I am back! After spending the past eleven days in the coastal town of Cartagena, it feels quite nice to be back in Bogota, to be home. Pondering what to write has felt a little overwhelming as a rush of memories and insights flood my thoughts. I’ve decided to give a brief recap of what these past few weeks of my life have been like, although I suppose that is the point of this blog anyhow. This entry will be a touch bit longer, it is two in one- special of the day.

Having my mother come experience a part of Colombia, a part of my life here was amazing. To be able to show her around, explain the city, the culture, the people and have her know a part of my experience and have it become an experience that is now apart of her life was an amazing gift. Saying goodbye at the airport was surreal, the apartment felt empty without her presence.

Luckily I didn’t have too much time to dwell on her absence as two days after her departure, we jetted off to the beautifully picturesque and humid Cartagena, where were warmly welcomed by the parish priest and his family. They were incredibly helpful and generous especially with the fumigation of our room, feeding us broth and carrot juice while we were sick, and making plenty sure we knew where we were going.

After our first few days in Cartagena we met up with an incredible group of people from the Diocese of Connecticut (the companion diocese to Colombia). For the past 3 years they have brought a group down from their diocese making it possible to maintain a relationship with the churches in Colombia. We visited many of the parishes on the coast, helped host a radio show, met a group of ex-gang members trying to get their lives back on track, saw communitites of displaced families who have built their homes out of palates and tarps around the mounds of trash and mucky rivers.

It was inspiring to meet people who have such different and unique life stories; bringing on a fresh perspective to my thoughts on Colombia, on my life, on mission work and beyond. With this experience in Colombia, I have found myself many times at a loss of words, wanting badly to express my feelings and my experienced moments hoping you will get some small grasp on what life is like here. My difficulty of expression comes from the extremes I have seen, the extreme poverty and injustice but also the love, kindness and respect people have for friends, families and strangers. Trying to process it all and then articulate it. Big task.

I feel as if the second part to my mission has begun as work begins picking up pace. The first part was important to my understanding of this country, to understand and learn the patience of life and the importance of being with people just as much as the second will be. Now we are on the fast track after a visit to the doctor this afternoon we will be scheduling trips to different dioceses and parishes within and around Bogota while exploring the city with new friends. New photos are up check them out!