May God´s will, not my own be done

One of the memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life from my time in Bucaramanga began when Fr. Jorge invited me to be present during a spiritual ministry meeting. Fr. Jorge invited me so that I could have an experience in spiritual counseling and get a clearer view of his work. A young man, 18 years old, had come in with his mother, family and friends. After excusing everyone else from the room the young man explained his situation to me and the father. Since 11 years-old he had been bumming around the streets to escape his parent´s bickering and fighting. On the street he started using marijuana, then got into snuffing and progressed into the other drugs (not mentioned specifically). He found himself in street fights and one night was responsible for a terrible act. This act was told in confession and will not be spoken of outside of the father, myself and the young man. In this session of spiritual counseling the young man expressed that he had experienced the presence of Christ and a desire to be freed of this life style. His intentions seemed sincere as tears streamed down when the Father brought up the act on that unfortunate night.
Father Jorge put the young man in contact with Jaime who gives painting classes in the church building. Jaime offered him a grant to attend the classes free of charge on the condition that he is truly striving to turn his life around. Jaime himself as a youth had been caught on the streets into drugs and it was art and the Lord Christ that pulled him out. Jaime´s son also fell into the same pit as well as a number of other young men who have been freed of this life style through the ministry of Jaime in the name of Christ and the healing nature of art. Father Jorge also got the young man in touch with a fellow, Luis Fernando, who once worked in a young men`s half-way house, where he counseled hundreds of young men in the same condition. So the father offered this young man an arsenal of tools to help him along his way. One can only pray that he will use them. The father discovered that the young man had never received his first communion and so the date was set for the following Sunday to officially bring him into the shared communion. Along with Father Jorge, Jaime and Luis Fernando the young man´s family and friends were brought in to help keep him accountable to his new direction. I would never wish for such a responsibility, it is one that gets thrust upon you.
The days past and we had not heard news, good or bad, about the young man. However Saturday night the father received a call at 3am. It was the young man. He said that he had fallen back into drugs and was cold and hungry on the streets. This was a situation that the father felt could not be brought into his home because he fears the young man is capable, in his present condition, of doing some kind of harm if given the opportunity. The following day, Sunday, our hope was dim that the young man would come to the church. A lovely surprise was that a girl, one of his friends, showed up wanting to take her first communion. It struck me how generous God is, that even if this young man chose to not take advantage of the resources the father offered, the Lord was presenting another soul who was drawn in through the ministering of her friend. As I spoke to this girl about the church, Christ and what the Holy Communion means I continued to pray that the young man would still show up. Blessed is the Lord that he did come, just before the Holy Communion. The young man and girl were presented to the congregation and received their first communion, brining them into the community of the church. It is up to them if they choose to enter into the body of Christ. After communion Father Jorge offered a healing service. He laid his hands on the young man and the girl.
If I have not mentioned before, Father Jorge has the gift of healing. Once a month he goes to Cucuta for a massive healing ceremony where people come from all around wait for hours to have Father Jorge pray over them. Cancers have been cured, tumors have healed, demons have been cast out all in the name of the Lord Christ. If you doubt, I invite you to follow the Father around for a couple of months and read in Scripture of the very real truth of such events that passed by Christ and his disciples.
I was so very grateful that the young man showed up. I took that to be a sign that God was really at work in him and that though it was going to be a long and bumpy road to recovery, he was willing and determined. Well, in the course of life and miracles some things are not so cut and dry. The bumpy road analogy just doesn´t express it fully. Over the preceding days up through this past Sunday this boy was turning his world, and the world of those around him, upside down. Father Jorge and Luis Fernando were more and more skeptical that the young man was seeking transformation more than manipulatively seeking sanctuary from those who are trying to kill him. I was struggling with wondering if his tears and please for help had been sincere or manipulation. He was calling the father at all hours or attempting to rob from his own father, even making moves to kill his father. He was out of the house and on the street and then finally back in the house. He says he found a job and staid in the house an entire week and came to church Sunday. This young man is seethed in rage, drugs and pride and he is a skillful manipulator. If he does truly want to fight on, he has a long hard battle ahead of him. Only God knows how this young man´s story will play out. I pray that he has been touch with the healing power of the Spirit to be transformed.

