Mission Colombia!

Mission Colombia! - God laid on my heart (late on Saturday night) to spend some time praying and reading his Word.  My heart has been divided lately between wanting to be home and my work here at ECA.  While one can expect to miss family when a new baby enters the world, I started to feel like the reason I was feeling sad was because I felt like being home was more valuable and important than my life here.  The moments that I was missing out on back home would make me sad if I thought about it too much.  However, God's Word is alive and challenged me and also comforted me.  I was reminded of these verses in Phillipians 3:7-9.   

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of knowing Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith."  

As I thought about these verse, the challenge extended before me was - which was more important to me?  It wasn't that these things that I was missing were not good or profitable (which family definitely is!), but I was considering them to be more important than seeking Christ!  God convicted me of where my heart was and where it should be.  Later on in the week, I spent some time reflecting on my time here in Colombia these past four months.  Here is a video I made of my time at ECA so far.  I hope you enjoy it! 

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10100347380888022&notif_t=video_processed

 

Current Demographics of ECA students - ECA still remains a supporter of poor Colombian Pastors and Missionary Kids.  Out of our 188 families, 13% are Foreign Missionary Families, 16 % are Pastors, 24% are Christian Workers (* over 1/2 have at least one parent in full time ministry), 2% diplomatic, and 45% Business (but still active in church).  Here at ECA, we serve over 26 Missionary Missions including Wi-Wam, a deaf ministry, and the Jungle.  For the 2012-2013 school year, we are educating 301 students from Pre-K through 12th grade - 70% are Colombian, 14% are Latin and North American, 4% are Latin American, 3% are United States, 1% Korean, and 1% other. 


Training for Life - Teaching here in Colombia is very different than back in the States.  Working at an International Christian School, I can take the time to pray with my students, to eat lunch and play with them, to visit with their families on the weekends, and to love on them not only with academics but with life and heart issues as well.  I love El Camino's life verse - 

"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."
(Deuteronomy 6:5-7) 


I have had the privilege of spending time with three families outside of school.  Being able to see my kids with their families has given me a wonderful and deeper relationship with them.  God had laid on my heart to connect more with one student, and he provided an opportunity to spend the weekend with her family.  I was able to go with them to their ministry for kids that they lead on Saturday mornings called Club Junior.  To see my student interacting and telling other little kids the gospel was absolutely amazing.  While I was with this family, my nephew was born.  Being able to share this special family event with my student allowed us to connect even more!  Praise the Lord for the seeds he is planting in my heart and in the hearts of my students!  Below are a few picture of the times I have spent with my students and their families :-)

Connections with supporters - Mission work could not be done without the love, support, and prayers of my Prayer supporters back home.  I have been truly blessed these past few weeks by e-mails and phone calls from supporters.  Thank you for your encouraging words to me and for your continued support of my ministry and the work God is doing here in Colombia!  I enjoy hearing from you!  

Here is a letter I received from the Orchard - Barrington Awana Sparkies!  What an encouragement this sweet letter was to me :-)  Thank you Megan for thinking of me and for praying for my students here in Colombia!


Prayers/Praises -
Possibility of mentoring someone (or at least encouraging an 11th grade girl who has just moved back to Colombia from a year in the States.)

Pray for my role in special education at ECA - I met a family a few months ago who wanted their daughter with Down Syndrome to go to our school.  Knowing how wonderful it would be to have these kids at ECA, I am praying about how I could help start up programs to allow these kids to come (they are looking for a consistant teacher who would be here a while to invest in these kids, among other things...)

Love and hugs!
Carrie 

Colombia: so thankful for you!

"You're the God of this city!  You're the Lord of this Nation!  You're the King of these people! You Are!  Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city!"

Top ten reasons why I am thankful for Colombia:
 "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thes. 5:18

1.  For the men, women, and children who believe in Christ, seek to follow him everyday, and are a light in the darkness for many who live in this country by serving in ministries that glorify and proclaim Christ as Savior!

2. For the wonderful creation that God has made and that this nation gets to see each and everyday - beautiful mountains and nature!

