About

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Minneapolis, MN and Colegio Anexo San Francisco de Asis (CASFA) in Bogota, Colombia have an international partnership made possible through Pathways to Children. CASFA is a school operated by the Rochester, Minnesota Sisters of St Francis. The 2019 trip is the third time Pathways has arranged and sponsored this very successful student exchange  The Cristo Rey students go to Colombia for 10 days in November and work to have the CASFA students visit Minnesota in June. This intercultural exchange trip gives students life changing experiences often not available to them. While on this trip,  Cristo Rey students immerse themselves in the local culture of Bogota through one-on-one student partnerships with a Colombian CASFA student.  The Cristo Rey students “shadow” their partners, even attending internships and technical training with the native students, exposing both sets of students to completely different ways of living.

We’ll have a new post up every day of the trip from November 23rd-November 30th, written by a different member of the group each time. We’re glad to have you along with us!

Day 8: The hardest goodbye (Allison and Mitzari) UPDATED

Hey y’all! We made it to the end of our journey with the CASFA-CRJ exchange of 2019! This week was 100% the best and most service-oriented weeks for many of the students on the trip. Below, you get a taste of the emotions and love shared between the CASFA students and Cristo Rey students from Allison Robles (12) and Mitzari Salgado (12).

Ms. Martinez: Today’s trip up to Monserrate was semi-spontaneous. Originally planned for the Wednesday of our exchange, we were able to change plans around to give us a few hours up in the mountains. We explored the church and saw the image of the Black Madonna in the church. The intention for this journey besides doing last minute souvenir shopping was for the students to travel up the mountain with gratitude in their hearts, not simply to ask for more from our God. They were able to enjoy a final morning together without worrying about doing service and truly enjoyed each other’s company. The students took pictures on pictures on pictures and found the most beautiful of ways to show their love towards one another. Thankfully, we made it up the mountain without struggle, and besides heading back down a few minutes later than expected, our drive back to Bogota gave less traffic than usual.

The CRJ students prepared for the final goodbye, picking up gifts for their partners and grabbing kleenex for all. We enjoyed lunch together, painted necklaces for each other, and spent a fun afternoon together. The actual goodbye was as difficult as the students expected. As chaperones, we tried to end the dancing and fun fifteen minutes early so that we could leave on time but the goodbyes lasted much longer. Students and staff alike were crying at this “see you later” because we are hopeful that the CASFA students are able to visit Minnesota in Spring 2020. These students This family is leaving parts of their hearts in Bogota.

With the true end of the service exchange trip coming, we have so much to be grateful for in this experience. Firstly, thank you to Pathways to Children for finding the value, joy, and uniqueness in giving the opportunity for students to do this type of exchange trip. The service projects that we did made an impact on the families that we were able to partner with and truly, truly, truly changed the lives of the students involved. Secondly, we are forever in gratitude to the generous donors that make service trips like this one possible. It’s an incredible opportunity to serve those who truly need the help and exposes students to the realities of the world beyond that which we see daily. Thank you all so much for following this journey.

Allison:

Waking up today knowing that it was our last day today with CASFA team was pretty rough. I put those feelings aside and continued with a great attitude. 7:30am was breakfast time, we were a little rushed because we had an unexpected trip planned the day before and we needed to allow enough time for travel to the site and back. What is that unexpected trip you ask?  Monserrate. It’s a hill right in the center of Bogota which rises up to 3,152 metres above sea level (yeah I know I was dying), and there is a church devoted to El Senor Caido (Jesus falling in the Stations of the Cross).

 The bus picked us up around 8 or so for a one hour bus ride. It was TOTALLY worth the wait. After playing UNO and small talk on the bus, we finally arrived at Monserrate. There are two ways to go up the hill– one is hiking  and the other is through a Funicular, a train on a rail going up or a cable car. We chose the Funicular not because we were lazy but because we didn’t have enough time to both hike up and enjoy what the area had to offer. 

Going up in the funicular in the hill was such an amazing and terrifying feeling. We got there and the first thing we saw was a wishing well, I made a wish obviously which I would tell you but then if I do it won’t come true. After we went up a couple steps, we saw this AMAZING view of Bogota. It was so breathtaking and a beautiful panoramic view of the entire city. We took pictures and moved on with the amazing things Monserrate had. The chaperones gave us an hour to buy souvenirs and look around. I ate the best arroz con carne empanadas y ajicito (rice with meat and hot sauce).

After this whole experience at Monserrate, we had to go back to PACHAS for our final goodbyes. This meant another hour long bus ride, but this one was a lot different than the rest because we were asked to answer a question and share with everyone. That question? “How did this week impact and or change your life?” It was one of the most emotional bus rides I have ever been on. Some cried ,some laughed, some laughed and cried but it was nice and good because we were all there for each other.

Once we got to Pachas School, we all knew we only had a couple hours left to laugh and dance and enjoy each other’s company one last time. We started an activity where we painted a TAU cross– the symbol of the Franciscans– and put a special touch for our partners. After we had finished we had some amazing burgers that were huge  (I think Mr. Dale loved them the most). While we were eating, we watched a video with pictures of the whole trip. Then we exchanged gifts. I got a gift from both my partner’s parents who are such amazing people and from my partner.

Afterwards, we were given the following instructions. “Take off your shoes and socks.” That was it. The CASFA students prepared a slip ‘n slide for us! We all got wet playing around and it reminded me of Carnaval, a festive day that we celebrate in Ecuador. Everyone was getting wet and having fun (yes, Mr. Dale got wet too). 

Here comes my favorite part– we danced. Dancing brings people together and it sure did bring us together tonight. We danced a little bit of everything and sang songs out loud. 

 But then the hardest part came… our hardest goodbye. 

So many tears and hugs everywhere. We didn’t want to leave. It felt like a huge part of me was being taken away. This might sound cheesy but it was one of the loveliest and funniest but most memorable weeks of my life. What made it fun and lovable and memorable was CASFA. Because of them, I was able to feel so many things and cry (happy tears) so many times. I have a family in Colombia and that makes me feel complete and happy.

This trip had brought us together. Not just CASFA and Cristo Rey students, but also within ourselves. It made us realize a couple of things. It made me realize a couple things. This trip will forever stay in my heart and affect every decision I make from now on.

