Quarlombia or Colombatine.

Playing in our apartment courtyard with required facemasks.

I wanted to write an update and give a bit of a picture of what the COVID-19 pandemic has been like for us here in Colombia.

Most countries in Latin America, including Colombia, were among the last to get their first cases of the coronavirus and, therefore, we were behind the curve with how the virus progressed. I think Canada was about two weeks into the pandemic when Colombia recorded its first cases in March. So we have been watching things unfold in Canada and the USA to get an idea of what we are in store for.

Doing crafts at home - Ezra's creation birds in a nest

Generally, I think getting the virus later was a blessing for Colombia as they were able to see the seriousness of the situation, how easily the virus spreads, and how best to prepare for it. In response, the Colombian government has been pretty strong with the policies they have enacted, which has been mostly good – but not without consequences. Since March 25 we have been in quarantine and schools have been closed (although classes have been conducted virtually). Quarantine in Colombia looks similar to what I’m sure most people are experiencing, except that it is a bit more strict. Only adults are allowed out of the house (children and elderly are not) every other day, and only for essential errands, such as grocery shopping, medical appointments, and banking. This means that the boys had not really been outside for over a month (except for our small balcony). Kids have only recently started to be allowed outside (for 30 min between 4pm-6pm, on the same days we are allowed out), but it had been weird to not really see many kids or elderly people any more.

Using the balcony a lot more, even for blowing bubbles.

Everyone in Colombia has a national ID card and the days you are allowed out of the house correspond to the last digit in your ID number. The way it worked for a while was that we both had one day a week we could go out, and then we could both go out of Saturdays. We had to try to do all of our shopping, banking and everything else we need to get done on those days. It made living without a vehicle in a mostly cash-based society difficult at times. Things have improved since the past couple weeks, as we are now allowed out basically every other day. However, the restrictions get re-assed and changed every few weeks, so we will see if the restrictions continue to slowly loosen, or will tighten up again.

Drive-by blessings from a local Catholic priest.

In terms of what it looks like for us personally, we are in the fortunate position that the majority of our work can be done online; therefore, we have been working from home during all of this. It has been difficult to juggle work and school/kids at home, as the schools have at times sent a lot of work to be done virtually (as I’m sure many of you can relate). It has been difficult not having an outlet for the kids to go outside, or for any of us to have a break from each other. We have been talking more to family and friends over skype or zoom, and the kids have talked with some friends a few times as well – which has been very nice for them. We have enjoyed participating in online church services from our home church in Vancouver, as well as attending video calls with our old homegroup.

Attending our home church service long distance.

Early into the pandemic in March, the government announced that it was shutting down all international travel, so we only had a few days to decide whether we were felt called to stay in Colombia throughout the pandemic or get out while we still could. This was also something that our exchange participants had to decide on as well.  We did end up having one of our participants leave early in order to get back to the USA. Truthfully, we are in a good place here in Cali – being able to work, having an apartment, kids are still doing school, and the health facilities in Colombia are really good. So even though we would love to be closer to family, it felt like the right decision for us to stay in Colombia. Some of our program participants come from countries and communities where the health system is quite bad by comparison and the governments can not be trusted, so their decision to stay or go has been more complicated. These are decisions that MCC staff all over the world are having to make. MCC as an organization is in the same boat as many non-profit organizations, in that their financial situation has gotten much worse. Not only are donations down, but MCC also depends on revenue sources from thrift stores and Ten Thousand Villages retail stores. Since these have been forced closed, their revenue streams have dried up. Therefore, there are some budget cuts on the horizon that will certainly limit some of the work going on in Colombia and other parts of the world.

Video calling for school.

Beyond this, it is hard to predict how this will affect the citizens of Colombia, but it will certainly not be good. Many vulnerable populations are more at risk of contracting the virus, and their means to make a living disappear during the quarantine. We have heard that many Venezuelans, who originally fled the economic disaster in that country, are now moving back to Venezuela as the opportunities in Colombia have become much more limited. We have heard that petty theft around hospitals (one of the few places with a consistent stream of people) have increased. People in the poorest areas of cities and areas in the country are receiving less support than other places. Tourism has stopped and I’m sure it will be very slow for years to come. As well, some armed groups have taken advantage of the situation and are continually expanding their control over some areas.

Fort sleepovers - one of the few perks of quarantine.

As often is the case, increased challenges have a way of bringing people together. The people of Colombia are no strangers to overcoming challenges and we have seen our partners continue their important work in creative ways. We are hoping and praying that the people here will be able to draw on their history of triumphing over adversity and be able to do the same during this crisis. 

honduras 10 years later.