still in Bucaramanga...at least untill 10pm

I extended my Bucaramanga visit by a day to take advantage of generous hospitality. This has been a socially, culturally and spiritually fulfilling trip. As of last Thursday the house was filled with visitors. At one point there were six guests for Esmeralda and Fr. Jorge. Now our numbers are down to four visitors and I will be leaving tonight on the night bus to take me to Bogota. The other five visitors are family and friends of Jorge and Esmeralda. They are down to earth, zesty and full of coastal flair. This brings with it a coastal accent that left me befuddled a number of times as to the theme on the discussion block. I am not sure if I have made any progress in my Spanish skills or if I´ve regressed. The generosity of my host and their friends revealed to me Christ`s face of generosity. I found myself meditating on scriptures that command us to give generously and to serve the stranger in the land. I found my joy in washing dishes to serve a need and hopefully express my sincere gratitude for all that they have done to make my stay so pleasant and enjoyable.
So far my plans once I arrive back in Bogota are up in the air. There was a plan to ride down to Quito with friends from the cathedral to attend the ordination of Bishop Luis Fernando. Unfortunately my friends had come down with the flue about three weeks ago and I haven´t heard from them yet. The plus side of canceling this car trip is that I get to delve into a super veggie diet for a while. After two weeks of local food I am going crazy to get a steady supply of greens and oats into my body. I am considering, seriously, a return to vegetarianism when I get back to the states. However, I would not trade the opportunity to share in the culture through their food. It has served me well in every home I have entered.
This past Sunday I had the opportunity to visit one of the missions in Bucaramanga. Out of a strata 0-6 this is somewhere between 1 and 2. They have electricity, but no water and the houses seem well constructed out of brinks and or cement blocks. It is set up a large hill, perhaps it is actually a small mountain. It looks as though the top of a mountain had been cut off revealing a rocky dirt environment. Father Ernesto took me with him in his car. This looks like a rinky-dink of a car but man it bumped, swayed and danced its way up through the stony dusty hills and chugged up some steep terrain. Everyone was impressed that the car made it up. As soon as I get into Bogota I will have the ability to post the pictures.
This is a very humble mission. It is attended by an ordained priest every other week. They are already in the building faze of their program where they have intentions of building a sanctuary, a school and apartments to house serving missionaries. They have great expectations that our missionary team will reside in the community. This is a fledgling community lead by one driven man who was named the president. It is through his ingenuity and drive that they have electricity, school desks, the plans for the school and that the Episcopal Church is their spiritual leadership. That morning the children gathered under a tin roof held up with pilings as the priests wife lead them in studying the days Gospel lesson. She is a skilled teacher by trade and her gift showed through as she interacted with the children. I was certainly inspired to take back her energy and knowhow to the children I work with. As the service began, it was clear that the community sees the churches present as a thing for the kids as the child to adult ratio something like three to one.
As I prepare to leave I am evaluating how Young Adult Service Corp missionaries could serve this community. I have greatly enjoyed my time here. I could invision myself serving here for a while. There are a lot of open possibilities. All of us will have to pray and discern on our own part where God is leading us. I have a lot to think about… Bosa, the mission in the South, all of the other parishes I still have not visited, etc.
Unfortunately, due to the Latinness of Latin America I was never able to make it back to the Elderly mission house. That is a hard lesson for me to never go anywhere without my camera, if at all possible.

