That is the question: for which we shall ponder for a time, while I illuminate for you the latest happenings of our lives here in Santa Marta. We had an opportunity to visit a potential church plant that has been meeting in a humble little one bedroom home in a barrio just east of Santa Marta. The barrio is called ‘Once de Noviembre’ which literally means ‘November 11th’, which is the date the settlement was founded. It is comprised of several different people groups including indigenous, costeños (Coastal people), and refugees from the mountains who have been driven out of their homes by FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia = Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, who by the way are communists) or the paramilitary.

Sara Enjoying Some Music

Although it is a poorer barrio, the dirt streets are extremely active with people bustling to and fro from their various jobs. There is a tienda (small corner market) on almost every block and you can hear loud music playing all over town. Even in poverty, the people here love their music and they love it loud. Of course Sara, our youngest daughter loves it too. While walking down the street, she constantly wants to stop to dance a little to the music she hears. While prodding her along, she skips a little and begins to walk with a sway on her hips, that is far too adorable. Of course, I say that now but when she gets older we might have a problem! (Please keep me in prayer about that!)

On our visit we made our way there by way of taxi and we were dropped off at a corner tienda, which was great because it gave us a chance to walk through the community and see how folks live here. It was also the end of the paved road and the dirt roads were too heavily damaged from recent rains for the taxi driver to take us any further.

The End of the Pavement

As I mentioned the streets are all dirt and when it rains it causes erosion, so the streets were quite a challenge to walk down. You have to watch your step, so you spend a good amount of time looking down instead of around the neighborhood. Which I guess is a good way to mind your own business, if you have a problem with that sort of thing. On our 3 to 4 block walk to the home where they meet every Sunday at 4:00 in the afternoon, we took the time to stop and look around. As you will see from the pictures, the homes are very humble while some don’t even have running water.

Once we made it to our final destination, we were pleased to find people already starting to congregate. They usually have between 15 to 20 people on average attend along with countless children. Unfortunately they don’t really have any kind of children’s program, so they have one lady who volunteers to keep the kids entertained while the adults attend their bible study. Initially all the kids are in the house for the worship time and then they are sent outside. I really enjoyed the worship time with the loud speakers and music for the whole neighborhood to hear. It was so great to sing as loud as I could to my God, since no one could hear me over the music except Him. We were so encouraged and excited to see the interest of having a church here in this small community. Please pray for us and the people here in Once de Noviembre as we investigate this area further and prepare to get involved in the development of this potential church plant.

Looking Around The Corner

On this particular day there were a couple of kids, a brother and sister who decided to stay for the bible study. The boy, who sat next to Silvia was about 12 years old and his sister who sat on the other side of him could not have been more than 14. During the bible study, the boy continuously looked over Silvia’s shoulder to get the answers to questions on a question sheet that had been handed out. When Silvia noticed, she started talking to him in Spanish and they made quite a connection. Towards the end of the bible study, the boy told Silvia that there are people in Once de Noviembre that speak her language. A little puzzled, Silvia responded, “Oh really?” She assumed he meant English, since they were already speaking in Spanish. But without skipping a beat he says, “yeah… you know… indigenous people!” Silvia was so taken aback, she didn’t know what to say in response. So she just smiled and chuckled. She leaned over to me and said, “just give me one of their dresses and no one will know that I’m a foreigner.”

Kids' Sunday School

We knew that we would fit in here in Colombia, but we had no idea as to the extent. After Silvia’s exchange with the young man at Once de Noviembre, we realized that most of the people here probably see her as one of the Wayuu Indians or some other indigenous people. Later that week, we were out and about, doing some grocery shopping. We decided to try a little hole in the wall restaurant near the supermarket. Half way through the meal, Sara informs us that she needs to use the restroom so Silvia takes her and Megan. When they get to the restroom on the other side of the restaurant, she finds an older lady there waiting in line. She looks at Silvia and then looks at the girls and then back at Silvia. She asks Silvia, “are they yours?” With a smile Silvia responds, “Yes, they are mine.” Boldly the lady says that they must look like their father! So Silvia points at me and says, “yes, he is sitting over there.” When she sees me she nods and tells Silvia, “Oh, the cachaco!” A cachaco is a Colombian who is light skinned and is from Bogota or the interior. So we learned that Silvia is perceived as being an indigenous who is married to a cachaco. Who knew?

And just this last week when I was at the bank with Megan standing in line, a gentleman noticed that Megan was speaking English. He was so astonished that he commented on it to me. He asked in a rather loud voice, “is she speaking English?” I told him yes and that we were from the United States, and he couldn’t believe it. He thought we both were Colombian, solely based on the way we look. It was kind of comforting to know that we fit in so well here, even if it is only on the surface. We are able to go into places like Cienaga, Once de Noviembre, or even the mercado (open market) where most foreigners are told not to visit or to visit with caution. Of course, we tell the kids to speak only in Spanish when we visit there so as not to draw attention to ourselves.

Amy Wilson Carmichael

At any rate, this whole cachaco thing reminds me of a short story that Brandon had to read as part of his homeschooling. The story goes that this young girl, Amy Carmichael, prays and prays that God would change her eye color to blue. she prays for blue eyes instead of brown eyes in hopes that God would give her the blue eyes she so desperately wanted. As she grew older, her eyes remained the same beautiful brown that God had originally designed. She later became a missionary to India, where blue eyes are extremely rare or uncommon. There came a time during her missionary experience when they were extracting out all foreigners, including Christians but because her eyes were brown she went undetected and remained. She realized that had she had the blue eyes she so desperately wanted, she never would have fit in and never would have been able to reach the people of India like she was. Sometimes, we get a glimpse of why God designs us the way He does. This story impacted Brandon as well, because a few years ago his skin color started changing. He started to get darker and darker like Silvia and he was noticing the change for which he was not too happy about. Now, he realizes that because he is darker he fits in at school and looks just like the other kids. As we talked to him about the short story he read last year, he got a smile on his face and he was able to relate to Amy, the girl in the story. It is amazing how God is always in control and he knows what He has in store for us. I am reminded now of Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

So in conclusion, even in Colombia we are a multicultural family but one of a different sort. Where ever you go in the world, people’s perception of you can determine your effectiveness in ministry. For us, we believe that we have a unique opportunity here to really connect with people beyond the surface level. To foreigners, folks here can be a bit standoffish or even unapproachable when it comes to their personal lives. But in our short amount of time here we have really been blessed to connect with people at a much deeper level. We have only had a couple of visits to Once de Noviembre, but we are planning to make many more starting this month. So to answer the question, “to cachaco or not to cachaco?” The truth is Silvia is not an indigenous from the Guajira and I am certainly not a cachaco from the Colombian interior, but because God is sovereign and He can use anyone anywhere, we know that we are here at such a time as this. We’re praying that He will open up many more doors for us to share our lives, His love and the hope we have in Christ Jesus.

