Keepin' up with the Silvas...

Thanksgiving in October

2011-10-10T14:03:00.000-05:00

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! Pull up a chair! Sharing today from one of my faves: A Holy Experience!

Simone and Jaldert

2011-09-23T16:51:00.000-05:00

Our friends, Simone and Jaldert, were visiting this past week from Amsterdam! Simone is from Germany and she worked on staff with us for a few months about 10 years ago and she also went to Mexico with us on vacation with Jorge's family. Since then she got married to Dutchman, Jaldert, and it was so great to see them and get to meet her new hubby. Their last night we spent some time together

Back On The Same Page

2011-09-14T13:41:00.001-05:00

I can't believe that almost 5 months have passed by since I last updated my blog! So the easiest way I know to get everyone back on the same page is to share one of our last ministry e-newsletters. In July we started a new e-version of our newsletter shared through ISSUU...check out our July letter here! We have also opened a new ministry page on FACEBOOK! If you visit and "like" our page

Rest In Peace: David Wilkerson

2011-04-28T08:43:00.000-05:00

Proyecto Libertad

2011-04-26T18:15:00.000-05:00

This is a short video that our friend, Sarah Costello, made for a ministry presentation last month.

Malatya

2011-04-18T14:00:00.000-05:00

Malatya Trailer from Nolan Dean on Vimeo. Malatya Excerpt: Introduction from Nolan Dean on Vimeo. Malatya Excerpt: State of Relations from Nolan Dean on Vimeo.

Global Day of Prayer for Turkey

2011-04-18T07:17:00.000-05:00

Note: If you would like to see the following information in a different language please click HERE! Other languages offered: Turkish, German, French, Korean, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Portuguese TODAY IS THE GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER FOR TURKEY! PLEASE CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO AND THEN SCROLL DOWN TO SEE A LETTER AND A LIST OF PRAYER REQUESTS SENT BY THE ALLIANCE OF PROTESTANT CHURCHES IN TURKEY.

My Heart for Turkey

2011-04-16T01:56:00.001-05:00

I bet you didn't know that Monday, April 18th, is the Global Day of Prayer for Turkey! Maybe you wonder why I care so much about Turkey? It's not my doing, really. I dare to say it is God's! My connection with Turkey started when I was 13 years old. At my church youth group one evening we were told about an opportunity to become pen pals with someone from Turkey and I eagerly signed up. I

It Could Be Us Some Day!

2011-04-15T20:05:00.005-05:00

Hopefully you noticed that I have a new "widget" over there on the right of the screen...its a weblog from The Voice of the Martyrs giving news updates about the persecuted church around the world. The Voice of the Martyrs is a non-profit, inter-denominational Christian organization dedicated to assisting the persecuted church worldwide. VOM was founded in 1967 by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who

Harvard Dental Team

2011-04-15T18:14:00.002-05:00

I've been meaning to post this for a while now but better late than never! Three weeks ago we had the blessing of hosting a team from Harvard School of Dental Medicine. Under the leadership of Dr. David Kim the team worked for three days at our under-construction-clinic-site, treating patients from the community. We thank the Lord for the way he shows his love and care for our friends in

Goodbye Luchito

2011-04-05T13:16:00.001-05:00

Luchito from Karen W. Silva on Vimeo. Well, I am very sad to share the news that Luchito didn't make it. He was doing so well and showing improvement every day! It was so fun to have this little guy with us and to take care of him each day! After bottle feeding him every 3 hours for 2 weeks, I am really feeling his absence! I'm not really sure what happened to bring him back down again but

Luchito's Life So Far

2011-03-23T13:02:00.001-05:00

Luchito's story begins with his Mama. That would be Kitty Baby who arrived at our house about a year ago when she was just a tiny kitten herself. I had been out on the island for the week with a team and when I came home she had claimed our home as her own. Unfortunately, Kitty Baby gave new meaning to the term "Scaredy Cat" as she wouldn't let anyone near her for many months. She didn't want

20 YEARS!

2011-03-22T20:34:00.000-05:00

Last month our 20th anniversary came and went in a flurry of busyness so this month we took some time out to celebrate it! Wow! 20 years already?! That's half my life!! Our Chilean friend, Pili Bunster, did another little photo shoot for us up at the fort above the mission in Bocachica on a very windy day...here are a few shots: And last week we finally got around to our get-away. We

