Resident Visa Re-issued!

Jorge and I had to travel to Atlanta to the Colombian Consulate to get my Resident Visa re-issued and re-stamped into my new passport.  It is such a relief to get this taken care of and now we are set for the next five years!

School of Leadership Development

Since October 12, Jorge has been in Bucaramanga, Colombia attending a six-week YWAM School of Leadership Development.  So far he is having a great time, being encouraged, spiritually refreshed and learning new things.  Some of the topics covered in this school are:  team leadership, giftings of a leader, self-leadership, dealing with conflict, vision, and integrity.  We are keeping in touch via Facebook and Skype almost every day and I can see that he has been very blessed by this opportunity!  Here are a few photos of his time so far:

Students and leaders.

View of Bucaramanga from the base.

Jorge with his school mentor, Gary McKinney who is a part of YWAM's international leadership.  Gary and his wife, Deanna, have ministered in Spain for the last 40 years and are now the base directors of YWAM Madrid.

Jorge giving a presentation to the class.

Class in session.

School leaders.

Jorge in his dorm room which he is sharing with 3 other guys.

I don't have any photos of Erika (our mission operations director in Bocachica), but she is also in Bucaramanga doing the school with Jorge.

I am missing my Jorgito and really looking forward to when he comes home!  I am, however, very grateful that he has had this opportunity.  Originally we were planning to do the school together but since I had these health issues I wasn't able to go.  We hoped to meet each other back in Cartagena in December but I have had some set-backs in the healing process (I'll tell you more about that later) which has delayed the process.  So now, our plan is that when Jorge is finished with the school he will come back to spend the holidays with me here in NC.

Jorge's Job at Elon University

Jorge was very blessed to find a temporary full-time job in the Grounds-keeping department at Elon University while we were home for our sabbatical.  He worked there for 4 months over the spring and summer and really enjoyed the low-stress job, being outside in nature, and the camaraderie with his co-workers.  Elon is very well-known for having a beautiful campus and grounds and Jorge was proud to be able to be a part of the team that helped make that a reality.

 Jorge loved zipping around campus in the "gator".

 Morning break with the guys.

 Jorge was very blessed when on his last day of work his department organized a farewell cook-out in his honor!  

 Leaving his job was bitter-sweet.

The grounds-keeping department has about 18 full-time employees. 

We Got It!

We have been on the look-out for a vehicle ever since before we left Colombia in October.  We've been spreading the word, looking in the newspaper, searching on Craigslist, visiting used car lots and everything in between.  It's been a bit overwhelming but we finally found it!  We had some funds set aside for this but it wasn't quite enough and so we were especially grateful to receive 4 unexpected cash gifts from my mom, my dad, my grandmother and a friend... and that made all the difference!  We wound up with a '07 Ford Escape and we are very grateful to God for His provision!!

Look Who's Here!!

MOISES DAVID CRUZATE REYES

 
Samy and Marley had their baby on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 7:50 am!  Marley was just starting her 37th week of pregnancy so we weren't expecting him for another 2 to 3 weeks yet and his early arrival caught us all by SURPRISE!!  But it was a wonderful and welcome surprise indeed!!  Marley had a really great birth experience and we could see God's favor shown to us in so many small details!  We are so thankful and feeling very blessed!!

It all started on Tuesday at 2:00 am when Marley was feeling some strong contractions.  Once she realized they were coming steadily she had Samy time them and they were every 5 minutes with each contraction lasting about 1 minute.  This went on for the next 2 hours and at 4:00 am they decided to wake us up.  We heard Samy at our window and when he told us about the contractions our first reaction was that it was probably a false alarm.  But once I heard that this had been going on for 2 hours already I quickly got up and brushed my teeth and got dressed to go upstairs to see how Marley was doing.  We all just giggled with excitement and amazement because we couldn't believe this was happening so soon!!  So we decided to get the first boat that leaves Bocachica each morning around 5:30 am.  The timing of Marley's labor was just so perfect because we didn't have to run around in the middle of the night trying to find a boat and we didn't have to go in the middle of the day when the heat is unbearable.

We woke up Blanca and Alexandra to let them know what was going on and we all 6 huddled in a circle and prayed as a family together before heading out.  Jorge and I left the mission with Samy and Marley and walked to the dock. Bocachica was silent and I could still see the stars in the sky and there was lightening off in the distance lighting up the clouds.  Marley was very calm and she handled the situation like a pro!  We got to the dock at 5:15 am and we had to wait about 20 minutes for the boat to fill up with passengers and then we took off for Cartagena.