Mitzari:Today was a day of mainly tears, laughter, and joy all at once because it was our last day in bogota, Colombia. This morning, we had breakfast at 7:30am and were picked up at 8am to head over to Monserrate, part of the city center. We went up in the funicular, a train on a rail that goes up through the mountain. Our greeting as we got on the bus was full of excitement as always as we saw our Colombian friends. On our way, we played UNO and as we drove through the city, we passed by Calle 26 (Street 26). This was full of murals that showed the talent of the people and the history of bogota. We arrived to Monserrate and waited for tickets to ride up.As the funicular makes its way up the mountain, I could see what was the entire city of Bogotá. It looks so beautiful from the top and the view was so peaceful.We got off and walked through a trail to get a much better view which was next to a big white church surrounded of many people and tourists.After we went around and inside the church, we got to know more about what it is there and its history. I took pictures with my partner and then went and looked around to buy things to take back home. My partner Nicoll has been a huge help and has also spent a lot of time with me throughout this entire trip and I am so grateful I got to connect with her. We both walked back and forth looking at souvenirs stands because I didn’t know what to take. I wanted to take EVERYTHING home. It reminded me of when I went to Mexico and went to shop for things in Axochiapan to take back home. After we went and bought our things, we took the Funicular and made our way down to our bus to have lunch at PACHAS, a school that is less than 4 blocks away from the convent where we’d say goodbye to our partners and all of the group members. We got dropped off a block away from the convent and quickly rushed to grab the gifts we brought to exchange with our Colombian partner. We arrived to PACHAS and ate a hamburger and fried fries for our last meal which were amazing, it made me miss home.Then, we exchanged gifts with our partners and this is where it got emotional. Everyone started crying and hugging their partner. Nicoll, my partner began to cry after she opened what I had given her. I felt bad because she wasn’t crying because of her gift, she was crying at the fact we were leaving them. It was really our last day here and time flew by quick. I comforted her and hugged her. I told her we’d see each other soon. We all built unforgettable bonds and everyone created beautiful memories here. After an emotional day, I’m very thankful to experience this wonderful trip and meet everyone along this journey. I look forward to reuniting with all of them hopefully in June!

THANKS. See you in 2021, Colombia! 

With so much love and gratitude and joy,

Allison and Mitzari (and all of Colombia Crew)

Day 7: Serving with love changes lives (Janett)

Happiest of Fridays to you all! Janett Jimenez (12) describes the day’s activities through her lens. She shares powerful details of the realities of life in the hills of Soacha. Enjoy!

Ms. Martinez: 

Our travels today took us two hours to Soacha, a suburb of Bogota, to work with the organization Codo a Codo. Their volunteer-led work is centered around building houses and painting the facades in ways that the people of the neighborhood can be proud of. Our task today was to split off by CASFA-CRJ partner pairs with a family ready to have their house painted. This simple act of painting houses in the neighborhood made a big impact on the students after seeing the true work required of them. They could see that painting the houses gave families something to be proud of and to show the worth of their place in the city as the government tries to urbanize the city more and more. Each partner pair had a great story to share of the inclusive families and feelings of knowing the history that brought people to settle in this particular location of Colombia.

The hope for our students today was for their spirits and hearts to grow and open after seeing the impact their work has. Even if we can’t change the world for everyone, our work changes the world for the people we are serving this day. In our second to last day of this service exchange, all students are excited to celebrate the work they’ve done together but are not ready for the reality of the goodbyes coming their way.

Janett:

Today was a day full of bonding moments and lots of smiles. The CASFA team told us to dress up in clothing we wouldn’t mind getting dirty because we would be painting some houses. Early in the morning, everyone went to the kitchen to get some breakfast in a to-go bag because we had to be ready and outside for the bus that came to pick us up at 7:00 am. Once on the bus we were on our way to Soacha. Getting there was a two hour bus ride which I used to take a good nap. 

Arriving to the place, we were welcomed by two amazing volunteers, Marlo and Michael. They took us on a hike meet the families whose houses we would be painting. During the hike we were told about some of the history of the people in the neighborhood. We learned how people that live in the high parts of Soacha are limited with water. There are people who get water every 3 days and those who are even higher up only get water every 15 days. We also learned that there is very little help when it comes to the healthcare system and due to the population growing in this area it has been more difficult to help everyone out. There is about more than a million people living in this area and it continues to grow due to the Venezuelan immigrants who are fleeing their country and arriving in Colombia. 

When we finally got the “Codo a Codo Foundation” center we gathered in a room together and discussed our feelings towards what we were about to do (paint a family’s home). After everyone shared out, we were placed with a family. I was to help out a woman with her elder dad paint their home, so they let the way up the hill. When hiking to the home, I ended up twisting my ankle a couple of times because the roads were not flat and smooth. The roads were uneven and full of rocks along with a bunch of barking dogs that I wanted to pet. When we finally arrived, I was out of breath and amazed to know that the family had to walk all of that every single day, when going to work or when going to school. As soon as we got to the home, I was introduced to the grandma, Camila, Sebastian, and Fernando. They were the kids who lived in the home and I was happy to see them excited to see me and my partner, Sara. 

While preparing the paint, the grandmother was telling me that Camila was special. She has had more than 7 surgeries done to her and she was just 7 years old. One of them being a heart surgery because she was born with a heart problem. I was also told that she still needs more surgeries in order for her to get better, however the family was worried because the surgeries are expensive and they don’t know how they will be able to afford it. 

While painting the house, I felt joy because all of the kids and grownups were helping us out and making this activity fun. Everyone had a brush and paint in their face by the end. When we finished, painting we were offered some bread and some pop; a simple gesture from them that I was grateful for. 

While painting the house and spending time with their family, it felt as if I’ve known them forever and was part of their family. When it was time to go I felt sad to leave because the kids wanted us to join them for lunch but unfortunately we couldn’t. After many hugs we were on our way back to the center and walking back I felt proud and joyful because I knew painting a house was something small for them but to me it was much bigger and more meaningful. Getting to know their family and letting us be part of a change in their home was significant to me, especially for them to let two complete strangers in their home, was really heartwarming. Although we only interacted for an hour and a half, they felt like family.

After a long day of hiking and putting smiles on people’s faces we came back to the center and ate some amazing food and headed back to the convent. It was an amazing day and I’m sad to say it was our last service day. Can’t wait to see what we have in store for tomorrow, catch you guys later!

Signing off, 

Janett Jimenez (and all of Colombia crew) 

Day 6: Foundations of a life (Melody and Angie)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Enjoy the beautiful reflections of Melody Sol Lopez (12) and Angelica Roldan (11) today.

Ms. Martinez:

Today’s activities had us higher up the neighborhood hill than past days for a Thanksgiving with a beautiful view of the city, a most fulfilling service experience, and a reminder of all the things we have to be grateful for. The hills are full of small houses packed close together that are basically the size of studio apartments but for families of 4. The goal of the day was to build one of these houses for a family (picture), completely painted and ready to be fitted with furniture and lived in by Christmas. We split into groups to do construction, paint the roof slabs, make food for the whole group, and start the garden and got to work! 

The organization we worked with is Techos Para Colombia- Roofs for Colombia- that work to find families in extreme poverty and help create a home for them. They originally helped with women who were trapped in a cycle of prostitution by providing mental and physical health services and helping look for stable work. Those are still tenants of the organization. Anyone in their program had to commit to looking for any biological family and meeting for a year. They’ve built over 4,000 homes for families over the last 30 years. This family we worked for today fled violence and arrived in Bogota with nothing and no hope. We worked together today to make part of their dream a reality— a roof over their heads and a place to put down roots and watch the family succeed. Their backstory is heart wrenching in so many directions and it’s miraculous that they are able to be here to see a home built FOR THEM. 

