La vida no pare...

So, in an attempt to catch you guys up on the happenings here in Colombia, I offer up a post with no discernable rhyme or reason. These are a few of my memories from the fast few months.

The Mercy School
Every year, around springtime, when the birds begin to sing, and the flowers bloom, Formando Vidas mercilessly imprisons several international students within the confines of the Administration building. It does so under the pretense of hosting a special school that deals exclusively with Children at Risk. Hours of lectures, impossible homework assignments, and nightmarish practicums, and some people actually PAY for this. Weird, I know.
Actually, the Escuela de Misericordia (say it out loud, and you will understand why we sometimes call it the “misery school”) is really a good experience for the people that attend. Many of them stay on to help long after the classes end, and you get the chance to meet the most interesting people. I was (somehow) added to the list of official translators, so I was afforded the chance to learn from the speakers as well…in two languages.
For the month of Practicum that follows the class sessions, the illustrious Skip Bachman moved into one of our spare rooms, and became a temporary third roommate. Ol’ Skipper is a real cool dude who is starting his own street kids ministry in Cochabamba, Bolivia…a task not to be taken lightly. You can check his progress here:
http://skipbachman.wordpress.com/

Gerhart and Rosemary
So, every Sunday, I attend this quaint little Mennonite Church in my neighborhood. I quite like it. The Mennonites are known for being very active in the so called “social issues” of justice, poverty, and most of all, peace. This emphasis is made all the more intense by the very fact of being a Colombian church. (Remember, folks, there is still a civil war going on here.) But besides doctrinal issues, I also appreciate the simple, non-extravagant services, and the relatively small congregation. There are only so many people there, and one would find it quite easy to get to know them all, creating a wonderful “church-family” atmosphere.
One could…but that doesn’t mean I always do. Actually, I generally find post-service small talk somewhat awkward. For this reason, on most Sundays I simply greet those I do know, and make my way to the door. I know, it’s not the best attitude, and I’m not proud of it, but that’s the way it is.
Well, that’s the way it was until Wes showed up. He is much more intentional about meeting people in the church than I, so, after every service he would make me wait and stand with him while he schmoozed it up with the locals. Normally, I would slowly edge him to the door, but one Sunday, he and I got to talking to and elderly couple that were visiting from the States.
Their names were Gerhart and Rosemary, retired professors from the Mennonite University in Goshen, Indiana. We began talking, and they mentioned that they were here in Colombia to organize the Seminary’s library. I had no idea the Mennonites had a seminary in Bogota, and I was even more surprised to find that it was housed in the very same building in which we stood. Gerhart led us downstairs through a few sets of doors to the “Secret Mennonite Library”.
Browsing through the books, Wes and I both began to realize that much of the already impressive collection was in English! We ogled over books for about half an hour, and then Rosemary and Gerhart invited us to lunch. Wes and I bombarded them with questions about Goshen and the Mennonites and politics and anything else we could think of, and when we walked them home, we made plans to stop back by the library before they left. When we finally did stop by, Gerhart and Rosemary helped us buy glasses for one of our kids, and proceeded to show us even more incredible books at our disposal. Just one more reasons why the Mennonites have got it right.

Mundo Adventura
For those of you who translate my little Spanish phrases in some free online translator, the title of this paragraph will come out “Adventure World”. Hardly…but it IS a theme park, however meager compared to States standards. This past spring, we were allowed to take all of our kids out for a fun day in Mundo Adventura at a highly discounted price. I will say, even though some of the rides were laughable, it was the best theme park experience I’ve ever had. The kids were beside themselves, literally sprinting from ride to ride, and I was more than happy to be running alongside.
There was one moment in particular that stays with me to this day. Liz (one of the volunteers from the United Kingdom) and I were responsible for 4 children in particular, and we were forced to split up. Three of the kids wanted to ride on a toboggan ride that would result in soaked clothes for all involved. Leidy Katerin, one of our students who has recently been adopted into one of the ministry’s foster homes, was not too keen on the idea of being wet on a cold, overcast day, so she and I rode a pendulum-space shuttle ride instead. There wasn’t much of a line, so we rode it several times in a row. After about 2 or 3 rotations, what was once a thrill ride, became quite relaxing. Looking down at the child next to me (still screaming like a maniac in fear) and catching brief, rhythmic glimpses of the Bogota horizon against the blue-grey sky ushered in a spiritual sense of peace. It was difficult to think of the imminent departure of my children, but the thought was made sweeter by the simple pleasure of enjoying a piece of life they would not be able to experience otherwise. As they reveled at the marvels of their previously inaccessible playland, I tried desperately to soak up every minute of their bliss.

