A Timeline from the Last Time to Now

“Now I will turn miracle into routine.  The amazing will be seen every day.  I will put in all the hard work necessary.  Yes, so long as God is with me, I will not die.  Amen.” 

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Four months have passed since I have posted anything.  It’s not that I haven’t had any crazy stories, reflections, or news, but rather a combination of not knowing how to share what is going on and finding the time to write it out.  So in order to quick catch everyone up from January to now, here is a short timeline of events so far this year:

January

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At the end of January, all of us in the SEED program went to Barrancabermeja to visit a community called Micoahumado.  Micoahumado is a community that is currently experiencing conflict with armed groups in the south of Bolivar.  We had a very intense experience there, but it was inspiring to see leaders so committed to their communities and to nonviolent resistance.  You can read my reflections here(I will post my blog that I wrote for SEED here when they publish it!)

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February

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In February we started spreading Ultimate Frisbee to different communities in the area.  We first got to adventure to a town in the mountains where we got to play for two days straight and since then we have been sharing the game with communities closer by with hopes of arranging a tournament here in Libertad in July!  (More to come on that later!)  You can see a bit of our experience in the mountain here:

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March

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At the beginning of March all the SEEDers came to the coast to visit all of the communities we support in Sembrandopaz.  It was awesome to listen to the communities share their experiences with our colleagues and hear their reflections and the connections that they see between where they are accompanying in Colombia and the coast.  Plus we got to make fun of our teammates trying to ride donkeys.

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One of my friends and coworkers was in a motorcycle accident at the beginning of March and has been in the clinic in Barranquilla since then recuperating from a broken femur and a skin graft.  She’s doing really well but prayers are always appreciated for a full recovery!  I got to visit her three times and send the night with her.  We even painted eggs on Easter!

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At the end of March, my parents came to visit!  It was so good to have them here and share with them the communities where I accompany.  They were such troopers and went wherever I had planned- Mampujan, Pichilin, Libertad… It was so fun to share it all with them!  And then we relaxed on the beach.  It reminded me how much I like reading; I haven’t just sat down and read for a long time!  I was very happy to share this time with my parents eating cow intestines, riding buses and motorcycles, having translated conversations with friends, and reading on the beach.  Thank you Mom and Dad!

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April

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Easter was fun!  Just like last year, I got to eat a lot and painted eggs with the kiddos.  Fish, rice and beans, potato salad, and all classes of sweets… It is my favorite week because everywhere you go, people give you delicious food.  And this year I had forty kids come by to paint eggs.  It was a blast!

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There has been a nation-wide strike by the teachers so the students have not had class for a while, which means I get lots of visits and drawings by kids!  Check it out!

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My neighbor dug a huge hole in the backyard because she had a dream that her grandpa had buried a fortune there.  They found salt water…  I found this pretty entertaining.

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The rest of April has been full of getting into the swing of work… It is a little crazy how long it takes for things to get started, but now the leaders are organizing themselves and the work they want to do in the town, the youth are starting to organize themselves as well, Frisbee plans are advancing, and community exchanges are getting planned!  It’s going to be a good year!