on a sightseeing trip, and you know that the people are longing to enjoy beauty--even willing to risk their lives to see it--and you come upon some breathtaking ravine, then you should show it to them and urge them to enjoy it. Well, the human race does in fact crave the experiene of awe and wonder. And there is no reality more breathtaking than Jesus Christ. He is not safe, but He is stunning. 

God has put eternity in the man's mind and filled the human heart with longing. But we know not what we long for until we see the breathtaking God. This is the cause of the universal restlessness. Hence the famous prayer of Saint Augustine: "You made us for yourself and our hearts find no peace till they rest in you."

Delight in His Will, don't sulk in it. 

 

Humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps

Wow. What a year of blessings, learning, and growing it has been down here in Bogotá, Colombia! Thank you so much for following my blog along with your support and prayers! With only 5 weeks of school remaining, I write you this blog with significant changes that have come up in my life recently. I am excited to share them with you

I originally planned on coming down to El Camino Academy to teach 5^th grade for at least two years.  However, I have experienced the reality of how God’s plans are sometimes different than our own original plans (Proverbs 16:9).  While I truly believe and know I was down here in Colombia for this year by the will of God, I also believe and am confident, through much prayer and discernment, that God is calling me to get up and follow Him to another place that will grow, stretch, challenge, and equip me for that which He has planned for me in the future.

In the rest of this blog I will try and answer some potential questions you might have with this change.

So what is the change?
Starting January 2014 I will be participating in a mission trip called The World Race.  This is through an organization called Adventures In Missions.  Many of you may remember, this is the same organization that I went to Nicaragua with for a month in 2009 where God originally put a passion and desire in my heart to learn Spanish to be able to minister to the people of Latin America not just with actions but through words as well.  

What is The World Race?
The World Race is a mission trip where participants travel through 11 countries in 11 months.  Usually it takes place in continents such as Africa, Asia, and the Americas covering a wide span of cultures and languages. However, the route that I will be traveling is only in Latin American countries.It is the FIRST all Spanish route they have had.  Since being in Colombia I have learned a TON of Spanish and can hold a conversation with a person. After going on the Amazon trip, I realized how much I want to get better at my Spanish in order to teach children and adults about the love of Christ in Spanish.  I know that this race will prepare me not only in my language skills but also service skills in how to share the love of Christ with people in Latin America in their heart language: Spanish.

What countries will you be going to?
Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, & Honduras

Here's a link to the route: World Race January 2014: Route 1

It starts in January…so what will you do until then?
I plan on coming back to the states during the month of July. There is a possibility of returning to El Camino Academy for the first semester starting in August to keep doing ministry here and leading my disciple, Valentina, until I go on this venture. The other option would be to remain in the United States spending time with friends and family while having a job to save up for The World Race.  The race costs $13,500 to participate (about the same amount that I had to raise for this year serving at ECA).

Do you have a plan after the race?
As of right now my heart is heavy and filled with sadness knowing that I will be leaving this country and its people that I have come to love so much for at least a year and a half.  I have been talking with the director at El Camino Academy and absolutely love the vision and focus they have on teaching our students Servant Leadership.  Beth Afanador, the director, has told me that the school wants to keep building and growing their service outreach program. The school is connected with many different types of Christian ministries around Bogotá and I have had the great experience of serving at them on some weekends during this school year. 

My plan would be to go on The World Race, be equipped on how to work with different ministries in Latin America, come back with a toolbox full of ideas for our students, and help grow the service outreach program at El Camino Academy. 

However, this is only a tentative plan, keeping in mind that God’s plans are different than mine.  Even if it doesn’t work out that way, I do know that I am called to serve somewhere in Latin America and that this experience will help prepare me for what God has planned, whatever that may be. 

Here are some ways you can be praying for me PLEASE:
-That God would make known to me what I should do in the fall
-If I do come back to the states for 6 months, that the transition will be smooth.
-God’s financial provision whether that is through me working, through donations, or both
-Strength to finish the year strong! The last day of school is May 30^th and I’m not done with teaching these kids yet!

If you feel that God is calling you to financial support this trip here is how you can: 
Go to www.adventures.org.
Click on the drop box of donate & then “World Race Participant”
Choose “Support a world racer”
Type Allison Mitchell
Then type the amount you would like to give. Then you can choose the option whether it’s one-time, monthly, quarterly, etc.