Mayan ruins at Copan Ruinas, first date and with kids

A couple months ago, UrbanPromise Honduras (UPH) celebrated its 10-year anniversary of starting programs. We were lucky enough to be there for the celebrations. It had been about 7 years since I had been there, 8 since Kristin and I had been there together, and the first time ever going with the boys. The visit was long overdue. I knew as soon as we rolled into the Copan valley that this was going to be a trip that I would remember for the rest of my life.

The orange roof tiles and green mountains of Copan Ruinas

Copan Ruinas is a special place to me for many reasons. It was where Kristin and I first started dating on a backpacking trip through Central America in 2008. It was my first experience living overseas long-term and also the first (and only) time I’ve helped start an organization from the ground up. It is one of those places that seems stuck in time. It certainly felt very similar to when we used to live there, besides one major difference. All of the kids and youth that I worked with are now grown up into adults, some with families of their own. 

Brenda (left) and her family were my neighbours at one point. It was in her family's house where we watched the news of the military coup in 2008. Ruth (right) was one of the first Camp Hope kids, was a talented artist and a trouble-maker

It is incredibly fun to see the adult version of kids I had been thinking of and praying for over the past 10 years, still picturing them as kids in my head. It is also a little heavyhearted in some ways to see them as adults now, with the knowledge that I had missed out on so many years of their lives and the realization that they are now dealing with all the stresses of trying to survive, work and raise a family in rural Honduras as an adult. Despite the mix of emotions, it was extremely meaningful for us to be able to connect in person again, and for me to introduce my family to some of them. 

The three founders and an old Camp Hope kid, now UPH youth leader, Denia (and some kids) at the new Camp Hope

One of our priorities was to visit Camp Hope, the site where I was Camp Director of our first after-school program. We later found out that the site location was recently changed and now run out of a church in a different neighbourhood in town. However, it was still good to visit and see programs run in a very similar way that we used to run them. It was also a great surprise to see that some old camp kids are still connected to UPH as young adults, working as youth leaders at the site. 

Street food and a La Ceiba tree

Another one of our priorities visiting Honduras is the food. We were looking forward to a lot of different things, but baleadas were probably at the top of the list. Baleadas are four tortillas with beans, cream and cheese - but we can add just about anything else to them. Here we are with Rachel and her kids eating another favourite Honduran food, chanches, which are hard corn tortillas with shredded chicken and tomato sauce. We stayed with Rachel and her family while in Copan and it was a huge blessing in so many ways. We were able to catch up with her a lot and the boys had friends (and toys) to play with. Rachel was also that last of the original three UPH founders to join, but played such a huge role that it is impossible to imagine the team without her. (I don't think just Blair and I would have gotten very far).

The three UPH founders speaking to the current UPH team

It was exciting to see the new (to us) UPH office and meet the current staff. The location has changed and nearly all the staff were new to us. It was very encouraging to see how things had grown since we were there last, and exciting to think of the future possibilities. All three of the founders (Rachel, Blair and myself) spoke to the current staff to offer them a word of encouragement. We shared one of our favourite stories from our first ever summer camp, in which we stumbled across a scared and angry opossum trapped in a garbage can. Or rather the kids discovered it when they tried to throw their snack garbage into the garbage can, only to be surprised by what was looking back at them. Thankfully no one was hurt, and we responsibly asked the watchman of the school if he could take care of it. We foolishly thought that "taking care of it" meant walking it a safe distance away from the kids before releasing the opossum back into the wild. However, the watchman interpreted "taking care of it" by stringing the opossum up by its neck and hacking it with a machete until it died. Also unfortunately, this was in full view of the kids. (I don't remember how that story tied in to encouraging the current UPH staff).

Marching with the Camp Joy kids

We weren't exactly sure what was all planned for the 10-year anniversary for UPH, or how big of a deal it would be. It turned out to be quite a big deal, and there were things happening all the time. We kept saying to each other how lucky we were to be able to be there for it all. On one afternoon, all the camp kids and staff marched through the town, singing camp songs to the sound of a marching band. It was so fun to be a part of that we (almost) forgot about the scorching sun.

UPH celebration night

One night, the UPH team organized a celebration night with a talent show, awards and a panel with Blair, Rachel and myself speaking about the organization and answering questions. The mayor of the town even came and gave a short message. 

My old host family Julia and Wilmer

Of course the best part of the whole trip was seeing old friends. I lived with Julia and Wilmer for the first few months of being in Honduras, to both improve my Spanish and learn what I could about the culture. We had supper with them one night and it was great to reconnect and introduce them to our boys. Julia has always been very outspoken and lively, and she hasn't changed. It also was in this house where I ate black beans with cream, cheese and tortillas nearly everyday, until I learnt to love them.

