And not just that it deserves blogs to share about the beautiful people there, but it also helps me find ways to put into words and process the incredible experiences. It helps me fill in a small way the huge void that sits in my soul as I say "Until next time" to my Colombian family.
And so today, as I am continuing to reflect on those moments, on one hand my heart is so full from the love and the people and the experiences. And yet on yet another hand, my heart breaks and is so sad from separating from the village that has captured my soul.
Perhaps I say - or will say- this every trip, but it holds true : this was my best trip ever of all the 3. The team I traveled with was really wonderful and surpassed the teamwork in a way I didn't expect. There were only 9 of us, and all except one had been there before. Mike, Paula, Mark, Ed, Jay, Keith, Diana and Steve. I felt more immersed in the community this time than ever. ( That grows each time) And the events we had were beautiful, not to mention watching more people filter in to the church service and the goodbye service than I'd ever seen there before.
I never quite know how to break these blogs down, as the experiences are vast and the emotions run deep. Breaking down by days feels a little overwhelming because we do so much in a day, and yet breaking down by experience would be a book. And so I will just write as it sits with me. Today: an overview.
When we arrived the kids held a Welcome sign in Colombian colors, yet written in English. The pastor had the Colombian and American flags hanging side by side with a small banner saying "Bienvenidos" which means welcome. While there were not as many kids milling about upon our arrival, the love was thick in the air. Yuleida, Miguel and Javier all there, amongst others, and with the biggest bear hugs ever. I was not just coming back to Brisas del Mar. I was not just going to a place to do work and help.
I was home.
I have said that in blogs before about Brisas, but it never escapes me. It has become my home. The people love us as their own.
We shared much laughter, jokes, food, many tears and some beautiful experiences. We saw on this trip more people attend church and the community's goodbye to us than we ever had before. We felt the love in a profound way. It doesn't matter how many times I've gone, God always teaches me, always shows up in new ways and his presence is evident. The world around us changes every day, but the love of God and His presence never does. It only grows more beautiful.
How do I begin to put these experiences into words? I'll try my best to recap in new ways. We put together school bags, met new friends, deepened old relationships. worked on the construction, had youth nights, women's night, children programs, we danced, we ate and shared life. The community is reshaping and growing and God is at work. They now have a working well!!! How beautiful that was (and that will get a whole blog) to see them have REAL CLEAN water for the first time ever! Can you even imagine?? Something so simple for us is something so precious to them. That never ceases to amaze me, to teach me.
And so in the next couple of weeks, when I can find the space to do so, I will share. I learned more about the country on this trip (in part for a research project for my Spanish class) but they have a fascinating history, one we can't begin to fathom.
Every person has a story. That is true here as much as it is there. And every person wants their story to be heard. It is a beautiful moment to take in those stories, because when we do, we can learn in profound ways. They continue to change my life.... and I hope in a small way, through my sharing of the experience, they can change yours too.
This blog today is titled There is No Place Like Home... and I am blessed to have this home here in Ohio as well as a home in Brisas del Mar. There is no place like home. That is true. And when I leave here I miss my family ... but go see my Colombian family. When I leave them, the gap is just as big in my goodbyes because they are a part of my heart just as much. There is no place like home... and I look forward to sharing about my second home over the next few days.
I don't know how long God will ask me to go back there, to be used there, to be taught in my own life while I am there. but until He redirects me, I will follow. It's a beautiful thing to see His work.
More blogs to come....
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