Colombia Accompaniment Reports

Conflict Resolution through the Eyes of Young Adults.

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 19:18:00 GMT

from Colombia accompaniers Suzan Ireland and Kaitlin Porter, 14th September 2010. During Suzan Ireland's first weekend in Barranquilla, she and Kaitlin attended a conference, "Jovenes por la Unidad de Pueblos Hermanos" (Youth for the Unity of Sibling Nations), that included young adults from Colombia and Venezuela in order to build grassroots interactions between people of the two countries. The idea was that the media and governments give the people of each country so many misperceptions about the other country that these young adults needed to flesh out some of these issues while having some face-to-face time together. The conference began Thursday night with a worship service. Singing, clapping and hugging brought the group together quickly. Participants were recognized from both countries, and they warmly welcomed Kaitlin as the young representative of the United States to be a part of things. It was one of those moments when it would have been difficult to know that the participants were from two different countries whose governments are tense and ready to spring at one another. The technical stuff was dealt with on Friday: working through the politics and histories of Colombia and Venezuela that have paved the way for the current relationship, or lack thereof, between the two states. These presentations were framed by various bible passages including Isaiah 32:7 "Justice will bring peace, tranquility and trust forever." Then participants discussed what justice would look like for them in each country. Colombia's conflict was explained at length, and after lunch the Venezuelans countered with how the conflict between the two countries was affecting people in Venezuela and how they realized that there were certain shortcomings in Chavez's diplomacy. Both recognized and discussed the United States' involvement in a less than positive manner. Through friendly debates, topics of how to reconcile these issues were discussed and both parties came to realize that the major issue was that each one's perceptions of the other country were based on what th e media told them and what the government expected them to believe. What we saw in this conference was international relations at its finest, when people tear down the walls between them and move closer to realizing that they are one. Saturday was the culmination of these discoveries. There were posters, dances, songs, and declarations made to honor and conclude what the conference was all about, and then the group took to the streets with balloons and whistles, not as a protest against either government, but as a moment to share the joy and friendship that was generated in the course of a few days. The signs carrying both the Venezuelan and Colombian flags proclaimed that they were people united. They were brothers and sisters even if their passports said they were not. The theme of the conference could be best expressed through an activity that everyone participated in on the last day. Everyone was divided up into two teams placed on opposite sides of a 6x6 square grid. The object was to guess the path and remember what steps the person before you took and for each team to try and get all their members across without being able to talk. At the end of the game, the student who organized it gave further explanation of the purpose of the game. Everyone was a winner, because the object was to get everyone across, but since we were put on opposite sides and divided up everyone automatically assumed it was a competition. The fact of that matter is that Colombia and Venezuela, and indeed all the countries and peoples of the world, were created as one. We divide ourselves and decide to compete against one another for resources and power. We forget that God created us to be one and he/she simply wants to get everyone through the maze. In a lot of ways the ideals of the accompaniment programs were reflected throughout the weekend's activities. So much of what can be done to find justice and peace in the world is simply taking the opportunity to get to know one another for who we really are, to discover how people are mostly the same everywhere and to rejoice at what makes us unique. Then Suzan and Kaitlin can return home to say "Yes there is terrible violence in Colombia, but Colombian people are not violent" or that "the Colombian government have made horrible mistakes, but so has the government of the United States" and we have to be able to move past our previous judgments and wrongdoings and see how we can make things right. ---- You are subscribed to the following list: Colombia Accompaniment Reports using the following email: example@example.com You may automatically unsubscribe from this list at any time by visiting the following URL: <<a href="http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/colombia/&gt">http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/colombia/&gt</a>; You may also change your subscription options here: <http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi> Mailing List Powered by Dada Mail <a href="http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/">http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/</a>

Presbytery planning.

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:45:00 GMT

from Colombia accompaniers Ann Legg and Kaitlin Porter, 8/30/10 How does YOUR Presbytery plan for the future? Our experience in Colombia has us thinking about this question. The Presbyterian Church in Colombia is divided into 3 presbyteries: North Coast Presbytery with an office in Barranquilla, Central Presbytery based in Bogotá, and Urabá Presbytery based in Apartadó. We were invited to observe the planning process for two of these presbyteries: the North Coast on Saturday, August 14, and the Urabá on Wednesday, August 18. It was interesting to note the difference between their approach to planning and ours in the United States. In both instances in Colombia, Horacio, a consultant who works for CREAS (Regional Ecumenical Center for Consulting and Service), an organization based in Argentina that assists churches all over South America with organization and planning, came to help guide the proceess. In addition, German Zarate, coordinator of the Diaconia for all the presbyteries in Colombia, received training by CREAS prior to the planning sessions. We entered the meeting of the North Coast in Barranquilla after it had begun. Small groups, representing three churches each, were meeting together in one room to evaluate their current projects and to create new objectives for the next five years. Churches made plans in five areas: evangelization, education, service, administration, and pastors and ministries. They identified goals for their own churches and for the presbytery. Each group brainstormed ideas and then reported to the whole group. After lunch individuals wrote ideas on chart paper hung on the walls. The next day Gloria (the executive secretary of the North Coast Presbytery), German (coordinator of Diaconia) and Horacio (the consultant from CREAS) met to finalize the report. In Apartadó, the meeting began with a song led by the executive secretary of the Urabá Presbytery and prayer led by the pastor of the Apartadó church. After the task for the day was explained, each church formed a small group to start the planning process for their own church and for the presbytery in the same five areas as the Presbytery of the North Coast. After the lunch break, Horacio arrived to continue the process and hear reports from each church. At the conclusion of the meeting at 4:30 p.m., we were taken to El Tres for a visit of 6 days so we weren't able to observe the continuation of the meeting on Thursday and Friday. We compared the Colombia experience with our own. In contrast, Ann's church, Ridgefield-Crystal Lake Presbyterian in Crystal Lake, Illinois, may or may not bring in a consultant but always makes long and short range plans at the local level and not in a meeting with other churches in the Presbytery. The Blackhawk Presbytery in Illinois, as a whole, does not have a long range plan. Since the presbytery does not do programming as such, long term planning takes on a different form. The Mission Strategies and Resources Board is where planning for new churches and resourcing existing churches for ministry happens. The Business Affairs Committee is where financial planning occurs. Ad hoc groups plan for specific matters that arise. It seems to us that while the planning process the Colombian church uses works well for them, as it provides the opportunity to get ideas from other churches, it would not work as well for churches and presbyteries in the United States. PC(USA) churches in general have many more members than the Colombian churches and there are more churches in each U.S. presbytery. This would make the planning process extremely cumbersome. Do you agree? Does your presbytery make long range plans? If so, who makes the plans and what is the process? If you don't know, we urge you to contact your presbytery executive to find out. Ann Legg and Kaitlin Porter, accompaniers ---- You are subscribed to the following list: Colombia Accompaniment Reports using the following email: example@example.com You may automatically unsubscribe from this list at any time by visiting the following URL: <<a href="http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/colombia/&gt">http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/colombia/&gt</a>; You may also change your subscription options here: <http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi> Mailing List Powered by Dada Mail <a href="http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/">http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/</a>