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Angel Lights On The Boardwalk

Merry Christmas from Santa Marta, Colombia!! This is going to be a short blog entry, since it is so close to Christmas and we don’t want to take up too much of your time. We are planning on having a very quiet Christmas this year, our first year in Colombia. All of the other missionaries are already gone, some back to the States, one to Canada and another to visit family in Cartagena. This is the first time since we have arrived that we are going to be without any fellow missionaries within calling distance. The blessing though, is that we have been making some wonderful new friends and building relationships here, so we’re not going to be too lonely while folks are on holiday.

Boardwalk Lights Nativity

As you can see from our photos of Santa Marta, lights are up and folks are ready to celebrate. To give you a little cultural information, that is pretty consistent in all of Latin America, people here generally celebrate Christmas on the 24th. They all stay up late and party on the 24th, then at Midnight they start to eat dinner. By 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning of the 25th, they will start opening gifts and then let the kids play. People will start heading to bed by 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning. It makes for a very long Christmas Eve. When they awake on Christmas day, it is usually spent relaxing and enjoying time with family and friends.

Sara And Her Kung Fu Grip

We were so surprised and thankful to receive wonderful care packages from folks in the states. There isn’t really much that we are missing, but some little things were bigger than we thought. We grew accustomed to having fresh or frozen blueberries in the states along with blue berry jelly and jam. Little did we know just how much we were going to miss it, until it was no longer available. I used to make homemade blueberry syrup, blue berry pancakes, blue berry muffins, waffles with blue berries, crapes with peaches and blue berries, coffee cake with blue berries… All of a sudden I feel like Bubba from the movie Forest Gump and all of his ways to prepare shrimp!

Brandon Trying To Claim His Jar!

I digress, we had added blue berry jelly on a list of desired items at the end of November. To our wonderful surprise, we received a box from one of our supporters and what did we find in the box but two jars of wonderful Smucker’s blue berry preserves. It was so amazing, but I honestly was afraid to open the first jar. I knew that once it was open, it was going to be a free-for-all between the kids, Silvia and I. We actually had to lay down the law and ration the jelly. Who would have ever thought that it would come to that? Even the kids commented that, “the jelly tastes like home in California!” Somehow it is always the little things that can make all the difference. Unfortunately, I couldn’t put off opening that first jar for very long with a family of 5 salivating over it like hungry dogs. So I must report that after a little over a week, our first jar still has about 25%… did you notice the wording? It sounds so bad to say that we have eaten about 3/4 of the jar already. We’re praying that we’ll be able to stretch it and the other jar out for a while though. What a blessing it has been during this Christmas time.

Christmas Tree In The Plaza

Surprisingly, Christmas trees seem to be a very popular item here as well. The reason this is so surprising to me is because you just don’t see fir trees growing here. The climate is way too hot for them and that is why most people purchase the imitation or plastic trees that are made in China. We see them here often and there is even a Christmas tree in the plaza at the center of town. Christmas in Colombia has become, like so many other countries, a victim of exploitation by marketing moguls to raise revenues and sales numbers. Even in the street market, you see Christmas being exploited for financial gain. It makes me realize just how much work we have to do, as Christians, to share with the masses the TRUTH about Christmas and what it means in peoples’ lives year round. Sometimes it seems overwhelming, but as Christians we focus on one soul at a time and allow God to do the rest. It is the only way we can keep from being weighed down, of course by our own expectations.

As I shared earlier, This is our very first Christmas here and we are looking forward to keeping it simple. We don’t have a tree this year and we don’t have lights hung, but we are preparing our hearts for celebrating the single greatest event in human history. The moment when the Creator of the Universe, the Savior of the World, Emanuel – God with us, the king of kings came into the world as a man. We kicked off this month of celebration with Megan’s birthday and next was Sara’s birthday on the 21st and then the grand birth of our Lord Jesus on the 24th and 25th. December is always a busy time of year for everyone, but please join us in taking time to remember the reason for all celebration!

Feliz Navidad y un prospero Año Nuevo! (Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!)

It was another beautifully warm day here in Santa Marta, as we approached the end of October. The kids were outside playing in the courtyard with other MKs (Missionary Kids) and the pastors youngest daughter. It almost seemed like the day couldn’t have gotten any better. All of the SAM missionaries and the pastor of our church (‘Comunidad Cristiana La Esperanza‘)

Community Church of Hope

were scheduled to have a meeting in the cool of the afternoon to discuss areas of ministry and to pray. The meeting started off a little late, but all were in attendance and chatting up a storm. As we came to order, it was decided that the pastor should start things off since he had other engagements to attend. As the pastor began, I was excited to hear how things had been going with the church and what was planned for the coming month. We were informed that the month of November is ‘Missions Month’ where the church focuses completely on missions. Since we are missionaries, this sounded like a wonderful idea. Then the bomb was dropped… We as missionaries, each would have to pick a Sunday to preach about missions. “Since there is four missionary men here, it works out perfectly for each of the Sundays in the month” says the pastor. At that very moment, all of the chatter and conversation slowly faded away as I realized that I would not only have to come up with a 45 minute sermon, but it would have to be all in Spanish. Fear set in and I could feel my heart rate and blood pressure starting to rise. I’m sure my face began to flush as I have a hard enough time with public speaking in English, let alone in Spanish.

Like the cracking of a whip, at mach speed I was flung back into the conversation when I heard the pastor say that we were also going to have to give a mission presentation on the Thursday evening before our respective Sunday. Every Thursday we have a prayer service for which we spend about 15 to 20 minutes in God’s word and the rest of the time praying for the church and the needs of the congregation. It is a wonderful experience every Thursday, but now realizing that I was going to be responsible for both a sermon and a presentation it was about all my heart could take. I was surprised that I didn’t need a paper bag to breath into as my brain started to hyperventilate! On the outside, I’m sure I appeared to be calm and collective, but on the inside panic began to ensue. It took me a few minutes to collect myself, and I realized that this was something I was going to have to give over to God because I was not going to be able to do it on my own.

As the pastor left, our conversations immediately went to who was going to take what Sunday. As much as I wanted to be the last, it was determined that I should take the third Sunday of the month. One of the other missionaries was going to be traveling during the month and it only made sense for him to be the last. I have to admit though that I was pleased to be later in the month so that I would have more time to work on the sermon, as it was not going to be any small task. Not only did I have to come up with a concise topic to share but I would also have to make it engaging, entertaining and culturally relevant all the while speaking in a way that the congregation could understand. Believe it or not, but all Spanish is NOT the same and what you say can be as important as what you don’t say.