Catching Up...Medical Brigade

2011-03-22T19:49:00.000-05:00

Last month we had the privilege of hosting a medical team from North Heights Lutheran Church from Arden Hills, MN. This was their second year to come and a lot of the original team members were able to return. We had an awesome time with the team and were blessed in many, many ways by their presence! Here are a few photos from the week: Dr. Jack Anita checking in a patient. Dan

Lent for Beginners

2011-03-09T10:38:00.000-05:00

I’ve never practiced Lent before. I’ve never been part of a faith community that practices Lent. I honestly didn’t even know what it was until a couple of years ago when I heard that the folks at North Heights Lutheran in Arden Hills, Minnesota had decided to adopt our clinic project during their celebration of Lent. They gathered over $20,000 dollars that went straight to clinic construction

Town Meeting

2011-02-18T20:04:00.000-05:00

Last week my neighbor and I went to the Turbaco town meeting. There is a new highway that has been under construction between Turbaco and Cartagena for over a year now. The road is far from being finished but there is one thing that is almost ready...a new toll booth, right in the middle of the city limits! You can imagine that this has caused a bit of an uproar among us Turbaco residents! So

Good, Painful Fruit

2011-02-01T08:56:00.002-05:00

This morning, laying in my hammock, looking into the back yard: trees, flowers, doggies, kitties, leaves on the ground and fruit high in the trees. Praying for a fruitful year. Praying for fruit. Good fruit. Useful fruit. Sweet tasting fruit! In my back yard fruit bearing brings with it a lot of work, labor and toil. Grass cutting, leave raking, ground watering, fruit picking, fruit giving,

Antioch visits Bocachica

2011-01-31T23:29:00.000-05:00

We were very blessed last week by the visit of a short-term missions team from Antioch Community Church from my home town of Burlington, NC. They have been coming each year for several years now and we always have a very special time with them...this year was no exception! They blessed us in many ways through their love and generosity. Their main projects this year were helping us build a

One Thousand Gifts

2011-01-30T20:18:00.001-05:00

I was surprised and blessed last week by some sweet friends who gave me this gift...a new Kindle! I had been wanting one but hadn't told anyone but God! But God told them my secret and they were his hands and feet!!! And this is the book I'm reading now! It's called ONE THOUSAND GIFTS...A dare to live fully, right where you are, by Ann Voskamp

An Angel named Juancho

2011-01-21T17:37:00.000-05:00

This morning Jorge started the overwhelming task of trimming trees, raking leaves and cleaning up the back yard. It is way too much for one person to try to do...exhausting work. We have lots of trees and lots of leaves! Our neighbors have a family member named Juancho who lives with them. Juancho takes care of all the yard work and maintenance on their house. What a blessing, huh?! This

What Kind of Southern Girl Am I????

2011-01-19T09:54:00.001-05:00

So this was the sad result of my attempt at making biscuits this morning. They tasted better than they look. As a matter of fact, on a scale of 1 to 10 Jorge originally gave me an "8". Until I told him how they were supposed to look. Then he lowered my score down to a "5". Still not too bad considering. I had a few obstacles to overcome right from the beginning. The recipe calls for

New Year! New Challenges! New Tools!

2011-01-17T11:40:00.006-05:00

This year I made pretty much the same resolutions that I've made the last couple of years. For the most part they embrace the spiritual and the physical...reading my Bible more, praying more, flossing my teeth, getting more exercise, and the hard one, getting to bed earlier! But this year is going to be different. I'm actually going to try to accomplish them. This time I have a plan. I have a

Zirahuen

2010-12-29T20:09:00.003-05:00

One of our favorite places in Mexico!!

Patzcuaro & Janitzio

2010-12-29T20:01:00.002-05:00

Uruápan

2010-12-29T19:11:00.004-05:00

At the National Park in Uruápan: Jorge with his nieces in Uruápan. My mother-in-law´s step mother, ¨Tia Gracia¨, died and we went to the funeral.

Out & About in Lazaro Cardenas

2010-12-29T18:56:00.006-05:00

Downtown with the familia. At the ¨Malecon¨ Karencita BlanquitaExcercising with Yolanda......and Jorge Introducing Erika to the joy of Churros... ...and carnitas (pork tacos)!My little niece, Karencita, is so cute and sweet!!!! Yolanda at Caleta de Campos...Jorge´s favorite beach.