Sharing lives and stories in El Tres.

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:51:00 GMT

From accompaniers Ann Legg and Kaitlin Porter, 24th August 2010. El Tres is a small town located a half hour from the town of Apartadó and fifteen minutes from the small port city of Turbo, in the region known as Urabá. It was where we would stay for six nights, from Wednesday evening, August 18th until Tuesday morning August 24th. It is a hot place with dirt roads, or rather mud roads as it is the rainy season, and we quickly learned that going places was best done in the early mornings when it was coolest. We were accompanied from Apartadó to El Tres and to the church by the pastor of the El Tres Presbyterian Church, Elías, and a church elder who had been attending the Presbytery meeting in Apartadó. Elías is actually a lay governing elder. He has been licensed and asked to serve as pastor for the church although he did not attend seminary. According to Elías, about 90 people attend church services on Sunday. Seventy-five percent of the congregation, including the pastor, have been displaced and many have lost family members becaus e of the violence. We stayed at the pastor's home with his wife, their 8 year-old daughter and his 3 year-old nephew. Their living quarters are directly behind and attached to the church sanctuary. The house includes a front porch, a small living/dining room area, a kitchen, 2 bedrooms, an office for Compassion International and an room under construction to become an indoor bathroom. Three classrooms for Compassion International, also under construction, are attached to the back of the house. There is no running water inside the home and no sink in the kitchen. Water is brought from reservoirs near the river through pipes to the spigot outside, where the water collected is used as needed for washing dishes and clothes, bathing and flushing the toilet. Another huge concrete container holds rainwater to be used for cooking, while water for drinking and for washing vegetables is purchased in 6 liter bags. The church supports itself, in part, through sales of empanadas, corn, tamales, and cookies. With the money raised, they help families in need by providing sugar, soap and other necessities They also work a small plantain farm, which they call the parcela, and use the money raised there for their construction projects. On our final day, Monday, we had the opportunity to go to the parcela with the family and participate in the harvest of plantains. Bunches of plantains are brought in, cut from the main stem, washed in a special chemical and then rinsed and packed into cartons for shipment. Each carton of premium plantains weighs 25 kilos for which they are paid 5.50 USD. Plantains which are too small to be classified as premium are placed in different cartons. Both of these classifications are for export. Fruit that does not meet the standard for export is separated for sale locally. Upon arrival the first night, a church service was about to begin, and we were promptly invited to attend. The service felt Pentecostal in nature with enthusiastic singing accompanied only by hand clapping. This was followed by a prayer, scripture readings and a lengthy sermon given by a male elder in the church. At the end of the service there was a time for announcements and requests for prayer. Two people in the congregation asked for prayers for healing for themselves. They then came forward and stood in front as the pastor and elder placed hands on their heads and everyone prayed for them simultaneously aloud. Similar smaller services were held Thursday and Monday evening. On Saturday night they held a special service which lasted from 7:30 p.m. until just after midnight with a 40 minute recess. It was very flexible in format with those wishing to sing could come forth to present a song or one could read from the Bible. Kaitlin was asked to read 1 Samuel 16:1-13, the anointing of David. The spirit that was maintained throughout the four and a half hours was incredible; even by the end a majority of the church was still standing and clapping. The devotion and desire of the people in El Tres to praise and serve God was much apparent. These are a people poor in things but rich in spirit. Sunday's service was not so long as we had been asked to give the sermon. Ann gave a testimony discussing the path of accompaniment, the shortest "sermon" in the history of the church, and Kaitlin gave a brief introduction. On Thursday, Kaitlin was invited to help teach the children in the Compassion Project which is a program that takes place on the church's property that promotes the welfare of children including here in El Tres. Children meet three times a week for classes. After a morning crash course on the Compassion Project, Kaitlin assisted the afternoon class first by reading a lesson on how God created the world. The children drew pictures of the world as they saw it, many drew flowers, others drew churches, and all were happy pictures. Despite the number of these children that had health problems, largely malnutrition, they were happy and participative in all the school activities. The children were excited about the presence of two women from the United States in their classroom. Kaitlin spent a large amount of time trying to convince them that she could not keep taking their pictures when they had to finish their drawings and game time consisted of an epic battle for who got t o hold her hand. It was an amazing feeling of acceptance amongst the children of Colombia. The concern for the displaced is widespread through this church given the high percentage of displaced persons within the congregation, some of them families of the children that participate in the Compassion Program. After the service on Sunday, everyone drew their chairs into a circle to share their stories of displacement. The situation for the displaced in Colombia is very serious. They discussed with us their four greatest problems: health, education, employment, and a dignified living. The various stories of loss and of current struggles were first brought forth with reluctance, but then as the time went on more and more were willing to contribute their stories. One church member has no job, no social security (health care) and lives in a small shack far too close to a very steep river bank that has been eroding little by little during rain storms. It is always a concern of whether or not his house will fall into the river. Another man discussed how his plantain farm was destroyed and he had to leave everything to stay with family in El Tres. A woman who had been silent the whole meeting finally came forth at the end to tell how her family's farm was destroyed and two of her brothers were killed. She has not seen any money for any of these losses from the government program for displaced persons. One of the displaced men of the church discussed that one of the things they want most is the return of their land. He asked Kaitlin and Ann what they would be able to do in order to help them regain their land. This was the hardest question to answer because unfortunately all we as accompaniers are able to do is bring their stories back with us and educate people at home about the situation. Hopefully from bringing knowledge, we can also work to try and change the policies of the United States that so affect Colombians, particularly those who have been displaced. More and more stories were brought forth, each containing loss: loss of homes and property, loss of lives, and loss of dignity. It was hard to hear these stories, and almost as difficult to know that many of the people that weren't speaking were in too much pain to do so. After lunch we sat around the table with an elder and the pastor. The elder sobbed as he related the loss of his land and the terrible conditions under which the displaced are forced to live. He spoke about the lack of opportunity for children and youth of displaced families. Through the forces of poverty that take away hope for a future, with day-to-day life spent trying to figure out where the next meal will come from, many girls as young as 13 become pregnant and boys are recruited into the paramilitaries, further worsening the situation. The pastor told us that people come to church, but all the time they are thinking about where their next meal will come from, where and when they may find a job, how they will educate their children, and where they might get the medical attention they or their families need. The pastor then asked us the second most difficult question of the day: If our presbyteries sent us back to El Tres to live, what we would do for the church and the community that comes hand in hand with the church? The problems are so overwhelming it is hard to know where to begin: What is the greatest need, what is needed first? It made us appreciate the dilemma facing pastors of churches in the Urabá as every day they deal with the issues that face their congregations. Our time here unquestionably worth the excruciating bus ride from Barranquilla to Apartado that we experienced a week ago. We found everyone extremely hospitable and welcoming. They brought us into their church family with open arms through their kindness and gentle greetings of "Dios te bendiga hermana." The greatest difficulty of our time in El Tres came not from bathing from a bucket or the endless meals of rice, but from the idea that when we leave, we leave them in the same situation as when we arrived. We can only hope that through sharing their stories we can make a difference for them. Ann Legg and Kaitlin Porter ---- You are subscribed to the following list: Colombia Accompaniment Reports using the following email: example@example.com You may automatically unsubscribe from this list at any time by visiting the following URL: <<a href="http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/colombia/&gt">http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/colombia/&gt</a>; You may also change your subscription options here: <http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi> Mailing List Powered by Dada Mail <a href="http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/">http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/</a>

