Hasta la wego Columbia

Where to end it all... 1o days have flown right out the window and into the past.... Memories have been made and new friendships have been forged.... Its funny to think that these people existed before i met them but that is the way our world works... Billions of people are out there and there are billions i will never know... Its good to know that good people exist everywhere...

The last couple days have been some of the best i have had so far (and its not because i got to go to the beach a couple times or relax a bit). Its more about the friendships that i was able to dive into and the people i have come to know. Even though my spanish is very poor i was able to communicate decently with some kids down the hall here. I have had a great time and their mother makes the best smoothie on earth (its made from the Lulo fruit its heaven in my mouth!) I had an afternoon where i just followed Bob around and he showed me this city that he grew up in. I was amazed cause everywhere we went people would come up to him and say hello (I could tell by the way they looked and spoke to him that they respected and loved this man.) Story after story would come out of his mouth about this street and that about the meat market, about a Doctor we visited who treats the needy for free. The life this man has lived and the love he has for these People and God pours out of him with every breath. But behind every good man is a GREAT woman (Right ladies?). And Bob wont let an hour go by where he doesnt mention her. Ruth Ann must be some lady to have followed Bob to Columbia then to the Jungle, then the Desert and finally Santa Marta and all with 3 children!!! Amazing!!! Getting to know Bob this week has showed me what a true servant is really like. I know he doesnt gain anything financially by coming here and the amount of time and effort he pours into his work without expecting is very honorable.

Today i was able to hang with John his wife Amanda(who is a great cook and 1 of the most hospitable women i have ever met, she is a true servant.) and their son Parker(they also have a 4 year old daughter named Kendall) at the beach. When we arrived at the beach i rented some snorkel equipment. So John and I took off for some water action. It was good time me and john had out there. We saw puffer fish, sea urchins and we stumbled upon an eel hiding in a few rocks... So of course i told John that we should try and see if the eel would come out so we could see how big he was. Well needless to say john kicked the rock and out like a torpedo shot an eel that was close to 4ft long! haha! It shot right out at John but swam past and disappeared into the Murky waters. Was an amazing experience (one might want to bring an extra pair of swim trunks for that kind of excitement.) Even though John was with me the jaws theme never stopped playing in my head. My knowledge of sharks and the fact we were in the Gulf in 12ft murky waters led me to believe we were in the perfect habitat for the #1 killing shark the Bull Shark... Oh well didnt see 1... All in all it was a good trip.

This evening i made Cowboy cookies for our hosts. Kendall tried 1 and told me they were awful then and hour later told me they were the best cookies ever and finally came to the conclusion she didnt like them. Oh well i think John liked them! Amanda made us tacos which were great. Then like a mooch i headed down the hall to Julios house(pictured above with me and his family) and of course his wife made me some (lulo juice.. I cant express how good that stuff is!) Then I just hung out with the kids and we talked about anything and everything. I helped them with their english while i tried to work on my spanish. I said goodbye to them and headed home. I also said goodbye to Kendall and Parker who both gave me a hug and both surprised with a kiss on my cheek.(Those kids are so cute!)

The trip has been awesome. i think it has been a sucess. So many things to comprehend and soak yet. Its amazing how every culture is different and hopefully i can get a little something out of theirs. Wish i had a bit longer to stay but i guess it is better to leave wanting more then to stay wanting less. Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support throughout this trip. They are much appreciated. Please pray for safe travels tomorrow and that nothing happens to the tapes and footage we have shot during our time here. God Bless.

Exposing the Beach

Alarm goes off... 7am be at the school... Alarm goes off... 7am be at the church... Man it seems i would of learned by now... its 7 til its 8 here! Nevertheless I show up drink coffee snap some shots, shoot some video, and then head into parts of town i dont know and take more shots and more video. I dont think i have seen much of Columbia besides what i see through the (28mm f/4 lense of my camera.) Oh well that is what i am here for so... of course when i get an afternoon off what do i want to do... take more pics and video of my travels of course. Beach day has arrived and went faster then, Sheldon(Big Bang theory) can saw vroom vroom on caffeine. But it was a good relaxing afternoon. John Howard the guy i am staying with took me and my partner on a beach trip today. But of course while i am playing with Parker(2 year host) the word BEACH slips out of my mouth and he is instantly wanting to go. I felt bad because he got sad when he was told he couldnt come ( but oh well).

We took a taxi over the mountain and then we were asked if we wanted to hike the rest of the way or take the boat. I was immediately in for a hike cause i needed more pics of course. Steve (my partner who is a few years older then me(so he has seniority) obliged so we took the hike. Cant really say it reminded me of anything but there was 1 point where the path got real narrow and i remembered my 2 brothers and I playing on the side of a cliff in Russia on a camping trip. Looking back if my parents would of only knew what kinda of cliff we were playing on i am sure a half a dozen wooden spoons would of met there death that day. As we got to the top of the mountain(or at least it would be considered a mountain for indiana) I could see a bay with three different beaches. John pointed out which 1 we were headed too. I noticed if we were 2 hike further there were other beaches. He said he had heard 1 of them was a Nude beach. I was immediately in for a little further hike.... MOM i am just kidding.... As we came down the mountain and onto the beach there were a row of houses going down the cliff. i was amazed at how they were still clinging to the side of the mountain. One house on top of the other. It was amazing architecture to me and i couldnt help but wonder how they were built and who's dream house they originally were. After the beach we decided to grab lunch at a hole in the wall cafe John had never tried it. I ordered a tuna sandwich(by far the worst food i have had all trip), and a 300ml Coca Cola in a glass bottle. Side note... Coke in a glass bottle should be the only way to drink a coke tastes so much better. And why is it that Coke tastes so much better in other countries.. As i raised the coke to my lips and looked out across the ocean the song Kissed by a Rose by Seal started playing in my head... after a second i realized it was playing in our cafe haha oh Seal... The day at the beach all in all was definitely relaxing and fun. I snorkeled for a bit(until i realized i was in deep murky water and the Jaws theme wouldnt leave my mind), i think i snapped a couple good pics, saw some amazing architecture, hiked a mountain, learned to never order the tuna at that cafe again, and sipped on an ice cold Coke from a glass bottle while listening to a classic. We have alot left to do in the next couple days. God Bless