Santa Clara del Cobre

2010-12-29T18:36:00.003-05:00

We visited this quaint little town where copper shops abound. Jorge trying his hand at making a copper pot. Goofing off with some copper hats! :) A demonstration in the copper workshop. A view of downtown.

In Mexico

2010-12-18T19:57:00.002-05:00

We are in Mexico for Christmas and New Year with Jorge´s family! We are excited to be able to bring Erika and Yolanda with us from Colombia. Erika has been with us in Bocachica for 9 years and Yolanda has been coming off and on short-term for the last 8 years. We´re having a good time showing them around! Here are some photos of what we´ve been up to so far.

Scary!!

2010-12-18T15:06:00.006-05:00

On December 9th we were travelling from Querétaro to Lazaro Cardenas and got caught in the middle of what felt like a war zone. It just so happens that on that day there was a big shootout between the army and a dangerous drug cartel called ¨La Familia Michoacana¨ and in an attempt to keep the soldiers at bay they set up road blocks by confiscating and burning buses, trucks and cars on all the

Michoacan

2010-12-18T14:53:00.003-05:00

Our cute nieces, Karen Nicole (9 months) and Blanca Michelle (1 year, 10 months) Karencita eating tortillas. With Blanquita in the pool in Ixtapa. Erika on the beach in Ixtapa. Drinking coconuts at the beach in Lazaro Cardenas.At the Palacio Municipal in Lazaro Cardenas. Overlooking Lake Zirahuen.

Guanajuato

2010-12-18T14:48:00.002-05:00

Guanajuato is one of our favorite Mexican cities.At the University of Guanajuato. Underground tunnel system With the familia... At the Cerro del Cubilete, on our way to Guanajuato.

Dolores Hidalgo and San Miguel de Allende

2010-12-18T14:41:00.003-05:00

Touring a ceramic factory. There are so many beautiful things...just need more money and space in the suitcase! Yolanda with Jose Alfredo Jimenez`s nephew...she was so excited to meet him!Erika and Yolanda with the mariachi´s in San Miguel...we just happened to arrive in time to hear them playing for a 50th (we´re guessing...it could have been more because they were really old) wedding

Querétaro

2010-12-18T14:18:00.004-05:00

At one of the many beautiful parks in downtown Querétaro. At the fair... This brought back childhood memories of participating in the Southwest Florida Fair every year in Ft. Myers, FL!At the market, buying a pig´s head to make pozole. Oh my goodness, these tacos were sooo good!!! Overlooking the aqueduct system built back in 1726. The Capuchin nuns requested that water be brought to the city

Rainy Days

2010-11-06T22:53:00.002-05:00

Oh my goodness!! It has been raining SO MUCH here in Cartagena the last week! Here´s a little peek! Our front and back yards were flooded and and the street in front of our house looked like a river!Rainy Days November 2010 from Karen W. Silva on Vimeo.

Family Visit

2010-11-06T11:47:00.003-05:00

Recently I had the opportunity to visit my dad and grandma and meet my dad´s new wife. Me and my daddy! About a year and a half ago my dad and Ying got married in China and the process to be able to bring her to the US was a very long one...it took over a year but we are happy that she was finally able to make it.With my dad and my granny!!

Kitchen: Before, During & After

2010-10-10T21:40:00.007-05:00

The last three weeks our house has been turned upside-down! When we first bought our house almost 3 years ago one of the first things I wanted to do was to renovate our kitchen!! Well, recently we recieved a generous offering from some special friends of ours and we were finally able to do it! We are completely exhausted from all the work but of course when it´s all done, it is so worth it!! Here

Germans Going & Coming

2010-09-24T19:28:00.007-05:00

I can´t believe it has been a whole month since I updated this blog the last time! Sorry for the lull! (Sorry Uncle Bill!)So, there has been a lot going on...but for now I´ll just give you the scoop on our German Invasion! :) We were sad to see Thomas and Anais leave us after spending a year with Proyecto Libertad in Bocachica! They were such a blessing to have and we miss them already! During

North Heights Lutheran Team

2010-08-24T19:06:00.001-05:00

In July we were blessed with our annual team from North Heights Lutheran in Arden Hills, Minnestoa. Here´s an overview of their time with us!