The challenges of rebuilding community.

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 20:46:00 GMT

The challenges of rebuilding community from Elizabeth Ingraham and Anne Sayre, July 30th 2010. It is with heavy heart that we write this last letter from Colombia. Although we look forward to seeing family and friends, it is hard to leave these courageous and warm people. We have been "accompanying" the people of the North Coast Presbytery, as they work to accompany, and champion the human rights of, people displaced by Colombia's violence. This week we have met and followed the stories of a number of these people – one threatened community leader and two "re-building" communities. Please forgive how much we have to say! In the middle of the week, we took groceries to a man and his wife who have both received death threats, have had to change homes several times and finally have been able to find a small farm where they have found sanctuary. They needed a place of sanctuary because his name, as displaced-persons' community leader, has appeared on "hit lists" and he has received death threats. The wife has lost two brothers to "false identities", and went to the authorities with the name of one of the assassins. Because of this, she also has received death threats. Hopefully their sanctuary will last. The husband, who we will call Jorge, is a good friend of the Presbyterian church. He has cleared a small plot of ground on the farm to plant corn, and he'd also like to plant yucca, egg plant and other things, but has no funds for seeds. Then we (Anne and Beth) headed to two different communities of displaced people. Anne visited some displaced campesinos, or farmers, who are trying to get title to some land they're now farming, to replace what they lost when they were violently displaced. This area is a beautiful, bucolic picture of utter tranquility. You would never know what goes on behind this beauty. When one of the farmers identified some mountaintop land as a possible place for resettlement, he contacted Jorge (mentioned above) who has worked tirelessly on behalf of the displaced persons. It turned out that the owner, who was willing to give the land to these farmers, was a friend of Jorge's from his youth. Jorge helped the farmers with all the papers and requirements demanded by the government agency from whom, by law, displaced persons have to receive land. The owner gave the land to this agency with the understanding that the farmers would receive it. It has been three years since they completed the papers but, despite complying with the agency's continually changing demands, they have still not received title to the land. It seems that the mayor of this place is in league with a drug cartel who want this land for coca. As one of the farmers said, "many of the big landowners have millions of hectares of land (a hectare is a little more than two acres), and all we want is ten hectares." Already they are farming the land in individual plots, even though they don't own the land. In the future they want to continue with these small personal plots, and to farm the rest as a community and decide how to market their produce. They asked that we write letters to the government land agency here in Colombia and to our embassy and state department asking that, in fulfillment of the law, they be given title to the land. Meanwhile, Beth had the pleasure of visiting (along with a delegation from the Chicago Presbytery) the farm in San Onofre which we described in our report, "Displacement in Colombia: One Community's Story." This is a community which has returned to the lands (about 1400 acres) from which it was violently displaced. The returned-community members prepared a delicious lunch of soup (of fresh yucca, plantains, and meat from their farm) and rice, and sat down to talk about their hopes, inspired greatly by their former leader, Rogelio. Rogelio was a man who stood strong in the face of opposition. When the families of the cooperative were forcibly displaced, it was Rogelio who encouraged them to fight back and demand their rights. He helped to organize the group, with the help of local and international human rights organizations, to learn about their rights and how to regain what had been taken from them. After 5 years, with 32 families remaining (7 families were kidnapped and the rest fled), the group moved back to their land. The armed actors in this area recognized Rogelio's strength as a leader and therefore threatened his life. While riding home on a motocycle taxi, Rogelio saw men coming toward him. He requested that his driver drop him off where they were and told the driver to go on. It was then that he was murdered. Rogelio's act of protection toward the driver was recognized by local taxi drivers at his funeral, as they all banded together to lead the funeral procession. For us visitors, the group performed a traditional Latin American chant, "Rogelio: Presente, presente, presente," reconfirming that he lives on in the life of the community and continues to lead them as they peacefully persevere in an area of violent conflict. (For more on Rogelio, see Mamie and Richard's blog-entry at <a href="http://calledtocolombia.org/?p=1105">http://calledtocolombia.org/?p=1105</a>) Personally, I (Beth) have never encountered a group of people so kind, welcoming, persistent, strong, cooperative, and able to intelligently maneuver a system that has kept so many others from regaining ownership of their land. This is truly a testament of Rogelio's leadership and continued leadership of the people of La Finca de Alemania. The community was extremely grateful for our presence. Simply standing in solidarity, sending the message that others are watching, gives them strength to persevere and continue working to remain on their land. Their hope is to build a community shelter for meeting space at the cost of around 2.5 million pesos (roughly $1400), of which they are still seeking funding. Also, while the community was displaced, their debt to the government for the land grant continued to accrue and consequently went into foreclosure. They are currently trying to maneuver a complicating bureaucratic system to have this loan forgiven under Colombian law. Please pray, then, for the farmers who, unable to return to lands from which they were displaced, are trying to claim title to land that has been freely given to them. Please keep the remaining families of La Finca de Alemania in your prayers as they continue the process of recultivating the land to which they have returned in the midst of ongoing violence. We also ask that you pray for leaders like Jorge and Rogelio and others who work for human rights, so that their work may persist. Sadly, our friend Dora (from our first report) received a threat on her life because of her advocacy work with mothers whose sons had been killed as False Positives. However great the challenges, we leave with the great hope that a new reality in Colombia will be achieved. Blessings, Beth and Anne. ---- You are subscribed to the following list: Colombia Accompaniment Reports using the following email: example@example.com You may automatically unsubscribe from this list at any time by visiting the following URL: <<a href="http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/colombia/&gt">http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/colombia/&gt</a>; You may also change your subscription options here: <http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi> Mailing List Powered by Dada Mail <a href="http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/">http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/</a>

