Redeeming the Years the Locust Has Eaten - Visiting Cano Cristales (La Macarena)

"Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, 

for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness.

He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.

The threshing floors will be filled grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil."

Colombia has a beautiful natural resource know as Cano Cristales (Crystal Canyons) where the canyon floor is completely filled with colorful flowers that creates a rainbow when the sun shines down on it.  It is absolutely breath-taking, and is considered one of the wonders of South America.  Cano Cristales is located in the central part of Colombia,  just a few hours south of Bogota.  Some of the teachers from ECA decided to travel there for our Fall Break to experience a part of Colombia that is rich in history.  Not too many years ago, travel to this part of Colombia was considered REALLY dangerous because it was controlled by the Guerrilla who set up camp in La Macarena, the town where Cano Cristales is located.

One of the most precious moments of my trip was getting to listen to one of our guides, Francy, tell her story of growing up in La Macarena as a little girl when the Guerrilla were in charge.  My eyes were completely opened to more of of the pain that these people have been through and the terror that they felt.  Imagine being a little girl and being so scared to walk around your town because there are men with guns that are robbing, kidnapping, and forcing the farmers in the region to grow cocaine.  The Guerrilla leader chose to make his camp just outside of La Macarena because it was centrally located in Colombia - with hopes of continuing outward and overtaking the country.  The government had tried to work with the rebel group, but the rebel group just kept fighting back (even though they were offered a place as a legitimate political party to voice their opinion - what a redemptive way to deal with outspoken rebels in a forgiving way!)  Even after many attempts at negotiation, President Uribe decided to send a list of rules for the Guerrillas to obey - or he would take back La Macarena for the people of Colombia.  When the rebels broke them, it was time for action.

Francy, our guide, taking a "selfie" of our groups down at the Waterfall!

Small plane...

"I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten - 

the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the swarm - 

my great army that I sent among you.

You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, 

And you will praise the name of the Lord you God, who has worked wonders for you; 

Never again will my people be shamed."

Francy spoke of the night in 2002 when helicopters landed (with an explosion) and by morning the town had been filled up with Colombian military and the Guerrillas had fled across the river.  (This is the same river that we used to travel down in boats to get to see Cano Cristales!!)  Her school days were filled with terror, many evacuation drills, and listening to gunshots being fired as the Guerrilla were constantly chased back across the river in the days that followed.  Francy's family had to put mattresses outside in their water tank so they could sleep because bullets would have gone right through the walls of their house.  The Guerrillas had a list of people they were after and sent a few people across the river to look for them, but they didn't know who they were looking for.  They just had a list of names, so they would go up to the people and point to a name on the list asking where they were.  The Colombians would trick them and tell them the person lived across town (when really the person they were looking for was the person talking to them!) and then after telling them wrong information, they would run away.

5 years ago (2009), Cano Cristales was opened to bringing in tourists to see the beautiful landscape of La Macarena.  President Uribe himself traveled to visit many times, and hiked the same trails that many Colombians can experience today with safe and secure protection by the military men that still maintain their presence.  Francy also spoke of tourism being so helpful to her town.  Since the government took back La Macarena, the people refused to grow any more cocaine.  They spread chemicals over the land to destroy any trace of cocaine, which then takes 10 years to make the land ready to grow anything else.  By this time, many farmers did not have money to spread good chemicals that would help produce good crop and the much of the land has died.  The city of La Macarena depends on sharing their natural resources with their people.  Francy and our 2 other guides had so much fun teaching us about nature, the history of their country, and can finally take comfort in their town having something to be proud of.

"Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; 

never again will my people be ashamed."  Joel 2:23-27

I am so glad the Lord blessed me with the opportunity to go and hear Francy's story.  I am so happy for my friends here in Colombia that their country has something good that is coming out of the terror that they lived under for many years during the war with the Guerrilla groups.  It reminds me of the verses in Joel 2:23-27 where God says he will take back the years the locust have eaten - the years of sorrow, despair; the years that have been lost by rebellion, sin and terror.  When I think of the families at ECA, my Colombian co-workers, my friends at church - I hope they are encouraged that God will RESTORE the years the locusts have taken from them.  Their hope in God has not wavered, but become stronger in all of these trials.  Even when they speak of the loved ones they have lost and the sleepless nights full of terror that they faced, they can see that God is restoring his people.  So many families at ECA have such a desire to tell their friends to have hope in God in all they have lost.  I believe that this cultivation of what the locust has taken is making the harvest ripe to tell the people of Colombia where their hope truly lies - In Jesus Christ, and him alone :-)

Our monkey friend that wanted to play with us on our last day.

Prayers/Praises:
Pray for Colombia - the government is in negotiations with the rebel groups over in Cuba where they are being held in jail.  Pray for peaceful negotiations and for these leaders to have a Christian influence so that they are pointed to God for wisdom and guidance during this crucial time.

For the hearts of my students - that would grow to love Christ Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.  May God work on their heart to learn how they are to be treated because of how Jesus treated them.

Construction the 3rd floor - please continue to pray for communication and decisions that need to be made so that it may be complete by January!

That God would continue to draw me close to him - and that my heart would be open to hearing and seeing more deeply the areas where God is challenging me and teaching me.

For the sake of the gospel,
Carrie