Our God is a Great Big God:I had the opportunity to go and help run an English Camp for a school on the coast of Colombia. They teach their students English, but do not have native English teachers like we do at El Camino. Katie and Maddi (two other teachers at ECA) and I traveled during our week off to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ in Cartagena in exchange for getting to see some of their beautiful city.
Billy and Marcy are teachers from the school in Cartagena who were our wonderful helpers. What a blessing they were to help organize and manage the kids who came to the camp. Also, we stayed with the pastor's family who is one of the sweetest families I have ever met. Milena, the wife, was such a gracious host and was so excited that we were there to help teach English, especially since her youngest son, Juan David, would be attending the camp. Juan David was singing the songs we taught while walking around his house which was a highlight of my week! The ways the kids were singing praise to Jesus in ENGLISH was such a heavenly sound. The song "Our God is a Great Big God" was heard all over the church and school.
While in the car, I felt the desire to ask Milena how she became a Christian. Her willingness to trust me and share her story was a blessing. Her love for Jesus and how he called her to believe in him to redeem her life is now helping many other women at her church who are struggling as she once did.
"So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11
TIC: Not knowing about a fundraiser for the Fundacion de Jesus on the first night and attending the dinner in our clothes from the airplane (t-shirt and jeans) while everyone else is wearing fancy dresses.
Having a teacher devotional day that ended with the speaker praying over every person for over 3 hours :-) It was a beautiful time of worship, but that was a LOT of Spanish. (I know how the students felt having to hear English all week!)
This is Colombia :-) TIC!!
Cartagena and new friends: After the camp, Billy and Marcy took us to eat lunch and then showed us the city. Cartagena is most associated with pirates of the Caribbean and is known for it's beautiful colonial buildings and fortresses. The fist night we were in Cartagena, we took a carriage ride around the old part of the city. It was beautiful to see the architecture and be told of stories where slaves were sold or to see where pirates landed and attacked. Along one of the beaches, there was a long wall that was used for defense against pirates.
Castillo de San Felipe was amazing to explore. We were able to walk down and through the passageways of the castle. There was a HUGE Colombian flag that flew over the castle, with the view of the city in the background.
Islas de Rosario and the Playa Blanca was a day to be amazed at the beauty of God's creation. As a thank-you for showing us around all week, we offered to pay for Billy and Marcy. Neither of them had been to see the beautiful islands and swim on the white sand beaches. Colombia is such a beautiful country with so many resources. May God continue to bless this country.
Bocagrande Beach has brown sand due to the islands separating the mainland of Cartagena from the coral reef out in the Caribbean. The Coral is what breaks up and creates the white sand out on the islands. It was a fun time to play with the family who we were staying with. It was so fun to throw a frisbee and play in the water with the two boys.
Marcy and Billy with both be in Bogota next weekend, and also for the OBED conference that ECA is hosting in November. Praise God for these new friends in Christ.
Prayers/Praises:
Pray for continued patience and grace with my students. Pray for compassion and a love for them that is from the Lord. That I would seek the Lord for wisdom and rely on him daily for how to shepherd their hearts.
Strength and renewed energy in Jesus - feeling exhausted and drained lately!
Bendiciones,
Carrie
No comments:
Post a Comment