Displacement in Colombia: One Community's Story

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:37:00 GMT

Displacement in Colombia: One Community's Story from Elizabeth Ingraham and Anne Sayre, July 19th 2010. This week we had a really powerful conversation with an amazing woman. She is the leader of a group working with people who have been displaced, families of victims, and those who are threatened. She herself has been repeatedly threatened and was almost abducted when entering a cab because of the work she is doing for those suffering injustice. Olga's job is overwhelming, but she relentlessly perseveres in the face of heartache and threats to her safety. Olga was kind enough to sit down with us and tell us about a community in desperate need of help and change. The community was made up of 52 families. They were a farming community that operated as a successful cooperative. As often happens in Colombia, the families were forcibly removed from their fertile land. Typically, the motivation for these removals is for large land owners to take the land to grow palm oil trees and/or coca. During the invasion, people were killed, disappeared, and women and young girls were raped. The surviving families were moved to an area that lacked basic resources such as water, sewage, and adequate housing. Eventually, human rights organizations came to their aid, helping the families find courage to speak up, understand their rights, name those who were killed, report rapes, and demand their land back. After 5 years, with help from human rights organizations, they were able to build a strong legal case and reclaim their land. At the time of their return, the families were told the local paramilitary group had demobilized. However, Olga told us that the demobilization was simply a façade to appease human rights organizations and sway international opinion. The same armed group continues to cause psychological and physical harm to the people. The community's legal representative was killed. As a result of his death, the people are living at the edge of their property and return at night to farm. Recently, the new human rights legal representative has received a threat to his life. To further complicate the issue, the mayor of the town is related to a congressman currently incarcerated for drug trafficking and is no help to the people. This illustrates the complexity of the related systems oppressing the people and demonstrates the importance of identifying not only the perpetrators of the violence, but the people behind the acts. Olga spoke of how alone the human rights advocates feel, and therefore gave thanks for the work of Presbyterian accompaniers and others who stand in witness to the violence. Much of what we are telling you is very sad, but we find hope through the constant faith and determination we have seen in so many people. PC(USA) mission co-worker Mamie Broadhurst challenged us with a poignant question: If violence is so great in a place that we are too afraid to travel there, then what are we doing to help those who are living there? To strengthen hope, we can become more informed, educate friends about the situation, and be politically active in addressing US policy in Colombia. Most importantly, we can all pray for the people of Colombia, and the work being done by the partnership between the Colombian and the US Presbyterian Church. Blessings, Beth and Anne ---- You are subscribed to the following list: Colombia Accompaniment Reports using the following email: example@example.com You may automatically unsubscribe from this list at any time by visiting the following URL: <<a href="http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/colombia/&gt">http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/colombia/&gt</a>; You may also change your subscription options here: <http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi> Mailing List Powered by Dada Mail <a href="http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/">http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/</a>

"Never more" - Stories of "the disappeared"

