top 10: a few of our favourite things.

From the past seven months, in somewhat chronological order, here are the kids' favourite things about Colombia, so far:

1. Riding in taxis everywhere...without car seats!

2. Roasting marshmallows at our team retreat.

3. Feeding pigeons in Plaza de Bolivar, seeing Botero's "fat" paintings and sculptures, and riding the funicular up and down Monserrate in Bogotá.

4. Having a pool in our apartment complex (even though the water is cold).
5. Spotting geckos in our house.
6. So many tropical fruits like granadilla, lulo, guanabana, mangostino, pitaya amarilla, and carambola.

7. The Cali Zoo and seeing exotic animals and birds.
8. Putting candles on the sidewalk for Día de las Velitas to mark the beginning of the Christmas season.
9. Riding a willy jeep through the Cocora Valley that took us to see the world’s tallest palm trees.
10. Going to the beach and exploring the secret tunnels beneath Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas in Cartegena.

a season of change.

Overlooking the Cauca Valley, where Cali is located

In case you didn't know, in the summer of 2018 both of us moved on from our jobs in Vancouver to accept a position with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), a Christian nonprofit organization that engages in relief, development, and peacebuilding initiatives all over the world.  Last September, we made a big move to Cali, Colombia where we will be serving for three years as the Exchange Program and Communication Coordinators for MCC Colombia-Ecuador.  Our role mostly involves overseeing the one-year volunteer programs for young adults coming to serve in Colombia, as well as recruiting Colombians to serve in Canada, the U.S., and other countries around the world.  In addition, we will be working with our team communications and supporting one of our local MCC partners focused on peace education and community development.

The MCC Colombia-Ecuador team (11 admin staff & 11 short-term volunteers)

Both of us had lived and served abroad in the past and knew that living overseas was something we would do again in the future.  A few years ago, we felt it was time for us to explore international prospects which ended up being a four-year process.  We learned a lot about perseverance, faithfulness, and waiting on God’s timing.  God has been gracious to give us the opportunity to work with an organization that holds values and a holistic approach to serving others and living out the gospel with which we resonate.  We have felt affirmed that we made the right decision through our training and the first couple of months in our jobs.  Our kids were excited about plane rides and for the chance to see some exotic animals from the Amazon (although we have had to settle for the local zoo at this point).

Exploring a fountain during an MCC retreat

We loved living in Vancouver, being a part of Grandview Calvary Baptist Church, and living in our community house with some great friends.  Living in East Van with other adults and kids is all our boys have known, so it is not without sadness that we have moved away.  Packing up, moving, and settling in Colombia has been a whirlwind these past several months for our family.  Our turnover was so quick (2 months!) from accepting the job to getting to orientation in Akron, Pennsylvania; we regret not being able to connect with so many of our friends before we left.  However, we would love to stay connected with you through email, social media, or regular (snail) mail. 

Overlooking the city of Cali

Please hold our family in your thoughts and prayers as we continue to settle into our new job, school, culture, and life.  We miss being close to our families and friends, but Colombia is slowly becoming home for us.  We anticipate at least a year of transition for us.  We have learned that although kids are resilient and this is an adventure for them too, they still have moments of homesickness and have hit some rough patches of adjustment themselves.  We have been grateful for God’s peace in the midst of everything.  Thank you for your continued support and friendship.