At the inaugural door unlocking, we circled up and passed the house keys from person to person with a blessing before handing them to the family. They cut the ribbon and unlocked the house built by their hands and ours and immediately fell into happy tears. I wish I had the words to describe how emotional our team members were when sharing their hopes for the family. We continued the celebration over the meal we worked on together and left with an amazing satisfaction and full, full hearts. Seriously, this was an amazing Thanksgiving of service for others. 

Today we changed lives and felt God in the space from start to end. We were there to help with what God allowed us to. To help build on a dream and be witness to it. To witness the inequality in the world and our neighborhoods. Today, we served others instead of eating, eating, and watching football all day. We did celebrate with a thanksgiving meal ending the night with dancing and pictures. It’s so hard to get the two groups to say goodbye to each other. With two days to go, the MN goodbyes are already starting. We are blessed. 

Melody:

Besides waking up and knowing I wasn’t going to be able to spend Thanksgiving with my loved ones, I still managed to put a smile on my face by knowing I was able to help provide a roof for a family. Waking up at 6 am, eating fast, and hopping on the bus drained all of my crew’s energy except mine. I was so hyped blasting my music thinking of where and how the house we would be building turn out. We drove about 30 min to arrive at our destination. First thing that got me exhilarated was the dogs that were just wandering wiggling their tails and smelling me, while I was waiting for the rest to get off the bus. As we walked up through the little town, I spotted a family with 2 big posters welcoming us to their barrio.

Fast forward to being split up into groups of the different jobs we were going to be assigned to do for the day. I was placed on the construction of the house; lifting up the tiles, and painting the walls. It was such an amazing experience and seeing my group working hard, smile, and hearing laughter was such an awesome way to start my morning. As I was painting the house, Daniel, the 10 year old kid who would be living in the house, we were building asked if he could be able to paint with me and of course I said yes. So there we were working hard trying to be done with all the painting. I remember him saying “no puedo esperar de por fin invitar a mis amigos a mi casa” I can’t wait to finally invite my friends to my house. Those words struck me and made me tear up. I kept reflecting and thinking of it over and over again. I started to realize all the families that have no place to call home. It reminded me of all the homeless who are out in the cold sleeping at the parks because they can’t afford to live in a house.

As we were walking to the house where we would be having dinner, I had my head down, zoning out thinking of all these thoughts that brought sadness and sorrow for those who don’t have what most of us have. I raised my head up and right in front of me was Jorge the dad, Chary the daughter, and Daniel the brother the family of whom we would be building the house for. They were laughing and chasing each other with laughter which made my heart melt. Jorge had catch up to his kids scooped them up, hugged them tight and gave each one of them a big kiss on their forehead. I truly believe that we can find God in all things, and know it was God that placed that beautiful moment in front of me for a reason. I came to the realization that family is what makes a home and not a house. You can have all these material things in your life but it will never make you happy. Having a family that is full with love and support makes the richest person on earth with a true home.

After a long day of hard work covered in paint, we had to head back get freshen up once again for our Thanksgiving dinner. We had turkey and the meal was just amazing and delicious. I was so overwhelmed again just being away from home on a day I usually gather with my family. I had received a messaged from my mom that she loved me and that she knew it was hard for me, but that I had to be fully present and have fun. That helped a lot and I got up and tried to make the best out of the my day. I ended my thanksgiving well by dancing, singing and with so much laughter.

Angie:

Today was a wonderful day full of happiness, laughter and smiles all over the place. I woke up at 6AM and the first thing on my mind was “ This is going to be a good day, make it worth it” knowing I only have 3 days left in Colombia. Sadly, this amazing journey is almost about to come to an end. Time runs quickly, we just have to make every minute in our lives count. “ Life is a precious gift, let’s use this time wisely Angie” I thought to myself. We had a delicious breakfast at 6:30 AM where scrambled eggs, bread and hot chocolate was served. Afterwards we immediately got on the bus on our way to pick up the CAFSA kids. The long one hour bus ride allowed me to reflect on my week in Colombia. I realized how grateful I am for the life I have in Minnesota; I have a loving family, a roof over my head and food provided to me every single day. Sadly many people in Colombia do not have that. I’m coming back to Minnesota extremely grateful for what I have.

We picked up the CAFSA kids, first thing they did was fill my heart with so much joy and positive energy as they approached me with hugs and smiles. My partner, Juana, approached me with so much happiness making me feel loved. We were headed further up North preparing ourselves to build a lovely home for a homeless family. We got off the bus, first thing I see are three dogs running up to me so I obviously made the smartest decision possible..  I ran up to them as well. I hugged the dogs as if I’ve never seen any before. I just love animals how could I not.

As we walked towards the building site, I saw a family holding up a sign that said , “welcome, thank you for making our dreams come true” I instantly was put to tears. Sandra, Jorge, Daniel, Chati, thanking us for the work we were about to do. This family has been through a lot fleeing political violence but continuing to move forward. I was excited to make a big difference in these people’s lives.

We were separated in three groups; a painting group, cooking group and building group. I was assigned the cooking group. We helped prepare lunch for everyone. We started off by peeling potatoes, then they put me to prepare the chicken. I didn’t realize how difficult it was to cut the chicken, I can’t wait to show my mom what I learned, she’d be so proud. As we were preparing food, Melissa and I were singing our lungs out. I was so happy, it was like there was no worries in the world. It was just me and my friend enjoying ourselves full of laughter. Afterwards, we chopped onions, tomatoes and helped prepare rice. As we were doing this the smoke from the fire got in our eyes and we ran faster than anything. Melissa is such a joy; she made cooking extremely fun with her laughter and jokes. We helped prepare the chicken soup and guacamole and were extremely proud of our hard work. I helped serve the food and seeing everyone enjoy the food made me happy.

We finished eating, the house was finished. As I approached the house, I was amazed. I was amazed at how powerful community can truly be when they come together and set their mind to making a big change in the world. It was a small blue house, surrounded by flowers and dogs. As I looked at my peers, they were all covered in paint from top to bottom. I was so proud of them and their hard work. We did this thing where we all got in a line, we passed the key to the house one by one until it eventually got to the family. When the key reached the family, my heart sunk, I was in tears again. The family was extremely grateful for the house we helped build. The family finally had a house where they could feel at peace, where they could feel safe and happy. This lovely family finally had a place they could call home and I was so happy for them. Tears of joy ran down my face. My CAFSA team were so sweet, they just hugged me. I felt so loved and cared for. I was so proud of everyone.

We left the place and got back home to shower and change. We left and headed to pachas to celebrate thanksgiving. We had delicious turkey, mashed potatoes, salad and a small pumpkin desert. After that, it was a dance party. We exchanged cultures as we introduced a varieties of dances and music. We danced as if there was no tomorrow. The joy on everyone’s faces was incredible. I felt like I was with my family. Everyone wanted to take a picture with each other,  making everyone feel loved and cared for. We couldn’t stop talking pictures, we couldn’t stop hugging each other, we just wanted to spend the rest of the night together like little kids refusing to leave. I had such a good time, seeing God’s presence through everyone’s joy was so wonderful to see. I can’t wait to see what God has planned for me next.