As I discussed it with our field director over Skype, he told me that if I didn’t feel comfortable or felt like I wasn’t ready for such a challenge that he could work it out so I wouldn’t have to do it. We had only been in the country a little over a month, so it would be reasonable for me not to do it. At that very moment I thought, “Yes! Here is my out!” I could easily just tell him right now and all the stress and anxiety would go away, but I couldn’t do it. In an inaudible voice I could hear God saying, “fear not, for I am with you!” I thought of Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me!” Later that day, as I contemplated what I was going to do, I began to ask myself why we came to Colombia. What was the point of us coming this far and living in this place? We came as missionaries to share the love of Christ through our words and lives with the people of Colombia. How could I in good conscience, turn away from an opportunity to share the Gospel of Christ with over a hundred people all in one shot, simply out of my own fear? I might as well pack up all of our bags and head back to the States if that is the case. So I decided that I would give it my best shot and pray that God would give me the words, the grace and the strength to stand before His people and share His Gospel.

Megan And Her New Glasses

About a week before this news hit us, I had begun having headaches and I couldn’t spend more than a half hour reading. It became obvious that I was in need of new glasses and that I was going to have to get them soon. As my Sunday was approaching quickly, we decided that we had better get into the optometrist and get the glasses.

Megan Getting Her Eyes Checked

I was finding it harder and harder to stay focused on developing my sermon, so we made our way to the optometrist office. While we were there, we decided to have Megan’s eyes checked as well. She has always seemed to run into things or trip over things, so we thought maybe this could be a cause of it. After talking with the optometrist and her examination, it was determined that she did need glasses. So we both were going to have to buy new glasses, which was not going to be cheap here. It is close to the same price as we would have to pay in the U.S. So our budget took quite a hit, but we had no choice. The funny thing was that Megan would get her glasses in a couple of days, but I wouldn’t get my glasses until the Friday before my scheduled Sunday to preach. Which meant that I was going to have to finish writing the sermon with my old glasses and then I could use my new glasses to deliver it on Sunday. This is when it came to mind, “Dude! Where’s my sermon.” Was I going to be able to finish it, let alone see it when I was in front of the church?

Jeff At The Optometrist

I determined that I would preach on the sixth chapter of the book of Isaiah, where Isaiah had a vision that kicked off his prophetic work. It is my favorite section of the bible, as it is the scripture that really propelled Silvia and I into missions. If you are not familiar with it check it out here: Isaiah 6:1-8. I actually began to get excited about sharing this part of scripture with folks and how God calls us all into missions. When we read God’s word we quickly begin to realize that we are ‘ pecadores’ or sinners and we all fall short of the glory of God. We then begin to see through the lens of God our culture and the world around us as being fallen and lost. Finally we are compelled to tell God, “Here am I. Send me!” He wants us to be world changers and it begins right where we are. Anyway, that was the bases of my sermon and the real challenge was going to be able to put it all in Colombian Spanish and then be able to get the words out. I also planned on showing two different videos during the sermon; one was going to be one that I created from clips of news reports and the other one pulled from YouTube about the purpose of the church.

So the Thursday came, and Silvia was so gracious to take the reins and run with the presentation. I had developed yet another short video that included all of the orphans at Niños de Baja and Monte Horeb orphanages in Mexico. It was a very emotional time as we both realized just how much we miss those kids and the workers there in Mexico. Seeing the video up on the screen at church, we both began to tear up and it was a challenge for the both of us to get the words out. In the end, we handed out strips of paper that gave the name of an orphan and a little information about them, so that each member would be praying for individual orphans. This month (December) we will be handing out bookmarks with pictures of each orphan and worker, so that people can be praying for them throughout the year.

On Friday, I received my glass in the afternoon just in time to go over my sermon with the pastor. I found though, that the glasses made me a bit dizzy and I couldn’t read well with them yet. I was going to have to use my old glasses on Sunday, so I was praying that I would be able to get through the whole 45 minutes. I was determined though, not to let it impact the objective that was before me and I read it with the pastor. In the end, he gave me his blessing and said that he was looking forward to hearing it on Sunday. I was very thankful for his encouragement and suggestions; and for all of the help that Silvia and my Spanish tutor (Katia Salcedo) gave me to develop it both in English and Spanish.

I decided to go to bed a bit early that Saturday night, so I would be fresh and ready in the morning. Only to find that I couldn’t really sleep at all because of my nervousness. I finally, once again gave it back to God and fell asleep around 3 in the morning. When I awoke, I was afraid that I had over slept, but thankfully it was still plenty early. Church was at 9:00 and it was only 7:00. I had an hour and a half to pray and read over the sermon with breakfast. I gathered my things and told Silvia that I was heading over to the church early. We had our worship time and before I knew it, I was up next.

Jeff Giving His Sermon

The first 15 minutes or so, my nervousness was very obvious as I began with a story about me mixing up Spanish words when asking for a cup at a Mexican restaurant. (I had asked for a ‘beso’ (which means kiss) rather than a ‘baso’ which means cup). At the end of the story, I told them that I would do my best not to ask any of them for a kiss. The congregation laughed and it really seemed to relax the crowd and me. I continued on through the sermon, reading mostly and making every effort to pause where I should pause and try to express my passion for the subject. The videos played as they were cued and I concluded my sermon with a challenge to the people to evaluate their own lives and walk with Christ. And to answer God’s call on their lives with, “Here am I! Send me!” Once I was finished, Silvia came to the front of the church with me and she prayed with the congregation.

In looking back on it, everyone seemed to be engaged with me as I shared and they were able to understand my Spanish. It was an absolute miracle and I was thankful to God that I was able to get through it, but also that no one fell asleep, threw anything at me or stood up and walked out. It was a huge challenge for me, but I believe that God blessed it and He knows who it impacted. I was and am just so honored that I have the privilege of being here and used by God in this way. It is also because of our faithful supporters that the people here were able to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ through me. We continue to pray that God will work in their lives and they too will become missionaries in their own homes, communities, country and the ends of the earth.

One thing is for sure, it is always an adventure here in Colombia. Well, at least that is what we are finding out as we get ourselves settled into our routines and life here in Santa Marta. One thing that we have learned, throughout our life, is that flexibility and prayer is the key to remaining sane in an insane world. Where ever you are, you will always run into unexpected delays, obstacles, annoyances and hurdles. I often think that God uses those frustrating moments to draw us closer to Him, if we take the opportunity to pray and put our trust in Him. Each day presents itself with new challenges and opportunities to grow and mature, so why should life be any different on the mission field, right?

As we get the kids all ready, I open the front door and announce to the whole family that it is time to go. We gathered the kids together, got the stroller for Sara, the camera, some water for the kids to take with us and money for the taxi. As we make our way to the street to hale a taxi, I look up and see the building of storm clouds. As we get in the taxi, our conversation of course begins with the universal topic of weather. It seems that we have come during the cool time of the year, winter. It has been averaging around 80 to 85 degrees here, with a little rain almost every day. I commented to Silvia that I hoped that it wouldn’t rain and ruin the day’s activities.

The Entrance

You see, we were on our way to a barrio just outside of Santa Marta (about 15 minutes drive) called Gaira to attend a health fare being organized by some other SAM missionaries.