a need for encouragment

The other day I had the opportunity to have a lengthy conversation with Eduin, one of the deacons who serves in this area. Eduin is in his 70s. He does not look nor act his age as he emotes an air of charm and gentility. We had apparently met during the diocesan convention. I have to take his word on that. I met a lot of folks that weekend. Thanks to this earlier encounter Eduin greeted me with the enthusiasm and energy of coming across a long lost friend. I hope I was equally welcoming.
The conversation that followed, though at first an awkward negotiation of what subject could be broached, shifted into two similar minds feeding off of the others ideas and energy. The greater focus was on the subject of the diocese, its strengths and more to its weaknesses. We each carry the same concern and drive to see the church (the greater body of Christ in general as well as the Episcopal diocese of Colombia) grow and prosper.
Eduin gives thanksgiving for the present congregation but also recognizes a greater need to reach out to serve the immediate surrounding community. At present the congregation is primarily comprised of commuters. The obvious issue here is that the surrounding neighborhood is not being served by the presence of the church as it should or could be. Another issue is the inconsistency of attendance due to the inconvenience of busses, traffic and weather (e.g. the folks just don´t show up when it is raining).
During the conversation I expressed my humble opinions I have formed over my past six months. One of my greater desires is to see the Cathedral (in Bogota) prosper. As I have mentioned before, I believe the Cathedral has almost limitless opportunities to grow into something amazing. It is centrally located along the western mountain range in a middle income neighborhood between the higher economic area and the poorer – poor neighborhoods with easy accessibility to transportation by way of bus or Transmelinio. The only thing missing are church leaders to devote their energies full-time. I have observed Father Rafael in Cartagena, Father Jose Romero in Bogota´s southern mission and Father Jorge. All of whom are sustained by their congregations in areas with fewer resources.
Talking with Eduin I was able to digest my experiences over the past couple of months. He in turn was feeding off my energy. Our conversation became an excited and dynamic back and forth exchange of ideas, convictions, revelations and decision making. One decision is that I plan on talking with the Bishop to share with him my observations and hopes for the diocese. A friend suggested that my mission and gift to the diocese might be as a communicator and observer between the people (congregations and communities) and the church leadership (the bishop and priests). This idea has a taste of public health as it would focus on groups of people on a broader scale.
Such a conversation is just what I needed. At times I have found myself feeling isolated from developing real relationships with the leaders of the diocese. I am not sure how or why this occurse. I feed off of such interaction and exchanges. It is nice to feel a kindred connection with those whom I share this church home with.

Thanks be to God for Bosa

Audra and I spent Sunday July 5 and Monday the 6th in Bosa (a town in south east Bogota). This area does not have the best of reputations as reactions when we mention where we are to begin work include stuttering, incredulous gawking and some mentions of safety concerns; now it really isn´t all that. However it is a hurting population with hunger, crime, violence, delinquency and lack of family planning. You know you are only a couple blocks away from the mission when you start rocking and rolling over the dirt road (still in Bogota). The sanctuary itself is more like a MASH unit. It is constructed of a timber skeleton with green plastic construction fabric as walls. During the day as natural light filters through the green walls indiscriminately cast a sickly green hue over everything and everyone; though after a few minuets you do adjust to this Emerald Cityish experience.
Sunday was a full day event in Bosa attending all three of the services at 9am, 4pm and 7pm. I gladly participated in each service´s lecture readings. Despite the obvious delinquencies of this area the first two services were full (each with forty-something). The 7pm serves, as it was explained, is give or take.
The extraordinary part of this mission is in its leaders, Alberto Urbano and Alejandro. I had met with these gentlemen a few times before and they had shared about their mission work and I expressed my desire to work more and be more active in the community. Somehow I got the idea in my head that these guys were from some Catholic sect. I had completely convinced myself of this. My talk with Deacon Eduin helped me realize why I had resisted the idea that they might be Episcopalian. It is because their mentality is so very distinct from anyone who I had yet met. Their God-talk and God-walk are charged and refreshing. They call themselves missionaries even after having been ordained. They rely on the tithes of the communities to sustain their livelihoods. Alberto describes this as being a process of relying upon God to provide for them through the generosity and prosperity of the families they serve. Instead of praying for full offertories, they pray for the economic well being of the congregation and that they may give with generosity.
These men have devoted their lives to their ministry and faith. They hold services every day except Monday. Monday(July 6) began a program named Operation Rescue with the call to rescue the children of the community from the street and TV. It is basically the same situation in Bosa as it is in the mission in the south. Parents must leave as early as 4am to go to work and normally do not return until 6pm. This leaves children to fend for themselves in the house where the older sibling cooks and cares for the younger ones. With so much free time children are usually either glued to the television or out in the street where they are exposed to violence, drugs and alcohol. Some children go to school in the morning and others in the evening.
The Fathers have started this mission to be open from 8am to 6pm Mon – Sat. to give the children a place of safety, a hot meal, a snack and spiritual mentorship for a group that will come either in the morning before classes or in the evening after classes. Even more extraordinary is that this mission receives no outside funding for the ministry. Due to lack of economic resources the program must charge a modest free of 7,000 pesos (= $3.50) per week. This is a non inflated price to feed each child a meal and snack 6 days of the week. This might seem like small change, but in a community that may only earn one or two dollars a day it does keep some families from participating.
Monday (July 6), was the first day of Operation Rescue. Due to school being on vacation we were with 20-25 children all day. We started the day with a church service lead by Father Alberto. This was followed by English class, soccer, a snack and basketball. We also laid witness to a group brawl that included women hitting women, men hitting men and men and women yelling at each other. It was an opportunity to informally teach about a better way to conduct oneself. Audra had a conversation with a group about why at 24 she didn´t already have children. We often have to explain ourselves for this. This is reality for these children to see girls as young as 15 with their first child. It is a difficult cultural barrier to negotiate. Then we had lunch. Before calling an end to the first day Audra and I sat down with Alberto to discuss how the first day went. We expressed our concern for the anger and rage that we observed manifest in the young boys and the talk Audra had about family planning. Then I sat down with the children and helped them organize their own schedule for the following day. They included time for reading and studies, dance, art and time to play. At the end of the day Audra and I were exhausted and felt very rewarded. The difficult matter is that my travel schedule will hinder a normal work schedule, Audra leaves in September and in August she and I will be in Quibdo for a couple of weeks. Our hope and intention is to set up steady work for the incoming missionaries that will prove fulfilling.
Like the mission in the south these children are incredibly loving and in great need to be hugged and loved on. Audra and I agree that we feel as though we integrated almost immediately with this group. Perhaps it has to do with the fact they are on average a few years older than the children at the southern mission.
At this point I ask each of you to search your hearts and discern if you would like to participate in this mission by sponsoring a child. This is $3.50 a week, the equivalent (or less) of a medium Starbucks frothy something or other. This project will save lives, hopefully prevent early pregnancies and at the very least reduce under-nutrition. Take a moment to pray and ask God if you are being called to serve the poor through this program. If you would like to sponsor a child for Operation Rescue please email me and I will be happy to get you connected.
In meeting with the missionaries I became convicted of God´s call to me to be bold in my time here in Colombia. I had grown lazy and lacked motivation to press the diocese to take advantage of my energy and gifts. I now feel refreshed and ready to put forth my all to make this experience everything it can be and helping the diocese take advantage of my hands and energy.