YWAM´s 50th Anniversary Celebration

2010-08-19T14:48:00.006-05:00

Last week the northern region of South American YWAMers celebrated our 50th Anniversary at a regional conference in Cartagena!The conference went great and we were very blessed by all the Lord did! My friend, Kristina (from Sweden) and I had the privilege and honor of being the ¨attendants¨ for Loren and Darlene and boy was it a busy, busy few days!! I have posted lots of photos from the event so

Happy Anniversary YWAM

2010-08-07T18:19:00.006-05:00

This year YWAMers all over the globe are celebrating our mission´s 50th anniversary! Our founders, Loren and Darlene Cunningham are traveling all around, visiting and celebrating alongside YWAMers world-wide. Next week the celebration will be held in Cartagena and hosted by the local YWAMers in Cartagena. This event will be held for our entire region, the northern cone of South America so we will

Keith Green

2010-07-28T17:55:00.002-05:00

I wish I would have known about this sooner to help get the word out. Keith Green´s music made a huge impact on my life. I first heard his music when I was in college and it has been pretty much my favorite ever since! It´s is very annointed and reaches down deep into your soul!!

More Mamita Memories

2010-07-27T15:28:00.001-05:00

Recuerdos de Mi Suegra/Memories of my Mother-in-Law from Karen W. Silva on Vimeo.On July 7, 2010 at 5:20 in the afternoon, my mother-in-law, Consuelo Sierra Maldonado, went to her Heavenly home to start a new stage of her life. Now she is with the Lord and I´m sure that she is enjoying being with Him and is full of joy as she discovers all the wonders that God had prepared for her there. I look

Memories of Mamita

2010-07-27T11:36:00.008-05:00

My mother-in-law went to Heaven three weeks ago. I often think of her and wonder what she's doing up there. I picture her basking in God's presence, soaking up His love and awestruck by the beauty of all He has created. I feel really excited for her! In the midst of sadness and mourning her absence, I am thrilled that she gets to experience such wonder!!

Rest In Peace Mamita

2010-07-07T20:45:00.001-05:00

We just got home to Cartagena today at 5 :20 pm. We got our luggage in, loved on our animals for a few seconds and then went straight to call to see about Jorge´s Mom...she had just passed away 2 minutes before...the exact time we arrived home!We talked with a few of Jorge´s brothers and sisters and we feel so badly that we can´t be with them right now. There are a lot of mixed emotions. We know

Misc. Moments in Mexico

2010-07-03T15:29:00.007-05:00

Jorge and I have been in Mexico the last few weeks with the family. Jorge´s mom is in very poor health and she isn´t expected to be with us for much longer. We are very grateful to God for making it possible for us to spend her last few days together with the family. Here are a few shots from the last few weeks.Late night chats with Mamita are the best!! Here she is with Jorge and his sister,

Esthela's Story

2010-06-29T14:50:00.001-05:00

Our friends, Eddie and Tammy Villavicencio are YWAMers in Ensenada, Mexico and I'd like to share thier story with you. Please take a few minutes to watch!

Meeting Karencita

2010-06-23T14:46:00.004-05:00

We got to meet our new niece, Karen Nicole. She just turned 3 months old and she is soooooo cute and sooooo sweet!!! She's a super easy baby. Almost never crys and is always content to smile and coo.

Congratulations Lucha!!

2010-06-10T14:29:00.003-05:00

My Colombian sis-in-law, Luz Helena, recieved her U.S. citizenship on March 18th!(L to R) Friends, Rob and Mariceli; my brother, Kurt; Mr. Official Citizenship man; my sis-in-law, Lucha; my niece, Melissa

Colombian Presidential Elections Go to Second Round

2010-05-31T13:28:00.001-05:00

Congratulations Josefina & Gabriel!

2010-05-26T18:10:00.006-05:00

It´s not everyday that we get to celebrate a marriage among our staff! But, on March 29th we had the honor of being witnesses at the civil wedding ceremony for Josefina and Gabriel. Josefina is from Tijuana, Mexico and she has been on staff with us for 3 years. During that time she met, fell in love and got engaged to Gabriel, a Bocachica native! It has been a joy to watch their relationship

Bye Gui & Pili (sniff, sniff)

2010-05-22T17:19:00.003-05:00

Last month we had to say goodbye to Guillermo and Pili who finished their year with us in Bocachica. It was GREAT having them with us and we will miss them lots!!! They are back home in Chile now and have already found a place to live and have been really busy working with their local church.