Health and Flea Market Brigade

It is the third time they have held one in Gaira and it is called, “Brigada de Salud y Pulguero” or “Health and Flea Market Brigade”. They usually have doctors and nurses who volunteer their time to serve the poorest of people who normally couldn’t afford health care. They also give lice treatments along with free haircuts, a very low cost clothing and household goods flea market, all the while giving people the opportunity to hear the Gospel. All the funds that they receive from the flea market are used for the medicines and the lice treatments. We were so excited to have an opportunity to go and be a part of this fantastic outreach opportunity. So when we arrived, we jumped out of the taxi energized and ready to go. Here are some of the pictures that we took while we were there, enjoy…

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So from the photos you will notice that although these people are so very poor and in need, God has still blessed them with such beautiful smiles and amazing laughter. We were greatly impacted by these people and especially the children. When we think about the things we gave up to follow Jesus here, it all seems so trivial and insignificant in comparison to what God gives us. Sometimes though, it is easy to take our eyes off of the treasure that God has for us and focus on the things we surrendered. It is at that very moment that we begin to feel discouraged and wonder if it is at all worth it. But, when you see these people here and all that they endure, yet are still able to laugh and enjoy moments of their lives that God has blessed them with, we realize that we didn’t really give up anything at all. Living here in Colombia has it’s challenges, but so does everywhere else in the world. The difference is that God has given us an opportunity to experience and enjoy the love He has for all of us. There is a duality in this adventure we’re on in which we desire so desperately to be servants to the people here in service to God, but in the process God is blessing us so abundantly that it is far greater than anything we could have ever imagined.

So towards the end of the day, the rains do finally begin to fall yet no one seems phased by it. They still keep coming and still are full of smiles.

The Rains Begin

Then the rains get a bit harder and we are forced to take shelter in a small building on the property, but kids are still getting their hair cuts and having a good time. Before long, we see the streets are flooded and there is no way for us to leave. Looking out the door we see the water running down the streets is about knee high and is rising. The river that is near the town, began to overflow and the entire town was engulfed in water.

A Gentleman Stops For A Photo

The river ran through it, and we saw it all firsthand. People were using buckets and shovels to keep the water out of their homes. One of our own SAM missionary families live there in Gaira and little did we know that while they were there with us, their own home was being flooded with water and mud. We had only planned on being there for a few hours, but it turned out to be many more. While we waited for the rains to subside and the water to drain, the kids played games and we were given the opportunity to pray with folks and rest in God’s loving arms.

By 9:00 in the evening, after being there for more than 7 and a half hours, the rains had slowed and the water was beginning to recede.

Roads Flooded With River Water

We decided to walk out of town to catch a bus, because there was no taxi service available due to all of the water. We made our way out, wading through the water with one of the ladies who attends the church in Santa Marta and who was serving there at the brigada with us. Half way down the street, she decided to call her husband to come and pick us up instead. It was such a huge blessing to have them come out of their way to pick us up and take us home in their SUV. When we arrived home, we found that it had been raining here as well and we walked in to a very big surprise.

The drain in our patio had gotten plugged with debris from the roof and chips of paint from the walls, causing it to flood. When we opened the front door to our apartment, we found the entire first floor covered in an inch of water. Silvia had made her way back to the kitchen to look at the patio out the back door, when she realized that we had left a fan on and it was about half way submerged in water.

Coming Home To A Flooded House

She yelled for everyone to stay out of the house in fear that at any moment the water could become electrified. I had also left my laptop plugged into a power strip on the floor along with our new printer and some other things. In looking at it, I could see that the water was just about over the top of the power strip, so I immediately rushed to unplug it from the wall. Silvia likewise went straight to unplug the fan and picked it up out of the water.

Sara Looking So Cute

To say the least we were quite relieved that nothing happened but at the same time imagined what could have happened had the water reached the electricity. But God was definitely well aware of the situation and kept us safe. Had we not been able to leave when we had or if our friends would not have been able to pick us up or had traffic been any worse, we could have walked right into a death trap. But we praised God and spent the rest of the evening moping and trying to clean up the mess. We then headed to bed to find the ceiling had been leaking as well in our bedroom, but it was so minute in comparison to the rest of the evening that we just smiled and grabbed the mop. Despite having all the unexpected delays, obstacles, annoyances and hurdles we went to bed knowing that God sometimes directs rivers towards us, but He always has a boat and paddle ready and waiting.

Thank you for taking the time to read this rather long blog post, but there was so much we wanted to share with you and we didn’t want to miss anything. If you are holding on to things that are keeping you from fully enjoying the treasures for which God has in store for you, please know that it is well worth letting go. God will bless you far more than you can ever imagine, if you will only let Him. He’s not going to force you to take it and it won’t always be what you expect, but trust that He knows exactly what He is doing!

As I heard my name over the intercom and received my boarding pass… reality set in. I was about to separate from Jeff and my precious little ones. While telling them see you later and trying to keep my tears in check, my sweet little Sara was crying and screaming, “Don’t go mommy!” Megan was very upset that they would take me on a different flight, all the while Brandon was acting cool and taking it like a trooper.

Silvia Got Her Flight

Then a disturbing question came to mind, “Is Jeff going to be ok with three kids and all of our luggage?” Then my prayers were that my heavenly father would care for them, for I did not know if they would allow Jeff into Colombia with three children and no documentation from the other parent. I was afraid that they would interrogate them or possibly send them back to the States. My fears, I felt were justified because when I had to leave Peru as a minor my father had to have a letter from my mother’s family allowing me to leave the country with my father.

After turning and walking away from my family, I was just about the last person onboard the plane. Seeing federal agents asking other passengers questions and a police dog sniffing myself and other people, it was a bit disturbing. I asked myself, “Am I in the right place?” I was able to make my way to my seat and a verse came to mind from Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God…” Then another question came to mind as though God were asking me, “Do you trust me?” Three times, like Peter when Jesus asked him “Do you love me?” I responded with “yes, I do trust you Lord” He responded, “then give them to me.” So, I did. I prayed and gave my family and my concerns to God. I felt so relieved and a big weight was lifted. I was then able to talk to the guy that was sitting next to me, who was a Colombian but was living in Europe. He was on his way to Colombia to visit family. He told me that he was very thankful for being back and that I was going to enjoy Colombia because the people are very friendly! I also told him that I was going to Colombia as a missionary for which he told me that he was thankful that there are people out there that care for Colombians and that they are not forgotten. As I arrived at the Bogota airport in Colombia, I noticed people were wearing jackets. Then I asked myself, “I thought Colombia was a warm place, why then are people putting on scarves and jackets?” Feeling so out of place… I was wondering what was going to happen next?
While getting off of the plane, I was asked to go through immigration but I didn’t know where that was so I followed the crowd of people from the plane. Asking people along the way, but without much response from them, all I could think about was “wow, I am in another country.” I made it to immigration where the gentleman there was very nice. I then had to go to ‘declaration’ where the line was super long. Going with the flow though, I waited there in line for 45 minutes just to tell them that I had nothing to declare. I noticed while I was waiting and the line was not moving, that there were people that were cutting in the line. There was actually this Brazilian guy who asked me for the time, but then wouldn’t leave my side.