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:32:00 GMT

From Anne Sayre and Beth Ingraham, July 10, 2010 - "Never more" - "Stories of "the disappeared" Our central activity this week was spending two days in a workshop with victims of the violence, lead by two young adults from Bogota. Their organization is one of over fifty Human Rights and Peace organizations in Colombia. Their purpose is to teach the people how to recover the history of the crimes committed against the civil population, and then write a report of the crimes called "Nunca Mas Colombia (Never Again Colombia)." This will be modeled after "Nunca Mas" reports and books written in other countries that have suffered terror under military dictators or abusive governments. The attendees all had someone in their family assassinated or kidnapped. Especially painful is that the bodies of victims are often never recovered and their fate is unknown, causing false hope of finding them. The workshop leaders began by explaining that the truth of the crimes is not confined to who pulled the trigger. It also includes exposing the entire web of psychological, emotional, economic, social, and judicial forces used by the government and armed groups who are perpetrators of the crimes against humanity. It is most important to name the "intellectual" or hidden instigators of the crimes who also provide legal immunity to the perpetrators. After explaining goals, the next step was to collect the history of the crimes the attendees had experienced. We tell the following story to illustrate the personal, familial, and societal tragedy. A grandmother, mother, and wife of 30 years, Dora (name changed) was a seamstress in a maquilla. She lived with her family in Barranquilla where her husband worked as a mechanic. Her son-in-law worked odd jobs with the dream of providing his daughter with a good education, and her son was proud to be able to help provide for the family while saving money for a car. In 2005, Dora's son-in-law was offered a job with good prospects. Instead of receiving an interview, he was kidnapped and disappeared. Dora's husband passed away in 2007, making her son the primary bread winner of the family. While at work, he was kidnapped and disappeared. As in many stories, Dora and her daughter were left without any answers as to their conditions. For five years, until his bones were identified, the emotional toll, compounded with growing financial troubles, caused Dora much psychological pain and she often had sleepless nights. During a particularly troublesome night, Dora began praying and begging God to either take her pain away, or take her from this earth. Dora described a radical transformation, and she awoke changed, having come to terms with the situation. She attributed this change to God's help. She now directs her grief toward action through membership in a group of about 30 other community members who have also lost loved ones. They work to bring systematic change by marching in front of the mayor's office and police stations, carrying placards and publicizing the atrocities that have become commonplace. This group of survivors of the violence relies on their faith in God, and we were changed by having witnessed their gripping and persistent faith. Please keep Dora and other survivors of the violence in your prayers as they work to find a new Colombia and end the systematic violence. Blessings, Anne and Beth ---- You are subscribed to the following list: Colombia Accompaniment Reports using the following email: example@example.com You may automatically unsubscribe from this list at any time by visiting the following URL: <<a href="http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/colombia/&gt">http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/colombia/&gt</a>; You may also change your subscription options here: <http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi> Mailing List Powered by Dada Mail <a href="http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/">http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/</a>

Purses

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 04:02:00 GMT

by Joan Gifford June 26, 2010 Were we prepared? I did not know that God had been preparing me to give classes on making a purse decorated with a flower using a technique known as "English Paper Piecing", but I was! I had given a demonstration with the technique to a group in Gainesville, Virginia, and a friend had given me 100 needles that were not what she needed. My daughters and I had been experimenting with different ways to make a bag with the seams inside. It all came together here in Colombia. In Apartadó, while making some flowers of my own in spare time, several ladies showed interest, and soon I had a class of 10 who began sewing with such enthusiasm that you would have thought it was Colombian Paper Piecing! The day before, Dave and I found and purchased fabric, thread and pins, and I started cutting fabric to get ready. My small scissors were the only ones sharp enough to cut fabric! These women saw their projects to the end, were super pleased with the results, and I had learned a few things. It certainly increased my Spanish vocabulary and I really could help four people at once in another language! By the time we got to Currulao I had a sample purse (bolsa) to show to others, and 18 people said they too wanted to make purses. So we bought more material, enough for 30 purses. When we had finished, everything was used up. The joy in what they had accomplished and the satisfaction they felt in their new purses was very evident. Almost 100 percent of these people are displaced; they do not have the means to buy cloth. But what they lack in means, they make up in the care they have for one another. They helped each other and me, as one person understood what I was saying and explained in better Spanish to the others. One person with cataracts was helped by another, and others threaded needles for older ladies. Children were all around enjoying the event. Again, their joy was very evident and I received many heart-felt abrazos. Well, by the time we arrived in Chigorodo the word about the purses had been passed along by cell phone. This time I was prepared with materials to make 38 purses. They were used up the first day! When more ladies joined us on the second day we went out and bought more fabric, cut it on the spot, and made a total of about 47 bolsas. We worked a total of seven hours. The ladies were very creative with their own designs, such as fastening their straps (colgantes) on different ways, and even the young boys got in the act making small bolsas from the scraps for their marbles and hung them around their necks. The pastor told us the next morning how there was so much interest and that we had added joy to the people. They would like others to come to teach them new things as well. He indicated there had been talk of making some purses to sell here in Chigorodo. There is no doubt that God had been at work and we were prepared! ---- You are subscribed to the following list: Colombia Accompaniment Reports using the following email: example@example.com You may automatically unsubscribe from this list at any time by visiting the following URL: <<a href="http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/colombia/&gt">http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/colombia/&gt</a>; You may also change your subscription options here: <http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi> Mailing List Powered by Dada Mail <a href="http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/">http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/</a>