3. The joy of getting to teach 22 wonderful 3rd graders - what a privilege the Lord has given me!  I am truly blessed each and every day to get to love them with Christ's love :-)

4. How warm and welcoming Colombians are!  It's so wonderful to be greeted by everyone with a hug!

5. Colombian dancing!!!

6. Arequipe (caramel) - YUM!!!

7. Worship here in Colombia - absolutely LOVE they way the praise the name of Jesus here (Jumping, singing, dancing - flowing from a heart filled with joy because Christ is their Savior!)

8. Colombians value people over time - what a wonderful and important model this is for me who is very task-oriented :-)

9. For wonderful churches that proclaim the gospel of Christ - and getting to see 5 people get baptized!!

10. Colombian food that is delicious and made with such love (because so many are invited to share the meal together!)

Happy Thanksgiving!!! 
Praise the LORD that there is so much to be thankful for :-)
Love,
Carrie

Joys and Trials of Life

Introducing Sammy!!!!

My nephew, Samuel Edward Russell, was born on Saturday, October 27th at 10:22 a.m.  He is such a cutie and I LOVE him already :-)  Joshie loves being a big brother and even made up a song about it.

"Big Brother, Big Brother, doo doo doo doo ..."

I am so thankful for skype so that I could see Sammy on the day he was born.  The other night, I was able to hear Joshua giggle and laugh while running around his house and my sister put the phone up to Sammy's mouth so I could hear his sweet little baby noises.  I miss these two precious boys and my family so much, and I cannot wait to give them hugs at Christmas.  Precious Sammy will finally get to be held my his Aunt Carrie :-)  And Joshua will get to sing with and say "Hi, Aunt Terry!!"  in person :-)

 

 

Halloween - October 31, 2012:

In Colombia, Halloween is celebrated is a very scary way. Children are not safe, are prone to being kidnapped and have often times been sacrificed on Halloween. Please pray for Colombia and that God would protect all of the innocent lives here in this country (not only on Halloween, but everyday!)  This day is dreaded by many Colombians. As I listened to my students talk about October 31st, I saw an enormous amount of fear as they told me to lock my door and stay in my apartment for the night.  One even told me that a girl in her neighborhood was murdered last year.  I had the opportunity to go back to the Jungle and minister to the kids who live on the street in a very scary neighborhood called Barrio Santa Fe. The Jungle is a ministry that pulls kids who have been badly abused and who have prostitutes as parents off of the streets and share with them the love of Jesus. This is a very unsafe part of Bogota and we were able to create a safe place for about 200 kids on a very scary night!

"For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms."   Ephesians 6:12

My prayer is that each kid heard the message that Jesus is LIGHT and is KING over all the dark places in this world.  Thank you for those who prayed for me and my colleagues.  May God's glory be shone in the dark places of Colombia today and always :-)   Praise God that all of these precious lives were protected!!  Please continue to pray that Satan would have no power over this neighborhood and that the name of Jesus would be proclaimed.

Trip to Monserrate - Sanctuario de Senor Caido

Colombia celebrated All Saints Day on Monday, November 5th, so my friends and I took the opportunity to hike up a mountain :-)  We climbed 2.750 meters to see the beautiful sights of Monserrate.  There is a beautiful cathedral at the top with a gorgeous view of the entire city of Bogota.  The cathedral is called Sanctuario de Senor Caido.  It was little cloudy and rainy, but we had a lot of fun!  It's amazing to be up there and see God's wonderful creation.  Here are some pics of our adventure:

 

Prayers/Praises:
That the Lord would help me with being away from my family right now - that I would lean on Jesus in those moments of sadness, trusting Him to be with me and fill me when I really want to HOLD little Sammy :-)

My personal quiet time - I am so overwhelmed with ministry sometimes that it is causing me to stay up late (grading and lesson planning) which makes me unable to focus when I wake up early to spend time with my Jesus.  Pray that I would find rest in Jesus, like he promises us in Matthew 11:28-30.

In Him,
Carrie