A new perspective

Bare (bear...?) with me folks this trip is going to take a couple of instalments to get everything across that I want to share with you.  We have just arrived back in Bogota, having been in Cartagena since the 11th.  My birthday is this Sunday Yah!  We are planning to through-down latin style in the dance club saturday.  I finaly got to open the package that my dad had sent. It had arrived right after we left.  I opened all the letters just today, friday. To all of you who wrote your warm regards and birthday wishes thank you sooo very much!!  It means so much to know I am being thought of .

A few quick notes about the trip.  Next week I will have time to write a proper report of the happenings.

First: The Conneticut group was an absolute BLAST!!  And so very generously cared for Audra and I, it humbled me.  It was so great to be in such a relaxed environment with so many clergy including La Opispo (Bishop Laura), and the amazing lay people. It was great just be tourists for a while with them.  

We saw some absolutley amazing sites of the "barrios" ( I think it is like towns) of Cartegena. 

I was blown away with how active and energized the local people are within the Episcopal church there and the organizations that the church participates in.  They have incredible leadership built up.  I really want to get you guys as excited as I am about what can really be done to improve their quality of life.  We were blessed to get to know the two siminarians who are ministering in this are.  Carlos and his brother Steven are young men who are filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit.  They have brought new energy and hope into these region; they will certainly increase the fruite being produced there.  Father Rafael and his family are so very dear.  He is the priest of Cartegena.  This is a man with real vision and a solid head on his shoulders.  This city has been experiencing diocesen growth, new missions being build, needs are begining to be met in some areas and in other areas there is concrete movment into acction.  The companion dioces of Conneticut, with the help of Audra and I, are going to get some of these projects the suport they need to succeed.  This is such an amazing partnership because there is already such strong local leadership.  We have made a lot of new friends and Audra and I will now be working with the Bishop so that we may hopefully return to Cartegena for a month or so to really get to follow Carlos and Steven in there ministry.

Consider this a teaser!  Tons and Tons of Photos are soon to come.

Much love, blessings and Peace 

And there Running!!

Ok, so graciamente (thankfully) Audra is back and everything seems right with the world.  Well, perhaps a bit exagerated, but I am really glad to have her back.  I have been having a great time with her and Evet (her mom).  We've been going out to some of the local markets and Evet has been cooken' up some fine food for us. - Thanks Evet.  I am continuing to practice the guitare and little by little I am forming calluses, I might have already said this, but bare with me.  I am reallly getting into my reading, and my Spanish is comming along poco a poco (bit by bit).  Feb.  is going to be a crazy month!  This week we have Evet, she leaves tuesday and Wednesday Audra and I are flying to Cartagena.  Take a look at a map as soon as you get the chance.  Cartegena is on the Norther Coast of Colombia, extreemely well know.  We are going up there early to have some time of our own to get to know the city a bit.  Saturday a mission group from a church from Conneticut ( Colombia's companion diocese) will be meeting us in Cartegena and we will spend about a week translating and just participating in their service mission.  We will be returning on the 20th at 1230 and at 130 the following hour we will go from the national airport to the international airport to pick up a friend of Audra's who will be visiting for a couple of weeks.  We are planning on visiting an eco-hostel or such while she is visiting and of course a lot more.  

In the mean time we are still figuring out our work and schedule.  So far we have a lot on the books, but nothing has started yet.  It looks like we will be working two days a week at the mission church in southern bogota, thursdays teaching english to kids in the evening and saturdays teaching english to siminarians here in the office.  Audra and I might tag team the thursday and saturday events.  It is looking hopefull that, as long as I am in town, I will be welcome to take the theological classes with the siminarians.  Yahh!!

My next project is getting into dance classes.  Pilar has offered to help me out.  I have got to get into a routine of dancing or I might just start bouncing off the walls! :,D 

The fun part of our upcomming events is that I have an excuse, and need, to buy cloths for hot weather.  The downer is that there will be a lot of expenses racking up including the flight to cartegena (it would take over 24 hours by bus), lodging, meals and such.  So I am going to have to figure some things out.  But it will all work out.  

I will be sure to let you know how it all goes.

