At birth neither Miguel’s arms nor legs would stay in a normal posture.  His mother Carmen began the grueling schedule of daily two hour round trip bus rides to San Cristobal for physical therapy.  That is until she was diagnosed with cancer.  Then her eighteen year old sister in law Josmay stepped in to take over while Carmen recovered from surgery and radiation therapy.

Today Miguel has use of his arms due to therapy.  He must see the doctors in Caracas every twenty days for evaluation and adjustment for his therapy.  The twelve hour overnight bus ride is intolerable for him so he and his mom fly to Caracas.  So far they have made sixty four such trips.  Expensive surgery on his pelvis, knees and ankles is in his future but there is hope that he may someday walk.

Their tiny home is set up to accommodate Miguel.  Furniture is sparse and nothing is kept on the floor so he can crawl and scoot about as he pleases.  Josmay continues to live in the home and Miguel calls both women mama.

His father, Miguel also, has made him a board for scooting about the floor and a bicycle which he can propel by hand.  He works as a school teacher making minimum wage and all income goes towards food and Miguel’s medical expenses.

Due to the families financial circumstance and Miguel’s need to be in a loving and accepting environment Andean Aid has enrolled him in our school Colégio Privado Juan Christiansen tuition free.  I had the opportunity to witness Miguel giving a presentation at school.  He was determined to stand for this and fell four times until he could brace himself against the wall standing.  With a huge smile on his face.  We are pleased to serve this incredible little boy and this inspiring family.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Mariana is an adorable five year old.  She is friendly, outgoing and trusting.  Great traits – except when you are roaming the streets of the city.  Then such traits can prove disastrous.

Her mom is a single working mother with two older children.  Children with problems that consume her time, energy and money.  She works as a hairdresser and having no place to leave Mariana would bring her along to work.  Invariably Mariana would get bored at the salon and wander into the streets to play.

Concerned citizens contacted the administrator of our school Colégio Privado Juan Christiansen to see if there was anything we could do.  Evaluating the situation we decided to bring Mariana into our school tuition free.  This frees her mom to earn an income stress free and gives her time to address the other family concerns.  Mariana loves her school and is flourishing there.

Though Colégio Privado Juan Christiansen is a private school we are reaching into the community, and the community is reaching out to us, to serve those with special needs.

I hoofed it down the far end of a concourse and arrived at my gate as stated on my ticket.  After getting settled in all nice an cozy a gate change was announced.  My new gate was at the far end of a completely different concourse.  That gate was a madhouse.  There were far more people than available seats.  American Airlines was trying to motivate people to take a later flight with three hundred dollar travel vouchers per ticket.  Then it was announced that there was too much carry-on luggage and some of it would have to be checked-in.  People were given the opportunity for this but some were forced.  Luckily I avoided this.  Then when it came time to board the employees were completely exasperated in trying to board by boarding code.

As it turned out the boarding code boarded the plan front  to back.  As Group two were trying to board they had to climb over Group one trying to get their luggage in the racks.  Before we boarded I heard the American airlines ticket agent across the hall for a trip to Boston announce that she was boarding the plane rear to front.  I nominate her for president of American Airlines.

The flight to Miami was alright.  The only two things I remember about my long layover there is the fourteen dollars I spent on the most terrible lunch I’ve eaten (well half eaten) and that they charged five dollars for a half hour of internet access.  It gets my vote for worst airport of the trip.

I arrived right on time in Medellin last night.  Pastor Daniel and his wife were there to greet me as well as my friend Fabio and his wife Nora.  What a relief to see them.  I was prepared for the hour long drive to the city.  We stopped briefly for coffee at an outdoor eating spot near the airport.  As we continued Fabio turned off the road and started driving up the mountainside on a dirt road.  I found out that we were to spend the night at Fabio’s farm on the mountainside very near the airport.  This would allow me to get a couple more hours of sleep.  What a blessing this was!

The flight to Bogota was short and very good.  Copa Airlines are very nice and professional and the planes are spotless.  I had a four hour layover in Bogota and had no Colombian pesos.  My last meal was on the flight the night before and I wouldn’t arrive in Cucuta until one O’clock in the afternoon.  I ventures out of my concourse and found a money exchange place and exchanged twenty dollars.  For this I had to present my passport to be photocopied, sign a form and get fingerprinted!

On my final flight I sat next to Orlando who works for a foundation in Bogota that works through the church to provide aid to poor children.  We had a lot in common and talked throughout the trip.  Gave me good practice since he spoke no English.

My friends met me at the airport and there was no trouble with the border crossing.  We were in a terrible traffic jam in Cucuta.  The rest of the drive to Rubio was uneventful.  More tomorrow.  I’m getting tired just writing about this trip.

The agenda is full.  A couple days ago I had to make the painful decision to eliminate a stop to a new city where our services may be needed.  It caused some disappointment.  I’m disappointed, but you can only do so much.  The conference in the jungle is taking a big chunk of the trip.  I’m looking forward to the Grand Opening of our new school Colegio Privado Juan Christiansen.  Getting together with the board of our civil association Una Sonrisa Para Todos is always enjoyable.  They always give me a dose of enthusiasm.  It will be exciting to meet the board of our new NGO (Non Government Organization) in Colombia.  We will be expanding our ministry in Colombia as well as in Venezuela.  Then there will meetings with the pastors in communities waiting for one of our Help and Hope Centers.  Hopefully I can provide encouragement to them.  I also have to ask for their patience.  How I wish we had the resources to open all of these Centers now.