Colombia’s cold war
I’m not sure how much you, the reader, keep up with foreign affairs (frankly, I’m not even sure who reads this) but a little while ago, Colombia found herself in somewhat of a sticky situation, politically speaking. Apparently, we went 1 kilometer across the border into Ecuador to pursue some of the FARC guerillas. Ecuador saw this as an infringement of national sovereignty, and they mobilized troops toward the boarder. Now, that might have been a slight over-reaction, but it was nothing compared to what came next. Hugo Chavez, of Venezuela, in all of his infinite wisdom decided to do the same. While all of this was happening, Colombian troops had discovered a laptop belonging to one of the FARC’s head honchos, and it proved that Chavez himself was, in fact, funding this pseudo-Marxist guerilla army.
For those of you who are either lost or simply don’t care, I will summarize things. Everyone is mad at everyone, and we are on the brink of being invaded from two sides. It was a tense few days. Those from England were almost sent back home, and I was left trying to imagine what it would be like to work in a country involved in both a civil, and international war, simultaneously.
Well, a conference was held, the president of Argentina cracked a few jokes, and by the first recess, all the presidents were hugging…literally. Such is Latin American politics.

23 on the 23rd.
This goes down as the second birthday I’ve had out of the country, and they just keep getting better. The morning of April the 23rd I woke up, and made my way to Luz y Vida, just like any other day. I ran upstairs to the computer to check some birthday emails. Apparently, the bus that picks all of the kids up from their homes broke down a few blocks from the school, and Adrienne was forced to walk alone with all of them. When they finally arrived, I walked out to greet them, and they surprised me with a song and flowers they had picked for me on the way. School proceeded as usual until about 11. It was then that all of the teachers and kids left the school and we began a strange little march down the street. We headed for my favorite ice cream joint, and right in the middle of the lunch rush, with business people in designer suits all around, we sat and ordered each child an ice cream cone. The children were loud, obnoxious and disruptive, and I’ve never been more proud.
Besides the double scoop, each child received a packet of wax ropes for molding into figures. They all made models of themselves (with some assistance) and one by one placed them on my placemat, which I still keep in my “teacher” drawer at Luz y Vida. Then, when I returned home, I found a cookie-cake with matches for candles in my living room and dozens of foam stars hanging from my bedroom ceiling. This was all the work of Adrienne, whereas the ice cream was Ryan’s doing. We ate most of the cookie, and began to make preparations for the birthday dinner. After two failed attempts at finding a Thai restaurant in Bogota, we settled on some old-fashioned American burgers. Our gringo crew, Ryan, Luke, John, Abby, Liz, Adrienne, one of our homeless friends Camilo and I ate till we were sick, and finished the meal off with a small mustard fight. Birthdays simply don’t get much better than that.

Home
As many of you know, I came home for about 2 weeks, and split my time between my friends and family in Texas and my friends and family (that happened to be) in Illinois. I ate more food than most people should in twice that time, and I literally gained almost ten pounds...not that I don’t need it, but still. I sincerely loved being home with my family and my beloved daschunds, and the barbeque that my college friends threw me in Illinois has been one of the highlights of the last few years. It was both overwhelming and beautiful to be surrounded by so many people I love, and that love me. I hate to end my post on such a sentimental/nostalgic note, but I truly do appreciate seeing and hearing from you guys, and while I adore my life here in Bogota, I am quite excited to see/talk/play music with you guys when I get back.

Till next time,
Tyler