Hello again for the last time from Medellin! This month has been the most rewarding and growing month that I have experienced since living for the World Race. We have been able to live in a city, immerse with the locals and get a feel for a very well-run international ministry that is doing incredible work. So far, months one and two were very focused on my team walking into a newly developing ministry site and doing as much work as we can to get as many projects as possible done (ex. construction in Costa Rica and site development in Nicaragua). Colombia has been very different.
Partnering with a well-established ministry has given me the opportunity to get out of task-mode and what I can do for the organization, but what God can do through me in my life on the mission’s field. I have loved being able to take a step back and feel loved by the people who live here full-time, and our team has been able to lift up and give support to people that can start to feel burnout, and just show love to the people that we get to meet. An example of this is getting to meet and know the people that work here full-time.
An example of some of the ways that we have been able to do this is by visiting elderly homes and visiting tenant-style halfway houses called inquilinatos. Ciudad Refugio makes weekly visits to a local elderly home and gets to dance, sing, and play with the people there. It was so moving to me that when we first showed up, the elderly people were so excited to see new faces and hugged each one of us as we walked in. I played guitar, we painted their nails, and we played music on a speaker so that they could show us some of their favorite dance moves! They were so much fun and such a joy to be around! It was such an easy and fun way to show that people care about them.
We also took time to visit the inquilinatos. These are homes that have been sectioned off into small rooms for up to 20 families to pay rent to and live in. My team and I visited some of these homes to play with the kids for the afternoon, bring cookies and just get to know the people living in the neighborhood of the foundation! One of the homes that touched me the most was one with a lot of single, young mothers and their babies. Addie and I held the babies and danced with kids and the moms (only 15-17 themselves) and had a really sweet time getting to know them and see how much the organization that we are partnered with cares about everybody in this city.
We have about six days left in Medellin, and I am going to really miss this city and the people that I have gotten to know. I am excited to take everything that God has been teaching me from this month into the next eight months and beyond.
Love,
Claire
I love that you grew a ton in Medellin. it was a great month 🙂 excited for all that you have and will learn in all the other places
I’m glad this month’s ministry deeply impacted you. Each month, you’re exposed to a new kind of situation where people live in desperation, and God has called you to shine a ray of hope of those people. It will be soooo cool in the kingdom to see the results of all you and your Squad did in Medellin!