Day 5: Isis and Melissa

Hey y’all– happy hump day! We’re at the middle of our trip with the end of today. Every day has been full of realities that we’ve come face to face with but today’s activity hit differently. You’ll have an intro  and will see two versions of the experience from Isis Knights (12) and Melissa Frausto (11). No pictures today because of organization rules!

Ms. Martinez: We knew that today would be fun and heavy. We went to FANA, an organization that is part orphanage, part daycare. An emotional day packed into one singular hour. Like the other days, our reflections were deeply personal and impactful, bringing us closer together through laughter, tears, and group understanding. Our travel to FANA was impacted by day seven of protests in the city. We were meant to have three hours with the FANA kids but we cut it to one to ensure our safety and ability to travel back home. That one hour was fun spent in four groups in different rooms, our team worked with kids between ages 2 and 4. We played games, singing group songs, and finger painting. Even with the shortened timeline, those kids made an impact on us. The most impactful and heartbreaking part of saying goodbye was the kids asking if we were coming back, if we really had to leave, and to take good care of each other when we leave. I do not exaggerate by saying that the majority of our group was crying on the way out whether from being overwhelmed with emotion or from seeing others in the group cry. And believe me, letting the tears out helped us really feel the full experience. Deeply heartwarming to see our group supporting each other through it all.

We went to PACHAS school for lunch and played basketball, soccer, volleyball, and ran around for a few hours before heading to a small artisanal shopping area. We were grateful that students had at least a small chance to do some souvenir shopping and get some sun! The group spent a good hour walking through looking at things and considering who and what to brings things back for. Early Christmas shopping!

Again because of protests and marches happening in the streets, we had to cancel the excursion up to Monserrate. CASFA students had us excited to go but we warned our students about reining it in just in case we couldn’t go. It’s sad for our touristy sides but nothing when put side by side with the reasoning behind the movements. Most of the schools in Bogota were closed today because of it all. We are keeping our eyes and ears open for news of what’s happening in the city an making adjustments as we go! It’s all part of the experience. 

Isis

Ten, he shouted and my eyes grew. Today, we went to FANA, which is a place for children to be taken care of in cases where their home isn’t the best environment at that current moment or even a few more moments. FANA holds about 215 kids ranging from all ages who are loved and well taken care of.  As we were there, we split into groups to work with some of the younger kids and that’s where I met one of the most intelligent people ever. But before I get into that I want to let y’all know that I wasn’t as emotionally moved as everyone else. And as selfish as it sounds, when a young Colombian kid looks at me I’m not just someone from the states but someone who has no cultural connection. And although were here to help others, I felt neglected from the entire group. This was because no one paid attention to me and yes, I understood why.  It just sucked that I couldn’t experience that personal connection with many of the kids. But, with this one kid, I knew that as soon as he spoke his future is shining right in front of him. As many of the kids didn’t interact with me, he was the only one who noticed that I was different and put that difference aside and still spoke to me as if we weren’t different. He then counted to ten in Spanish, English and German. And I was shocked at the fact he was only four years old and was able to speaking in different languages. My heart grew about an inch in every angle because he acknowledged me. He wasn’t obligated to speak to me but he did and it showed me the good that’s still in this world no matter their situation. And I will never forget that this young boy is coming from a home where he couldn’t be properly taken care of but had the strength to make my eyes glow and heart grow without knowing that I was feeling the same way he may feel at FANA. So, thank you for helping me understand that at times where my goal is to help you, the real goal is to help each other.

Melissa:

Today was a tough day. When I heard that we were going to FANA, I was confused. Later on, they explained that it was an orphanage and that we were going to do activities with them. We literally leaned the songs the day before (the chicken, the snake and the duck) and I couldn’t recall the lyrics. We got on the bus and picked up some of our leaders and then our partners. Yo, let me tell you, they came in so excited and energetic (like always) and just made me excited for the day. When we got to FANA, we noticed babies at the windows and it was the. Cutest. Thing. Ever.

We went inside and literally were told to put on these animal costumes (they were all headbands of sheep, dog, turkey, etc). Then we were put into groups and sent into the classrooms. Man, when we walked in, it was full of love and full of hugs. Soon, we started to play the songs we learned and did an art project that depended on a directed story. The looks on their faces and the laughter they had was so contagious that it made you forget that they were orphans. After that, it was time to say our goodbyes and it was hard. Many of them started to hug and give us kisses on our cheeks. It was adorable. When they started to form a line, one of them said, “cuidanse mucho.” Made. Me. Cry.

I couldn’t stop crying. Everyone started to hug me and tell me stuff to make me feel better. At that moment, I felt comforted and loved but I couldn’t stop thinking about how these wonderful children could be left there, not wanted. But Maria, the director, mentioned that some of the kids have homes and are just brought like a daycare. It did make me feel better for them but it was like, what about the rest of them? I mean, I might adopt them all but I know that I can’t handle a big responsibility like that.

I hope one day, they remember us in their successful lives. Even just a little moment.

After that, we hung out a park and had recess. Man, I got sunburned. It was a bad day to wear a black shirt. After a few hours there, we went to a market and got to see many beautiful things like traditional bracelets, cups, mugs, bags, Himalayan lamps and salt, jewelry stores and restaurants. I felt like I could be there forever. We all loved it so much that we wanted to go back.

More fun happened afterwards, but it’s all too much to tell and we want to keep that in our circle. Just know, their spiciest sauce here is barbecue. Barbecue. Sweetest thing I have ever tried. Anyways, hope you guys miss us.

All love,

Melissa and Isis  (and all of Colombia Crew)

Day 4: The (he)art of working hard (Jann)

Happy Tuesday! We had a phenomenal day today with exercise, homemade meals, and physical labor! I’m going to dive right in to today’s experience with Jann Pallazhco (11).

Ms. Martinez: Remember when I said we had an early start for the day? Today’s wake up was at 4:30am for a 5:15am departure for Usme, a locality on the outer edge of Bogota. This was a 1.5 hour drive without traffic and further up the Andes mountains- about 8,500 feet up. Today’s activity was a first for the CRJ-CASFA exchanges. We met with a leader of the Corporacion Sembradores de Identidad, an organization of women farmers that are working to keep the land rural and away from government hands. So many lessons to learn from these people. The walk to the house was mega-humbling, taking us through mud down a hill for a difficult and eye-opening experience. It took ten minutes to get down to the house which doubled as a restaurant. WILD. We split into three groups that helped with the planting process by tilling, planting, transplanting, and watering various parts of the fields.

Here are some golden nuggets from the tour:

• Free range chickens and all other life coming from farms are raised with love and respect because that will give us better nourishment.
• Some might consider us poor but we don’t see it that way. We have land, family, food, and something to do every hour of the day. We are rich beyond riches.
• The government discounted our livelihood one too many times and we had to get “political.” They did a census and didn’t count half of the people in our area just to show they could take the land freely but we are here and we are staying.
• We are not “just potato farmers.” There is dignity in all work and our hands provide for others. It is our job to protect this land.

