Change of Plans

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-8

Been loving that verse as I have started experiencing the highs and lows of living here. Please keep me in your prayers as I desperately try to rest in His arms and stop trying to walk my own path.

The WorldTeach Colombia orientation in Bogota was awesome! I am so proud to be a part of this organization and to be among such an impressive group of people.

I have gotten a few requests to describe what a normal day has been like in Bogota. So I will do my best to capture what it’s been like for me and my new friends as we just wrapped up orientation and headed out to our placements throughout Colombia!

For me, each morning usually starts with an early morning run on the streets and in a nearby park. The first time I ventured out I must admit it was possibly the hardest run I have ever gone on! Minus the fact that in the weeks before I left, I possibly enjoyed every bit of America’s finest cuisine (love me some cheeseburgers), the altitude was a killer! Bogota is the third highest capital city in the world! I bet playing checkers at 9000 feet would have been rough! Then you have the pollution which is not uncommon for a city of almost 8 million people and together you feel like a COPD patient on crack (couldn’t think of anything creative here).

Once I got back, I enjoyed a nice breakfast of fresh squeezed juices (mango, kiwi, strawberry, and blackberry), scrambled eggs with ham and tomato, and a plate of amazing pineapples and various melons! Let me not forget the amazing cup of real Colombia coffee to which I would down 2-3 cups every morning (speaking of crack). Being so early, I usually did my daily devotional here each morning and must admit that each morning started almost perfectly! Everyone jealous yet?

If you let out a “ah I’m jealous?” statement- take it back. After I wrapped up my wonderful morning routine, it was time to work! Harvard University and their program WorldTeach (http://www.worldteach.com/) sent us to Colombia to teach English! While there are many ESL teachers in the states- there are like 2 good ones here in South America. The fact is that while English is taught in most schools as early as 1st grade- 93% of the Colombian “English teachers” do not know English! So kids in all areas of the country are graduating with the knowledge of “Hi, mi name es Jose,” and nothing more. One might say “so what’s the big deal that they don’t know English, I mean come on, its South America!” Well, Bob Smith might be right for a few people, but the reality is that English equals money. Strategically, this year’s Colombian placements are all in areas of both tourism and trade! It can be stated that if you take two Colombians (in these areas) who have the exact background and education but one knows Uncle Sam and the other doesn’t- the one who knows English will earn up to 30% more money per year! If you just watched Romancing the Stone or possibly Clear and Present Danger and think these people are living large off emeralds and cocaine- not so much my friend. This country is poor and I am learning from Colombian officials and just about every poor sap on the street, education is to blame. A few global educational statistics rank Colombia comparable to some African countries! Yikes!

So with all of that said- they beat us up to make sure we don’t drop the ball here. At one point the Minister of Education in Colombia herself gave us a pep talk! We usually started the day off with 1-2 hours of Spanish class. I was put in the lower class…no surprise there. I must also admit that I felt like I ran a marathon after that class- geez! Then it was 2-3 hours of ESL teacher training, Lunch, and 3-4 hours more! We practiced all educational components and were given the opportunity to student teach at a local school (where the children may have been smarter than me…now). They also threw in classes around culture, history, safety (thanks US Embassy for scaring the crap out of us), and social issues. We got the opportunity to see famous Bogota sites as well as breath taking fieldtrips outside the city. Nothing like 23 Americans getting out of a sweet air conditioned charter bus with digital cameras flashing. I am shocked none of us was kidnapped (I’m kidding Mom…kind of).

Though it was intense, WorldTeach put together one of the best orientations anyone could ask for. I think this whole group feels well prepared and incredibly motivated to carry out this mission! I am excited to begin teaching and the doors He will open up to witness within this community.

As for the title to this blog today…there was a change in plans for me! Originally, I was supposed to be in the beautiful city of Cartagena where I would be teaching university students. However, a cool girl in the Isla Baru placement was not comfortable with the situation there and asked to switch. When no one was willing to do so, I prayed over it, and when the big wigs at WorldTeach said it was a go, I accepted the switch. What does this mean? Well, Isla Baru is only 45-90 minutes (depends on mode of transportation) South of Cartagena which means I will still participate in the IMB ministry with Kendall on the weekends! These people need Jesus more than they need English. Isla Baru is also close to the beautiful Playa Blanca (Google that!) which is awesome! But I have to admit it’s the extreme opposite of Cartagena in that it’s the ghetto. These people are amazing, but the small communities of 4000 people live in absolute poverty. This is one of the reasons “the switch” appealed to me because I know this community has its hands out asking for help in so many ways (possibly more so than Cartagena)! I will write more about the fascinating dynamics here and hopefully post pictures soon!

Hope everyone is well but I need to go outside and see why these donkeys insist on mating right outside my window! Gotta love Baru! Stay tuned…

E