My sweet Colombian family

 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6-7

Quote of the week: "Often there is nothing as godly as inactivity on our part, or nothing as harmful as restless working, for God has promised to work His sovereign will.... Living a life of faith often requires us to leave things alone." 

--A. B. Simpson

This week, once again, has been very relaxed, with a few crazy moments here and there. This past week, I was blessed with the opportunity to volunteer in the church nursery.  Little children and babies are sooo sweet!! Haha, they are even cuter when they baby talk in spanish :) Love it!  One little boy, Sebastian (Love that name!) wouldnt share a toy with another little girl and spent about 3 minutes laying on the floor saying NO NO NO! because he didnt want to share.  Sign language with a 3 year old is a little bit more difficult, but somehow he eventually understood that I was asking him to share and eventually did. Oh, children!


Yesterday was my 21 birthday :) so the Roncancios planned a special day.  We left bright and early yesterday morning and ventured off to several little towns in Boyaca, Colombia (a different state), about 3 hours away.  They are sooo sweet! 

We stopped for breakfast at a little Arepa restaurant.  Talk about delicious!!!

My sweet and precious family!

The beautiful countryside of Colombia!

 

The first little town we visited in Boyoca, Colombia.  For the first time in weeks, I saw some Americans! 

Random funny story: About a week ago, I went with Lina and Santi to a movie with some friends.  There was an unusually long wait to get into the movie we wanted, so seeing as we had some time to kill, Santi and I ventured off to the only Taco Bell in all of Bogota (and Colombia).  I'm a little embarrassed when I think about how excited I got when we walked into Taco Bell... I guess it just reminds me of home :) Anyways, after ordering, Santi grabbed a seat and I filled our sodas.  While filling mine, it overflowed with fizz and began to spill over.  A woman with light brown hair and clear brown eyes said, "Oh no!!"  Seeing that I was at Taco Bell (a completely American restaurant) and the little she said sounded like she didnt have an accent, I quickly (and with a little too much enthuasim/excitement) said, "ARE YOU AMERICAN????"  She quickly responded, with a thick Colombian accent, "No, why? Do I look American??"  I will admit, that was kind of embarrassing :-/  Bright red, I returned to my seat and am still laughing about it even though it happened over a week ago :)  

My beautiful little sister!

Adriana, my mom here, asked me to sit by this huge church door and look like a lost "gringa." Haha, this is how it turned out!

I have the cutest and sweetest little brother in the whole world! 

The first town we visited was setting up a special carvnival (I'm not really sure what for) and they had a mechanical bull.  Santiago and Adriana both said, "Lindsey, it's your birthday, you should ride it!" Hesitantly, I told them yes... but only if Santiago rode it first.  He did :)  I think I fell off after about 1 minute or so.  It was so much fun! 

This is a little town we visited last before our long journey back to Bogota.  It's famous for its clay pottery and crafts.  

When we got home, Dago, a Colombian pastor staying with the Roncancios this week from Tennessee, went out and got me a birthday cake! That was so sweet of him! Even though it was late, we enjoyed rum cake.  It was delicious!!

I am so thankful for my wonderful family here! I cant believe my time here is over half way over! Since yesterday was my birthday, I spent some time thinking about what I'm thankful for.  I feel so blessed to have wonderful friends, a supporting family, and a beautiful Savior.  I'm so undeserving of his grace and his unfailing love towards me, but He is faithful to me no matter what.  I'm reminded of one of my favorite verses, 2 Corinthians 5:21, which says, "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." What an amazing adventure it is to be found in the arms of Christ! 

Resting in His Promises

Psalm 103:1-5

Bless the Lord, O my soul, 

and all that is within me, 

bless his holy name! 

Bless the Lord, O my soul, 

and forget not all his benefits, 

who forgives all your iniquity, 

who heals all your diseases, 

who redeems your life from the pit, 

who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 

who satisfies you with good 

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 

Matthew 11:29

It's been a LONG time since I last posted so here is an update on what's been happening in Bogota:


Since my Papaw and the two ladies he came with left, there has been a lot of down time.  It has been wonderful that I've been able to take some time and rest... which is something I'm usually really bad at.  The past couple weeks, I've been able to spend tons of time with my little brother and sister, Lina and Santiago.  Like any little sibling, they totally drive me crazy sometimes (Santiago!!), but I dont know what I'd do without them.  They bring me so much joy and I'm so glad that God placed us in each others lives!  
 
















Adrianna, my host mom, is absolutely amazing! Day by day, I'm learning more and more spanish, and lately (although with the help of a translating website) I've been able to have several long conversations with her.  She cracks me up! I think we spend almost, if not all of our conversations, laughing because we enjoy talking (totally in Spanglish!) with each other.  She's serious about Jesus, and although there is still a HUGE language barrier, I'm still learning crazy amounts from her.  It amazes me how much we can learn if we just be still and listen or observe. 
 



This past week was the first time I was able to go to youth group at Grace Missionary Bible Church.  I thought my youth group back home had crazy games... boy was I wrong!!! Youth group is every Saturday from 2:30-5pm.  One of the elders usually teaches for about 45 minutes, solidly getting into the Word, and the rest of the time is spent playing all sorts of crazy games (somehow most of the games involve soapy water... I'm not sure how, but I have a tendency to catch water balloons more in my lap than I do in my hands!).  

On a different note, about one week ago, I went running with a friend who I knew from Wheaton.  On Sundays and on holidays the main city streets are closed to vehicles and are open only to runners, bikers, and walkers.  Speratically throughout the city, there are aerobics classes offered (in the middle of the street!), and they are very similar to our American Zumba classes.  Anyways, my friend and I decided to run to an aerobics class. When we got there, there were about 300 people dancing in the middle of the street (salsa, merengue, reggaeton).  I loved it! No one was dancing with a partner, and so everyone was clumped together facing the instructor.  Let's just say that I'm not the shortest person you will ever meet, and I'm typically a foot to about a 1.5 feet taller than most of the women here.  If that doesn't make me stand out enough, I have blonde hair and blue eyes, which is not what a typical Colombian looks like.  All that to say that I stuck out like a sore thumb while dancing.  In my attempt to blend in, I put on a sweater with a hood, and immediately put in over my head.  Almost instantly, all the awkward stares of others around me pretty much stopped.  Basically the moral of this story is: Hoodies = my best friend :)

The past couple times at english school, I've been with the 6-8 year olds. In our last class we learned about the seasons, and practiced for a spelling bee that they had later in the afternoon.  I was so proud of my kids! As they were spelling words in english, I thought to myself, "I'm not sure if I could spell this word, and I speak english!" Haha, well they did well.  

So, what I've been learning:

Recently, I read an excerpt from a daily devotional called "Streams in the Desert" by L.B. Cowman which said: 

"God has nothing worth having that is easily gained, for there are no cheap goods on the heavenly market.  The cost of our redemption was everything God had to give, and anything worth having is expensive.  Difficult times and places are our schools of faith and character." Often, we as believers, look at challenges or periods of waiting as bad, but in reality these times are our "schools" of character.  The times of challenge are the times that mold and form us into more of who God desires we should be.  I love what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10:

"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 

 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 

always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, 

so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies." 

No matter where we are, or what may be happening, I am so encouraged knowing that, as one commentator said, "We are crowded from all sides, but not defeated," or we may "be overthrown, but not overcome."  How great is it that Jesus is with us through the whole process?? Isaiah 41:10 says: 

"fear not, for I am with you; 

be not dismayed, for I am your God; 

I will strengthen you, I will help you, 

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

God not only cares for each and every part of our lives, he desires to walk with us through the whole process! What an amazing God we serve!