December Update

I hope everyone is doing well. I am enjoying it here in Bogota working at the student center. I spend a lot of my time there helping the students with English and math. We have around 70 students that come in for the lunches. Some of them only come for lunch and then leave. Others use the center as a hang out or a place to study. Sometimes a play ping-pong with them. I have shown some of them how to solve a Rubik's cube. I helped one student who for an English class was doing a project on country music.  All of this is about building relationships in order to have a foundation on which to share with them the gospel.  We were able to see one student come to Christ this semester.


One of the struggles that many of the students have with believing the gospel has to do with how it will affect their indigenous identity, which is something very important to the Colombian indigenous peoples.  They fear that their family and people will no longer see them as their indigenous identity.  But despite this and other barriers, the gospel is the power of God to salvation, and it can overcome whatever barrier the Enemy tries to set up against it. And there will be around the throne in heaven people from every tribe, nation, people group, and language praising and worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ.

Right now, the student center is closed for the break in between the semester. Most of the students go home to their towns during this time.  On the evening of the final day, we had a "clausura" or party for the end of the semester.  Many of the students (including myself) dressed up in various indigenous dress representing the various regions of Colombia.  I was dressed in clothing typical to the Paisa region.  Here are a few photos from the clausura:

This is Robert and his daughter Stefani, with Fernel in the corner there.  

The clausura included a lechona, a typical dish from the Tolima region and is very common throughout Colombia for large gathering like this.  Lechona is a whole pig stuffed with rice, peas, onions, and spices and roasted all day long.  Muy sabrosa.

Here is a photo of the lechona on the plate with an arepa.  Arepas are pretty much a staple in Colombia.  They are basic a type of flat bread made with corn flour and come in a variety different types.

Here is me with Josías, one of the students from the Amazon basin.  I helped him with English quite a bit.  He speaks five languages. Below is a photo of Gustavo, another student I helped in English.

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— Revelation 15:3-4 — 

 “Great and amazing are your deeds, 

 O Lord God the Almighty! 

 Just and true are your ways, 

 O King of the nations! 

 Who will not fear, O Lord, 

 And glorify your name? 

 For you alone are holy. 

 All nations will come and worship you, 

 For your righteous acts have been revealed.”