As we prepared to leave, it was physical as well as mental preparation for the walk back up to the bus. As chaperones, we had to decide between going up to the mountain to a laguna overlooking the whole city of Bogota or heading back down to avoid traffic from the planned protests. Lucky for us, we asked for a sign and the Lord gave us rain. We couldn’t make the one hour walk up a muddy hill and back down in the pouring rain so our decision was made and it was the right one! We left right at 1pm and found our way blocked at many turns. Street after street were announced closed and the bus ride turned into 2.5 hours. The biggest impact of the protests were ending our day early and had us on a hot bus in the rain for a while. Tomorrow will be more of the same.

Pray for the people of Bogota fighting to make change for each other. Pray for the students affected by the government involvement and their strength to keep fighting. Pray for those participating in this exchange trip to find growth in each activity we experience without wishing for what we couldn’t do.

Jann:

The start was pretty rough for everyone this morning. We all got up early to get on the bus that would pick us up at 5:30 am. When we got on the bus, we were greeted by our thrilled Colombian partners who were fully awake. I honestly don’t know where they get their energy, but I’m certainly envious of it. The plan for today was to go to the rural area of Colombia, which I was hyped up for until I realized the bus ride was going to be two hours long. As we were on our way there, I thought to myself how I was going to be able to lay back and sleep for two hours more. This was until our partners had all types of dances for us to learn. Dances that would require me to transform into animals such as a baby chicken to a joyful duck.

Once we arrived there, we walked down all sorts of hills to get to the house/restaurant/tourist area of an amazing woman named Luz. There we ate breakfast that many of us described as a cleansing food because of how satisfying it felt to eat fresh vegetation. From there, we were divided into groups where some of us would go for a tour, or to the Colombian farming land to plant. This experience gave me the opportunity not only connect to the Colombian city, but also to its founding past. This had a major impact on me because of how much strength and love these farmers have to keep their ancestors’ stories alive. Luz talked about how it’s been more than twenty years now that she and other women have been fighting against the government to keep their land. She explained how the government hears their voices, but are so careless about it. A result of that was for her and various other women to come together and peacefully fight back. There we also ate lunch which was inexplicably good, making me leave my plate licked clean. We weren’t able to stay there and do other activities because of the protesting that would take place in the afternoon.

Although we didn’t spend as much time there as we had planned, I was still able to have some memorable experiences. A couple of these was as simple as eating eggs for breakfast. It just struck me how different and delicious the food was compared to what I eat at home in the U.S. It’s a big difference having farm fresh food compared to processed food we normally have. An event that connected Colombia to my Ecuadorian culture was when I picked the shovel and struck it down on the moist soil. It’s surprising how much I can connect to Colombia through not only the language, but traditions. A realization I was able to make was how I personally am not as grateful as I should be for the food I have. Today I have learned how much patience and dedication is needed for food to be produced that I simply obtain from running to a market.

On the way back I wish I could say that our ride home was of all of us sleeping, but I can’t. The bond that each of us have created with our partners have become so close that at times I don’t even feel like I’m not home because of how much they make it feel like home. When we got back to the convent we’re staying at, some of us went to the mall near us while others stayed to recover from our bonding journey. When we all reunited, we ate some ridiculously good food once again and ended our day with our daily reflection. The reflections were about the various topics we saw in this magnificent experience we got in the agricultural parts of Colombia.  To summarize the message I got from today was how the people here describe themselves as not rich but also not poor. The family, food, and will to pursue their dreams is what makes them rich by heart.

Hasta luego,

Jann (and all of Colombia Crew)

Day 3: How do you match the energy of young kids? (Hamartii)

Good evening! We’re back with the Monday edition of the Colombia exchange. Today is through the eyes of Hamartii Hailu (12) after an intro from yours truly (Ms. Martinez)!

Ms. Martinez: Today was a full day compared to the last two, with an earlier wake-up than the last. That seems to be a pattern as the days go on [stay tuned for tomorrow’s post]. We made our way to CASFA and immediately dove into the day’s programming. This was the cutest thing!!! The CASFA students from pre-k to 11th grade had presentations ready for us room to room, showing the typical dress, dance, food, and activities of various regions of Colombia. Sister Carolina told us to bring snacks for the morning if breakfast wasn’t enough and it was totally unnecessary because each group had samples of five foods at each of the five stations. So good. So full. Our students had to plan 1.5 hours worth of activities and games for students ages 4-9. Sounds easy enough but my teacher pals know that planning and executing are two totally different things. The time went by quickly though, and by the end of it, our CRJ students were riddled with hugs and hand holding and the kids didn’t want to go back to class. Connecting back to yesterday, we had a large lunch that prepped us for the next activity.

This afternoon, we walked– more like hiked– through the Buena Vista neighborhood where CASFA is located. Kathy and Brandon mentioned the altitude yesterday from three flights of stairs– Hamartii will tell you what it felt like to go up and up and up some more for a three hour tour. We hit points of the area and heard personal stories of how immigration, gentrification, and government involvement have affected the area. From “mother communities” taking care of each other to allow them to make the walk for water (which only ran for two hours a day… imagine those lines… just to get water) to extending the housing area further up the mountain as city blocks became more popular, we heard joys, sadness, and community pride. Going back down was much easier. By the end of the hike, everyone’s legs were shaking from the exertion! Not to say that we’re out of shape, just using different muscles than normal!

We left the walls of the convent we’re staying at and CASFA for the first time in our three days here. We have made adjustments to each planned activity so far. The unrest in the city has affected us at various steps and it’s made a real test of our adjustment skills. What we’re hearing from our hosts is that normally unrest lasts for a day or two but we’re on day five this time and the movement is gaining momentum. Adults of the trip are checking the news for updates and listening for whisperings of what’s planned to happen and where so that we can get plans C,D,E and beyond ready for the day. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve been safe and safety is the #1 priority from hour to hour but we’re trying to keep students engaged without missing their expectations. What a hard balance! They are making the absolute best of the situation.

Hamartii:

Today was filled with plenty of mixed emotions. The night before, the CASFA team told us that we’d be leading our own activities tomorrow, but with children from ages 5-9. I suddenly got a rush of nervousness because we had a limited time to plan our activities. I was constantly thinking about how I’d communicate with the children. When we left CASFA, Mr. Dale put numbers from 5-9 in a hat and had us pull them out to form groups of 2-3 to determine what ages we’ll be planning activities for. I was hoping to pull out the number 5 because I wanted to work with the younger children, but I pulled the number 8 and Brandon did too. When we got to the convent, Brandon and I were told that our activities would take place in a classroom. Not knowing the exact size of the classroom made it hard for us to plan activities that’ll work or not. We brainstormed a list of 10 activities that varied from very active, to very calm because we were aware of the low attention span children have. Some of these activities were telephone, musical chairs, four corners, the frog game, night at the museum, etc,. As we were brainstorming, I was anxious on how I’d engage with the students, but come to find out that was the last thing I should’ve been worried about!

