Reflections on My Trip

Posted July 7 on Lift One:


This time last week I was finishing up my visit with my sponsored children in Cartagena and Barranquilla. I had the best time, meeting them and spending time with them and their families, and I hope that the children enjoyed themselves.

Things were crazy at times on the trip, like the aggressive driving in the cities, and the time that a horse that did buggy rides nibbled on my ear, and ate one of my earrings! I spent most of my time in the city of Cartagena which was fascinating to me with all of the history, the mass of humanity in the Old City, the constant movement, the sounds, sights, and sweet aromas that surrounded me and then there was the sad realization that the city is physcially divided into 3 sections, the rich section, the middle section, and the section where my sponsored children live. During my stay, people were eager to show me the beautiful new part of Cartagena as well as the historic sights but my heart was with my sponsored children who live every day in poverty. I saw the beautiful smiles of my kids and the relatives that brought them to meet me and then I also saw the sadness and feeling of hopelessness that one has when they are living in such conditions.

I have been thinking about how I can make another trip to Cartagena and Barranquilla to see these beautiful children again. I can't explain the feeling that you get when you actually see this child that you have bonded with and made a commitment to. From Sonia's tight hold on me when she met me, to Yiseth gingerly fingering my bracelet, to Francisco's bright smile snd shy glances, to the inquisitive questions and searching gazes of Bleidis, I know that as a sponsor, I am an integral part of their lives. I hope and pray that I will be able to provide the necessary support and friendship that they need, through the work of Children International, to help them become all that they can be, given their situations.

I saw first hand the dedication of the special CI workers. You could see the genuine compassion and concern that my translators, Gabriel and Ruth had, as they shared about the children, the families, and the programs. They answered all of my questions. If they did not know the answer, they took the time to find out. I really enjoyed meeting the workers who translate all of the children's letters in the office of Barranquilla. They made me feel right at home as I was able to sit with them, observe, and interact with them. I met a young man who is a former sponsored child who had such joy on his face as he talked about now being able to work with Children International and I was able to talk to Emelisa, one of our own lifters. She has the photo of her adorable sponsored child at her work area and you could see the love that she has for her. Even the drivers were dedicated to the work. One of my drivers was willing to drive me around for two days even though he was sick himself and the other driver was so kind and willing to help out whenever he could.

Each child that I visited has so much potential as all of our sponsored children do and I want my sponsored children to know this and go as far as they can with my help and with the help of CI. Meeting my children just helped to strengthen my commitment to sponsorship. If you are able to meet your child, I would encourage you to take the plunge. You will not regret it :)

Thank you, Children International for making this time such a wonderful experience for me and my sponsored children and God bless all of the work that you are doing for children and their families.