Hey Blog Family! We are going on our 4th week in Colombia! I haven’t been great at keeping my blog updated so far… sorry!
We’re staying at The Foundation – Casa de Refugio, a ministry/church located in Medellin. Our group is staying in the foundations 3 story apartment building. Floors 2 and 3 are our squad’s home: bedrooms, bathrooms, a cozy living room, and a full kitchen. We have it really nice here—there’s even a bakery downstairs outside the main lobby of the foundation.
Our ministry hosts are the sweetest and so patient with us. We’ve also got two kids from Germany serving at The Foundation, Stephani and Moritz—they’re our age, speak perfect English, Spanish and German, and are always jumping in to help- especially with the language barrier. It’s such a gift having them here!
Ministry days are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Sundays are rest days/Sabbath for the foundation, Mondays are our squad Sabbath, and Thursdays? Adventure day.
What Ministry Looks Like
Our 6 teams will be assigned to different ministries each week. The Foundations motto for us is Pray, Plan, and Play. They want us to grow with our relationship with the Lord before heading to Vietnam and also to make sure to have fun while we’re doing ministry!
- Recycling: We tear apart unused quick-rete bags, separating plastic from paper. It’s repetitive, but it funds the foundation.
- Kids Ministry (Saturday during the Day): We walk the neighborhood, round up kids (their parents signed them up), and bring them back for games, a Bible lesson, and lunch. I love this ministry! The children are always full of energy and so much fun to be around!
- Youth Ministries (Saturday Evenings): The team assigned to youth ministry will share testimonies or message, then games, worship, and snacks.
- Nursing Home (Thursday Mornings): We paint nails, give haircuts, and just spend time with the elderly. It’s such a sweet time and I’m reminded of God’s love for these elderly each time I go!
- The Bronx (Wednesday Nights): Two of our teams will go each Wednesday Night to one of the darkest places of Medellin. We hand out food and water, pray for the people on the streets, and encourage and point them to Jesus.
- Daily Chores: Prepping veggies for The Foundation to sell, sweeping floors, washing dishes. Simple, but very helpful to our hosts!
- English Classes (Tuesday Nights & Saturdays): We get the opportunity to help teach English classes as well!
Free Days & Adventures
With three full days off each week, we have a lot of opportunities to explore: Coffee shops, mall runs, ice cream runs, and grocery trips are our go-tos. The malls are massive, most of them have at least 3 stories. Our money goes very far here so its so easy to go all out buying everything you lay eyes on.
My favorite adventure day so far? El Castillo Museum & Gardens with Kaylee, Olivia, and Brooklyn. We toured the inside of the actual castle (so cool), then wandered the gardens to see all kinds of plants and a few cool animals well!
What God’s Teaching Me
To be intentional with my time. With so much free time, its so easy to scroll on our phones or watch movie. God’s really been placing it on my heart that only he can give us true rest. I will exhaust myself if I seek things of this world for rest, until I seek the Lord I won’t find rest.
God’s also been stirring my heart to really love my brothers and sisters in Christ. I’ve been reading 1 John, and oof—those verses hit different. Am I loving the way God calls me to? I’ve caught myself frustrated with squad mates more than once. But Jesus loves everyone—even when they don’t love Him back. He’s reminding me: I’m called to love like that too. Whether it’s hard, inconvenient, or I don’t feel like it. Love isn’t a feeling—it’s a choice.
Hard Things
- Saying goodbye to Seth. We had to say goodbye to our squad mate Seth last week. He flew home—God clearly redirected him for this season—he will be missed by the rest of us!
- Street homelessness. Walking anywhere here is heavy. There are so many homeless people sleeping on the sidewalks. It breaks my heart to know I have so much but they have practically nothing.
Fun & Random Things
- Gym Runs A few of us discovered a little gym nearby and started going a few times a week. It’s so refreshing to move our bodies—we’ve been sitting or walking ministry routes most days, so finally getting a workout in feels like a gift.
- Hotseat Our squad is obsessed with Hotseat. We take where everyone fires one person with questions for 5 minutes straight. You learn the wildest, random stuff about each other, it’s hilarious and bonding.
- Worship & Game Nights We have worship nights a couple times a week, its so amazing to praise the Lord together. Last Sunday we followed it up with a full-on game night: Fishbowl (aka the Noun Game), and a bunch of random group chaos. It was a blast.
We are in Colombia for 6 weeks here at The Foundation. We have one more week after that somewhere else in Colombia for our squad debrief, where we will be joined by our mentors and coaches that are currently in the States. After that we are off to Vietnam! I’m so excited to go to our next country but also learning to live in the present as well!
Until next time.
– Heidi
Thanks for the update! Still praying for you and your team! May bless you and keep you!