Goodbye Popayan

                             

Everyone is finally healthy.  Thanks for all your prayers!  Flurry of activity the last few days.  It started on Wednesday at 1:00 when Luis, our translator called.  “Jason, the judge is ready to give the final sentence for Nola.  We need you at the courthouse at 2:00.”  We had been waiting for a week for the call, so a few clothes to iron and away we went.

The Final Sentence

The judge was a very sweet lady.  The final sentence involved just signing a couple papers and took only about 10 minutes.  The judge said something a few times that Nancy and I thought was funny.  She kept saying, “you are so young to have so many children.”  What a compliment.  I am the first to say 40 is the new 20, but at 42 I confess I’m not feeling any younger.  Luis told us that in Colombia most people have two . . . MAYBE three children, “but five,” he said, “that’s crazy around here.”  It was a really neat moment . . . the very second I signed the sentence Nola was officially ours.

The Judge in her office right after signing the final sentence

The Judge's staff

The Gift of Time

Registration Office

We immediately went to the registration office to get her new birth certificate.  That’s when Luis came out shaking his head saying, “you can’t even believe the miracle that just happened.”  Remember the elections that I’ve been writing about??  Well, if the judge hadn’t seen us that afternoon, we wouldn’t have been able to go to the registration office until the next morning . . . only problem with that is the registration office decided that day that it was going to close for the elections and not open again until NOVEMBER 8!  No one could have known . . . except for maybe God!  Two hours would have cost us an additional two weeks.  Wow.

Leaving Popayan . . . harder than we would have expected when we came here.  In the two weeks we’ve been here, we have made numerous friends and experienced God’s love in a very real way.  But the day after receiving our sentence, our time had come to go . . .

. . . but not quite yet. 

Foster Home Visit

A few posts back I mentioned a sibling group of five who needed a home.  A few of our friends donated toys and gifts for us to give to orphaned children when we came to Colombia.  On Thursday morning someone called us up and gave us an opportunity to travel to the foster home where the five children are being cared for and to meet them.  We did take pictures, but the Colombian authorities told us this was a special exception and asked us under no circumstances to share the pictures through blog or email.  But this I can tell you . . . they are amazing, sweet, beautiful children . . . four girls and one boy between two and 11 years old.  Please, please pray that someone would come along and take all five children.  Maybe that person is you?

Arriving at the foster home

We also had opportunity to visit and ICBF office.  It was located in a very poor neighborhood.  I can’t say enough good things about the ICBF, also known as Bienestar Familiar.  They are among the best foster care systems I have every seen.  I am certain they are one of the best in the world.  Don’t let fear stop you from adopting from Colombia.  They are very committed to the well-being of their children and the safety of those who are coming to adopt them.

An ICBF neighborhood office

Two women in a window (and me in the mirror)

A poor neighborhood a block from the ICBF building

Girl walking home from school (same neighborhood)

Two boys playing on way home (same neighborhood)

Even in poor neighborhoods . . . the elections are big

Celebration Lunch

After our visit to the foster home, out attorney invited us to a lunch celebration at a beautiful restaurant (strange juxtaposition to what we had just seen, we were all the more grateful).  We only stopped shortly at Luis house.  Cristina and their girls were there.  They greeted us with beautiful gifts.  We were so honored by the love the displayed to us.

At lunch, we received our final paperwork and had to say our final goodbyes to some very special people.  It was difficult.  These are the people who have Doctorate degrees and work for very little.  They are the ones who have overseen the care of Nola since she was two months old.

Lunch at El Quijote (it was GOOD FOOD!)

Doctora Margloris (our attorney) and Nina

Nancy and Cristina

Big Moment

As we made our final drive, the night before we left, to La Casa de Mima, Luis said, “there is one last thing you need to see.”  He drove slowly past a bakery on a very bad side of town.  He said, “you see there . . . that bakery used to be a very bad tavern called La Barra . . . this is the place where Nola was born and lived for her first two months.”  La Barra had been shut down a year earlier because it had been a major epicenter of crime and vice.  Truth is no one really knows when Nola was born . . . only that her mom abandoned her at four days old.  But how awesome to know that Jesus, the King of Kings, was inside her mother’s womb, knitting her together, cell by cell and rejoicing over her with singing from the very moment of conception . . . and that in the small upper room of that tavern on the wrong side of town, Jesus was proclaiming that this unwanted baby girl was a daughter of the King . . . destined to be a woman of greatness.  And she’s our daughter too . . . and we couldn’t be more proud.