Riding in a three-wheel moto-taxi 

We have seen only a hand-full of moto-taxis in Colombia, but they are a staple in Copan Ruinas, so we had to take one. They are not just for tourists though, they are one of the better vehicles for making it up the steep and slippery cobblestone hills. Moto-taxi's comfortably sits 3 people, or uncomfortably 4. Maybe 5 - if someone awkwardly sits with the driver. I think the most we've ever done is 8 - but you have to be stupid 20-year olds to pull that off.

Bird park, then and now. Judson doesn't know what to do with his hands

Copan Ruinas is known for its Mayan ruins, but we knew its other tourist attraction - the bird park - would appeal more to the boys. At the bird park you can see all kinds of tropical birds as they are being rehabilitated to be released back into the wild. You can even hold some of them. Kristin and I visited back in 2006 while travelling, and this time the boys got to experience it. The birds are surprisingly heavy - and unsurprisingly a little scary. 

A friendly (or severely confused) butterfly.

Although we didn't make it to the ruin complex proper on this trip, there are all kinds of ruins and statues scattered throughout the town and valley. One such ruin is an old Mayan ball court in a little nature walk that we went to with Rachel and her family. While there we encountered this butterfly that took turns landing on each one of us. Judson attempted to point to it.

Soccer tournament at night

Some of my fondest memories at UPH are playing soccer at night with the team. UPH used to (and still does) put on soccer tournaments where kids, youth and staff all divide into teams. They had one such tournament while we were there for the anniversary celebrations. Unfortunately, they are pretty late at night for kids - so we were only there for a short time. But nothing beats playing under the lights at night, with bats and bird sized moths buzzing around your head.

UPH 10 year anniversary parade through town

Blair and I moved to Camden New Jersey in 2008 to learn about how to replicate the UrbanPromise model overseas. We spent a year creating the groundwork of the organization, running pilot programs and fundraising enough money to be able to support ourselves and the work of UPH. We finally made it to Honduras in the summer of 2009 and spent weeks signing up kids for camp, planning program and setting everything up for our first ever summer camp - Camp Joy. Then about a week or two before Camp Joy started we heard on the news that the president of Honduras had been kidnaped and exiled in a military coup. A country wide curfew was ordered, army stepped up its presence and protests started mounting. I remember having some sober conversations with each other, and with God, as to whether we were going to stay and follow through what we had planned, or leave it and go home. We decided to stay and went ahead with the launch of our programs on schedule. If we had not done so, I am not sure if UPH would be where it is today. 

Camp Joy today

We visited Camp Joy when we were there this year, and it is still going - stronger than ever. When obstacles and challenges start getting in our way, it is never fully clear what our response should be. Are these warning signs telling us to abandon our plans or are these times where we should hold on to our vision even tighter? We were lucky that the coup did not result in a worse situation where we really did have to fear our safety. This would not be the only time where our commitment to our vision was tested during those first few years of UPH.  But we always continued to to move forward in faith that this was the direction that we were supposed to go. If I were foolish enough to think that I could give advice to anyone, I would tell them to stay true to the vision God gave them no matter what.

A piece of me is in the mountains surrounding Copan

The trip was a such an incredible experience to see old friends, make new ones, share a piece of our history with the boys and celebrate what God has done over the past 10 year. I am so blessed to have had many support me and our work while I was in Honduras, and to have our friends and family support us now in Colombia. Thank you to everyone who helped make this trip possible. Again, if you want to know more about the work UrbanPromise Honduras is still doing after 10 years, check out their website: https://urbanpromisehonduras.org/

Thanks for reading,

Matt

urbanpromise honduras 10-year anniversary.

Our first ever date - the Mayan ruins in Copan Ruinas

This coming July will be the 10-year anniversary of UrbanPromise Honduras (UPH).  For those of you who do not know, UPH is a non-profit organization that works with kids and youth in Copan Ruinas, Honduras.  Ten years ago, I (Matt) helped found the organization with my two friends Blair and Rachel. Blair continues to work with UPH from the USA and Rachel still lives in Copan Ruinas. We spent several years living in Honduras, developing the organization and running programs. Starting and working with UPH was an important part of my life, and the organization still remains close to my heart. During that time I learnt a lot about living cross-culturally, working as part of a team, and living by faith. I fell in love with the Honduran people and the community in Copan Ruinas, and I made many great memories from our time living there.

(left) White water rafting trip with the UPH youth. (right) Kids from Camp Hope, our first after school program.