Corner of 2nd Avenue and 24th Street

It felt awkward, but then another guy got in front of me. Which of course I spoke with the lady who had been in front of me asking her, “Is it ok or normal for people to cut in line.” For which she responded, “Do Not Let Them!” So the guy moved from being in front of me to being right behind me. I was new and all I did was ask a local about the situation. Then the guy that had just tried cutting in front of me, was asked by another lady if he could let her in the line because she had a flight that was leaving in 20 minutes. What do you suppose his response was? He got so angry and he told her to get to the back of the line like everyone else! I just didn’t know how to take what had just happened or believe what he said. The only thing I could think of was, “Suspend Judgment!” I am new here and I do not know the culture. As my turn finally came to say I have nothing to declare, I was sent to ICA or where I needed to see about bringing an animal with me.

Once I made it to ICA a gentleman received me and asked me, “Where is the dog?” I responded, “On the plane… I hope!” Then he told me that I needed to pay a fee in the amount of $50 US dollars. Thinking in my head, “Uh oh!” I told him, “I don’t have either Colombian money or US money with me.” Then he told me to look in my purse. I started to panic a bit because as far as I knew I didn’t have any money, but praise God I found a $5 dollar bill in one corner of my purse. I then looked in my wallet and found another $5 dollars, then a $1 and some coins. The coins however, were not American or Colombian, but Mexican coins that Megan had put in my wallet. I had to laugh and the gentleman told me, “No Coins! We will let you go, but next time bring more money!”

I thanked God for another miracle that they let me continue on my way, but just then I was stopped by a lady from the airline. She asked me, “Where is your dog?” “Odd”, I thought to myself and answered, “On the plane I assume!” She then told me, “You can’t go any further unless you have your pet.” I asked, “Do I need to carry my dog with me?” And her answer was “Yes!” So I told her that the gentleman from ICA was making sure the pet was ok to continue to travel. She insisted I had to have the dog with me and that I needed to go claim her. I could only think how full my hands were with having my carry-on, backpack and purse and then adding Dutchess and her carrier just seemed too overwhelming. I was confused, so as I proceeded all I could do was pray and ask God for strength to carry it all. On my way to claim Dutchess, the gentleman from ICA told me that they saw Dutchess and that she was not little so they just gave the ok to move her to the next plane. He also spoke with the lady who would not let me go through the check point to get to the gate, so I was then able to go through.

As I was making my way to my next flight, I noticed that it got a little cool and realized that I was out on the tarmac with the planes. Looking around I asked myself, “Did I take the wrong door?” I then saw a bus and I asked for where the national flights terminal was. A lady, who was very nice, said to get on board the bus. I got on and we went to the national terminal, which meant that I had to go through security again. With 10 minutes to spare, I finally was at the right gate so I sat down to wait and breath for a while.

While I waited, I was praising and thanking God for I was closer, but still far from my family. I had the pleasure of meeting a couple from Barranquilla while we were waiting for the same flight. I then started to notice that everyone traveling looked like movie stars or at least dressed like them anyway. Ladies were wearing beautiful dresses and were in high heels. Everyone had cell phones, which I wished that I had had one to call Jeff to let him know that I was fine. I looked at myself and thought in my Peruvian culture I would have probably been dressed up in my best clothes to travel, but in my American culture I dressed for comfort. I was praising God for what he has done in my life, because the people all around me looked so tired. But well dressed.

So to recap, we got to the airport in Miami at about 10:30 in the morning; I flew out at about 4:00 pm to Bogota; Spent 3 and a half hours in Bogota; took an hour flight to Barranquilla and arrived there at 11:30 pm. I was so happy to see my family waiting for me when I got off of the plane, of course behind the glass on the other side of security and immigration. When I got through it all and came out through the heavy glass doors, my family came running to me giving me hugs and kisses.

The Pastors Wonderful Van

We were praising God as we were reunited once again. I was then greeted by our field director and the pastor of the Esperanza Church in Santa Marta. We then made our way to the pastor’s van for a two and a half hour drive to Santa Marta.

This is where it gets so exciting… When we reached the outskirts of Barranquilla, we could smell the pungent odor of burning rubber. Within moments we could see smoldering tires strewn across the roadside and groves of people heading away from the main road. It turns out that there was a major riot (or protesta) earlier in the evening and we had missed it by maybe 5 minutes. We understand that when they have riots like this one, they burn tires, block the main road and violence ensues. It becomes very dangerous to travel and it is the only road to Santa Marta. It gives us goose pimples when we realize that through all of our struggles with changing flights, the separation, the long lines and all the flight delays, we can see how God was in control of it all. If we had been even 5 minutes earlier, let alone hours earlier we would have arrived in the middle of the riot. God is so good and faithful to answer your prayers and ours, even though it was a struggle to keep our nerves intact at times.

We arrived in Santa Marta at approximately 2:00 am in the morning. My family and I were united and safely in Santa Marta Colombia, our final destination. It was a very long trip, but we praised God for his mighty hand being on all of us. God’s provision had made it possible for us to be so happy to close our eyes and rest. I will close with a quote that seems so appropriate from Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

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The night seemed to drag on and our sleep was restless in anticipation of our impending travel. Tossing and turning until the early morning, ultimately falling asleep just a few hours before sunrise. Despite the sleep deprivation, Silvia and I both were awake and ready to move by 7:00 am.

La Quinta Inn Miami

We woke up the kids and tried to get a handle on what it was we needed to accomplish prior to taking the car to CarMax to sell it. We decided that Silvia would head to the appointment with the USDA at 8:30, while I got the kids ready and all the bags ready to go. Of course, those were our intentions and not exactly how it worked out. Just before Silvia left, I got online to check our flight information and thought of double checking the requirements for Dutchess, our 65 pound German Shepherd. Time had passed rather quickly and the kids were ready to go, but hadn’t eaten breakfast. While Silvia was away we learned that the airline wouldn’t accept Dutchess on the flight, so I had started to get concerned. I had gotten the runaround a bit and had been calling different places when Silvia came back to the hotel.

Room at the LaQuinta Inn Miami

While I took the kids to have a continental breakfast in the hotel lobby, Silvia took my place in trying to figure out what to do. It’s great to have a tag team, when you are nearing the end of your rope!

