Trip to Medellin

Jorge and I went to the city of Medellin for a week while Jorge taught in the DTS at the YWAM base there. We also took Robin along with us. He did his DTS there 2 years ago so he was able to see some of his friends. We were also able to see some of our friends that we haven't seen in several years. Even though I got sick our first day there and spent the night in the ER (had a blocked intestine again) I am fine now and we had a great time. It was a 14 hour bus ride there and back and it was great to enjoy the beautiful Colombian country side again after many years of not traveling by bus inside the country.

Jorge taught on the subject of transcultural missions.

Here we are with Karen, a sweetheart who was in charge of hospitality while we were there. She did a great job of making us feel welcomed and taken care of!

Taking a strole through the neighborhood...Robin, Jorge, Jorge Colmenares and Desteni!

You can't go to Medellin without taking a stroll through "Botero Plaza"... Fernando Botero is a famous Colombian artist from Medellin who is known for his "fat" statues and paintings of oversized objects...

Jorge and Robin walking through Botero Plaza in downtown Medellin.

Medellin is known for it's Metro transportation system so we had to go for a ride!

The Metro system also has a "Metro Cable" which bypasses a big part of the city to the top of the mountain...it helps people get to town in half the amount of time as before.

Our dear friend, Jorge Colmenares, is the Director of the YWAM Training base in Medellin. He was one of Jorge's DTS leaders way back in 1989 so we have known each other for a long time!

Yeah Desteni!!! Desteni was Jorge's assistant for the first year we served in Ensenada and now she is working at the Medellin base on staff with the School of Counselling. It was so cool to see her in her new home! She is leaving in a few days for outreach...she will be leading a team of 4 young woman into the Amazons where they will be ministering for 2 months.

Lunch with the guys.

This is my dear friend Deisy!! I just love her!! She is one of those people in my life that I can go for 5 years without seeing or even talking to and when we get together it's like no time has passed!! She used to be on staff with YWAM in Cartagena, that's how we met, but now she lives in Medellin, is going to school full time and also works with a ministry that ministers to street kids. She is also a single mom...her husband was killed right in front of her and her daughter several years ago...she has been through some really hard times but is doing really well now.

Deisy with her daughter, Daniela (7 years old), her two sisters and her niece, Danna (6 months).

Jocabed, Deisy's sister, also worked with us in Cartagena when we first arrived in 1997 but now she lives and works at the YWAM base in Medellin with her husband, Alvaro and her new baby, Danna.