Wanna Follow Us?

2010-05-22T16:22:00.004-05:00

Have you seen the section over to the right that says FOLLOWERS? Well, in case you have wondered what that means check THIS out! The main thing it does is to let you know when we´ve posted something new so you can be sure and get the latest! Wanna follow us?

Mother´s Day

2010-05-22T16:06:00.002-05:00

I got to spend Mother´s Day with my mom and my grandma this year. Jorge and I had to take an unexpected and unplanned trip to the USA for an appointment at the Immigration Services offices in North Carolina. It turned out to be a great trip and we got a lot of things accomplished that we didn´t even realize we needed to do (new driver´s license for both of us, new passport for Jorge, new SS

Charlotte, NC Team

2010-05-22T11:51:00.010-05:00

This month we had the joy of hosting our annual college team from Matthew´s United Methodist Church out of Charlotte, NC. As always, it was a great group who worked hard to bless the community of Bocachica doing a variety of construction projects for the mission and several families in the community. Unfortunately there was a 24 hour stomach bug (ie: diarrhea and vomiting) going around and a lot

Karen Nicole

2010-05-22T11:39:00.002-05:00

You may remember a couple of months ago I was showing off our new niece who didn´t have a name yet...well I forgot to tell you! Her name is KAREN NICOLE!! How about that?! It´s not every day you get a new life named after you!Here she is with her big sister, Blanquita.

Antioch Team Video

2010-04-28T19:57:00.002-05:00

Antioch Community Church from Elon, NC sent a team in March and here is the video they made to share with their church back home. Photos in the video were taken by Vic Costello and Pili Bunster.Antioch Community Church - Colombia Mission 2010 from Vic Costello on Vimeo.

Medical Brigade Video

2010-03-29T20:47:00.001-05:00

Guillermo made this 4 minute video which will give you a great overview of our week at the medical brigade earlier this month! Check it out!!

More Medical Brigade Photos!

2010-03-14T14:01:00.003-05:00

Click here to see more photos of the medical brigade! Also included are some pics of clinic construction, first aide classes and a few other random shots.

Minor Surgery at Medical Brigade

2010-03-13T19:57:00.001-05:00

Check out this video clip of Dr. Greg removing a fatty tumor from behind a girl´s ear at our medical brigade last week.

The Newest Silva

2010-03-13T16:37:00.002-05:00

Unfortunately this little cutie doesn´t have a name yet but she was born on March 8th and is the newest addition to the Silva family! She is the daughter of Jorge´s youngest brother, Chava and his wife, Rocio...and sister of Blanca Michelle. She will probably be named Nicole but it´s not official yet so I´ll have to get back to you on that one. Rocio and Blanquita just a couple of days before

Medical Brigade

2010-03-13T15:24:00.004-05:00

Last week we were excited to have a medical team from North Heights Lutheran in Arden Hills, Minnesota. They held a 5 day medical brigade at our new clinic facilities (still under construction!) and with only 2 doctors, 5 nurses and a handful of support staff we were able to attend to approximately 430 patients from the community. In addition to their medical expertise they offered such patient

Robin´s Wedding

2010-02-26T20:43:00.004-05:00

I was finally able to get the photos of Robin´s wedding off my camera...here are a few shots:A few of our staff dressed up and ready to head to the wedding.Zenaida being escorted down the isle by her two sons.Robin and Zenaida

Proyecto Libertad Through The Years

2010-02-01T13:27:00.001-05:00

Here´s a video we made to share at a couple of churches to give an update and overview of what is going on with us and Proyecto Libertad.

Sad Goodbyes

2010-02-01T12:29:00.006-05:00

We are sad to announce the departure of several of our long-term staff members. It is always hard to see people go but especially when they have been a part of our family for so long! We are so grateful to each one of them for the years they invested in this ministry, for their friendship and hard work!! We trust and pray that God will guide each one of them with their new endeavors! We know

Chile Team

2010-02-01T11:17:00.001-05:00

When we got back home from our time in Mexico we had already recieved our first missions team for 2010. They are a group from Guillermo and Pilar´s chuch in Santiago, Chile. They were with us for 3 weeks and were a big blessing! Guillermo and Pili worked especially hard hosting the team and organizing all of their activities. This is a video Guillermo made about their time in Bocachica...the

More from Mexico

2009-12-22T16:22:00.008-05:00

With my sis-in-law on her birthday...I made lasagna for everybody. Jorge and Blanquita...one of our family activities is making her laugh...it is very easy to do and she cracks us all up!We spent two weekends in Zihuatanejo. (In photo are nieces and sis´s-in-law) One of the beaches in Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa.In Zihuatanejo with my mom-in-law. Twin nieces, Galia and Gabi. With Blanquita in

Wakeboarding Bocachica Style!

