gcagate adventures : This time a Colombian Adventure

September 27th I set off on another adventure, this time to Bogota, Colombia, to serve alongside a team from Grace PCA in Dalton, GA and Wes and Hope Parsons who serve as Missionaries there.
Gary was unable to join me so I was literally flying solo down to Atlanta where I met up with Kim P. and her girls then joined the rest of the team on the 28th.
It is always interesting going on a trip where you know very few of the team members, however, once again the Lord blessed me with great roomies, and a great team to work with.
Bogota is very different from Haiti and that was evident even as we approached the airport. From above I could see real roads and buildings!! It could have been "Anywhere USA" Once we landed my observation was I had arrived in a semi modern area. Kind of like the 1950's. There were larger stores, yet there were several small "markets", flowers are huge there and I think there was a flower shop or flower vendor on every corner.
We settled in Saturday and then off to Worship on Sunday. We walked about a mile to the transit which was cool then road the transit to the church. Worship was great [in Spanish] but I was able to follow along pretty well :) It was great to see Wes up front leading the music like he had done so many times at New Hope with Gary!!
Monday began with a trip to the Foundation in Suba. This is where the Music School is that Hope and Wes run and where there are over 200 school age children who come and have lunch, do homework, learn English, receive extra academic help and are truly loved by their teachers and those who run the foundation.
Our team had many things to cover for the week. (In Colombia kids go to school 1/2 of the day. Either morning or afternoon) When the children are not in school they come to the Foundation. There are over 100 children in the morning and another 100 plus in the afternoon.
In order for the foundation to receive extra funding, all of the children needed a "well check-up" Enter in our Doctor Wiley S. and Nurse Trisha to take care of that need!! They also had a few helpers one being Daniel who while not "trained medically" did a great job with Blood Pressure...well after a bit he did great... :) We also had a team working on crafts with the children, a Worship Team that handled a morning and afternoon Chapel, a team of two that became a team of one doing some work in the Music Room (one of our teammates ended up in the hospital with a Blood Clot!!! He is expected to return to the states soon)!! Julie cutting hair and training a few women to cut, and we also had an English Class.
I along with Alecia and Missionary JoAnne taught English. We had a great time teaching, singing and just loving on the kids.
By Thursday our entire team had fallen in love with all of the kids!
Friday we were able to tour the city, ride a Gondola up even higher into the Andes Mountains and shop at two different Artisinias!
Saturday we began our travels home. The week went by so quickly, too quickly!
I loved how Carlos, the founder of the Foundation, came to the area of Suba to plant a church, but he saw the needs of the children and acted. He set his plans aside and followed God's leading!! He did not have much money and lacked resources, but He told us how God miraculously provided time and time again. He not only teaches them Jesus, he shows them Jesus!! Carlos and his family along with the teachers, Wes and Hope give of themselves so that these children can have a place to be off the streets, eat lunch, have homework help, and receive love...all in the name of Jesus.
I was and am blessed to have been a part of this trip and hope to return in 2014!!
Here are a few pics from the week