The time it took on the phone, was much more than we had planned for so we ran out of time to take the car to CarMax to sell it. The night before I learned that the hotel had a shuttle that ran every hour to the airport free of charge, but we had to be waiting for it at 10:45 in the morning. Our flight was scheduled for 3:10, but because of the number of bags we had they recommended that we be there at least 4 hours ahead of the flight. Which meant we needed to be there by 11:10. So it was 10:30 in the morning and we still hadn’t sold the car or donated our printer. We started moving the bags out of the room and I went to check out, all the while not knowing what we were going to do with our car. I met the shuttle driver in the lobby and he told me to go ahead and leave the bags in front of the room and that he’d load the van. So he met me at our room, so I asked him if he needed a printer and showed him ours. To my surprise he was more than happy to take it off of our hands and was very grateful for it. As we talked with him a bit more, he asked us what we did and where were we going. So we shared with him that we were missionaries and we were in the process of moving to Colombia. He then asked what we were going to do with the car and we were honest in telling him we didn’t know. So, half jokingly I asked him if he wanted it and he got a big grin on his face and asked if we were serious. He told us that he didn’t feel right just taking it, so he agreed to sell it and share with us whatever he could get out of it.

So at the airport, we unloaded all of our bags and Silvia parked the car in the airport parking lot. We agreed with Sebastian (the shuttle driver) that he could come and pick up the car after he got off of work and we got checked in for our flight. We were praising God as it was a huge weight lifted off of us, because we just didn’t know what we were going to do with the car.

We made it to the check in counter and began the process of checking our bags. The lady at the counter was very friendly and we really seemed to have a good rapport. We started weighing the bags and everything seemed to be going so smoothly, that is until we came to Dutchess in her travel crate. She told us that the airplane that we were going to be flying in, was not certified to carry animals in the cargo hold. So we had to decide what to do next. These were the choices the lady at the counter gave us; we could change all of our tickets for a flight on Saturday, Silvia or I could change our ticket and fly out on Saturday while the rest went on as scheduled, or Silvia or I could fly standby on another later flight that went through Bogota and then on to Barranquilla while the others went on as scheduled. It was a tough decision, but after praying about it we decided that Silvia would take the standby flight with Dutchess while the rest of us flew as scheduled. We got all checked in accordingly, and shortly thereafter we met with Sebastian about the car and filled out all the paperwork and gave him the keys. The car was officially sold and we were all checked in to our flight, except for Silvia who was on standby.

Waiting For Our Flight

We were all able to go through security at the same time and it turned out Silvia’s gate was right next to ours. Our flight had been delayed a couple of hours while Silvia’s was right on time. We still didn’t know though if Silvia was going to be able to get on the flight or not, so we just had to wait.

While We Wait - Can You Say Picnic?

The kids were hungry, so we decided to get them some food and have a picnic right there between the gates. So after we ate, they started loading Silvia’s flight but still hadn’t heard anything yet. When all of a sudden, like sweet music, we heard them call for Ms. Silvia Roddy over the loud speaker. She got the flight!

Silvia Got Her Flight

She went and got her boarding pass, came back for some hugs and kisses (as well as some tears from Sara) and before we knew it she disappeared down the gangway. Silvia was on her way to Bogota, and would have to make a connecting flight to meet us in Barranquilla.

We, on the other hand, had to wait for our plane to even show up. We were scheduled for a 3:10 departure, but it was already 5:00 p.m. and there still was no plane. At 5:10 the plane rolled in and amazingly they started taking passengers at about 5:20. Because I was traveling with all three children, they allowed us to get on the plane first and gave us time to get settled. It was a huge blessing and relief to get settled into our seats while we waited for the remaining passengers to load.

A short, two and half hours later we land in Barranquilla at 7:30 pm. We went straight to go through immigration , while in line Sara informs me that she needs to use the bathroom. So we get out of the line and back the way we came to go to the restroom. This turned out to be a blessing, even though I hadn’t seen it at the time. When we came out of the restroom and made our way back to the line, a kindly lady told us that because I had kids with me we didn’t need to stand in line. It seems that if you have children with you or if you are elderly then you are allowed to go to the front of the line. So we did just that, and was able to go through immigration without suffering through a long and winding line. With the help of a kindly airport worker, we were able to gather our checked bags (11 in all) and work our way to immigration inspection. As we approached the inspection station with our bags piled high, they waved us through without any inspection at all. We were met at the exit by our field director Bob and the pastor of the Esperanza Church in Santa Marta. It was great to see some friendly and familiar faces as we made our entrance into Colombia. Now the big question was, “where is Silvia?”

Stay tuned for our next exciting post to find out what happened to Silvia!

Robert Schuller once said, “Impossible situations can become possible miracles.” We often pray that God would prevent us from facing difficulties and trials in our lives. How often have we prayed, “God, if you would just get me out of this situation…”, “God, please rescue me from this trial…” or “God, please let this situation go my way…”? We desire that God would spare us from experiencing pain and suffering for which I think is a normal desire. Who wants to go through surgery or suffer from some form of disease? No one wants to go through these kinds of things, but the fact of life is that we do and we don’t like it. So a normal response is to ask the almighty creator of heaven and earth to help us escape from tragedy. But how often do we pray that God would help us THROUGH the tragedies we face in life? If we know that He goes through every situation with us, that means He shares in our suffering and it is through Him that we come out the other side victorious.

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After spending so many months on the road and enduring long hours in the car, we felt our kids deserved a reward and we couldn’t think of a better one than taking them to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. We were blessed with the opportunity to take our kids there, where on our own we couldn’t have made it happen. So some wonderful people provided the means for which we cannot thank them enough. While there the kids were able to experience the Magic Kingdom and all of its fun and excitement. Of course we only had one day to experience it in, but we left with the desire to return someday and that is a good thing. We tried to cram as much as we could into that single day, but it was a day I’m sure the kids will not soon forget.

So with the blessing of Disney World under our belt, we found ourselves facing yet another trial. We learned that while we needed to get a document for our dog Dutchess from a veterinarian within 48 hours of our flight to Colombia, we also needed to get another document from the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) giving us their endorsement to take Dutchess with us to Colombia. We had planned on heading to Tampa Florida after Orlando where we would try to sell our car and rent one to go to the airport in Miami. That was our plan, but we have had to learn to be flexible with our plans. We had to go to the USDA in Miami, not Tampa. With that information, we made an appointment with a vet in Miami for the next morning. So we packed up the kids at 4:00 am and headed south towards Miami with the memories of Princesses and Mickey Mouse dancing in our minds.

We knew that our schedule prior to flying out was now going to be extremely tight. We were going to have to do a lot of stuff all at the same time. So when we made it to Miami we took Dutchess straight to the vet and while she was getting shots and groomed, we headed for the USDA office to retrieve the required forms (which God worked a miracle in that they pushed up our appointment on the day of our departure from 10:00am to 8:30am so we could make it to the airport on time), ate lunch, found a hotel for the night, returned the U-Haul trailer (which was another miracle of God that we didn’t have to pay any penalty for returning it in Miami rather than Tampa), picked up Dutchess with the required forms filled out, purchased a travel crate for her and returned some items to Costco to finish out the evening with a nice Peruvian dinner and a dip in the hotel pool for the kids.