2009-12-21T15:48:00.001-05:00

Guillermo and Samy got creative and resourceful to have some fun in the Bocachica bay....check it out!

Back in Bocachica

2009-12-08T15:49:00.003-05:00

Back in Bocachica clinic construction continues under the direction of Ricardo de la Rosa.

In Mexico for the Holiday´s

2009-11-23T16:29:00.006-05:00

Jorge and I are in Mexico for our holiday vacation, spending time with family and getting some rest...here are some photos of our time so far: Our nephew´s son, Uriel. Our niece, Blanquita with Papito. Jorge sister, Isabel and her daughter-in-law, Cristina making chiles rellenos.Cristina frying the chiles. At the beach with Jorge´s sister, Lety and her daughter, Brenda. Jorge and his mom! Our

Annual Soccer Tournament

2009-11-22T20:03:00.008-05:00

Before Jorge left for Mexico he delegated the responsability of organizing our annual soccer tournament to Guillermo and needless to say he did a great job. Everything turned out really well and the community had a great time participating.

Field Trip with Sponsor Kids

2009-11-22T19:41:00.006-05:00

This month our Child Sponsor staff girls organized a special field trip in Cartagena. The kids got to enjoy the day with food and fun!

MEET YISELIS

2009-11-02T21:53:00.007-05:00

DID GUILLERMO GROW A BEARD???!!!!NOOOO!!! IT`S YISELIS (pronounced Jiselis) !!! OUR NEIGHBOR IN BOCACHICA!! WE ADORE HER!!THIS GIRL HAS THE BEST LITTLE PERSONALITY!SHE IS A NATURAL BORN LEADER. SHE´S SMART AND A HARD WORKER.SHE LOVES JESUS! AND SHE LOVES TO HAVE FUN!YISE WITH HER MOM AND LITTLE BROTHER... HERE SHE IS WITH HER HAIR FIXED... AND WHEN SHE WAS LITTLE: YAY YISE!!!!

Our New Ad!

2009-10-20T18:03:00.005-05:00

We would like to say a special Thank-you to our friends at YWAM San Diego/Baja who gave us a special gift in the form of a free ad in the upcoming Go Manual, which is YWAM´s version of a directory and mission opportunity catalog. Special thanks to Brett Curtis for thinking of us and to Rosie Lambert for designing the ad for us!! Here is a sneak-peek at the ad! Isn´t it great?!Proyecto Libertad Ad

Worm Infected Foot

2009-10-12T14:44:00.001-05:00

Last week at the mission in Bocachica a man came with an infected foot. Conny, our mission nurse, began to clean the wound and found it was full of worms! The first day she got 8 worms out. A couple of weeks before the same thing had happend to our mission dog, Pibe, and the Vet had given us some cream to help draw the worms out and to help the healing process. We still had some cream left

Misc. Recent Shots from Bocachica

2009-10-05T17:48:00.006-05:00

Movie night with Plan Padrino kids...we have a really big screen and the kids loved it! They watched Herbie Fully Loaded. We also hosted a movie night for the parents and showed Fireproof.Pilar with the ¨Apostle¨ Group doing a presentation at Thursday night cell group.More physical therapy by Guillermo...Guillermo also started an Aerobics class two mornings a week! It started out with 6 people

Clinic Construction Continues

2009-10-05T17:42:00.003-05:00

After the roof of the second wing was finished we started on the the interior and exterior walls. We should be finished raising the walls within another week or so.

Staff Retreat

2009-10-05T17:12:00.005-05:00

In September we had a 3 day Staff Retreat at our house in Turbaco. The first two days in the mornings we had special guest speakers, Chip and Sandy Wanner from Arizona sharing about Team Building and Personal Working Styles. Chip and Sandy WannerErika and Jorge talking over the work styles test.Then in the afternoons we played silly games together. We ate good food and enjoyed each other´s

GOT TIME?!