Currulao

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:12:00 GMT

by Dave Gifford June 26, 2010 "Blessed are the poor in spirit…." For five days this past week we have commuted daily by bus between Apartadó and Currulao, a town of 24,000 people some 20 minutes to the north. During this time we have had some of our best experiences with the people of the Presbyterian Church El Buen Pastor. Those who planned our itinerary deemed this church a "must visit" site because nearly all the members are displaced people. In fact, the entire barrio of Primero de Mayo where the church is located consists mostly of desplazados. In the words of their pastor, El Buen Pastor is a poor church in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Currulao. But we would not have known this from the warmth and friendship we felt as we came to know the people who live and worship here. Nor would we have guessed this considering the construction taking place here. Standing before the old church they have raised brick walls and cement columns for a new church, now six months in the making. For four long years the members made and sold arepas, tamales, panes, and galletas in the barrio, eventually saving enough pesos to lay the foundation this past January and start on the walls. During the 1990s, and especially the latter half, refugees flooded into the Primero de Mayo barrio from all around Urabá and beyond to escape the violence stemming from guerrillas and paramilitary forces that fought for control of the area. No one was safe; thousands were forced at gun point to surrender their homes, farms, livestock, and what had been a stable way of life. Primero de Mayo grew quickly as a result. People settled in the barrio with nothing but the clothes on their backs. The lucky ones constructed lean-tos with plastic tarps to provide shelter from the scorching sun and drenching rains; conditions remained this way for years. For most, if not all, life in the barrio was a day-to-day struggle for survival. Often we heard the word lucha, or struggle, as people recounted their efforts to scrape by. With time, and help from family, friends, and churches, including El Buen Pastor, some people began building more substantial houses. One woman, an elder in the church, told us of her son who had saved enough pesos from a job he secured in distant Medellín so the family could construct a small pen behind their lean-to and stock it with 10 piglets. The income they earned from the sale of pigs over six years enabled them ultimately to build a tiny home from cinder blocks, with a cement floor and corrugated metal roof. Others we visited, however, still lived in little houses built of wooden planks and dirt floors. Sheets of plastic or cloth are hung from their walls to separate tiny rooms. A single mother with five children at home asked that we pray for a new roof; hers is so riddled with holes that the floor turns to mud when it rains. Some families still cook over wood fires. As we walked through the dirt streets of Primero de Mayo we noted that many houses double as mini stores, where parents or their children eke out a living selling homemade food products. Here and there, while children entertain themselves in the street playing games of marbles or hopscotch, we also saw occasional vendedores ambulantes wheeling carts with produce for sale, or recicladores picking up any usable item that can be sold for a little cash. This may be their only source of income for years. Many men eventually find work with the bananeros in the area. The really good jobs provide basic protection in the form of health insurance and pension. Others, especially those working with cooperatives, are limited to two- or three-month contracts with no guarantee of continued work and no benefits. While living conditions of Currulao have gradually improved for some residents, general security and mutual trust have not. Fear abounds. Even with a strong and very visible police presence in Currulao, the pastor confirms that paramilitaries, guerrillas, and narco-traffickers, as well as their informants, are also present. The evidence, he says, is the number of government officials who continue to be arrested for corruption. Perhaps more telling is the way people look askance and lower their voices when they mention paras or guerrillas as they share their stories with us. Today the people of El Buen Pastor in Currulao know the only real source of security is in God. While poor in material things, their faith is rock solid. Although there is no denying the great sadness in their hearts, there is a profound sense of joy as well. Some would say they are living in the end times, and they are securing their future with Jesus. ---- You are subscribed to the following list: Colombia Accompaniment Reports using the following email: example@example.com You may automatically unsubscribe from this list at any time by visiting the following URL: <<a href="http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/colombia/&gt">http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/colombia/&gt</a>; You may also change your subscription options here: <http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi> Mailing List Powered by Dada Mail <a href="http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/">http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/</a>

Bananas, guerrillas, paras, and desplazados

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:57:00 GMT

by Dave and Joan Gifford June 16, 2010 A newcomer entering the city of Apartadó from the north might first breathe a sigh of relief he or she is no longer on the two-lane highway leading to the city. On a typical day it is busy with busetas, camiones, motos and ciclas, moving either at top speed, or just crawling. Topes, designed to slow traffic, are a chance for drivers in a hurry to move to the left and pass slower moving traffic; open space on the road is an opportunity to push the accelerator to over 120 kph. Pedestrians beware! It's an experience to make anyone believe! A billboard boasts a city of 134,000 people, slightly over 3 meters above sea level, and founded in 1907. The city is like others in the area, with a few broad streets, many narrow ones, some paved, some dirt, with people coming and going, engaged in the business of the day, or sitting relaxed in doors opened to the street. It seems orderly enough, with police visible here and there. And yet it is an unusual city. You won't find much on Apartadó in the travel guides. Colombians from other parts tend to avoid it because of the heat and humidity, but also because of its poverty and past violence. While traveling on that same highway leading to Apartadó, gazing on rows upon rows of green banana trees, we were told of brutal massacres that took place on either side. Today, people remember those events, when guerrillas or paras senselessly and brutally took the lives of family members or friends. If they speak of it, it is in a hushed, quiet voice. Just a few years ago the whole area of Urabá, north, south, east and west of Apartadó was free territory for the guerrillas. It was important for gaining access to the Gulf of Urabá and Panamá for exporting drugs. It was also regarded as a source of funding for their operations. They infiltrated many banana plantations to provide a cover and income. They threatened workers, union leaders and owners if they did not cooperate, provide jobs, and especially money. They also took control of entire communities in many rural areas. Anyone seen as an obstacle to their agenda or control, especially anyone who showed signs of leadership or organizing to make things better, was forced to leave, threatened with death, or simply eliminated. As the intimidation and violence intensified, wealthy land owners sought to protect themselves with their own armies, giving birth to paramilitaries. These consisted of ex-military, off-duty police and soldiers, and even former guerrillas, often women and children. Their numbers grew steadily. The paras killed anyone they thought might be a guerrilla, or anyone regarded as collaborating with the guerrillas. No one was safe. Since our arrival in Apartadó we have met and come to know people who have shared their stories with us. They have come here from bordering departments of Chocó and Córdoba, and from the towns of Turbo, El Tres, and others. The majority of people attending churches we have visited are desplazados, uprooted from their homes at the point of a gun, witnesses of brutal atrocities, of family members killed before their eyes – sometimes at the hands of guerrillas, others by the paras. Sometimes the perpetrators were unidentifiable; simply spoken of as armed actors. A lay pastor in El Tres told us that the challenge of ministering to the displaced people in his church is confronting the burden of sadness, anger, fear, and mistrust that most victims of displacement carry. Most of this sentiment remains bottled up. These people, he told us, used to be happy campesinos who sustained themselves and their families with simple farming. Some faced displacement two and three times, as control of land was wrested back and forth between guerrillas and paras fighting for control. Each time left them faced with nothing to lean on but faith in God and the meager support they receive from strangers, friends, and churches. The pastor told of visiting a widow of his church late one morning and finding her children still without food for breakfast. All he could do, he said, was to give her the few pesos he had in his pocket, cry and pray with her. In ministering to the desplazados the Iglesia Presbiteriana de Colombia seeks to listen to their stories and emphasize how they survived, how their faith in God helped them through the crisis. Their stories are representative of the nearly 5 million internally displaced people living in Colombia today. While laws exist to protect them, they are mostly ignored or poorly enforced. Sadly the violence continues in Colombia. Just this week we read of a woman known for seeking justice for the displaced who was physically attacked in the street. And last Friday, June 11, the "Colombian Reality" literally exploded just 12 or so blocks away from our apartment when someone, reportedly the guerrilla, detonated a bomb in a clothing store in Apartadó killing one young woman and injuring 17 others, including 3 minors. Join us in praying for the people of Colombia and those who seek to restore justice here. ---- You are subscribed to the following list: Colombia Accompaniment Reports using the following email: example@example.com You may automatically unsubscribe from this list at any time by visiting the following URL: <<a href="http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/colombia/&gt">http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/colombia/&gt</a>; You may also change your subscription options here: <http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi> Mailing List Powered by Dada Mail <a href="http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/">http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/</a>

