Calle 5 #14-32
La Mesa, Colombia
aaronlaurak@gmail.com
A Season for Gratitude
Hi family and friends,
The Christmas tree is lit, Abby has hung the ornaments, and Christmas music is in heavy rotation. There is a festive feel in the air as the school prepares for another graduation and then it's "summer vacation." Never mind that we sweated from the heat while putting up the tree - it still feels like Christmas is coming!
We had a few weeks in November that felt extremely busy and overwhelming. Aaron was out of the house with many meetings, and his home hours were filled with reading and writing for an online seminary course, grading papers and lesson planning. We are thankful that the school year has built-in times to change pace, take a deep breath and rest. It's coming just in time.
On October 29th the RAD team of 5 young women arrived to begin their 8-month journey in La Mesa. It has been a joy getting to know each of them during the initial cultural adjustment. We're thankful that the host families have opened their homes and hearts for the RAD participants. This is a new experience for everyone involved! We have weekly meetings with the team, fielding cultural questions, discussing host family issues, sharing prayer concerns, and planning and dreaming together about what we can do in these 8 months. We certainly feel the weight of responsibility for the team, but we also enjoy this work with young adults in a cross-cultural setting. It's a change for us to have so many English-speaking people in La Mesa. When we arrived, it was just ourselves and Ruth Daza, our Colombian-American friend and co-worker at the Colegio.
Thanksgiving is a North American holiday, but this year with so many of us in La Mesa, we had to celebrate! Laura made pies and pumpkin bars, and we bought 2 1/2 roasted chickens. Everyone else brought sides - mashed potatoes, green beans, salad, juice, etc, and we had a delicious feast together. It was also wonderful to receive telephone calls from family in the U.S.
A few short months ago we were wondering how we would manage life with two children. Now Anna Sophia is almost 3 months old and it's hard to imagine our family without her. She has a lovely smile and rich gurgling laugh and has grown from a mere 6.5 pounds to a soft and roly-poly 11.5 She's alert and interested in household activities, but is a very calm and peaceful baby. Getting out and about town is a challenge with Anna in the stroller and Abby trotting along side. Fortunately most streets are fairly quiet and traffic isn't too heavy. Now that Anna has become more interactive, Abby enjoys eliciting coos and smiles by singing her "Jesus Loves Me" and other songs.
Our dear friends and former pastors of the La Mesa Mennonite Church, Martin and Elsy, recently baptized the first 2 members of their holistic church planting project in Anapoima. Aaron was able to attend and help with the baptisms in a nearby eco-park. The celebration lasted all morning, with the families enjoying swimming and a meal after the baptism service. For some of them, it was the first time at a swimming pool! The irony is that Anapoima is a tourist town with many beautiful pools, but these families have never had the means to use them. We are excited about the changes happening in the lives of the Nubia and Anita, the two women who were baptized, and pray that they would continue to grow and remain strong in their faith despite the many challenges they face daily.
Linda Shelly, our director from Mennonite Mission Network, spent 3 days with us in La Mesa. We had many good conversations reflecting on our work and dreaming about the future. We were flattered and honored to hear the many "palabras bonitas" (pretty words) about us from Colombians during our meetings with Linda. Guillermo and others also expressed their desire to see another family or couple replace us when we leave in June. Please keep that process in your prayers. If you know someone who would enjoy teaching English, working with the Anapoima project, the youth group and future RAD teams, encourage them to apply with Mennonite Mission Network! La Mesa a wonderful place to work and live.
Once again we wish to express our deep gratitude to those of you who write us occasionally and support us financially and through your prayers. It is not at all an exaggeration to say that we couldn't do it without you. Thank you.
Grace and peace,
Laura, Aaron, Abigail & Anna Sophia