Today we ate breakfast at 7:00 AM before leaving to CASFA at 7:30AM. We arrived at CASFA to the beautiful dancing of Kindergartners. My heart melted! They gifted us with hats, eye masks, along with party noise makers. They offered us a typical Colombian treat of a ball of coconut shredding which was amazing! For the rest of the morning we watched multiple other groups of students, I believe they were the ages 7-10, give a presentation about a specific region in Colombia and the dances and treats that are in those regions. My favorite moment was when we were dancing in one of the groups, and the dance teacher who was dressed in a colorful outfit, kind of like a clown outfit brought me in the middle to dance with him. I saw him making eye contact with me, and I knew right away he was going to pull me in. I was timid at first, but I loosened up and danced with him. That was one of my favorite parts of the day.

Later in the morning, it was our turn to facilitate activities for the younger kids at CAFSA. As Brandon and I were walking to our classroom, we were anxious and didn’t know what to expect… Will the kids be hyper, will the be engaged, will they not be engaged? We didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into. When we walked into the classroom the kids were excited to see us. They all screamed, “Buenos dias!” I was surprised about the energy they were giving us, and that gave me confidence and energy to give them the best of me. We started off by having the students form a circle and play an introduction game where we went around the circle and said our names and favorite animal. Then we transitioned into a Q&A where Brandon and I shared things about ourselves and gave them the opportunity to ask us additional questions they had about ourselves, where we’re from, or anything. The two weirdest questions I was asked were, “Have you ever seen a lion?” and “Are you or have you seen a youtuber before?” After the Q&A we transitioned into playing telephone. We gave them the option of using a Spanish or English phrase, they all chose English. Our first phrase was “I love you” and the second phrase was my name… which didn’t turn out well. From “Hamartii Hailu,” the final phrase was “Pollo con salchicha,” which was hilarious and was our icebreaker. Then we played 4 corners, the frog/tongue game, and heads shoulders knees and toes, which all went really well.

As it got close to wrapping up, I didn’t want to leave. Within an 1 1/2 hours, they felt like family. They reminded me of my two little brothers that I deeply miss. All the nervous thinking I had about being able to engage with the students flew right out the door when I walked into the classroom. Throughout the activities, the students were hugging Brandon and I, and asking us a lot of questions. Working with these students has been the most memorable thing with my three days in Colombia.

In the afternoon, the CASFA team wanted to take us for a walk around the different neighborhoods and talk about the history and meaning of those different neighborhoods. To be honest with you, I was excited about seeing more of the neighborhood, the culture, and the history behind it, but I wasn’t too excited about the walking. With the altitude here being thousands over sea level, I was winded after a few flights of stairs… and there were plenty of ‘few flights of stairs’.

After a 1.5 hour reflection, we hung out together joking and laughing knowing full well we have an even earlier wake-up tomorrow! What fun!

Signing off,

Hamartii (and all of Colombia Crew)

Day 2: We all speak the same language: FOOD (Kathy and Brandon)

Happy Sunday! Blessed be the hands that prepared our food… and today those hands included ours. Our bloggers today have a lot to say about the day– thanks for joining in the experience! Here are Katherine Zhagui (11) and Brandon Ramirez (11).

Ms. Martinez: Today’s experiences centered around food and culture and food and togetherness and more food. Our wake-up was slightly earlier than day 1 but worth it for a homemade breakfast from one of the CASFA student parents. Y’all, this wonderful woman woke up at 4am to make Arepas filled with fried egg for 40 people. It was an absolute delicacy but unfortunately didn’t take a single picture of them!!! We ate breakfast as a group after some more icebreakers and warm ups.

Today was also Mr. Dale’s birthday! Together, we celebrated him at breakfast, after mass, during icebreakers, at lunch… you name it, the day was about our service and exchange with undertones of celebrating another year in the life of Mike Dale. So much energy in the room just with that!

The Franciscans use the TAU symbol to signify they are a people of peace, humility, and kindness. When you see it, you know their intentions. Our CASFA friends also mentioned that one of the core values and symbols tied to the Tau is that of service. Cristo Rey is familiar with that as our Ignatian identity lives in service as well. This is exactly what we felt when we put in the work to learn more about Bogota culture and the lives of the CASFA families through story-sharing while cooking together. We even got some family secrets for their recipes! Not that I can share those with you, but I heard it. That’s what this is all about. CASFA parents joined us to make and enjoy the lunch for the day and the #1 thing we noticed was the authenticity of the people in the room. It was not about discussing differences but bringing all to the space where they could be who they are. It was amazing to share a meal with people of Bogota, Colombia and feel at home with them. They also played games, incredibly competitively I might add, with the students and showed true love for us. It’s been two long and beautiful days with our friends and they are quickly becoming family. All of those present gave themselves fully to the activities of the day and it was blessings on blessings on blessings. So much more to say but CRJ students will do that for you.

Here are Katherine and Brandon’s perspectives of the day!

Kathy:

We all started off our morning pretty early. By 7:30am, we were all on our way to CASFA. Once we arrived to the school, we all greeted each other with hugs and went to the courtyard to play some games. We were all having fun and laughing at each other when we couldn’t memorize the song that we were making. For breakfast, we were given an amazing traditional dish called arepas, and of course everyone loved it! After eating breakfast we all went to a room and had a paraliturgy, at this time we were all talking about being united and being together. When we were done with our reflection we went off and were split into groups to start preparations for our lunch.

My group was assigned to dekernel the corn. After a while we all started to get tired since it was kind of a time consuming process, by the end we weren’t only tired but our thumbs were in pain after having to take off every individual kernel off the cob. At the beginning we were all split up but at the end we were all working with together at either peeling potatoes, preparing the herbs, decorating the lunchroom or, dancing and singing. After a while we all ended up at the courtyard playing soccer.

Once it hit 1 pm, lunch was ready we all went and sat with our partners and their families. My partners mom and older sister came. Once they saw me they both greeted me with big hugs and a kiss on the cheek, at that moment it made me think a lot about my family since that’s the way we all greet each other. When we all sat down and settled in we started to talk and get to know more about each other. My partners mom reminded me a lot about my mom since she was so energetic and happy to be there.

When it was time to eat, we all ate happy. We made a traditional soup called ajiaco and another traditional dish called envueltos. The envueltos reminded me of  sweet tamal, it had queso fresco and some guayaba paste inside. After we were ate and spent some time talking, we were split up again but this time we were with the parents as well. We had three stations, one was karaoke and dancing of course, another one was a traditional game called la rana and a game that combined hula-hopping and rock paper scissors, and finally the last game was like soccer but at each goal was to knock over a tower of bottle lids.

After the games the parents said their goodbyes and left. Once they left we went to the courtyard again and split up into new groups and did a scavenger hunt. We were all running over over the school and trust me, the difference in altitude is so real. When we were running up the stairs, I started to breath heavy and my throat got dry right away. I remember being at the top floor and taking a break when Isis’ partner Francisco told me to keep going and keep running, all I did was look at him like he was crazy because all I wanted to do at that moment was pass out.