2009-09-21T15:37:00.001-05:00

I just saw this on Facebook and had to share it:I have only just a minute, Only sixty seconds in it. Forced upon me, can’t refuse it. Didn’t seek it, didn’t choose it. But it’s up to me to use it. I must suffer if I lose it. Give account if I abuse it. Just a tiny little minute, but eternity is in it.~Welcome McCullough

New Staff Arrivals

2009-09-17T21:31:00.002-05:00

Abi (in photo with Marilisi, a Bocachica friend) arrived on Tuesday and will be with us for 3 months. She came with a team from her church in Minnesota this summer and just HAD to come back!! YAY!!!! :)) Rebecca, Thomas and Anais just arrived yesterday from Germany. They are doing an internship program called Welt Warts sponsored by the German government. Rebecca will be here for 6 months.

More Kiki

2009-08-31T16:35:00.003-05:00

I know you are all anxious to see how fast Kiki is growing so I am posting these photos JUST FOR YOU!!! :))) She loves to use my feet and legs as her pillow! She naps while I work! She´s a great office companion, until she wakes up and goes crazy with the papers and pens and whatever else she can get her paws on!She loves to hear Jorge play the guitar! Her big sisters have finally accepted her as

President Uribe has Swine Flu!

2009-08-31T09:58:00.001-05:00

Latest news...Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has swine flu! :(

The Rains Family

2009-08-24T13:30:00.007-05:00

Another totally awesome (yes, I´m an 80´s girl) thing that happened last month was that my friends, the Rains Family, got to come to Cartagena for a whole month! Kevin, Tracy and I went to college together at Cedarville College in Ohio and Kevin is the one who first got me hooked up with YWAM . Kevin and Tracy are pastors at Vineyard Central in Norwood, Ohio and we hadn´t seen each other in like

Kiki

2009-08-21T18:02:00.003-05:00

Almost 2 weeks ago this little cutie wandered into our lives...I heard quite the ruckus being made on the front porch and looked out the window to find my dogs trying their best to attack this tiny kitten...she stood her ground though and then I ran out and swept her up! Much to the dismay of my dogs, she has been here ever since and is now part of the family. She is quicky growing into her

The Latest in Bocachica

2009-08-21T17:06:00.006-05:00

Here´s an overview of what has been going on in Bocachica the last few weeks...not necessarily in this order:BASKETBALL WORKSHOPA last-minute contact brought a basketball team from the USA to do a one-day workshop with the kids in Bocachica. PHYSICAL THERAPYFor those of you who didn´t know, our new staffer, Guillermo (from Brazil/Chile) is a Physical Therapist and God is using his profession to

Clinic Construction 2009

2009-08-02T13:35:00.001-05:00

If a picture is worth a thousand words then a video is worth a lot more!!Enjoy!!Don´t forget to pause the music on my playlist so you can hear the video sound.PS: Special thanks to Guillermo and Pilar for helping to make this video!!

Bye, Bye Jon & Daniel!

2009-07-20T16:37:00.001-05:00

We are sad to see two of our short-term staffers going home...Jon Palmer from Minnesota and Daniel Sohl from Germany both ended their time with us today and we will miss them both very much! Come back soon, guys!

Beach Field Trip

2009-07-20T16:17:00.003-05:00

Last week our Child Sponsorship Program staff (Erika, Conny, Josefina and Pilar) organized a special outing for all the kids to go to the beach. They are on vacation from school right now so they wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to do something fun. It takes about 30 minutes to walk to the beach on the other side of the island. Games and fun...

Clinic Construcion Continues!

2009-07-20T15:07:00.012-05:00

Last week was a lot of hard work for Jorge as he was meeting with Engineers, ordering construction materials, coordinating their delivery at a dock, renting a barge, etc... getting ready for our next big shipment of supplies to be able to continue the construcion of the clinc in Bocachica. Our staff guys and 10 other men we hired from Bocachica came to bag up the sand and gravel, load all the

Third Mini-DTS

2009-07-20T14:55:00.006-05:00

Last week we started our third Mini-DTS..which is a 2 week discipleship course offered to people on the island as well as others from Cartagena and other towns. Marley has been directing this school and several of our staff are helping to lead it. We have 8 students. Lucha, my sister-in-law teaching a class on Intercession. The students performing a drama at our cell group meeting on Thursday

