Week one in Colombia!

The team has been continuing various work projects around the property. They have completely demoed the roof on the auditorium, and the materials for the new roof arrived yesterday! They’re super excited and have been working so hard. There have also been groups working on various sidewalks, which has been awesome to see—they’re working together and learning new skills. However, it’s been raining so much, which is creating a lot of mud. All the team members are complaining that their boots feel like they weigh a ton, and that’s because there’s mud caked on the bottoms of their boots and in their laces.

We had a 4th of July celebration with all the staff and students. Mr. Will grilled burgers and Miss Rebekah and Miss Delaynie prepared side dishes and desserts. We all came together and had our celebratory meal and finished the night off with USA charades.
On Saturday here in Colombia, businesses only stay open until 12, so the team spent a good part of the afternoon cleaning their boots. We’ve had some pretty hard-working days, but nobody has gotten injured yet—praise the Lord! That’s an absolute shocker to me because the mountain is muddy and steep, and teenagers aren’t exactly known for being cautious or aware of their surroundings. So, again—praise the Lord that everyone is staying safe!

Even though it has been raining, the weather has been gorgeous. It’s almost the perfect temperature with a high around 75°, and it gets a little chilly in the evenings and at night—but not cold, and definitely not hot.

Today, we had the opportunity to split up the team. Half went to present at a church in Bogotá, and the other half went to another church in a city near Silvania. We practiced the presentation on Saturday afternoon with half the team, and it went really well. The team that went to Bogotá got up bright and early and presented at the church and did puppets for the children’s program. The team that stayed in Silvania had a much slower morning. We had breakfast, relaxed, did our devotions, and then walked about 45 minutes before getting on a bus to go to church. While we waited in the little town afterward, Miss Delaynie got us bread rolls and ice cream.

This afternoon was really relaxed. Everyone was able to get naps if they wanted to, we caught up on memory verses, and we practiced Bible quizzing—which the team really got into. We also had a visit from one of the team member’s grandparents who are local to Bogotá, and they brought granadilla fruit for us to try. It was so yummy! Definitely an odd texture, so not for everybody, but the flavor was amazing. The team even requested more for the next grocery run.

Tonight, we had dinner and spent time with the staff and students here on base. We also got a special treat of popcorn and lollipops!

For those who are interested in Bernadette, the sourdough starter (yes, that’s what we named her), she is absolutely thriving. She has created her first four (successful) loaves of bread, and they were delicious. However, two of them did rise a little too high and got decapitated by the oven—that’s why they look a little janky in the picture, but I promise you they were still delicious. Bernadette was also used to make some English muffins that we enjoyed with Puerto Rican beans and rice. They were definitely a fan favorite. Bernadette is strong, healthy, thriving, and her home was upgraded to an empty peanut butter container—so #MoreSpace.

Overall, the team is doing really well! This week, they’re going to continue the various little projects while also completing the roofing project. They have an opportunity to work alongside the community, spreading gravel on the main road. We’re also talking about potentially doing soccer evangelism; however, we aren’t sure how that’s going to work out with transportation.

Please pray for us as we continue our work. Pray for safety and good health. Pray that the Lord will provide opportunities for us to share the Gospel. And please pray for this team—pray that their hearts will be joyful, and that a spirit of contentment would settle over them. Also, please pray for the other teams out in the field.

We love you all and hope you are doing well. The summer will be over before we know it.

Blessings,

Hi mom and dad! I’m here in Colombia and so happy to be here even though it is tough to be away! There’s so many beautiful views And the base here is wonderful! The Colombians are so kind. Our team is working a lot to build the Teen Missions' space here and we are learning so much along the way. I miss you all so much! -Tessa L.

Hi mom, hi dad I love you and I’m having so much fun in Colombia. I’m having so much fun doing things like taking apart a roof and many other things. I feel like my team is family and I never want to leave. -Bucky L.

Hey family, it’s pretty fun here in Colombia, I didn’t look at the weather for here, so I didn’t know it was going to be cold. It’s mostly sweater weather. Just cold at night and in the morning. I’m having fun doing the work project and making lifelong friends. For work, we are redoing a roof, clearing out hills to expand sidewalks, and clearing out trees and greenery for a new house. Honestly, I’m already planning on a reunion for the team. Maybe sometime in January. I’m having lots of fun, and I’m really excited to share with you guys about my trip and experiences. Praying and grooving with God. -Cara A.