By the end of the day were were all tired and ready to rest. Before leaving we all shared out something were seeking to accomplish by the end of this amazing trip. I shared out that I wanted to learn, so far during this trip I have learned many things about not only my partner but also the culture.

Brandon:

Today was a day full of craziness, unity, happiness and of so much exchange and you will find out in just a moment why. We woke up a little early and we left the convent at 7:30. I was really tired. We left early because we were going to have breakfast at CASFA. When we arrived we went to a little soccer field they have to do an activity that is a little ice breaker. For breakfast we had these delicious arepas with egg inside that, let me tell you, were amazing. After breakfast, we went into a room to have liturgy and it was planned to have mass but the priest couldn’t show up. We learned a little about the Franciscans because their school was built by them. After that we celebrated Mr. Dale’s birthday and he got a cake, with a lot of bags of chips.

After liturgy is when all my emotions that I didn’t even know I had came out so many things happened in such a short amount of time. We started cooking, peeling and dancing we had people peeling potatoes, others grinding corn to make masa for envueltos, few people setting the tables up and others making the flavored water. During this period of time we had people switching roles and when we had a little bit of time we would start dancing. US showed Colombia how to dance to our music and they showed us how to dance to their music. I did a little bit of everything from cleaning the berries, cutting and squeezing limes to grinding and making the envueltos to also peeling potatoes, a little bit of setting tables up and the other thing is sweeping. We all had fun doing all the prepping and cooking because we did it as a community. We worked so hard on everything we did.

We made everything with love and a lot of things went into making the food, like our literal sweat and blood. Nobody ever complained and everyone wanted to pitch in on everything. This felt like a family the way I felt today is something I have never felt in my life, the great joy and love I felt is something unbelievable. Even though we all knew we had to get things done, we all found time play around and dance. This reminded me of my country of Mexico and also of my family because anytime we cook we do it with love and passion. Another thing is that we all dance and come together when we have food. When us as Latinos we have food we have a huge party and we share a meal while we talk, dance and everything in between. Our basis of life and our culture is to always make new family and this is exactly how I felt.

After we were done with the food we all talked, danced and played a little soccer. I kept on getting told not to play because I have ankle injury but when you are in the middle of a soccer country you have to play specially if it’s my passion. So me being me I didn’t listen and played but I played goalie most of the time so I wouldn’t get hurt worse than what I am already. Sharing the field with people of different backgrounds and skill levels is so fun because we leave everything behind and just focus on this beautiful game.

After this hard work of prepping food and our small soccer game everything paid off when I got to meet my partners aunt and sister because of how loving and welcoming they were. The food was delicious and the conversation I had was something that I wouldn’t trade for anything. I also got to meet Felipe’s parents and they were hilarious and so interesting. The parents were so welcoming and they made me feel like I was their kid because they didn’t care that they didn’t know me. They still hugged me and talked with me like I was a friend or someone they knew for a long time. The love and unity we had today was so crazy because these things are not something that I can experience back in MN and it’s so weird to have these mixed feelings. The energy that everyone brings is so cool that when the parents left we were all sad to see them go, even the parents didn’t want to leave because of the connection we built with them.

The last thing we did before departing was a scavenger hunt which was so energy draining because of the altitude. We ran around the whole campus and we could barely run while we saw our CASFA partners running so fast. I though that the altitude was not going to affect me but when I started running up the stairs I knew the altitude is no joke. I know I’m a little out of shape but usually I could  have run up all the stairs but not in this country. After we finished we had a small reflection and we all said our goodbyes and left.

This day thought me so much about life, Latino culture, love, respect, care and so much more. I personally felt so many new emotions I had never felt and I was scared because even though it has only been 2 full days, I am so attached to them that I know it will hurt so much to say good bye. Just saying bye to the families were hard now I cannot imagine having to say bye to my partner I don’t know how I will do it.

Now to prepare for a longer day tomorrow!

Kathy and Brandon (and all of Colombia Crew)

Day 1: CRJ-CASFA come together (Carlos and Alex)

Welcome to the official day 1 of CRJ-CASFA exchange! Your hosts for Saturday, 11/23, are Ms. Martinez (intro), Alex Peralta (12), and Carlos Loja (11). The day kept the students too busy to take pictures so this will be more chapter book than picture book!

Ms. Martinez: Our official day one started with a relaxed wake-up, breakfast, and time to make our way to the first meet-up with our Colombian partners. At 9:30am, we hopped on the bus and rode through the traffic-less streets of the city to get to CASFA and WOW did we receive a phenomenal welcome from the group right at the school gates.  These student pairs communicated through messages for six months before finally meeting today. The reactions did not disappoint! They immediately fell into friendship through icebreakers and activities. Unfortunately because of the turmoil around us, we had to change plans from going downtown to see murals of the city to learning in-house from the CASFA students. One extremely powerful moment for me was when Sister Carolina abruptly stopped our game of freeze tag to get us into a room for the students to do a presentation showing what life in Colombia and neighboring countries has been like for the past few years. I’ll let Alex and Carlos share what details and feelings they remember but there were tears, song, hope, and power in our gathering together this day. If day one provoked tears, imagine what the rest of the week will do to us! 

Alex: 

It was honestly such an amazing day! I was filled with emotions of excitement and nervousness on the bus ride to CASFA. Although I had talked with my partner for a few months, I did not know what exactly to expect. We were greeted with cheers of joys and high fives. From there, we moved to the courtyard and the CASFA students began with icebreakers. Songs were sung, names were memorized, people were dancing, and overall everyone was having a fun time. I finally communicated with my partner and it turned out so much better than what I thought it would be! Because of the turn in events in the city, we were placed in a room where we learned about Colombia’s biodiversity. A short break soon followed in which games were played in the courtyard.

After a game of freeze tag, we were called back in to go back in the same room we were in before. Music was playing, but it was the type of sad music which makes you deeply reflect. After getting seated, three students came out dressed up with half of their face painted as a skull. Each one of them told a story about a person. I’ll admit, it was very depressing. Each story was sad, talking about how their lives were taken away by Colombian paramilitaries, how they murdered, abused, and violated people. The experience was so deeply captivating as it brought a whole new wave of reality that this type of violence exists. After the stories were done, a unicorn pig was handed out and everyone wrote something on there which they wanted for the future. We then assembled in a circle and passed the unicorn pig around. Instead of passing it around in a circle, it was thrown to other people until Felipe (CASFA student) purposefully dropped it. I was honestly confused. But then he said that this is what happens, people shatter our hopes and dreams. And it was honestly such a strong and deep action which revealed what was going on at a larger scale. We were told to rebuild the unicorn pig even though its pieces were shattered all across the floor. Everyone in the room came together and grabbed the little pieces to try and tape it together. It resembled how we can work together to rebuild a community which has been destroyed by others even though there are scars left. We weren’t able to completely rebuild it but we do still have time until the end to try and piece it back together.

