He says, “Laurie, my love is universal. Spread it.” So, if I can’t say what I want to, to these women and children, then I can still give them love. Something the Lord is beginning to reveal to me is that I don’t always have to have words. I wish I could say more than basic phrases. I often get frustrated with the language barrier here. I played with kiddos, till they completely wore me out and often found myself engulfed by their warm hugs.
We prayed over a boy there named Brian, who has Cerebral Palsy. His mother left him when he was two and his aunt is his caregiver. We visited with them in their homes and was greeted with love and hospitality. We hiked the streets in Manantiales and ministered to people there. I helped lead a women’s bible study and learned so much wisdom from them. She greets me every time with a hug and a kiss. Over the past week, I’ve befriended the women who cook our meals for us, especially Lora. Together as ONE, we illuminate these streets, bringing hope to these people as they see the light of Jesus radiating within us. And WE (S squad) walk alongside the staff here. This is the darkness that quietly lingers under the colors of this city, but Ciudad Refugio carries the light of Jesus. There are people passed out on the sidewalks from drinking too much alcohol and places where people practice witchcraft. You walk down the streets and people are using drugs right in front of you. Near the park about 5 blocks from our house is an area where prostitutes stand on the sidewalks and homeless people are digging through the trash. Two blocks down from our house, are drug dealers. A colorful metropolis surrounded by massive mountains, filled with local markets, sweet aromas of Colombian food and desserts, smiling faces, flowers, and bread, lots of bread.īut underneath the beauty of this city lies darkness.
There is also women’s and children ministry here as well. This ministry has a compound that provides housing for addicts and the homeless with ministry programs aimed towards helping recovering drug addicts. This month our squad is partnering with a ministry called Ciudad Refugio (City of Refuge). He’s always working, always moving, always leading us somewhere. SO MUCH has happened, and its insanely crazy how the Holy Spirit has moved within just a week. It’s been exactly one week since our squad arrived in Medellin, Colombia and honestly it feels like we’ve lived here for weeks.