I will be home return to Nebraska July 3 either until August or December, depending on what my plans for the fall will be...so PLEASE pray for guidance on what to do with the awkward 6 months in between missions.

I will keep you updated on my plans for next semester when they become clearer. Again, thank you so much for all your love, support, and prayers.

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9

Loving the Amazon

Wow what an experience this past week has been! Last night my team returned to Bogotá from an 8 day mission trip to the Amazon Jungle around the area of the river where Colombia, Brazil, and Peru meet. It felt SO good to sleep in my bed last night and take a hot shower this morning but my mind and part of my heart are still in the villages along the Amazon River.

Leticia, Colombia

On Thursday March 21 we landed in Leticia, Colombia which is the VERY southern point of

Leticia, Colombia--the very tip of colombia!

Colombia  next to the Amazon River on the border of Brasil. We went to the JUCUM Amazonas base (Juventud con una misión....in english known as YWAN or Youth With A Mission) We got all unpacked and then went to a Christian orphanage and played with the kids and got to know there names.  Then the next day, Friday, we went back to the orphanage in the morning and did one of our Bible outreaches with the kids there and played games, sang songs, told bible stories and did a craft.  Then, we left and went back to Jucum to get all of our things packed and took our last shower in civilization before heading out the next day!

In the Orphanage in Leticia. 

On Saturday we then took a 3 hour boat ride and arrived at our first village: Zaragoza. 

Zaragoza

The village of Zaragoza

When we arrived to Zaragoza it was HOT.  We went over to the bleachers and sat down while all the kids came over. We were waiting for them to tell us where we were going to put up our tents so while doing that we ended up playing soccer, jump rope, and talking with the kids. It was fun just having a time to hang out with the kids.

The first night Lilia (a former ECA teacher that has led this trip in the past and was able to come) was out on the sidewalk telling the students Bible stories just form her head in Spanish and I was amazed and realized that I wanted to be able to do that one day.  As she had to go look for something she's like "Allie! Talk with them while I try and find this."  I was freaking out on the inside because I'm still not SUPER confident in my Spanish. So I taught them the song "Eres Todo Poderoso" and then tried to think of an easy game I knew how to translate in Spanish so we played "Simón dice" "Simon Says" haha sooo that worked for a while but finally Lilia came back and that's when I realized how much more I want to work on my Spanish to be able to talk and play with kids like that without a struggle. 

Beautiful kids of Zaragoza!

The next couple days went better. I was having conversations with them in Spanish and told a group of them my testimony.  There's one time that really sticks out to me was when I was just sitting on the front porch of where the kitchen was with my Bible and 5 kids came over and sat by me. They started touching me and my skin because it was so much lighter than them. Then they started playing with my hair because they hardly ever see people with light blonde hair.  It was really interesting.  But my favorite part about it was I just sat and talked with them about the love of Jesus and was asking them questions.  I knew I couldn't say a Bible story straight from my head and so thankfully I had my bilingual Bible with me and asked the kids if they wanted to hear how God created the world and they said "yeah!" so I opened to Genesis 1. And started reading and would stop every now and then to ask them questions to see if they were following along. It was SO beautiful and you could just tell they were hungry to hear stories of God. I asked the kids if they were going to go to the movie that night in the church and they responded yes so I told them I'd see them there.

Swimming with the kids in the Amazon River!

That night we showed the movie "End of the Spear" about the missionaries who went to Ecuador and were martyred for trying to share the Gospel of Christ. While we were a little into the movie with Felipe sitting in my lap a girl comes up behind me and I hear someone say "Allie" with a Ticuna accent. I turn around and it was Jamie! One of the girls that was on the porch. I told her I was excited that she came and that she should sit by me so she came and sat by me.  It melted my heart that she remembered my name and found me at the front of the church.  After the movie Lilia had a very impacting speech about Christ and making Christ the center of their lives. We then prayed with them and were singing songs in Spanish.  

Watching "End of the spear" Jamie is the little girl next
to me

Also, I translated a little for the dental hygienest that came down with the medical team and learned new words for cavity & gums haha.  I was intimated at first because again, I'm not confident with my Spanish but I know I have gotten SO much better.  It ended up working great and I was able to communicate with the families and translate back the questions they had for her. As the trip went on I kept getting more and more confident with my Spanish--Praise the Lord!

On Monday we went over to Puerto Alegre. We left all of our stuff in Zaragoza because it's only across the river. 

