DAY 3!! KIDS KIDS KIDS.... and Canada!!
This is Denise Lockhart.
This morning started off early with breakfast at 6:30 and then out the door at 7:20 am. Life here starts very early every morning because of the traffic that one must contend with to get anywhere. We went to one of my favourite ministries, Hogar de Paz (House of Peace), which is basically a before or after school program for kids. The challenge here is that while many parents work all day, kids only attend school for half the day. What happens to them for the other half of the day when they aren't in school? It was discovered that some of them were hanging out on the streets with undesireable people and others were being left at home alone. Seeing the need, a missionary began Hogar de Paz where kids between the ages of 3 and 11 can come when they are not in school. They get help with their homework, play, learn about God and receive a meal while they are there.
While we were there, we did a craft, acted out a Bible story, and two girls did a dance choreographed to a Spanish Christian song. It's heartbreaking to hear some of the stories of some of these kids who come to the Hogar de Paz. For instance, I met Sarah and Valeria, two sisters who live with their parents in Bogota. They are originally from Venezuela, but had to escape due to the violence. They live in a small room that has two beds and one small stove. There is no space to play. I also met Dyana and Marcela, two little girls who are living with their uncle and aunt who already have 7 children. Their father was abusing them and so they were taken from the home. The mother chose to live with the father instead of caring for her children.
These kind of stories break my heart. I am so glad that these kids have an opportunity to come to this place and be removed from many of the vulnerable situations that they face on a daily basis. It was great to be a part of making their world just a little better today by being a part of their lives, even if for only a few hours.
Hi, this is Julia!
After an amazing morning at Hogar de Paz, we went to our host school, El Camino Academy. Here we each presented on a Canadian topic to a group of about three to six kids at a time. This meant we had to present almost forty times in total. While this was tiring, it was such a reward to see the children's eyes light up as they learnt about Canada, not to mention the fact that most of the students at this school spoke fluent English, which made communication much easier!
After our presentations, the wife of the middle school principal gave us a tour, telling us of the background of the school's growth and development. It was so cool to hear of how God has been at work there, and how He's continued to provide for those who have sought Him.
An unexpected blessing came after our time at ECA. Two young women from the States who teach at this school brought us to their apartment, showing us around and telling us all about what life is like as a missionary teacher in Bogota. I personally hadn't known we were going to be doing this, but it was really interesting to hear what it really takes to be a teacher in a country like Colombia--what kind of challenges they face, the relationships they've been able to develop, and even just what they do with their free time.
Finally, at the end of the day, each of us team members were teamed up to spend supper with an ECA family. While of course this was intimidating at first, especially as many of the parents spoke hardly any English, I think I can say we were all blessed by the connections we made. After all, despite the differences, we all had Christ as a common ground.
Over all, I was very encouraged today. Perhaps the thing that sticks out to me the most is how so many of the people we met have their built whole lives around serving Christ. The gospel isn't something they just tag on to their personal lives, it's everything. I'm so glad we still have over a week left here. I can't wait to see all that God has in store!
This morning started off early with breakfast at 6:30 and then out the door at 7:20 am. Life here starts very early every morning because of the traffic that one must contend with to get anywhere. We went to one of my favourite ministries, Hogar de Paz (House of Peace), which is basically a before or after school program for kids. The challenge here is that while many parents work all day, kids only attend school for half the day. What happens to them for the other half of the day when they aren't in school? It was discovered that some of them were hanging out on the streets with undesireable people and others were being left at home alone. Seeing the need, a missionary began Hogar de Paz where kids between the ages of 3 and 11 can come when they are not in school. They get help with their homework, play, learn about God and receive a meal while they are there. While we were there, we did a craft, acted out a Bible story, and two girls did a dance choreographed to a Spanish Christian song. It's heartbreaking to hear some of the stories of some of these kids who come to the Hogar de Paz. For instance, I met Sarah and Valeria, two sisters who live with their parents in Bogota. They are originally from Venezuela, but had to escape due to the violence. They live in a small room that has two beds and one small stove. There is no space to play. I also met Dyana and Marcela, two little girls who are living with their uncle and aunt who already have 7 children. Their father was abusing them and so they were taken from the home. The mother chose to live with the father instead of caring for her children.
These kind of stories break my heart. I am so glad that these kids have an opportunity to come to this place and be removed from many of the vulnerable situations that they face on a daily basis. It was great to be a part of making their world just a little better today by being a part of their lives, even if for only a few hours.
Hi, this is Julia!
After an amazing morning at Hogar de Paz, we went to our host school, El Camino Academy. Here we each presented on a Canadian topic to a group of about three to six kids at a time. This meant we had to present almost forty times in total. While this was tiring, it was such a reward to see the children's eyes light up as they learnt about Canada, not to mention the fact that most of the students at this school spoke fluent English, which made communication much easier!
After our presentations, the wife of the middle school principal gave us a tour, telling us of the background of the school's growth and development. It was so cool to hear of how God has been at work there, and how He's continued to provide for those who have sought Him.
An unexpected blessing came after our time at ECA. Two young women from the States who teach at this school brought us to their apartment, showing us around and telling us all about what life is like as a missionary teacher in Bogota. I personally hadn't known we were going to be doing this, but it was really interesting to hear what it really takes to be a teacher in a country like Colombia--what kind of challenges they face, the relationships they've been able to develop, and even just what they do with their free time.
Finally, at the end of the day, each of us team members were teamed up to spend supper with an ECA family. While of course this was intimidating at first, especially as many of the parents spoke hardly any English, I think I can say we were all blessed by the connections we made. After all, despite the differences, we all had Christ as a common ground.Over all, I was very encouraged today. Perhaps the thing that sticks out to me the most is how so many of the people we met have their built whole lives around serving Christ. The gospel isn't something they just tag on to their personal lives, it's everything. I'm so glad we still have over a week left here. I can't wait to see all that God has in store!
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