After such a heavy session, we took our lunch break and the time to leave came quickly. I honestly didn’t want  to leave as it was such an amazing experience which I wanted to continue. We departed from our partners and head back to the convent. The opportunity to exchange our money for Colombian pesos came up and we headed to the mall to do this. There was a supermarket nearby and we all went to pick up stuff. There was so much inside! I had to get the Colombian candy. The checkout was a bit confusing especially with the unfamiliar currency. Once we all paid, we headed back to the convent where we waited for dinner time. The food was delicious and we used time after to reflect upon our experiences from the day. We had our final reflection as a group and the conversations were quite heavy. After a day full of activities and deep experiences, we are ready to go to sleep and prepare for a new day.

Carlos: 

We all woke up and had breakfast together. To our surprise, none of us seemed tired, we were all full of energy. We talked and shared with one another and had a pretty good time. After breakfast, we went outside and admired the wonderful weather the day had given us and explored around for a little bit. We got ready and waited for our bus to come and take us to CASFA. We took pictures around and were just hanging out for a little bit outside. At 9:30 AM we got on the bus and were headed to CASFA. We were all talking about how excited but also nervous we were about meeting our partners for the first time.

We got there and when we entered we were all greeted by our partners and teachers with a lot of love. We started to recognize our partners we spent months texting with and finally spoke with them person to person. They led us to the court their school had and Francisco (one of the CASFA students) started the icebreakers. We began with some games they had and got everyone moving and dancing together, it was a really good time. Then we played games to get to know our names and stuff. Something that stood out to me is how everyone got along really well despite the fact it was the very first time meeting them. Through the games it felt like we’ve known each other for a long time. After all the icebreakers, we went to our room to watch a documentary of how Colombia’s environment and biodiversity was really amazing. We started to have conversations with our partners and got to know one another even more. In my case, me and my partner talked about what we liked (sports, music and hobbies). We even talked on how Colombia has been facing hard times but that it can be seen everywhere. I liked the way she thought about her country, she felt tired of the people getting treated like that because the way the government runs the country, it’s hard for everyone to have a better future. We had so much to talk about that they let us go outside to the courtyard. We ended up playing soccer, hide and seek, and freeze tag. We had so much energy and enjoyed playing as a whole group. I feel that moments like those make us more united and have a stronger bond.

After playing for some time we went back to a room that they set up for us. First we had a reflection and prayer. We then had a presentation by three students who wanted to share the stories of victims of corruption and abuse of the government. They dressed up and had make up and told the stories in the perspective of the families of the victims which really was impactful on all of us. Later they did an activity that is something I will never forget. They had everyone write a word that came to our minds on a piggy bank. After everyone had written their word we got in a circle and were instructed to share out loud. They started but then thew the piggy bank across the room to one another and I was like, “why are the throwing it? It might fall and break.” But then one of the CASFA students got it, Felipe, and threw it on the floor and broke the piggy bank. He then went on to say how by him throwing the piggy bank to the floor with all the words we wrote was how governments destroyed the hopes and lives of communities. That really stood out to me because it made realize how deep this problem was for everyone and that they hated going through these situations. Then we all worked together to put all the pieces together that represented a community having resilience and hoping and working for a better future.

Afterwards, we went to get lunch and had time to have to chill with our partners. The bus came and we said our goodbyes to one another. We headed back to our convent and on the bus were all sharing how we felt. In the afternoon we went to a mall to exchange our money for Colombian currency and thankfully it went really smooth and we went to a store and bought some things. We went back to the convent and had dinner, and just like breakfast, we all sharing and talking. We ended the day with our reflection and we shared on how today was a really fun day and what parts stood out for us. Hopefully the next 8 days are just like today because so far this trip has been phenomenal, in my opinion.

Reflection questions for the night: How did your interaction with your partner go for day one? Is there anything you would have done differently and be better? How did the presentation of Colombian history and unrest affect you? How did you feel in our space after a major change of pace from the morning activities?

General feelings for the trip so far are tiredness, thirst, excitement, and anticipation for what’s to come!

Until next time,

Alex and Carlos (and all of Colombia Crew)

Colombia, CRJ is in the house!

Hey y’all– Ms. Martinez here ready to lead you through our first day of travel!

We all love a good airport adventure story, right? Strap in because we’ve got a good, wholesome one for the start of the 2019 Colombia exchange trip! A blessing unto itself! There are few ways to make an airport story exciting, but I’ll give it my best shot.

Leaving CRJ at 6:30am!

The story for our 18-person team begins at 5:45am sharp the fine morning of Friday, November 22. There’s a beautiful tradition building as the CRJ-CASFA exchanges happen year to year which is to gather as a community (for those willing to brave the early wake-up) and pray together for a safe journey and to send the team off in style. I am never reminded more of the love, camaraderie, and unfailing Cristo Rey community than when they answer the call to show support for students. We had parents, faculty, and staff join in AT 6:15AM to send us on our way.

Now for the airport. We unloaded thirty bags, give or take a few, and walked to one floor then another then another going up and down and this way and the other because we just couldn’t figure out where exactly to find our group check-in location. Classic. After triple-checking that we all had passports at the ready, we made it through security with only one person having to give up some lotions, facewash, and the like from their carry-on luggage. We have a first-time flyer with us, folks! With forty-five minutes to find ourselves some grub and make it to the gate for the first leg of our flight, I can say we successfully made it… even if some were rushing by the end. We all made it!

Super comfy for the plane

Connecting in Atlanta for a short one hour, we weren’t going to let the group run free because gates and terminals went every which way. Airplane food really isn’t that bad anyways. We did another passport check just in case something happened between connections and we were grateful for the multiple checks after witnessing a family on our flight struggle to find theirs. Thankfully, we all made it onto our flight, left ON TIME, and arrived safe and sound on Colombian soil. Sure, we had crying babies on the flight, some slept through the meal, and others left things behind on the plane, but we made it!

Now for the expected twist! When we arrived in Colombia, we got news that there was a citywide curfew enacted following some unrest in the city this week. What that meant for us is that transportation wasn’t possible around the city and we’d have to spend the night in the airport. Fear not, after the roller-coaster of emotions as we snaked through the lengthy Immigration line, we found out that our transportation from the airport was allowed AND we didn’t have to worry because our hosts had our pickup double- and triple-checked throughout the day. Small blessings at every turn.

It was a long day for us all but that isn’t lowering the energy and excitement for the week ahead of us! In this short time together so far, a group Snapstory was started and relationship building is well underway. Thank you for your prayers and well-wishes!

Our reflection questions for the night: What, if any,was the most negative feeling you had today and why? On the flip side, what are you thankful for that we experienced today and are looking forward to?

Love, peace, and chicken grease,

Ms. Martinez (on behalf of the Colombia Crew)

CRJ Colombia Exchange 2019

We’re one week away from our exchange trip to Bogota, Colombia! Considerable work has gone into the planning, fundraising, and generating excitement for the participants this year. The team got to work immediately over summer 2019 to prepare and stay on top of tasks needed of them. Needless to say, the Colombia Crew is a bundle of excitement and nerves but are ready to go!… besides packing.

We’ll have a new post up every day of the trip from November 23rd-November 30th, written by a different member of the group each time. We’re glad to have you along with us!