Puerto Alegre

Telling a Bible story with puppets we made!

Puerto Alegre is a village that is a 10 minute boat ride across the river from Zaragoza.  It is located on the Peru side of the Amazon River and was 20 degrees hotter! It was crazy how much hotter it was.  While the doctors were treating the families we were outside with the kids singing songs, telling Bible stories, coloring pages, and playing games with the kids.  The kids in Puerto Alegre didn't speak much Spanish but they understood it.  I mostly just played with the kids where it doesn't require a bunch of talking. 

Kids coloring in Puerto Alegre after the Bible story

Then we went back to Zaragoza for the night and got all packed for the next day where we went to Dos de Mayo. 

Dos de Mayo

This village is down the river closer to Leticia and still on the Peru side of the River. We arrived on Tuesday and this village was by far the hardest one yet--for me.  It is the most Christianized village and the man of the house we stayed at told us how the Gospel was brought to that village and he said it was 23 years ago when an indigenous missionary brought the Gospel and from then on they started a church and more and more families have become Christians. This village is from a tradition that most ticuna tribes have where when a girl gets her first period, they end up taking her, throwing a party where the men of the village can come and do with her whatever they want, pull out all her hair and then bathe her in the water to "cleanse" her from what happened and after all of that is when she is finally considered a "woman" They practice this in Zaragoza & Puerto Alegre. Fortunately I didn't see any girls with a head covering and no hair but there were girls with necklaces which symbolizes that it's about time and when she starts she hangs her necklace in the house and that's when her parents know. But, praise God that this village is free and healed from that awful, evil, tradition. 

The village filled with water!

At Dos de Mayo we did kids ministry which was fun and played soccer but these kids even spoke less Spanish. They could understand it but amongst each other they would always speak Ticuna. These kids also kept flicking and touching my hair because it was so different than what they had ever seen.  

This by far was the hardest part of the trip for me: I was tried. I was mentally, spiritually, and physically exhausted.  Also, to top it off the village was flooded with water knee deep so wherever you went you had to get wet and that just was REALLY annoying.  

I was doing my devotional time with God and was asking for his strength and I was reminded that this was like a race.  My personal weak point in running races is two-thirds into the race. That's when you are so tired but know you have a little more to go.  I would always want to let down at this part of the race to save energy until the end but that would always make me lose my place and I'd have to work twice as hard to regain it at the end.  I was two-thirds into the race and knew I need to keep pressing strong and not lose my endurance.  This verse came to mind, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." 1 Corinthians 9:24. I needed to press on and run in such a way to get the prize. After that I went back with the kids to play with them...but it was still mentally & physically hard.  

playing soccer and jump rope with the kids

A couple getting married in the church

The last night in the church in Dos de Mayo there were 2 weddings.  The doctor on our team is also a pastor and it's a tradition to have a pastor from somewhere else to marry them.  Two couples got married that night and they had 1 baby dedication. It was beautiful.  The next day we took down the tents, loaded the boat, and made our way back to Leticia. 

Then we got all unpacked in Leticia and repacked for our flight that afternoon.  

Airport in Bogotá

As we were waiting for our luggage I made a trip to the bathroom. While I was coming out I heard some girls speaking English to each other but in a different accent that I had never really heard.  I thought it was Irish but ha I was wrong.  I kept going and then all the sudden I heard one sing, "Farther along we'll know all about it" Being a BIG Josh Garrels fan I stopped, thought about the words she sang, turned around and asked "Is that Josh Garrels?!?!?!" She responded "yes!" and we started talking about how he is my favorite singer and asked her where she had heard him and she said one of her friends on their trip. I found out she was from South Africa and there was a team of them that had just got back from a week in the Amazon Jungle as well and they're on a trip called "Global Expeditions" which is based out of South Africa and is a Christian Organization and their team was traveling all over South and Central America.  I was encouraged by what they were doing and where they were going and so we prayed for each other and it was SO cool to see how God's family is scattered all throughout the world but we all have the same Spirit in us and the same goal to glorify Him in everything we do.  What a blessing that was.

Anyway, now here I am back in Bogotá and still haven't started grading or planning for next week...I'll get to that here either tonight or tomorrow but all day I have just been reflecting on what just happened and now what do I do with this, how do I pray for them, where do I go with this and I just sit back and think how I just need to be content where God has placed me right now and for this time in my life that means investing in my students and being the best teacher I can be that glorifies God. 