Purse Making Workshop

2009-07-20T14:29:00.004-05:00

Our good friend, Elizabeth Cordoba, came for a week to give a purse-making workshop to a group of 6 women from Bocachica. The idea is for them to be able to use this as a money-making opportunity to help support their families. Elizabeth found people from her home town to donate all the supplies needed for the workshop and donated a week of her time to invest in the lives of these

More Minnesotans

2009-07-20T14:08:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned in my last post, we had an awesome team from North Heights Lutheran Church from Minnesota with us ... this group is from the same church that raised a big donation for our clinic construction. Here are a few more photos of their time with us.Team photo on the boat. The guys did a sand trip for the clinic construcion. This is an extremely long and grueling day that involves two

A Short Tour

2009-07-07T19:38:00.001-05:00

Guillermo and Pili made this video for their friends... a little tour from Cartagena to Bocachica and then around the mission. The narrating is done in Spanish but you can still check it out and figure out the gist of what he is saying, if you don´t understand the español...

4th of July with the Minnesota Team

2009-07-05T13:25:00.007-05:00

The last 10 days we have been hosting the second annual team from North Heights Lutheran Church in Arden Hills, Minnesota. Yesterday we had a great day celebrating the 4th of July (although in all honesty is was just a coincidence that our fun day happened to fall on the 4th). The team invited all of our staff to go on a day trip to the Cocoliso resort in the Rosario Islands National Park. Here

Trip to ¨Eje Cafetero¨

2009-06-16T14:55:00.004-05:00

We just got back from a great week traveling with my brother, Kurt and my sister-in-law, Lucha. We were in the Eje Cafetero which is the Coffee Region of Colombia which includes the states of Quindío, Risaraldas and Caldas. We also spent a few days in Medellin. There are more photos that I hope to add in the near future. But for now check these out and to see the complete album CLICK HERE!We

Last week in Bocachica

2009-06-06T18:50:00.004-05:00

A few random shots from my time in Bocachica last week: My brother, Kurt and sis-in-law, Lucha visit with their sponsor child, Enke. Kurt and Lucha...checking out the new internet connection in Bocachica!Jon, Belinda, Alexandra, Morena, Samy, Daniel, Conny, Lucha, Erika, Kurt, Josefina, Enke, Pilar, Guillermo and Pibe. Morena and me...she doesn´t look too happy in this photo but she really was!

Charlotte Team

2009-06-06T18:47:00.002-05:00

Last month we had a team from Matthews United Methodist Church (Charlotte, NC)...a great group who gave (and received) a lot of love in Bocachica!! Looking forward to next year, guys! Thanks for all your hard work!!

New Music

2009-05-20T15:18:00.003-05:00

Well, after nearly 3 months with Jesus Adrian Romero on my playlist I have finally decided to make a change. I will miss him... I kept putting off the change because I love his music so much...and I heard from a lot of you who feel the same way! This time I am showcasing another Colombian artist. Jorge Villamizar is a Colombian musician, singer and composer and you can read more about him HERE.

Getting Ready

2009-05-20T13:39:00.004-05:00

One of the things we have to do to get ready for our teams is preparing to feed them! Planning Menu´s, Shopping lists, Grocery Stores, Transportation, etc... Here´s a peek at our typical team grocery shopping day... Erika and Pili picking out the meat. Me in line with all 5 of our super-sized shopping carts. One of them is for the children´s feeding center but the rest are for a week with a

Guillermo & Pili

2009-05-18T12:15:00.004-05:00

We are super excited to welcome Guillermo and Pili, a beautiful newlywed couple from Chile who will be with us for a year! Guillermo and Pili were in Cartagena for 2 months last year...Guillermo volunteered with us in Bocachica and Pili volunteered with EL REFUGIO ministry in Cartagena. They both just graduated from university, Pilar in Social Work and Guillermo in Kinesiology (it´s like

Ensenada Team

2009-05-18T12:08:00.002-05:00

On May 3rd we recieved a DTS outreach team from the YWAM base in Ensenada, Mexico. They were with us for a week and did a variety of things such as floor construction, latrine construction, activities with the elderly, children and youth as well as helping us with a special mother´s day celebration for the mother´s of our sponsorship kids.