Once we arrived to the city there were no taxis around so we had to walk about 4 blocks before we were finally able to find one.  As we got in the taxi the Colombian national anthem was playing on the radio so we new it was 6:00 am on the dot (the national anthem plays every day at 6am and 6pm).  We heard the first verse which says something like, "Oh unfading glory! Oh immortal joy!  In furrows of pain... goodness germinates now!"  We just looked at each other and laughed at how appropriate the lyrics were for that moment! 

So we got to the hospital and were put in a room at 6:30 am where they checked her vital signs and got a brief history.  At this point we were thinking that they might send us home to come back in a few hours or something like that but we at least wanted to get her checked first.  Then they took her to another room where the doctor would examine her.  The first time that they checked her was at around 6:50 am and she was already 7 cm. dilated!  They put in an I.V. and told us they would take her upstairs.  Samy was in the waiting room with Jorge and I was with Marley.  They said that I could be with her until the moment that they took her into the delivery room.  We were thinking that we might be there a couple of hours or so until she fully dilated.  But we were in for another surprise!  The wheeled her up to the 2nd floor and I was tagging behind, trying to keep up and then they went through a set of double doors and the man held up his hand and told me, "this is as far as you can go!" and they zipped into the delivery room and left me outside practically with my mouth open, wondering what had just happened!

I found out later that as soon as she went in they checked her again and she was already 9 cm dilated!  Then a couple of minutes later she was 9+ cm.!  So the doctor got her ready to deliver and after only 5 pushes the baby was born at 7:50 am!!  (The total process lasted less than 6 hours!)  I was out in the waiting room trying to get some things that the nurse had asked me for... clothes for the baby and a diaper and some other things and once I got everything I sat down to wait, thinking I'd be there for a few hours at least.  I heard the baby's first cry but I didn't think it was him.  I assumed that there were other women in the room giving birth and that Marley still had a few hours to go.  I never dreamed that it would happen so fast!  Just a few minutes before 8 am I went to the nurses desk and asked them if they were going to be able to give me some reports every now and then to know how she was progressing.  The nurse said to me, "Oh, are you with the girl who just went in?... well she already had her baby."  I couldn't believe it!!  So, I could go on and on telling about it but I'll stop here and just say that God showed us much grace and favor, Marley did a great job, and Moises was born strong and healthy weighing 6.6 pounds and 19.6 in. long.  He is so adorable and we are all so happy and thankful and are reveling in this joyous occasion!

YOU CAN SEE PHOTOS OF ALL THE FUN HERE!

So precious!

PS:  I just wanted to share, for those of you who don't know this, we were asking God to bring little Moises a little early so that we could have time to enjoy him before we have to leave on sabbatical on Oct. 12.  We were hoping for a week or maybe 2 weeks if we were really fortunate.  But God in his generous mercy and grace has given us a whole month to enjoy this precious little gift!  We are so thankful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


 

Jorge's Paintings

Some of you might not be aware of this but one of Jorge's favorite hobbies is to paint.  He really enjoys doing abstract art but is also good at painting scenery.  He paints with a teacher/friend who teaches him different techniques as he goes.  He is planning on taking a class later this year. When he was younger he took a class and loved it but 30 years had passed by since he had painted anything.  Late last year he decided to take up the hobby again.

Here are a few of the pictures he's painted recently:

This is a Bocachica sunset.  He gave this painting to the daughter of some friends of ours who was celebrating her "quincenera"... her 15th birthday.  When she was little she always loved to visit us in Bocachica so he made this for her as a keepsake.

 This is another Bocachica sunset that he painted from a photograph taken by a doctor (Dr. Dennis Stone) who served with us during a medical brigade in 2008.

This is an abstract showing the power of the Cross to lift us up out of our turmoil and messes.

This is a scene of Venice, Italy where we visited in 1998.

He just finished another one this past Saturday but it is being framed right now so as soon as he brings it home I'll post a photo.

Casting All My Cares

For a while now I have been considering the idea of sharing some of my personal journal ponderings.  In fact, you might have noticed that over the last couple of months I have been dipping my feet in and testing the waters.

