It's been a super first 11 days here!- good travel, good accommodations, great selection of fruit, great weather! It was 21 hours between getting up in Edmonton and bedtime in Medellin, and having travelling companions- Phil Webb and the Foergers made the time pass more enjoyably and quickly on the planes and at the airports. Unfortunately, they have a different schedule of conferences, teaching and presentations so I typically see them in the morning and late night.
I was teaching my first ESL class my first afternoon and now have a handle on my schedule. I have 12 different classes each week- no repeats, with a total of about 60 students, although more continue to join (5 in the last 5 days.) During the first week, each class was a mix of beginner, intermediate and advanced, and now I am trying to regroup people according to their levels for better teaching and learning dynamics. I begin as early as 7am some days, have private lessons through the day and teach every afternoon and evening. Two groups are from a company located in the same mall as the church so there is great potential for other small group and private lessons before/after work and lunchtimes. Outside of the company, I have six private students- one I'll meet every day as he prepares to write an English proficiency exam as part of his MBA application. All these are done at the church located in a mall. Unfortunately, because of the evening schedules, I am not likely to do any discipleship/mentoring presentations as originally planned.
The best highlight of the week has been to spend some time with Juan, the young man that prayed to receive Christ with me in 2011. We only had a few hours together and one of his first requests- to read the Bible with me ("you are my international spiritual father") and talk about his desire to grow more. How encouraging to see God's faithfulness to this man who has wandered through the spectrum of belief and disbelief, through encouraging and discouraging times in the last three years! Unfortunately there have been three cancelled meetings since because of his work. I hope we can have more consistency through the rest of my time here.
The first Monday evening, I was able to share the gospel with two students as we talked about qualities in a life partner/spouse and for me, the importance of a common, dynamic, vibrant faith. They had lots of good questions and Ephesians 2:8,9 seemed to bring clarity to Jesus' role in all of "this Christian religion." Unfortunately, language became a barrier, so I hope to connect them with believers in the church who can answer their questions better. Last night I had dinner with a new student and her husband. She's been a Christian for three years; he has had an incredible journey of adversity and is asking deeper questions about faith and commitment.
Less exciting, but no less spiritual, the apartment is a short 2 block walk from the mall where the church is located. It's a nice walk, much better than the five! flights of stairs up/down to the apartment. I have met Eduardo- a restaurant owner across the street who attends my classes, even though he has very good English. I look forward to conversations at his restaurant and meeting others in the neighbourhood- a mix of storefronts on the street level and homes above.
Prayer requests
1) That I be open to all the opportunities for connecting with Colombians- believers and non-believers
2) That I have the physical capacity take advantage of all those opportunities God is giving me
3) that I have maximum opportunities to meet with Juan and encourage him in his walk with God
3) Through this time, I am humble and teachable to God's leading in other areas of my life
Thanks for your support!
Blessings,
Bob
