OUR LAST DAY IN COLOMBIA... MUSINGS....

OUR LAST DAY IN COLOMBIA - MUSINGS....

Today is our last day in Colombia…

It is bittersweet…

As I type my children are still in bed, quietly awake in their own thoughts. I wonder what is going through their hearts and minds.

Last night we were invited to visit Mrs. Christy. She and her husband founded CDA many years ago. I wish I could share her whole story – which she would be quick to correct me on – telling me it is God’s story! I know she is right – and I love her Glory to the Lord for what He has and is doing through her and her family!

When she was just 25 years old, with 3 little girls, God called her and her husband to Colombia to share God’s Love. She had never been here before. They came to Colombia and started a Christian newspaper. One thing led to another and now CDA (Corporacion Dios Amor / God is Love!) serves many, many facets of Colombia, including a significant ministry that serves single moms and another helps keep families together giving parents tools and training.

As she spoke SO many things were going through my head… CDA here in Colombia reminds me of Jerry Reiners ministry Project 52. Mrs. Christy said CDA serves “the poorest of the poor.” So does Project 52. CDA also reminds me of The Shepherds Crook, a ministry that is a liason for special needs children and forever families. The Shepherds Crook introduced us to our son Joshua, as well as to Heidy and Andres!

Getting back to last night though…

I was sharing with Mrs. Christy the path/s God has had our family on for the past few years. I shared with her that years ago we had read Experiencing God, a book by Blackaby and King that teaches about “Joining God in His work.” This book has had a profound impact on our family.

I told her about God’s calling/s for our family and wondered out loud if we maybe had Experienced so much of God that we could take a break for awhile….

Isn’t that stupid? Last night as I said it, and in these past many weeks as I have thought about it - it made perfect sense to me…

But NOW – as I type it … I feel ashamed and stupid. Yes, I am tired… and I want to be home… and we are in the middle of a few different callings from the Lord …

But – WHY would I ever want to miss a step of Experiencing God? Silly girl… get a grip Debbie!
(I am so sorry Lord, please forgive my feeble attempt to control my life. I do SO want to follow your light unto my every step.)
Well – as I commented to Mrs. Christy that I was tired… blah-blah-blah…. She smiled gently in that grandmother kind of sincere “knowing” and said to me…”Oh Dear, I don’t think we ever want to stop Experiencing God….”

Note to self…. Always remember Mrs. Christy’s gentle, yet powerful encouragement/ challenge!

So… last night… we were visiting and sharing, and looking at pictures and hearing her story and I asked her how long it would take the driver to come back to get us because I thought maybe we should be calling him. And she said….

He was waiting in the car for us….

((( imagine a sheer look of shock across my face….)))

OH MY! The second time in an hour and a half I felt stupid! How did I miss that? We quickly gathered our things, hugged Mrs. Christy and went to the car.

I think it is fair to say though, that there are many, many things I have experienced here in Colombia that are and will be life changing for me… and that hour and a half with Mrs. Christy is one of them… for sure!

Then – of all things… about half way home there must have been a car accident because traffic was STOPPED. It took us 2 hours to get back to our hotel. I felt so bad for the kind man from CDA who was patiently driving us. First – he came to get us to take us all the way across town, then he waited for us an hour and a half, then he took over 2 hours to get us home… Lord, please bless this kind gentleman…

Yesterday we applied for our visas. There was another family there who was adopting. I gotta admit, it never gets old… this miracle of adoption!

There was also a family there applying for an amnesty visa. Apparently they live in a very unsafe part of Colombia and had to prove their life was as risk to get the visa. I continue to be humbled…

***** Today we get 2 mandatory documents, and the children’s completed visas. Tomorrow we fly to Florida, and Sunday to Ohio!!!!!!!! ********

The rest of the day today we will visit a coffee shop that one of the adoption people opened and we will go to another’s home to learn how to make juice! This evening we are invited to go to a Colombian musical with the social worker who stayed with us a few days in Ohio when we hosted Heidy and Andres. She and her husband, her friend and her husband, and the three of us! (I wish my husband was here!)

Since our conversation a few weeks ago when Andres asked me if he had to move out of our home when he was 18 years old, he has been talking a lot about what he wants to do – what kind of job he wants to have.

Back in that initial conversation he told me he was going to join the army so he could move out – thinking he could not stay home after he was 18 years old.

These past many weeks though, he has been talking more and more about his future. It is AMAZING to literally watch him realize he has a future….

Yesterday he told me he wanted to be a veterinarian, a doctor, a spanish teacher and a police man. When he realized policemen in the states wear blue and not green he changed his mind on the policeman gig though!)

After Andres started this conversation a few weeks ago, God put it on my heart to take it a step further. I initiated one day and told him that he would ALWAYS have a family and a home…. Grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles… forever… always…

He has the most sincere smile that shines through his eyes… I wish you could have been a fly on the wall for that converstation!

Hiedy is quite the fun, endearing, young lady. She has a very fun, quick sense of humor and she is very engaging. She is initially shy – but when you get to know her – be ready to experience life through the eyes of a child who can make anything fun!

I have also felt very loved and respected by both Hiedy and Andres. They are listening quite well, asking good questions and initiating good conversations. (Which is also interesting given I don’t speak Spanish!) They will often see a need and step in to meet it. For instance, ever since we have been together they have not let me carry a heavy bag. When I see they are struggling and go to take a heavy bag from them they will say “No Madre!” and usually Hiedy will start to tickle me until I let go of the bag. Often they will carry a bag together if it is too heavy, but they have made it clear that THEY will carry it… not me!

Oh – another quick, but very meaningful experience that happened last night. I was hugging Hiedy and I said to her…. “My Hiedy!” And she said back to be “My Madre!” Then Andres came to me and smiled and hugged me, and said… “My Madre!” To which, of course I squeezed him tight and told him …. “My Andres!”
( One of those quick, but deep moments that I think/hope will always be emblazoned in my memory…)

Well – I am off to start my day. I talked to Kimberly today and she encouraged me to help Heidy and Andres enjoy this last full day in their country. I haven’t stopped crying since then. Thanks Kimberly! There are so many mixed feelings for me and Heidy and Andres…

Andres seems to be coping fairly well though… he tells me he is coming back for a visit to Colombia when he is 15 years old… with Peter!!!!