Wednesday

This morning, several of us woke up early and ran along the beach.  We could tell already that it was going to be a hot day.  For breakfast, we ate eggs and arepa made by Mari. Arepa is like a cornbread pancake for those who want to know.  After devotions, we headed to El Refugio.  El Refugio is a foundation that serves poor, at risk kids.  This organization is run by Martin Morales.  Since we have gotten to know Martin, we realized that he has a tremendous heart for this mission.  Martin also lives at this location. 

Pastor Kevin and Bob went to look at a project on a nearby island.  We arrived at El Rufugio at 9:00.  At El Refugio, we welcomed the kids as they would make their long hike into the foundation.  Some kids walked as long as 30 minutes to get there. 

Our mission at El Refugio was to help with arts and crafts.  We were each given a task to complete.  Justin, Whitney, and Brooklyn were responsible for cutting out shapes to put on cards.  Hailey and Aubrey painted a wall.  Lissa Cobb helped make posters.  Mackenzie made attendance charts.  Bonnie and Tyler decorated cards.  Corrie, Rachel, and Brooklyn cut out hearts for Children’s day cards.  Children’s day celebrates all the children in the country.  Elyssa made a sign to welcome the kids.  Then we designed crafts for the theme of courage.  Corrie makes sling shots to represent David and Goliath.  We completed this around 12:30.

We were treated to a fantastic meal that consisted of cheesy rice, chicken, plantations, and vegetables.  We were also given a gift of coffee, candy, and a personalized bookmark.  It was great to sit and talk to Martin and his wife, Rosie.  We each had to tell them a little bit about ourselves in Spanish.  Because our vans did not show up, we decided to take taxis to the school.  Taking a Taxi in Cartagena is a remarkable experience.  The taxi driver with the most guts will get there first. 

At Cristiano de Cartagena, again we painted classrooms.  Upon arrival we had to wait 30 minutes, but used that time to interact with the children.    Some enjoyed playing soccer with them.  A 5:00, we returned to the hotel.  We took this time to relax as we waited for the hot dogs and hamburgers to get done cooking for dinner.  Dinner was delicious.  Soon after, Dan and Baret came to the hotel to join our nightly devotions.  They discussed the culture and how God was acting in their lives.  Erin later joined us for our praise time.  She also gave her testimony.  This was the end to great, successful work day.

 

Every day we are more and more in awe of what God has done in and through us!

Written by Justin and Tyler