I've hesitated for a long time because of the obvious.  Do I really want to put my heart out there so that some "well-meaning" person can take the things I say the wrong way and judge me or use them against me?  That is the risk you take anytime you open your heart to another human being.

And as silly as it may be, I dread hearing from the Grammar Nazi's out there about all of my grammatical mistakes and errors in punctuation!  Don't get me wrong, I love my Grammar Nazi friends, but I've seen enough heartless hashing on Facebook to make me cringe.

Nevertheless, I have felt the nudge to just take the plunge.  I've had some family and friends encourage me and have even felt that God was prodding me.  But last night was the clincher.  I was lying in bed listening to a podcast by Shauna Niequist and when she said it, "Your story must be told", I knew God was talking to ME!

So here I am today, letting you know that if you are interested in following my journal writings, I won't be sharing them here on this blog anymore.  I'll be sharing them on a new personal blog I've started and named Casting All My Cares.  I'll still post the normal, every-day life stuff here on Keepin' up with the Silvas so keep coming by to check in on us!  By the way, if you've ever wondered if I named this blog after Keeping up with the Kardashians... NO!!!!!  NOOOOO!!!  I didn't!!  They came on the scene about a year after Keepin' up with the Silvas.  I promise!  I just wanted to clear that up!  :)

Back On The Same Page

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 then you will get the latest updates and tidbits sent automatically to your newsfeed!  Check out our FACEBOOK page here!  

And last, but not least...we have a new FLICKR account where you can check out even more of our photos!  Check out our FLICKR account here!

We've had a busy summer with teams, projects, volunteers, construction, and more!  Now we are gearing down into our Fall season which we try to keep at a slower pace.  This gives us a chance to focus our attention more on our work with the community.  We also are able to re-group and re-charge our batteries as we get ready for a busy new year.  January through August are usually very busy for us so slowing down in the Fall allows our staff to plan for vacation time before the rush of starting the new year and all that brings along with it.

Coming soon:  our new and improved ministry website and our August Edition E-newsletter (a little behind schedule but better late than never!) 

It Could Be Us Some Day!

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 was imprisoned 14 years in Communist Romania for his faith in Christ. His wife, Sabina, was imprisoned for three years. In the 1960s, Richard, Sabina, and their son, Mihai, were ransomed out of Romania and came to the United States. Through their travels, the Wurmbrands spread the message of the atrocities that Christians face in restricted nations, while establishing a network of offices dedicated to assisting the persecuted church. The Voice of the Martyrs continues in this mission around the world today.

I've been reading some of Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand's books over the last few weeks and have been woken up to the reality of the persecuted church that exists around the world today and the fact that we never know when we might find in ourselves in this situation!!

Hebrews 13:3:

Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them;

and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

One Thousand Gifts

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

Germans Going & Coming

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 their time with us Thomas worked with construction and maintenance and Anais worked with our Children´s Ministries. They are both back home in Germany now getting ready for University. Thomas will be studying film and movie making and Anais will be finishing her studies to be a teacher.

Just a few days after they left our new group of Germans from the Weltwarts program arrived for the Sept. 2010/2011 year! Here they are:

Anita who just graduated from nursing school and will be working in our Infirmary.

Madeleine who is a pediatric nurse and will be also be working in the Infirmary.

Katrin who just graduated from high school and will be working in Hospitality and Children´s Ministries.

Christian who will be working in our Finance and Administration areas.

They are just finishing up their first week in Bocachica so keep them in your prayers as they adapt to so many new things! We pray that they will be able to pick up Spanish very quickly and make theirselves at home in the Colombia and Bocachica culture and lifestyle!

And speaking of Germans...



...we also have enjoyed a visit from Karoline who worked with us 2 years ago. Since she left us, Karoline got married and is now living in Miami! It was great seeing her again and she just happened to come at the perfect time to be able to help us with translations and orientation for the new German gang! Karoline also came prepared to do a couple of crafts projects with women and kids and they really loved it! Thanks so much for coming back Karo...we love you!!

Our New Ad!

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 for Go Manual

Guillermo & Pili

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 Physical Therapy). Two months ago they were married and spent a month long honeymoon in Brazil. Guillermo will be working as an Assistant for Jorge which will involve a wide variety of things as well as offering PT in the community when needed.

Pilar will be working on our Children´s Ministry team with the Child Sponsorship program and discipleship.