Stay tuned for the rest of the story…

So here we are at the JAARS’ center in Waxhaw, NC where, as many of you know, we are attending an Intercultural Communications Course (ICC) in preparation for our mission in Colombia, South America. Both Silvia and I had reservations about attending, since we have had years of experience in intercultural living, but we could see that not only did our mission organization (SAM) desire we attend, but so did God.

Jungle Aviation And Radio Service (JAARS)

At every turn, we saw God leading us here and we’re glad He did. In the last two weeks we have been covering a great deal, not only about intercultural team building, living cross-culturally, and issues with being missionaries abroad, but also the importance of living out transparent lives.

You might be asking yourself, much like I did, what does “living out transparent lives” mean? Well let me help you a little… as Christians we know that God is glorified through our weaknesses because it shows the world how Great our God is. It is not through our strengths that we see God’s power, but rather through our weaknesses do we see God’s mercy, strength and love. So as missionaries we are called to live our lives in a way that is transparent for the world to see.

ICC Sharing Life Stories

This means allowing people to see exactly who we are really and that includes being open and honest about our weaknesses and our vulnerabilities. In the last week we have been working through our vulnerabilities and what they mean in terms of our relationship with God, our ministries, our interpersonal relationships and spiritual warfare. To the world, and even with us Christians, we have no desire to reveal to the world our weaknesses in fear that people will exploit them. I have struggled with this in my own life as I am sure others have as well. We like to put on the Christian face, the Christian clothes and the Christian shoes to give the impression of a perfect Christian life lived out in perfect harmony with God. The sad reality is, we are only lying to ourselves and to the world.

In terms of spiritual warfare, I would like to direct you towards Ephesians 3:10-11, “God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” (NLT) So if we look at the words “unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places”, what does that mean? The unseen rulers and authorities are both Angels and Demons… so through us (the Church) God reveals his wisdom (and power) to both Angels and Demons. WOW! God uses us to show them His greatness, but only if we make ourselves available to Him. Now if we look at 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

ICC Jeff Back To Work

When we live out our lives honestly and transparently our weaknesses are revealed for the world to see, but it is through it that we will see God’s mighty wisdom and power. For me, I believe that my low self-esteem, knowing that my best is never good enough and feelings of unworthiness are my greatest weaknesses. In the last 6 months my long term feelings of inadequacy and insufficiency that have made it difficult for me to believe that God would use me for anything, let alone as a missionary to Colombia, have come dramatically to the surface. There are times that it is almost overwhelming for me to believe that God would even want to use me, when I know for a fact that I am broken and imperfect. One of the areas in my life that I have really struggled with is perfectionism and the fact that because I am never perfect, I am completely unworthy of not only being used by God, but also undeserving of His love. It is through the tears and feelings of little worth that I have found God’s mercy and His amazing grace. I have come to realize that it is because I am broken and imperfect that God has found a use for me and I have purpose in this life that He has blessed me with. I am a missionary, whether it is in Oceanside, Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arkansas, North Carolina or Santa Marta Colombia and God is using me right now. Despite my screw-ups and shortcomings, God’s perfection and strength is revealed to the Angels and Demons in the heavens through me. We are not deserving or worthy of being placed on any pedestal, but God is and it is through Him that all things are possible. To think that He could use someone like me to reach out to other people who are also hurt, broken and imperfect, it is nothing short of a miracle. I have and am continuing to learn to rejoice in my weaknesses, because I know it is through them that I will find strength in my King.

In conclusion, I know that God has placed us here at such a time as this and we are excited to see how God is going to continue to stretch us. We are scheduled to be here until the first part of September and our field director has already begun working on getting us our visas for Colombia. Please continue to pray for us, our learning experience here at JAARS, that we will receive our visas without issue and that our remaining needed support will come in. We need to be at 100% of our monthly need before we leave. We only need 10 more people at $100 a month, so please prayerfully consider helping us reach our need.

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We’re packing up and loading the trailer this morning in preparation for leaving to North Carolina for our ICC (Intercultural Communications Course) missionary training.

Loading Up

On this night, it is difficult to sleep with so many things stirring in my head while we are at the cusp of yet another huge step of faith. It is with mixed emotions that we press on towards our ultimate goal of missions in Colombia, South America. For the last couple of years we have been working towards this end, but as we draw near to our departure date we are still clinging to God to provide the funds we need. After a lengthy Skype meeting with our SAM Coordinator, we were encouraged to hear that many folks prefer to be the finishers of support. That is, when certain folks hear that we are so close to leaving but are still short in our needed monthly funds, they step forward to fill in the gap. Giving them the great pleasure of knowing that we absolutely couldn’t have done it without their generous partnership. If this is you, may God richly bless you and we pray that you will take this step of faith with us in this last hour.

Through this rollercoaster of partner and support raising, we have learned a valuable lesson that we would never have learned had we not taken that very first step of faith a few short months ago. The lesson; when folks hear our invitation to join us through prayer and monthly financial giving, they are not committing to us but rather committing to God. I have to say that I have struggled at times, because my tendency is to take it personal when folks either won’t commit or say they will but don’t. The problem with this tendency is that it puts me at the center of the equation, instead of God where He so rightfully belongs. That is when discouragement, disappointment and admittedly uncertainty can creep in like a thief to rob us of the richness of God’s blessings. Not uncertainty of our mission or God’s ability to provide for it, but rather uncertainty in my own ability to adequately express or articulate our passion for reaching out to the lost and compelling folks to catch that fire and joining us. Of course we know that Satan fully enjoys all of this, as we put ourselves in the way of fulfilling that which God has placed on our hearts. It is self-defeating at the core and it is a byproduct of my own selfishness and self-dependence. Intellectually I know this, but when I have those moments of being driven by my emotions I fly into it like a moth to a flame. Nonetheless, it is during my quiet time with God that I find solace, comfort and peace in knowing that God is in control. It is through Him that we are able and capable of continuing to move forward.

In a few short hours, I will drive 45 minutes away to pick up our U-Haul trailer and will begin loading up our things. On Sunday we will attend a couple of churches we have had the great pleasure of visiting while here in Ponca City, and on Monday we will pull away and embark on yet another great adventure all the while leaving our providence in the capable hands of God. It is no small contest of faith that we bundle up our family and step out into the unknown, but it is with a strength that can only come from our almighty God and with an insatiable desire to be servants to Him who set us free that we take this on. One of the greatest challenges we face in this life, is to surrender it all to God all the while holding nothing back. I cannot say that we have not had moments where we have felt compelled to turn around and return to our lives in Oceanside, but it is in our obedience to God that we have surrendered that life. Although certainly not easy and not without great trepidation have we taken this enormous step of faith, yet we find ourselves fully dependent on the mercy of God and His provision. Not once has He failed to meet our needs, provide for us in amazing ways or comfort us when we call out to Him. Are we worthy of such devotion, absolutely not but despite our capriciousness, erratic response to our emotions and weakness of faith does God prove faithful. Do we know when or how God is going to provide for us to go to Colombia, unequivocally the answer is no. Do we know all the details of what is going to happen when we complete our training and start the process of finalizing our paperwork, again the answer is no. But do any of us know for certain the events that will unfold in our lives in the days, weeks, months or years ahead? Do any of us know whether we will even see yet another day tomorrow? I have learned that only one thing remains certain in this life and it is our relationship with God. We are no different than anyone else, we just so happen to have been blessed and cursed with a desire to serve God with the very best of our abilities and it has led us to this place at such a time as this. We can only pray that God will see it fit to use us even with all of our faults and weaknesses.

