Sunday, April 21, 2019

Lent Photo a Day: From War to Peace

"From War to Peace" is the name of a project of IELCO outside of the city of Medellin. The project accompanies communities that are recieving ex-combatants that have demobilized since the peace agreements, to accompany the process of reincorporation, forgiveness, reconciliation, peace-building, and community safety. Here we are in a workshop identifying the assets that exist in the community and how the community can put them to us in developing plans of self-protection and risk reduction. The hope that this process carries is a very fitting reminder on this Easter Sunday that death is not the final word.

Saturday, April 20, 2019

Lent Photo a Day: with Zulma

For those of you who regularly read the blog, there are a few names that come up often, Zulma is one of them. Zulma and I started working together almost as quickly as we got to Colombia. She has been who I have accompanied most closely during our time in Colombia. There are too many memories with her to just pick one for the blog....but I tried. We decorated our office with an "education" word cloud and are proudly showing it off the day it was hung. 


Friday, April 19, 2019

Lent Photo a Day: Cancelled Trips

As Colombia is a country in the midst of conflict, it is hard to not notice how the conflict impacts so many aspects of life here. I decided to put a "blank" photo here to represent the photos I wasn't able to take and the trips, workshops, and other activities that I had to cancel due to safety concerns related to the conflict. On this somber Good Friday, I am refelcting on these experiences.


Thursday, April 18, 2019

Lent Photo a Day: Sara Lara

Sara Lara started as coordinator of the human rights program of IELCO in May of 2016. Since then she has been an important compaƱera for me. She has helped with the cultural translation of life and everyday interactions in Colombia, as well as developing the human rights and peace-building work in IELCO.


Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Lent Photo a Day: Cali

During the Christmas break in 2016, we took a few days to go to Cali (in Colombia, not the state in the US). One of the things to do in Cali is to climb up a little mountain and see the church at the top. We did that and this is us with the church behind us. We enjoyed our time in Cali. 


Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Lent Photo a Day: Maily's ice cream sh0p

A very enjoyable part of visiting the community in Medellin, after every workshop or other activity, the community is invited to Maily's ice cream shop. Not only is it delicious ice cream, they come in very generous servings. As Pastor John told Maily as we were all sharing over some ice cream: "You know what you sell here, you sell happiness".


Monday, April 15, 2019

Lent Photo a Day: Buddies

This is me with Mauricio, Mauricio was one of the first people I met when we arrived in Colombia. He and I quickly became close. He calls me his big sister and he is my little brother. This photo was at a special event at our church - that is why we are both dressed up. Lots of fun memories wrapped-up in this photo. 


Sunday, April 14, 2019

Lent Photo a Day: Mauricio's Artwork

Mauricio is a young man who works with us in IELCO's office in Bogota. He does a lot of the graphic design for the publications of IELCO, and is a very talented artist. He made these drawings for us, on the left is for Katie and on the right is for me.

Saturday, April 13, 2019

Lent Photo a Day: Cate's Graduation

One of the things that I will always remember about Colombia has been the times that we have been invited into the special moments of different people's lives. This photo was the graduation of Cate, where I was invited to support her with her family. This photo was taken during lunch after. A very special memory indeed. 


Friday, April 12, 2019

Lent Photo a Day: Abilio and John

Here I am with Abilio (in the middle) and Pastor John (right) at the end of the conference last year celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Medellin outcome documents. They were both main organizers of the conference and have accompanied me in so many ways these years in Colombia. Two people I am grateful to know.


Thursday, April 11, 2019

Lent Photo a Day: Our Office

The last several months the central office of IELCO (where we both work) has been under construction with some remodeling and updating projects. This was the celebration of the inauguration of the new meeting room (the first room that was finished). These are some of the wonderful people we work with!   


Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Lent Photo a Day: Sustainable Community Development

As I got more acquainted with the context of IELCO, I realized that a way that I could accompany local congregations was through community development. I found a certificate program at Colorado State University, and the ELCA supported me taking the courses. Last year I finished the courses, and have been able to put into practice with IELCO congregations much of what I learned during the certificate program.


Tuesday, April 9, 2019

Lent Photo a Day: A good reminder

We all have days where we wonder if what we are doing is worth it, right (please don't tell me I am the only one). This picture is one of my reminders that sometimes what I am doing matters. This is Leidy and the photo is from the national retreat for Christian Formation, we hadn't formally met before this retreat. She came up to me and said I had led a workshop with her son, and he would be so excited if we could take a picture together to send to him. It was a needed affirmation in that moment and has stuck with me. 


Monday, April 8, 2019

Lent Photo a Day: Gaitan

In 1948, Presidential candidate Jorge Elecier Gaitan was shot outside of his office in downtown Bogota. This is, to many, the start of the current and ongoing armed conflict in Colombia. This photo is of the memorial at the exact place where he was shot. As Andres was giving us a tour of downtown Bogota, he made sure that we came to this place.


Sunday, April 7, 2019

Lent Photo a Day: Colombian Cooking

Many people have asked me if I have learned to cook Colombian food since we have been here. Yes, there are a few traditional Colombian things I have learned. One visit to Bucaramanga, Pastor Sergio taught me to make bunelos. I am holding the one I made - what you can't quite see in the photo is the bowl full of the perfectly round ones he made, mine didn't turn out as beautiful! We all had a good laugh at the blob of a bunelo I made. 


Saturday, April 6, 2019

Lent Photo a Day: Gabriel Garcia Marquez Cultural Center

When we both have some free time, Andres and I love to go to the Gabriel Garcia Marquez Cultural Center (with Colombia's largest book store) and spend some time perusing the books, then getting a lunch. On this day Katie and Andres' son Gabo (named after Gabriel Garcia Marquez) were able to join us.


Friday, April 5, 2019

Lent Photo a Day: Biking

Curtis and I have bikes and love biking around the city. On Sundays and holidays many of the roads are closed to cars so people can enjoy biking without cars. The picture is me biking with the twins, Cate and Jennifer, one Sunday after church. 


Thursday, April 4, 2019

Lent Photo a Day: Flying Kites

It is always a priviledge to watch Sara and Mariana, the daughters of Pastors Atahualpa and Angelica. They lived close to us and every once in a while we were able to help out. Here we are on our terrace on a windy day, trying to get some kites to fly.



Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Lent Photo a Day: Traveling

This picture is recent. The weekend of March 23-24 was the church's national council meeting, held in Paz de Ariporo. On the way back to Bogota Monday morning a large group of us were on the same plane. When we landed in Bogota we took a group picture. It was a good council meeting, you can tell everyone is happy (and tired). 


Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Lent Photo a Day: Solar Eclipse

In August of 2017, we witnessed a solar eclipse of a visibility that had not happened since 1918. Here I am with Mikka McCracken of the ELCA as she was in Colombia on sabbatical. We put together some homemade pin hole viewers with some cereal boxes.


Monday, April 1, 2019

Lent Photo a Day: Mangos

Fresh mangos! The picture below is from a trip to someone's home, mangos were in harvest and while we were there we had mango juice and mangos at every meal. When we went home we were sent with a bag of fresh mangos.