Bucaramana...just what i needed

Untill the 21st i will be staying with Padre (father) Jorge and his wife Esmeralda in Bucaramana (check out a map to orient yourself). Audra is in California for a couple of weeks representing the YASC missionaries at the General Convention that is being held at this very moment in Anaheim. So, since I was already planning on paying a visit to this city the timing worked out well.
Since arriving Jorge and Esmeralda have been dear hosts. They have shown me around parts of the city amd I accompanied the father and a family of the parish to the churches mission center at a carring facility for elderly. This was a marvelous experience.
Truth be told, the elderly and such care facilities normaly give me the heaby-jeabies. The last time I was in a `retirment home` was when I went with my family to visit my grandfather Tidwell who suffered from Alsthimers. That place made me so uncomfortable. It smelled of sick people, and despite the staffs best efforts, it always smelled of urin. Some of the people were practically comotose others loud and then there were the obvious sick. I do remember a number of very kind and loving individuals and meeting with them was nice though sad because hovering over everything was a since of lonleiness and forgotteness.
However this mission was quite different. I walked through the doors to find myself once again outside...I was disoriented for a moment untill I was told that the building is under construction to build a second level. There are rooms everywhere, this place is probably the most ample one story building I have walked into since arriving to Colombia. I was told that there are some 80 individuals who reside at this mission. There are not only elderly who live here, but also individuals who cannot care for themselves independently. There are a score of personalities to take not of amonst the residents and atendents.
We were there to have a Ecaristic service. My first task was to hand out suckers that the family had brought. My first instinct was to freak out a bit. You want me to walk around this place by myself and hand these strangers suckers? Thankfully I bucked up and started on my task and to my surprise I found myself really enjoying making a connection with the men and women. A few were dispondent, others hardly connected to the same world and then there were others who were able to look me in the eyes. Some responded with a smile a few engaged me in conversation. There were a few who looked looked upon me with the character and spirit of an innocent little child. It was really quite extrodinary. This time, those that were sick did not scare me, they moved my heart. I was able to look them in there eyes and take hold of their hands.
The most powerfull moments passed as we went through the Eucarist. I had a genuine Christ moment durring the giving of the Peace. It was like my eyes were opened and I saw Chirst in them. I heard the message that these are my children, love them. As I took hold of their hands to pass the peace they looked up at me with a pure joy. As I touched the cheek of a fragile tiny woman I realized that this is the work of Christ in action. I looked around and felt my heart swell with love for these people. I have requeted to return next week and this time I will remember to take my camera to share with you there faces. I cannot pass up the oportuinity to encounter Christ again, now can I.