Our New Office

A few weeks ago we received a generous donation from a dear friend which enabled us to finally get around to renovating the office at our house. Unfortunately I don´t have a ¨before¨ picture so you can truly appreciate the change, but trust me, it wasn´t pretty!! It is so nice to have a decent place to work now, with room for all of us!

Jorge and I doing some stucco work on the ceiling.

Marley working on the window...Jorge fixing the ceiling.

Samy putting together the desks.


The finished product...now we have three desks so Jorge, Marley and I each have our own space to work.

Face Lift

If you have been visiting our blog recently you may have noticed several changes over the last few days. I thought that after 2 1/2 years with the same layout, it was time for a face lift. I really wanted to use this awesome sunrise photo for our blog header (this is the view from our front porch at the mission in Bocachica!)...

...but, I am a very matchy kind of person so when I uploaded the photo I had to use shades of orange, black and brown for the back drop and fonts. The first day I left the orange/peachy background but that looked too Halloweenish for me so then I changed it to black. I really liked the black background but it was SO HARD to read the blog entries with the black background that it was giving me a headache and I figured it would probably give you one too!

So, then I changed it to this white background with the photo of Jorge and I for our header. This photo was taken a year ago on our 17th anniversary by our Chilean friend, Pilar Bunster (thanks Pili!). We are sitting on a small fishing boat in the bay of Bocachica (like in the sunrise photo), right in front of the mission, with the mission´s boat in the background.

I´m not 100% sure if I like this color (non-color) scheme so you might see some more changes in the near future as I search for the right ¨new look¨! So, bear with me if you come back for a visit and things look strange! :)

PS: You might notice that I added a new gadget with the Cartagena weather forecast. Sorry if it makes some of you jealous in the middle of winter! :)

Sorleis had her baby!!

Sorleis and Aldamar´s precious daughter was born on November 3rd. Her name is Marsolis, a combination of both her parent´s names.

환영 Grace!

Well, I hope that means what I think it does...WELCOME GRACE!! Grace arrived from Seoul, South Korea last week and we are thrilled to have her here for the following 6 months. She will be working in the Hospitality Department as she is learning more Spanish. Grace finished her DTS in Seoul and despite the language barrier has been very eager to arrive to Bocachica! She doesn´t speak much English or Spanish so it is a challenge for all of us. Please keep her in your prayers especially as she adapts to the new culture and language. If you have ever had to live in a place where you don´t speak the language, well you know how hard it can be at times! I remember when I was first learning Spanish, there were times when I was surrounded by people but felt so useless and alone...that just goes with the territory of learning a new language via the submersion method. Nevertheless, we want Grace to feel at home and like part of the family. She has a sweet spirit and is eager to help in any way she can and she got put to work her first night in Bocachica! We had a special Thank-you Dinner for our community volunteers and she just jumped in with both feet and helped us to serve them!

Basic Accounting and Administrative Tools for Beginners

That was the name of the 5 week seminar that we just completed in Bocachica. We had the opportunity of hosting this seminar together with the colaboration of several professors from the Rafael Nuñez University in Cartagena. You may remember that one of our staff girls, Marley Reyes, who has been on staff for the last 5 years, is attending this university full-time, studying Accounting and she was able to help organize and facilitate this event with the help of her professors. Classes were held once a week for 5 weeks at the mission and the topics covered were geared towards motivating and capacitating new small-business owners in Bocachica.

A typical day in class.

24 students successfully completed the seminar and recieved certificates from the University and YWAM.

Mercedes receiving her certificate. Mercedes is also studying part-time on Saturdays in Cartagena in the area of Tourism-related professions. She is one of our scholarship recipients.

¨Jefe¨ is a Daddy!

Jefe at his graduation from elementary school, 5 years ago.

Today, Jefe is all grown up and 8 days ago he became a father!

This is his daughter, Cheili Carolain (pronounced Chaylee Caroline) who is the spitting image of her daddy!

Jefe with his partner, Dina and Cheili. I say partner because they aren´t married. They live together in something like a common-law type marriage. I´m not sure what kind of legal validity it has here but it is very common in Bocachica.

Andrea and Christian wanting their photo taken too! Christian is Cheili´s uncle and Andrea is her cousin.

Yearbook Yourself!

I came across this funny website where you can make old yearbook photos of yourself...I really got a kick out of it! Here I am in 1952:Click on the entry title above to see the rest of the collection.

Check out http://www.yearbookyourself.com/ to give it a try!

Enjoy! :)