Construction Update

Workers are busy putting the roof on the second building at Hogar Samaria. Next, they will build a retaining wall at the far end of the site, where the January work team from the U.S. will begin construction of the third building. Funds are needed for the retaining wall project, so we're putting out an urgent call for donations... large and small.

By the way, the existing "old house" on the property has been rehabbed and is now ready to accept a few residents. As I learn more about that, I'll post updates.

(photo by Mark Mosrie, March 2006)

Cali Fire Update

I have a little bit more information about the fire at the Ramate de Sande Invasion on the Cauca River, about 10 miles east of Cali in the neighborhood we know as San Marcos.

The fire destroyed 100-150 homes, or more accurately, "shacks." Among the shacks lost in the fire was the home of the two main leaders of a mission and small school that was recently started in this poor area by the San Marcos Church. The home where the mission and school meet was *not* burned down.

Many of you have sent money to help with relief efforts. The need is great, and if you would like to help you may send a check made out to Board of Missions. Be sure to indicate "for Cali Fire" on the memo line. Send to Board of Missions, 1978 Union Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104. Let them know you've been following this story on our web site.

Thanks for your continued support for the people of Cali.

¡Muchos gracias, Aldemar y Zobeida!

Aldemar's footage is here and is absolutely everything I'd hoped for.

Try to imagine what it must be like to take direction through a series of e-mails sent to your wife from a client in another country... a client who manages to butcher your language in her determined effort to convey to you exactly what she needs you to shoot and exactly how she needs you to shoot it.

But thanks to their patience -- and the helpful intervention of missionary Boyce Wallace -- Aldemar and Zobeida were able to pull it off beautifully. (¡Lo hicimos!) And the documentary will be so much more emotive and evocative as a result of their fine work.
(photo by Mark Mosrie)

A Plea for Aid in Cali, Colombia

On both of my visits to Cali, I was fortunate enough to get to spend some time in the Colegio Americano in San Marcos. San Marcos is an impoverished barrio in Cali. A teacher at the school told me that unemployment in this particular neighborhood is at about 80%. "It's not that the people don't want to work," she explained. "It's just that there are no jobs."

San Marcos is an invasion zone. That is, it's an area of land on the outskirts of a city where displaced families have rushed in and built crude shacks. Typically, Colombia's displaced are people who have fled from their homes in the mountains to Colombia's urban areas in order to escape guerilla violence. Former missionary to Colombia John Lovelace says that the poorest of the poor live in these invasion zones.

The news from Cali this week comes from our friend Boyce Wallace, who -- along with his wife Beth -- has been a missionary to Colombia for 43 years. Boyce writes: "There was a terrible fire in an invasion zone where San Marcos has a mission and a small school. Around 100 houses were burned down. They were wooden shacks and people lost everything. We are trying to get organized to offer relief."

If you would like to help the people of San Marcos, make your check to Boyce Wallace. Earmark the donation "for San Marcos" and send it to John Lovelace, 814 Crestwood Drive, Evansville, IN 47715. John will deposit your donation directly into Boyce's account so that he can begin to put the money to use immediately. Please drop me an e-mail to let me know the amount of your donation so that we can let Boyce know the money is coming.

Thanks for your continued support of our friends in Cali, Colombia.

(About the photo: Students in a San Marcos classroom show off their English language skills during our visit in September 2005. Photo by Sam Suddarth.)