TWO MORE MONTHS & I will be done with my first year of teaching. Just like the last couple days of the Amazon I need to keep running with perseverance the race marked before me and finish the race strong--fixing my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith--who for the Joy set before Him endured the cross! 

A Dose of Bogotá

I'm sorry that the last post was before Christmas break! I have been to the states and back again since then and today I would like to share with you a little bit about the culture I live in...something I experienced yesterday that made me realize "Yep...I'm not in the united states...or at least in Nebraska.."

Bogotá traffic! 

The vans pick us up at 6:30 and 6:35 a.m. but lately it's been like 5 minutes late.  I was in Romi (a grocery store near the school van stop is) and when you're there that early in the morning turns out they don't have enough change for a 50.000 pesos paper bill.  So I had to wait for them to go to the back of the store and get change.  While I was waiting I saw the van leave.  Hoping it was the first van, I didn't freak out so much.  But when I saw no one else was there or in sight I called a friend to see if that was the last one.  She said yes.

I then made my way to the autopista (busiest highway that runs north/south in the city not too far from Romi) to catch a public bus that goes near the school.  Thinking I would be maybe 5 minutes late to school turned out to be AN HOUR LATE to school. 

Many buses went by, along with pollution in my face, and many of the buses that I needed to catch went by as well...FULL. People were hanging out of the doors holding on (This to Bogotá...) and while I was putting my arm out to tell the driver I want to get on, one went by with men hanging out the door looking at me and laughing and waving, as if mocking me knowing there's no room.  Ha.

After 30 minutes of waiting and then a 30 minute ride on the bus (that usually takes 15 minutes when the traffic is light) I finally made it to school an hour later.  Thankfully on Fridays,  school starts later with the kids and all I missed was part of a meeting.

You know how that they say punctuality isn't as high on the importance scale in latin america than in the states? Well, this is part of the reason why....

Update on Teaching

We are in the time of 6 weeks of full 5 day weeks.  It's been rough and especially this past week.  I took time out of some of my classes to teach my kids about Christian behavior and how relational issues don't line up the actions of a Christian. We had some intense talks and the hardest thing is knowing that I can't change their hearts because getting deep down to the core issue of sin is in our hearts.

Please join me in praying for my students hearts and that God does BIG THINGS and that the HOLY SPIRIT MOVES and changes actions and hearts will be changed.  I love these kids so much and it hurts to know that the only thing I can do is discipline, love, and pray for them. It's hard teaching (Espeically since this is my first year of teaching) but God keeps reminding me that if I keep doing this out of His love and for His honor and Glory, even if I don't see the fruit EVER from this, my work is not being done in vain. And in that I rejoice.

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58

Side Note Blessings

I got a bike! One of the missionary families at my church who have and have had kids at ECA is letting me borrow their bike. Unfortunately, the past two times I have ridden it a dog has bit me and I ran into a man riding the opposite way. Haha but it's all good! I love being able to still be active!!! It helps keep me sane....along with the Lord of course. ;) 

Celebrate Colombia! 

Nathan, Andrea, & I celebrating Colombia! 

Since a majority of our students are Colombian we take two days out of the year to celebrate colombia where the teachers get to wear jeans and Colombian colors to school while the students present part of their culture through dancing and acting. 

Church worship band

My friend Katie, another teacher at school, and I have been playing in our church's worship band. She play violin and I have played mandolin. However, they needed someone to play piano last week and so I was able to! Ooooh it felt soooo good to play piano again!  Speaking of piano, I teach piano lessons too at school. I have 3 students and teach them after school every Thursday. It's fantastic being able to share something that I love with others!! 

Klove streaming Online
I'm so thankful that I can still listen to Klove outside of the states! It's so encouraging starting the day off with music that speaks truth and encourages me, reminding me of who my God is and that he's always with me no matter where I am at.  The song "Whom Shall I Fear" by Chris Tomlin has been coming on a lot and I'd like to share it with you! 

"I know who goes before me and I know who stands behind. The God of angel armies is always by my side! The one who reigns forever, He is a friend of mine. The God of angel armies is always by my side!" 

Last night I was talking with my roommate and asked the question, "Why is there so much on my plate right now?" and her wise response (with the words of the Holy Spirit) were, "Because if there weren't that much, you wouldn't think that God was at work." -Miss Sickles