Back in the U.S.A.!

Yup! I arrived in Salem Wednesday afternoon! But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me tell you how the rest of my trip was...

The week after leaving Barranquilla, our team spent some time doing some programs for the local schools, doing prayer walks around the city, free day at the beach, and having team time. It wasn't a super busy crazy week, but it was nice to be able to reflect on all God had done up til that point and encourage each other.

The next week, the other half of the team left for Bogota. It was really sad to see them go, but they had an awesome time there.

The other half of the team (the half I was on) stayed in Cartagena. We spent the week in a village in Cartagena helping a Christian elementary school set up through YWAM Cartagena. We did kid's programs, picked up trash, peeled paint, cleaned bathrooms, and helped serve lunch to the kids at the school. This week was a little hard for me. I got a little homesick for my family, friends, and just plain America. But God, being always faithful, gave me the strength to get through the week strong and with a good attitude.

The week after, we worked on the construction site. YWAM Cartagena is working on building another house for more DTS students to stay in, since they have a very limited space. It was really fun digging holes and sweating all day. I didn't think I'd enjoy it very much, but it nice to have a change and do some physical work.

The following week (this past week), we stayed in Santa Marta, a city located along the coast. There, we worked with a church. Unfortuneatly, the pastor in charge of our ministry time didn't plan much for us to do. But we were able to go out into the local neighborhoods and invite people to the church, as well as pray for them. The several programs we did went really well.

Our debrief time was AWESOME! The leaders didn't tell us anything; just that we needed to bring our bathing suits. We ended up driving an hour and being dropped off in the middle of the jungle. We were told we were going to the beach, but the only way to get there was by horseback! That's right- we travelled by horseback through the Colombian jungle to a beautiful, tropical beach. It was gorgeous! : )

Then we left Santa Marta for Cartagena (a 5 hour bus ride), then we stayed in Cartagena for a few hours, and we took off for Bogota around 8 and arrived in Bogota around 10, where we reunited with the rest of our team. Then we left Bogota for Houston at midnight. Arrived in Houston at 5am, then left Houston around 8, and arrived in Portland at 11am. Then another hour drive to Salem. It was a LOOOONG day of travelling, but we are very glad and thankful to be back in beautiful Salem.

So, that's pretty much the rest of my Colombian experience, in a very small nutshell. : )

Tonight, we graduate! These last 5 months have flown by. But they have been most awesome and life changing. I will never forget the things I've seen and the work God has done.

I leave the base tomorrow with my friend. I'll be camping at her house for the next week. She lives on alot of land in Oregon with lots of camping areas and hikikng trails. Should be fun!

So I'll be arriving home on Saturday, June 13th. I'm very excited to finally be home!

Thanks for praying for me through my whole DTS journey. I love you all. : )

Love, Jessie