Colombia - a great place to start

Beautful Mountains. Mild weather year round. Friendly people. Smiles everywhere I look.

Not the first thing I imagined when I thought of Bogota, Colombia. My dad's first question when I told him I planned on going with a team from my church to Bogota was, in a tone of great concern, "Kendi, is it safe?". Of course my response was quick with a hint of sarcasm, "Dad, I live in Memphis, remember?". Of course this did little to ease his mind's imagination of his daughter venturing into a foreign country known for drug lords and crime. However, after hearing my stories and seeing my photos, I think he may even be coming to grips with the idea that I would love to do this every year if possible.

So, after many FB messages and text requests, here's a glimpse of our trip.....

We arrived on a Friday night. Fortunately, Colombia is in the same time zone, so no battling jet lag.

On Saturday we held classes for discipleship training at the local church led by 4 men on our team. Us ladies had the privilege of playing with the kiddos....

And on Saturday evening, the pastor and his wife (Jorge and Jenny) hosted a neighborhood party at their home providing games and music for the kids and a traditional Colombian Hotdog for everyone.

For the remainder of the week, we did construction work on a home of one of the church members. Josefina was the sweetest lady and was sooo appreciative of our help. She travels by bus and walking almost 2 hours on Sunday to attend church. The trek to the top of the mountain that she lives on left even the ones we would claim as "in shape" on our team short of breath. We all grew to respect her diligence by weeks end.

We also invested time with the neighborhood children with coloring, teaching bits or English, playing soccer, and just enjoying their incredible smiles and imaginations.

Overall, this trip was probably one of the best trips I have ever taken, if not the best. Jorge and Jenny have such a huge heart and desire to reach their community. Each member of our team contributed what talents we had and it came together in such a way that we were all humbled to see what God can do with people who unite to serve. I hope and pray that the work we came to accomplish will continue in the months to come. When we return next year, we can continue to be apart of what God is doing in an area that is hungry for His truth!

PS - for more photos, visit my facebook page.