August, 24 2009

First Stop
Our first stop this morning was to the inner city of Bogota. We held an event in a church with a powerful name, “Breaking Chains.”

The pastor is a former drug dealer and addict. He now has a heart to reach the families and children whose parents are involved in the same addictions. I was told before entering the church that the majority of the children we would be spending time with are from homes where drug addiction and prostitution are the norm.

With each child that I encountered, the thought consumed my mind, “I wonder what this child has seen.” Asking that sort of question brings with it a quite helpless feeling, knowing I have no control over the home they come from, or the life they will return to after our brief time together is over. But what I could control was those precious few moments together.

MATTHEW WEST

Matthew is a mainstay at Christian radio with memorable hits like Only Grace, History, and Next Thing You Know. Visit his Web site for more information on his music and ministry.For the first time in my life, I regret not paying attention in Spanish class!!! I would like to issue this formal apology to my high school Spanish 101 teacher for all of the morning siestas I took during her teaching. It sure would have come in handy today.

The children had many questions for me, and unfortunately none of them asked, “donde esta el bano?” That’s about the only question I could answer! “Where is the bathroom?”
But the kids got a kick out of attempts to speak their language, and we had great fun.

The kids were not told they would be receiving gifts today, so they were thrilled when we started handing out the shoe boxes. It was incredible to see their faces light up. They introduced me, and I stood up and sang for the kids. During the first song about five little boys started crowding around my guitar and attempting to play it for me.

As we head back on the road to another distribution I can tell already that God is in this, “breaking chains” in the lives of these children, and breaking chains in my own heart.

Off the Map
On the way to our second stop, one of the guides pointed to a mountain and said, “We are going to the top.” We have a map, but the road we are on is not on it.

Poverty surrounds our van. I am feeling too blessed, if there is such a thing. I feel bad for owning this laptop at the moment.

My stomach is turning a bit at the moment too. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a steak-and-potatoes kind of guy. I’ve never had goat milk, and never ate a guinea pig. I am told those are things I might be able to look forward to on this trip.

We are heading to an area inhabited by squatters. I am told it is somewhat like the Mafia. There is a good chance some of the children we are going to visit have parents who are part of the guerilla movement. The smell is strong and unpleasant. The streets are narrow, and the stray dogs are too many to count.

Their Reality
It’s been a long but productive first day here in Bogota. We have just completed our third and final shoe box distribution, and our team is all crowded back into a van for what is becoming my least favorite part. We have about an hour drive back to the hotel, and I hope I don’t lose my lunch. The shocks must have been optional on this thing.

But it would take much more than an upset stomach to sour today’s rich experience. I will not soon forget the children I met today, and the smiles on their faces. I got kisses on the cheek from little girls that weren’t my daughters, by my heart sure melted for them as though they were.

I can’t remember ever being face to face with such poverty, and the crazy thing is I know Bogota is a far cry from the poorest cities in the world. Still, the differences from Bogota to the U.S. are noticeable from the time we landed here, and have only become greater as the hours progress.

Our last visit was on the third floor of a church building. The smell of urine was pungent and difficult to ignore, but the kids didn’t seem to mind. I found myself counting the minutes until it would be time to head back to a more pleasant smelling hotel room, and then it dawned on me: This is their reality. These smells, the trash everywhere, this is their life. I saw cows eating out of the roadside trash. I saw almost as many stray dogs as people.

And in a few days when I return to my lush, privileged, better smelling reality, these children will still be here. They will still be the sons and daughters of a prostitute or a drug dealer. They will still be poor. They will still have the stench of urine, and the violence, and shacks to live in.

This is their reality. And I’m hoping our visit can add a little love to their reality.

August 23, 2009

On a Mission
I departed Sunday for Bogata, Colombia. I’ll be there for a week with Samaritan’s Purse and Operation Christmas Child.

Along with Franklin Graham, I will be delivering shoe boxes filled with gifts to children in poverty stricken areas. These boxes were collected last Christmas all over the U.S. Over 8 million were collected last year, and we hope to do it again this year.

I am a spokesman once again this year, and I’m so excited to see first hand what kind of difference these gifts make in the lives of children. Please pray for our trip. I hate being away from my own children, but I know this is something I am supposed to do. If you guys are part of the Motions Community, then you know what a Motions Resolution is, and this trip was mine. I felt like God was calling me to take a missions trip for a long time now, but kept putting it off. No more going through the motions. I’m doing it!!!

I’ll be blogging while I'm in Columbia, so keep checking back for updates and photos.

Samaritan's Purse , Colombia , Operation Christmas Child , Sharing God’s Love