Colombia update, Dec 2010

Hello friends and family,

This Christmas season the song that has most resonated with me is that powerful poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” Tears welled up in my eyes as I listened to Sarah McLachlan sing it the other day, particularly the final verses expressing such deep frustration and doubt, and in the next breath, a defiant and insuppressible hope. I had recently watched a documentary on the rise of the brutally violent paramilitary groups in Colombia, over the past 20 years or so, and was reflecting on how they and their guerrilla counterparts have so terribly scarred Colombia’s past and present. Hate is strong, and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men. Often it feels like healing, forgiveness, and reconciliation are impossible concepts; it seems there is an endless supply of violent and unjust men. And it doesn’t stop with the armed conflict–it’s crime, corruption, broken homes, abuse, it’s selfishness, it’s everywhere. I look at the “real world” around me and this is what I see. And yet I know that there is another reality at work, the reality of the Kingdom, even though it’s so hard to see at times. God is not dead, nor does he sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, goodwill to men! This is the spiritual reality that must supercede the broken, failing “real world” with which I am confronted every day. I struggle to live in this hope, I stumble in and out of it, I don’t always understand it. Let the bells resound, we need to hear them. May this hope come to us again, as frail and earth-shattering as a baby in a manger.

This summer I wrapped up two and a half years of working with YWAM Medellin, staffing in our two homes for child victims of the conflict and assisting with the trimestral health and community service outreaches among displaced populations. I returned to the US for a few months in late July to spend time with family and reconnect with friends in the midwest and east coast. I arrived in time for my parents’ 40th anniversary and a family vacation in Minnesota. Then I was blessed to have a month of work while home in Illinois, assisting in a research project on how children can participate in effecting change in their communities. I was also able to share at all three of my supporting churches, and visit many individual supporters. It was deeply encouraging to spend quality time with people who mean so much to me, to catch up, reminisce, create new memories, dream together, and receive counsel. It did my soul good. And as an added bonus, I was able to enjoy some beautiful autumn leaves and weather, even a day-trip to White Mountain in New Hampshire while I was in the northeast.

I returned to Colombia in November and spent several weeks in Medellin to see the kids before they headed to their hometowns for the holidays. It was great to see everyone there again, and to see how things have progressed since I left. Although I was the only foreigner on staff most of the time I was there, over the past few months they’ve had about six Europeans arrive to help for six months to a year. They also received 11 new children a couple of months ago, so it’s good to see the ministry growing again. However, I was struck once more with the need for more men in this line of work, to provide loving role-models. The new children were so eager for affection, I couldn’t even begin to count the number of hugs I gave them. Even though my commitment is up in Medellin, I’m sure I’ll be back to visit often enough to keep up with the kids, as well as to help with the community outreaches.

My plans for the coming year are to explore new ministry opportunities, although still with the same focus on serving displaced communities and children. My hope is one day to start a new ministry in this line of work in the eastern region of Colombia, called the llanos, where I grew up. As I have visited out there over the past several years, I’ve seen very few organizations working with victims of the conflict. I hope to spend some time in the first few months of the year traveling in the llanos to make contacts with other people, organizations, and churches there to get a better assessment of what the needs are and what is being done to meet them. While I’ve appreciated my time with YWAM, and would be very open to continue working with them in the future, I would like to spend some time with another organization to observe some other approaches and methodologies. So I will be checking to see which doors God may be opening. Please be praying for me as I make contacts and look to plug in somewhere new. Also please join me in praying that God would begin bringing together a team of people with compatible and complementary callings and visions, with whom to begin a new ministry, in his timing.

I would like to thank all of you for continuing to be a part of my calling here in Colombia through prayer, giving, and support. If you are interested in supporting me financially, please send tax-deductible gifts to:

The 600

23955 Beard Ave

Lakeville, MN 55044

Please make checks payable to “The 600″ and include a note that it is for my ministry here in Colombia. Thanks again. May you all have a blessed Christmas with loved ones, and find time in the midst of the commotion to pause and feel God’s nearness.

Shalom, Jon

P.S. The rainy season this year has been particularly devastating in Colombia, with well over a million people forced from their homes by flooding. Several friends of mine in YWAM are raising money to help those affected by the disaster, with clothes, beds, food, water, and medicine. If anyone would like to donate towards that cause, please write me an email and I’ll let you know the best way to send the funds. Thank you!

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~ by blueeyedson on December 16, 2010.