La Barra (on left corner) . . . birthplace of a precious child

Talking to Francisco

Olga, Argenis and the Damkoehlers . . . one last photo

Argenis and the girls

Leaving La Casa de Mima took some effort, but even in our last hours he had some neat moments.  In the last few days before we left, an Austrian man named Francisco came to live there.  At 71-years-old, Francisco still travels the world, stopping off in Popayan two-months of every year.  We just happened to catch him for a few days.  But in the last two hours Francisco and I had a chance to talk, and this former world-class business man showed a tender heart as I shared with him about the God who loves him enough to die for him.  Please pray with me that God would completely capture this good man’s heart and extend his years on this earth.

Goodbye Friends

Luis and I drove alone to the airport with Nancy and the children in another car.  “Jason, I wanted to drive alone with you to the airport, because I know everyone will be there wanting to say goodbye to you . . . I have translated for over 40 families that were adopting and never have my wife and I been touched or felt drawn to a couple like you and Nancy.”  This sharp, 34-year old businessman and translator deeply touched me with his words and with the way he shared his heart with me on this trip.  Hopefully some of you will be able to meet him one day.

After leaving La Casa de Mima we said goodbye to Luis, Cristina, Olga and Argenis at the airport . . . we had a whole crew saying goodbye . . . it was very touching.  We gave last hugs and walked through security to the terminal and a large door was shut behind us.  An airport security guard named Anderson who dreams of being a translator one day helped us get five children, a dozen bags and fourteen shoes through security (we became quick friends and exchanged emails . . . thanks Anderson!).

The last flight out of Popayan (Anderson in the orange vest in back)

Most Special Moment

We waited for about 20 minutes and finally the call came to board the plane.  It was at that moment one of the most touching moments in my life happened.  Just as we were walking through the door to cross the tarmac and board the plane, I heard Anderson call my name.  “Stop Mr. Damkoehler!  There is someone who must see you!”  I turned around and there was our friend Federico.  He eyes were filled with tears.  “Mi Hermano . . . my brother!” he shouted.  I had already passed through security, so there was no way I could get to him.  But another security guard whose heart was as big as his biceps cracked a half-smile and motioned for me to pass back through.  At 71, Federico bear hugs like a man half his age.  “I have been waiting on the other side of the door for twenty minutes trying to get them to open it.  I love you brother.  Your family means so much to me.  Thank you for sharing your lives with us.”

What an amazing man.  What amazing people. What an amazing country.  What an awesome God.

We arrived in Bogota late last night . . . will be here at least a week.  Visiting a missionary and a small neighborhood church on Sunday morning.  Will post again on Monday.  But here are some more pix from our adventures in our last days in Popayan.

Love you all.

Luke in the back courtyard of Casa de Mima (they played out here a lot).  Kole "accidentally" fell in the pool a time or two :)

Middle courtyard of Casa de Mima

One of our bedrooms

Fruit cart (these are everywhere)

Graffiti

My favorite spot

At the mall with Luis, Cristina and family

Great lunch

Luis and I visited a coffee cooperative

Reaching out to people in the square

Sharing Jesus (and food) with more people

Square at Popayan

The police were everywhere!  One of them was interested in Luke's "five finger" shoes.

New armored vehicle. Used to it now.

Visiting Luis' building project

Cute

Cuter

Cutest

The People of Popayan

The best thing about spending an extended time in one place is getting to know the people.  After a few days of pleasantries, you begin to have opportunity to connect with people on a personal level.  That’s what’s been happening here.

Nola Update

She’s continuing to grow in her connection with Nancy.  No more crawling out of bed to sleep on the floor . . . actually just the opposite.  We have to pry her out of mom’s arms to give Nancy an little breather from time to time J. We also have a new word to add to her list of cute things she says . . . “boom-bah.” This is what she calls balloons . . . SO cute.  “Chiclet” means gum.  This poor girl . . . she speaks hundreds of Spanish words . . . and we understand so few of them . . . she’s probably thinking, “come on people!”  But if there exists any frustration in her heart, you’d never know it, as her number one favorite word has become “mama.”  It’s awesome.

Sisters watching Dora the Explorer

In the pickup

Nola in the backseat

Nola blessed me yesterday when she came running down the hall in La Casa de Mima and jumped into my arms yelling “papa.”  I immediately gave her all my credit cards.

 Lots of work . . . but bonding is happening.  We so love this little Colombiano.  You will too.

Church Service

On Wednesday I got a visit from our new friend Frederico (wrote about him in our last blog) . . . He came to see us and said in wonderful Colombian-accented English, “Jason, my brother, may I call you Reverend?  I only ask one thing of you . . . that you have a church service for me before you go back to America.”

So that’s just what we did.  The next morning, Frederico came over at 8:30.  I prayed that morning that God would give me something to share with him.  He and I spent two hours in the back courtyard under a warm Colombian sun talking about Jesus, how no one has the power to overcome the penalty of sin on their own, and how Jesus is truly the one and only way to God. It was awesome.

