Most students will spend their spring break sleeping for the majority of the week, playing lots of video games, or vacationing to an exotic beach in the Bahamas. However, last week seventeen students packed their bags and travelled all the way to the middle of the Amazon to a small city called Leticia, Colombia.
Although the weather was quite the opposite of snowy Memphis, it was in no way a relaxing vacation. The students spent five days ministering to dozens of orphans at a local orphanage, La Aljaba. Between full days of VBS and long nights of worship and fellowship, the students were able to catch a glimpse of the joys of living on mission.
As with any missions trip, there were fun days and some “less fun” days. For instance, one day the students all paired up with an orphan and took his or her buddy on a field trip. Our team went to a place called Monkey Island where monkeys would leap from person to person, swinging across peoples arms and legs as we handed out bananas. It made for an excellent photo-op!
Another day, we spent the majority of the day painting new classrooms for the orphanage. It was one of the hottest days of the week, and no doubt our most exhausting. However, from the mouth of an employee at the orphanage, our students were Christ-like in their spirit and in their work ethic.
The highlight from the entire week was the relationships our students formed with the kids. It was a tear-jerking moment as our students had to say goodbye on the last morning unsure when the Lord would cross their paths again. Our team has come home with a heart for missions and a desire to return to Leticia, Colombia. What an awesome spring break!