Making Cookies, the Colombian Way

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 01:13:00 GMT

by Joan Gifford June 7, 2010 Last Friday we visited the little town of El Tres just north of Apartadó to visit the Presbyterian church there. We were informed by the pastor that at least 60% of the members are desplazados. When we arrived the women of the church were making lemon cookies. Their limón is like our lime, but smaller. About 8 women were out on a covered cement area behind the main church of "Cristo Viene" and we could tell that something big was going to happen! The dough was already made and they had begun rolling it out on a flour-covered wooden table. The rolling pin was a green glass bottle, maneuvered expertly to roll out the dough to the correct thickness. A large plastic cup was used as the cookie cutter and soon there were so many cookies that the women had to bring in a second wooden table, sprinkle it with flour and soon it too was covered with cookies. Meanwhile, an older woman was using a big old axe to chop wood and using a machete to create smaller pieces for the fire. They blew on some ashes and soon they had a fire, and later two fires. They removed some smaller sticks from the fire and put them on top of a 3-foot square of corrugated metal roofing material. This was the "lid" for the top of a very large, flat bottomed bowl-shaped pan that would become the oven. First they covered the outside of the pan with soap so they could clean it later and it wouldn't become black. They put the pan above the fire, supported on cement blocks, put about 10 cookies in and covered it with the "lid" and made their own huge dutch oven! Every cookie that I saw was perfecta! They tasted great! I asked about the recipe and was told it was flour, sugar, eggs, baking soda, grated lemon rind, anise and cinnamon. The cinnamon was in the form of bark and grated or ground. They didn't seem to use any shortening! What a cookie! During the baking, while we waited, two children, a boy of 11 and a girl of 10 who were friends, helped me explore the area while David listened to some stories. I was taken to see a rooster and chickens running loose under the banana trees, big and little bananas on trees, the coconuts on the trees and when they get ripe, many frutas, big and small, and I was given 4 ripe star fruit, or carrambolas, that were used for our breakfast drink the next day. Inside the church I was introduced to their guitars, several different drums, cymbals, the guacharaca and a cow bell. They brought me a flower, a yucca and the explanation that it grows under the ground, a green totumo that is used to make maracas, and they pointed out to me a neighbor across the fence who was pounding rice. They put in a Christian music DVD and together we watched a cowboy sitting on a horse singing. I saw the flowers given to a mother for Mother's Day and a girl's new Sunday hat. I almost hated to leave this place. I bought 8 cookies, knowing that I was helping to support an effort to continue the building at the back of the church that would be used for classes for children sponsored by Compassion International. Most of the people in the Cristo Viene church were displaced people but these women were working to help others. They had the time, energy and resources to help others. They have so little and they give it with a great spirit. ---- You are subscribed to the following list: Colombia Accompaniment Reports using the following email: example@example.com You may automatically unsubscribe from this list at any time by visiting the following URL: <<a href="http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/colombia/&gt">http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/colombia/&gt</a>; You may also change your subscription options here: <http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi> Mailing List Powered by Dada Mail <a href="http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/">http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/</a>