Church with Frederico

But here’s something more awesome.  After we finished talking, I noticed Arhenis, the housekeeper had been sweeping up behind the orange tree in the courtyard.  She had been listening to us speak and had been weeping.  I truly believe that even though Arhenis does not speak a word of English, she felt the reality of the presence of the Living God and it moved her.  Frederico interpreted for me as I shared with Arhenis about my families appreciation for her and God’s love for her.

Nancy and Arhenis

Working out

No change in the family routine where working out is concerned.  Give Nancy 9 square feet and a work out will happen.  Doing P90X . . . Kole says is stands for “puke 90 times.”  He may be right!

Student protests

The students continue to protest.  Luke and I went for a walk yesterday to spend time together.  As we walked towards the square, we saw large crowds starting to gather and heard a lot of shouting.  Before we knew it, a sea of students were marching down the road on one side of us and a battalion of riot police were deploying on our other side.  No so good.  Made it out fine.  No violence during that protest, but thing are continuing to escalate.  It was a good things for Luke to see.

Last night, Nancy and I ventured out to a festival they are having in the city square 3-blocks from where we are, when we arrived, things were peaceful, but the Policia were fully deployed.  They had a gigantic armored vehicle, barricades, and about 100 police in full riot gear.  It was a very unique juxtaposition.  A festival with thousands of people and vendor booths surrounded by a perimeter of riot police standing behind large barricades to hold back hundreds of protesting students.  Oddly enough, we’ve gotten used to it and feel pretty safe.

Festival in the square

Armored vehicle (yikes!)

Students starting to gather for another protest

Visit to Luis and Christina’s Home

Luis and Christina's Casa

While we were there we bumped into Christina, the beautiful wife of our translator and friend Luis.  We’ve had opportunity to spend time in several people’s homes while here, Luis and Christina have been a huge blessing to us.  We spent Tuesday in their home for lunch and playing soccer with a neighbor boy named Victor.  We have really connected with this couple and plan on having their family visit us in the Illinois in the spring. 

Soccer!

Luis's office building (under construction)

Nancy and Christina

Luis has helped us do late night runs to the pharmacy for more ibuprofen, showed us how people live, brought us to the mall to get groceries . . . so much.  We went on pick-up truck ride on Wednesday to see how the wealthy people live in Popayan.  Popayan has 90% unemployment . . . the most in all of Colombia.  Tomorrow we are going with Luis to the “rough side” of town. I want our children to see the struggle of how many people live.

 

 

Farm

Remember Frederico . . . the guy I had church with?  He showed up yesterday and said he wanted to show our family something very special.  So we all loaded up in his little Dodge Spirit and drove 30-minutes to a wildlife preserve in the country.  SO beautiful.  Frederico interpreted as a guide showed us through the whole park.

We love spending time with Frederico.  Everything always comes back to Jesus with him.  “Jason . . . you are my brother . . . Jesus has brought you to me to teach me about who he is.”  If only you knew Frederico how Jesus is using YOU to teach ME about Him.

Every bird, plant, tree, gato we see . . . he talks about how God created it for us to enjoy.

Frederico and mi familia at the farm!

Nancy and Frederico

Coffee Plantation

After we had some water and juice, Frederico said there was one more thing he wanted us to see.  We drove off into the mountains and after 20 minutes we saw a huge coffee plantation on the side of the mountain.  “What is this place?” I asked him.  “This is my home hermano,” he said.

Frederico is an architect by trade.  25 years ago after living in a shack after his home was destroyed by the 1984 8.8 magnitude earthquake that destroyed Popayan, he sold his car to out a down payment on this home, with apromise to the owner that he would pay the full amount in 6-months.  He prayed that God would help him.  One day he “randomly” bumped into an American who was visiting Popayan to purchase some horses.  He tookan immediate liking to Frederico and asked him to be his interpreter.  Frederico took him up on it.  After two months, the job was done and paid him $7,000.  Frederico took the money back to the man who owned this little house and paid it off in cash!

He now grows coffee and bananas to maintain and improve the property.  “My home is your home, my brother.  You are a child of the one true and living God.  You are my guest here forever.  Take whatever you want and come to me whenever you have a need.”  I have never met a man like Frederico.

Having trouble downloading those pix.  It will take your breath away, so will post them later!

Thanks

Thanks to everyone who has been praying for us!  Nina still has tonsillitis (it hurts mostly at night) but she is getting much better.  Turns out Kole, Clay and Nina all have Hand, Mouth and Foot disease.  Hence the fever, mouth sores, etc.  Prayer seems to be doing the trick, so please keep it up friends!!!

It looks like we may be leaving Popayan on Wednesday or Thursday, traveling back to Bogota to finish paperwork.  Going to visit an orphanage on Monday.