God willing, we will begin our ICC training at JAARS on August 5th, but we will be visiting Little Rock Arkansas on the way. We have been blessed with the support and friendship of some wonderful people there and we are praying that God will put it on the hearts of others to join us. We know that people who follow Jesus worship through their giving and God loves a cheerful giver. He is waiting to throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it, but only if we live out our faith by trusting Him with our finances and with our giving. Sometimes, it is a far greater step of faith to give what we think we don’t have than it is to uproot our families and becoming missionaries. Before you decide what you’re going to give today, won’t you please prayerfully consider what God is leading you, what God is calling you, what God is challenging you to GIVE… By taking that step of faith, you are letting us be your hands and feet on the ground in Colombia, bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who so desperately need it.

Please check out our latest video Roddys Colombia Bound Missions

If you haven’t heard, Team Roddy is a cross-cultural family. I know it may be a huge shock to some of you, but it is a reality that just cannot be ignored.

Our Cross-Cultural Family

In our 5 years of dating and nearly 11 years of marriage, we still find ourselves learning new cultural lessons. At one point you begin to think that you are an expert in cross-cultural living quite simply because you live in a cross-cultural family, only to be slapped down off of your high horse and put in your place. For us, we have become accustomed to each other and each other’s cultures, but there are situations that can blind-side us when we least expect it. In this blog entry, I am going to share with you some of our own experiences in the areas of cross-cultural living that we had never thought of nor addressed before.

I have heard it said that, “if you really want to offend an American, waste their time!” This never really occurred to me before, but it is true that most Americans place a very high price on their time. This is something you can test, if you dare. When you have an opportunity to talk with someone, take a little extra time and sit down as though you have all day long to chat. You will see just how uncomfortable you and they become. Now, like many cultures throughout the world Latin America has a completely different view of time. It is not uncommon for folks to come late to parties, family gatherings and social events, even if they have committed to being there. To Americans who are task and goal oriented, this can seem rude and disrespectful because we tie our time to our success. We often have the view that “Time is Money” and when people impede on our time, they are robbing us of our chances of success. In contrast, most Latin Americans are extremely relational and have a completely different view of tasks, goals and success. They are willing to forgo the success of their tasks and goals if it will impede on the success of building up a relationship. When they throw a party, it is usually an all day event in which people come and go throughout the day. They will be far more hurt if someone doesn’t show up at all than if someone comes late. They are aware that people have things to do and since they don’t want to negatively impact their relationships with folks they don’t stick to a time schedule for the party. People are free to come and go as they please, without any hurt feelings. This also applies to church believe it or not. Because church is relational, it may go long or short depending on the moving of the spirit. Latin American people don’t come to church as a task to be completed, but a relationship to be experienced and time is not even a consideration. As you can see, this is a cultural issue that can easily cause hurt feelings and conflict not only in a cross-cultural family, but among friends and associates.

Brandon's Birthday Party in Mexico

To give you some examples of this issue of time and timeliness, I will use a situation that we have encountered numerous times, yet were completely blind of the cultural side of it all. We were invited to a previous neighbor’s birthday party for which we were told that they would have a barbeque, a clown and plenty of music. The invitation was of course verbal and they didn’t indicate a specific time that we had to be there. They simply said it was on Saturday afternoon and nothing more. So when we arrived at about 2:00 pm, they had already eaten lunch but they offered to cook some more food. I felt as though we had gotten there too late and felt awkward to take them up on the offer. Of course my awkwardness didn’t faze them a bit as they threw some more meat on the grill and warmed up some more beans. While we were there eating, along came some more folks for which they threw more food on to cook. This went on right up to dinner time, with the kids all playing and running around (they even had a pony for the kids to ride). Finally we felt it was time for us to go and get the kids home to bed, mean while the party continued on long after we had left. As for the hosts of this party, they thanked us profusely for coming and we have been invited repeatedly for other of their family functions, despite showing up late for the food. Their focus was completely on our relationship and they felt connected with us just as we felt connected with them.

Sara Having Some Cake

In contrast, a few years back we were invited to a birthday party for one of the kids at our church. We had received an invitation which gave the location, start time and end time. To Silvia, it seemed so strange that they would put an end time but didn’t give it much thought. On that day, Silvia decided to take the kids to the party and I decided to stay home to work on projects around the house. Anyway, she made it just in time for the cake, but was a little late. When she arrived at the park, there were a few balloons and nothing else. There were a few adults, but mostly all kids that were hyped up on the sugar from all the candy they had received and it was going to be topped off with a little piece of cake. As stated on the card, the party promptly ended at the appointed time. Everyone gave hugs and said their goodbyes and it was done. When she returned home, I asked her how the party was and with a bewildered look on her face she replied, “it was ok.” She later told me that she felt sorry for them and that maybe they didn’t have enough money to have a regular party. She almost felt as though they were saying, “just bring us the gifts and go”. Because the party was set between times, she felt rushed and unable to enjoy the fellowship with the other adults as fully as she would have liked. I think for American’s this is fully acceptable, as the party is intended for the enjoyment of the kids and not really for the adults. At the time we didn’t think much about it, but we now realize that it was a cultural difference. We celebrate birthdays for the individual, where as for Hispanics the party is for the whole family because they all are celebrating the birthday. I should also mention that although we are not sure of it, there could have been hurt feelings because I didn’t attend and Silvia was late getting to the party. The people that hosted the party, are very dear friends and we would never want to do anything to bring conflict or resentment to our relationship with them. With that said, it is easy to see how differences in culture can lead to hurt feelings and animosity.

In conclusion, I have determined that sometimes things may seem so inconsequential or minor to one person and yet the same thing may be monumental or massive to another simply based on their cultural background. One thing is for sure, in general, I don’t believe that people we know (no matter what their cultural background is) are evil willed or wake up in the morning looking for ways to irritate or alienate us. Nor do we wake up thinking of ways to irritate or alienate our friends and family, but knowing that there are differences between our cultures should make us all the more patient and tolerant with folks. We need to be willing to accept people for who they are, made in the image of God, regardless of their ability to meet our cultural expectations.

With all this laid out on the table, as missionaries to Colombia we are so excited to begin building relationships there. Now knowing how tied to relationships they are, to bring the love of Christ to them so that they can have a real relationship with Him, makes it all the more exhilarating. Won’t you join us today by joining our support group? For the cost of a single cup of coffee a day, you could help us share the love of Christ in Colombia.