UPH started as a vision of our good friend Blair while he was teaching at a bilingual school in Copan Ruinas in 2007.  I remember him sharing his vision with me in typical Blair fashion, seemingly out of nowhere, full of passion and with an invitation to join him in the work. I knew right away that it would be an adventure like no other, and it didn’t take me long to get excited about the idea as well.

(left) The three founders with UrbanPromise President, Bruce Main. (right) Duct-tape Man fighting some evil villain.

After I agreed to join, we moved to the headquarters of UrbanPromise USA in Camden, NJ. We were there to learn about starting an organization and to start laying the foundations of what would later become UPH’s mission, vision, structure, and programs. It was an exciting time, but also a challenging and stretching one in many different ways.  We spent many days dreaming of our future programs in coffee shops, arguing over the wording of our mission statement around boardroom tables, and making awkward fundraising pitches to potential donors. It was also during this time when Rachel, the third member of the initial UPH team, joined the organization.

(left) A regular day at the first UPH office;. (right) Rachel teaching at our second ever summer camp.

Eventually, we raised enough money to survive for a few months and we moved down to Copan Ruinas to start programs. We started with an English summer camp for students of a bilingual school. There were many speed bumps and mistakes made, but we had a pretty decent turn out and lots of fun. After that summer, I continued as Program Director for our first after-school program, which I named Camp Hope. We ran it in the community of Nueva Esperanza, which means “New Hope“ in Spanish. I wanted the camp to be a place of hope for the kids, a place where they could feel the hope for deeper friendships, for a better future, and for experiencing the love of God.  These same hopes kept me going during tough times in Honduras, and they continue to motivate me in cross-cultural ministry today.

(left) Francisco and Nicole washing paint brushes. (right) Some boys from Camp Hope with some bald guy.

After almost two years in Honduras, we decided it was time to return to Canada. However, UPH is still running programs and doing great work. They have been steadily and faithfully growing ever since, touching the lives of hundreds of people in Copan Ruinas throughout the years. I feel very proud and lucky to have been a part of UPH’s beginnings. Not many people have the opportunity to live in another country, start something that makes a difference in people’s lives, or be able to work with their best friends. UPH allowed me to do all of these things, for which I am forever grateful to God, the UPH team, the people of Copan Ruinas and to all the friends and family that helped support the team and I. Many of you who are reading this are the same people who prayed for us faithfully and supported us financially. To all of you who did so, I am incredibly thankful. I hope you will join in the celebration, from wherever you are in the world.

(left) Kristin and I with the family I lived with for eight months in Honduras. (right) Mayan ruins field trip with camp kids.

In July, we are planning to attend the 10-year anniversary celebrations in Honduras. It has been a number of years since we have been able to visit Copan Ruinas, and never as a family. We are excited to show our kids this part of our history.

If you would like to be a part of helping us get to Honduras by financially contributing to the cost of our trip, you could make a donation to our MCC Personal Drawing Account.  Choose the "in memory, in honor, or in support of someone" section and write in the comments box "Matthew Wall and Kristin Cato PDA". We are trying to raise $2500 for the trip. See our Support Us page for more donation details.

And if you want to know more about UrbanPromise Honduras or support their work, go to www.urbanpromisehonduras.org.

Thank you all for being a part of our journey, in the past and the present.

Blessings,

Matt

My last day as Program Director at Camp Hope.

uph: the genesis project.

Our friend Duane Forrest is undertaking a new project in collaboration with Urban Promise Honduras, the organization Matt was involved with for the past two years.  We wanted to give Duane a shout out and show the video he made featuring what the pilot program is about.  The Genesis Project is a school for the arts providing local children, youth, and adults the opportunity to explore visual arts, music, drama, and dance.



If you'd like more information about The Genesis Project, contact Duane - duaneintheforrest@gmail.com
If you'd like to contribute financially to The Genesis Project , go here.

end of an era.

Matt had his final day with the AfterSchool Program last Friday.  He has passed the baton on to Katie, the  new Camp Hope Director.  He'll be wrapping up his time with UPH with a few fun fieldtrips with the kids.  It's bitter sweet, of course.  It always is, having invested so much of your life into something special, investing into people's lives.

Everyday at the end of camp, everyone participates in a cheer which is a verse from the bible.  Accompanied with actions, the kids and leaders belt out the words with joy and conviction.  It's crazy and super all together.  Here is a little video of the cheer, on the last day of Camp Hope of this year.

¡Sé fuerte y valiente! ¡No tengas miedo ni te desanimes!
Porque el SEÑOR tu Dios te acompañará dondequiera que vayas.

(Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged,
for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. ~Joshua 1:9).