Blessings and Peace

Week Without Audra

This week I have spent without Audra has been, okay.  I think it would have been wiser to take Miriam and Oscar, Audra’s privious host-family, up on their offer to stay with them for the week.  I didn’t for the sake of convenience because I didn’t think I would have the chance to practice the guitar like I have here.  It also seemed like it would be more stressfull to transplant myself for a week for the sake of avoiding some solitude.  However I now realize that 1.  I havn’t lived alone in years.  The past year I was living amonst 11-12 other environmental educators or my Aunt and Uncle.  2.  I am in a new country and don’t really know anyone.  Yeah, I have numbers in my new phone, but they don’t do me any good if I don’t feel comfortable just calling folks up. I didn’t want to be a pest, yah know.  I get the feeling that the guys who serve as guardes and work in the payed parking lot think I am a bit of a recluse.  Oh well.  Let’s just call this a test.  I was wondering where I would want to live when Audra goes back to the states.  I will plan on living with a family...yeah, I think that would be a good idea.  

Oh, and by the way, I realize now that my phone dosen’t even work.

It is amazing how much there is to do when traveling.  I had to-do lists that wouldn’t quite before I left and I am still taking care of responsibilities day by day. However, it is probably easier to come up with a to-do list with such easy access to internet. 

Saturday I am going to get out of the apartment to hang-out and read at a cafe and go to the  National Park.  I havn’t been as dedicated to reading as I want to be.  I have decided not to read books in English for the time being.  I have just started La Cabaña (The Shak) in Spanish.  It is slow going.  

Today I started my first online Spanish class.  These classes are really great.  I use a programe called skype to audiovisually connect with a language school in Quito Ecuador, Vida Verde.  I attended this school when I was in Quito.  It was a plus to already know some of the folks there.  I am going this route because I couldn’t find another language school in Bogota, other than the university.  The class was a nice diversion and I think it will serve my needs very well.  The only issue is that they need a set schedule and that is something that seems like will prove very difficult.  Aparantly Audra and I are to begin our work in Southern Bogota next week.  However, no one knows exactly what day or days this will occure. 

I spoke with the priest from the church in Northern Bogota about Theological classes that are being arranged to begin in march to be held in the church office.  These classes will be for those interested in the ministry.  I asked the Bishop if I would be able to attend and he more or less said yes.  I am sooo excited. I really hope this does happen and I am able to attend.  How amazing would it be to take Theological classes in Spanish!!  I am all a twitter with expectation.  

Saturday past beautifully for the most part.  I left the apartment at about 10:30 and walked to the National Park.  I walked around and read in my book for a couple of hours. I then walked to a chain coffee shop named Juan Valdez.  There I bought my first “El Tiempo” newspaper.  I drank a coffee that had ground cardomon in it.  I just wanted to try something different.  I know some of you are making some awful faces right now at the thought of Cardomon and coffee.  At first I was wondering if I had made a good choice, but after a few sips it became quite nice.  It left a very fresh aftertaste.  There I read for an hour or so from the newspaper and made my way to El Exito.  This is the store that Audra and I most frequent.  It is a small version of a megastore.  It is the only place close to us that has a full grocerystore.  I had brought my small backpack and was able to carry my grocies home with me in comfort.  

The rest of the day was a bit lonely.  I did get to talk to some aquaintances who had come to wash their cars and do some cleaning up, but only for a moment.

Sunday was much more fulfilling.  I attended both services again.  Inbetween some of the folks attended a meeting about the church news.  On the agenda to talk about was getting some groups started up.  One will be to provide childrens church, Audra and I will be leading this I think.  Another is to get the women of the church more active.  Some of the ladies finaly got motivated to start our Episcopal Women’s group.  We will be meeting up at the Bishop’s house, by invitation of his wife.    

After the 11 o’clock service we went downstairs for coffee/tea.  I met up with Mirium and Oscar and admited to Mirium that I had been lonley.  She responded with a waging finger that she had told me so : - ). I went with them to their apartment to have lunch and another lady from the church came with us.  It was a lovely visit that ended with me walking briskly back to the apartment as it became dark.

I am relieved that Audra will be returning tomorrow.  Tomorrow morning, Monday, I am going to El Exito to get a couple of grocery items to supply for Audra and her mom.  

I survived a week on my own.  Although, without precision.