On the Ground

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 22:46:00 GMT

by Dave and Joan Gifford June 4, 2010 We are pleased to report that we arrived safely in Medellín, Colombia on Wednesday May 26th in the afternoon. Any anxieties we had about our new environment were quickly dispelled when we spotted the smiling face of the rector of the Colegio Americano in Apartadó who had come to meet us at the Rio Negro airport. Together we took the long and winding bus ride from the airport to downtown Medellín, the City of Eternal Spring, where we spent the night. That evening we enjoyed a leisurely dinner with the rector who introduced us to the accompaniment plan and how it would unfold for us over our next five weeks as guests of the Presbiterio de Urabá, starting in the city of Apartadó. We spoke of many things, of families back home, of careers and backgrounds, politics and the plight of the desplazados in Colombia. We also received our first lesson in Colombian Spanish: here if you want black coffee you ask for un tinto, whereas coffee with cream or milk is café. You need to know the difference, and what really matters! Before coming to Colombia we were advised we would be taking a new path for the Accompaniment Program. The Program was born in the Presbiterio de la Costa in the city of Barranquilla and its focus remained there for the last five years. During Holy Week this year the Program underwent a thorough review and it was determined there is a need to expand accompaniment to include the Presbiterio de Urabá in the Departamento de Antioquia, and to the Presbiterio Central in the area of Bogotá. So in a way, together with our hosts, we will be pioneering a new and somewhat different approach to accompaniment. Early Thursday we took a cab to Medellín's downtown airport for the last leg of our journey to Apartadó. As our flight approached Apartadó it seemed every stretch of land below was covered with banana trees. Our ride from the airport confirmed it - banana trees are growing everywhere, almost to the road's edge. Banana brands we know back home, such as Banacol and Chiquita, are leading producers here. The Colegio Americano, the Presbiterio de Urabá, and the Presbyterian congregation in Apartadó all play important roles for us in our first weeks in Colombia, helping us settle in to our new community. Everywhere the Colombian people we have met have welcomed us with open arms, grateful the Accompaniment Program has come to Apartadó. Let us tell you about where we are. Apartadó is a city of roughly 100,000 people just south and east of the Gulf of Urabá. The major industry is – Bananas! Most people living in and around Apartadó support the industry either directly or indirectly. We were told to expect hot humid weather in Apartadó and this is the case. Without a fan or air conditioning the heat can be intense, the humidity heavy. It reminds us of South Texas coastal conditions we know well from years at the Presbyterian Pan American School. Fortunately there is usually a breeze. To the east and on the edge of Apartadó are foothills that rise up several hundred feet, if not more. When they are not hidden by clouds they appear green and thick with vegetation. We are told the guerrillas still roam relatively freely in that area. On this first stop of our journey in Colombia we are enjoying the benefit of a two room, comfortable apartment just a few blocks from the Colegio Americano. It lies between the apartment on one side for the pastor who leads the Presbyterian Church of Apartadó and the office of the Presbiterio de Urabá on the other side. Upstairs, where we take our meals, is the Centro de Desarrollo Integral Renacer (CDI), a ministry of the local Presbyterian Church in partnership with Compassion International. Our apartment faces a busy and somewhat noisy street. On the opposite side is a public school which happened to be a polling place for this past Sunday's presidential election here in Colombia. So we found ourselves in the middle of a major national event. As best we could tell, the process was orderly and peaceful, at least across the street. Years ago the Presbyterians in the area established the Colegio Americano in Apartadó. Today it is a mission of the Presbiterio de Urabá and provides elementary education for roughly 280 children, from pre-kinder (3 years old) to 6th grade. The school employs 14 teachers and offers a strong, quality curriculum highly competitive with other schools in the city and much sought after by local residents. The rector is supported by two women who manage the finances, general correspondence and paperwork. What is remarkable about their office, besides its small space, is how efficient they are with so little office equipment. Like most school offices, it is always busy with the coming and going of parents, teachers, and students. For us, it is our primary access to the internet and the gracious support of the rector. We met several of the docentes, or teachers; we visited as many classrooms and faced some perceptive questioning from 5th and 6th graders who wanted to know about the U.S. economy, the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, and of course President Obama. We have discovered that some of the teachers we met play other roles in the life of the church community. The rector proudly showed us a room of new computers he has secured in his short tenure with the school; all are used daily for instructional purposes. Children were busy with the machines while we observed. Classes at the Colegio Americano, as well as the public school across the street from where we live, begin at 6:30 am and continue through 12:30 pm. The public school has a second session in the afternoon. The Colegio used to offer secondary education in an afternoon session but hard times have forced the school's junta directiva, or governing board, to cancel this program for the time being. The last seniors to graduate with the bachiller diploma did so in 2008. One of the joys thus far is the food. We have no kitchen in our apartment so, whether taking lunch in a little restaurant downtown with the rector, or eating upstairs with the pastor in the CDI, we are experiencing Colombian cuisine fully. A staple of Colombia is the arepa, a rather thick tortilla of ground corn that may be served with soups, scrambled eggs, fresh cheese, or whatever, depending on the meal. Fruit juices are to die for – something different nearly every day. For example, a lunch with the rector in a small side-street cafe came with a guarapo, a drink made with limón and panela, or brown sugar. This was followed by sopa de albóndigas (meatball soup) and served with arepas. Then came the main course of róbalo, a delicious fried fish, fried green plátano plantain), and papas fritas. You can expect plátano or banana with every meal. Next to the Colegio Americano is the Iglesia Presbiteriana de Apartadó. On Sunday we experienced worship typical of many Hispanic evangelical churches we have known elsewhere in our journey through life. God's word, la Palabra de Dios, is central to worship and feeds the message, prayer and song. Our fellow Presbyterians back home may find it surprising that worship can be 2 ½ or more hours. If the sermon is long, there is much standing, clapping, and singing to invigorate body and soul. God's Spirit is alive and active here and the people's faces show it. Preaching follows the Word closely; important passages are repeated several times, just in case you missed it the first time around! An elder, or presbítero gobernante, leads most of worship, including prayers and music. When people sing, which is often, they do so a capella, or accompanied by a drum and tambourine. We have already learned several new songs in Spanish. This congregation also meets Saturday morning for a time of fasting, prayer, song and Bible study, and again that evening, as well as Wednesday night. Worship is central to their being; life for this small group of people, some of whom are victims of Colombia's internal conflict, has been difficult; it gives new appreciation for Christ's message in the beatitudes. Small as it is, the Presbyterian Church of Apartadó is engaged in mission to the poor. Eighteen years ago, together with Compassion International, it launched the Centro de Desarrollo Integral Renacer (CDI) to feed and instruct 283 sponsored children ages 4 to 18, as well as 25 new and unsponsored children. The program is staffed by a director, who has a degree in social work from a local university, and eight women from the church who support her as cooks, teachers, specialists, and secretary. The children are scheduled to meet at different days and hours three times per week. Each curriculum guide focuses on four critical areas in child development: · Spiritual: leading to accepting Christ · Social Emotional: learning to relate with others and self-control · Cognitive: reading, literature, writing, etc. · Physical: good nutrition, health, fitness, etc. Only the very poor are granted admission to the program, and then only after careful screening; presently there is neither space nor support for additional participants. Most children--many of whom are desplazados, victims of family abuse, or severely malnourished-- walk a great distance from outlying barrios three times weekly to attend CDI and get a good meal. In addition to the instruction and food they receive at CDI, participants come seeking help to pay for uniforms, books or supplies required by the public schools. By the end of our first week in Colombia, when a certain degree of routine had settled over our lives, we began to hear stories. They are real people's stories, told in hushed voices, behind closed doors from near expressionless faces. They are stories of injustices that have radically changed the lives of those who were telling them. We expect to hear more of these in the days to come as we get to know Colombia and the people with whom we are living. There is great need in Colombia. The Church is striving to meet that need but some days the burden seems overwhelming to those who work to do God's will. Still, they continue on, confident that God is with them, protecting them, providing for them, and leading them onward. As outsiders and new to this reality, we are humbled by what we see and hear. ---- You are subscribed to the following list: Colombia Accompaniment Reports using the following email: example@example.com You may automatically unsubscribe from this list at any time by visiting the following URL: <<a href="http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/colombia/&gt">http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/colombia/&gt</a>; You may also change your subscription options here: <http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi> Mailing List Powered by Dada Mail <a href="http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/">http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/</a>