Peace at Colombia's borders

The following is a letter from Boyce and Beth Wallace, missionaries to Colombia, received today.

Dear Friends,

We are rejoicing because the first step towards peace has been taken between Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela this afternoon. In a scheduled meeting of the Grupo de Rio, a meeting of Latin American presidents, in Santo Domingo, it was decided to openly deal with the crisis. The four presidents: Uribe of Colombia, Correa of Ecuador, Chavez of Venezuela and Ortega of Nicaragua, decided to present their disputes openly before the body. It was a heated debate with speeches for peace by other leaders.

Then in an unexpected intervention, Chavez went through a brief history of recent L:A: conflicts and revoluntary movements that have ended in peace with a minimum of blood- shed. Many of the former revolutionaries and "communists" were present representing their legitimate nations. Then he made an emotional plea for Peace! After all his war rhetoric, no one could believe what they heard. Soon after his speech, Uribe retreated from his hard line and they all got up and began hugging each other! This was happening before our eyes on Television. We could not help but cry at seeing peacemaking before our eyes.

Maybe this is a premature celebration and we pray it is not. We believe the Lord was working before our eyes on screen. Accusers and accused, insulters and insultaded all changing their positions: It was like the close of a revival service. Here were Latins solving their own problems by themselves. No doubt this meeting is going to be interpreted in many ways, positive and negative, but we rejoice and thank God for moving among these leaders and holding off what could have been an ugly war. You were praying with us. Now we want you to share in our thanksgiving to the Lord.

In this crisis, Beth and I asked ourselves what could we do as peacemakers according to the Beatitudes, and decided the only thing and the best thing we could do was pray for those who are working for a peaceful solution to this problem. It seemed so impossible at first, but was it?

Boyce and Beth

Dreaming of Hogar Samaria

Isabel Erazo Herrera is credited with having had a vision that led to the creation of Hogar Samaria. She is a member of the Samaria CP Church, which is why the Hogar Samaria nursing home will be named after that church. Here is her story, translated from her own words.

My name is Isabel Erazo Herrera. I have 7 children. My husband died 6 years ago, and I’ve been a Christian for 30 years. I’ve been in the Cumberland Presbyterian church for 20 years. It makes me very happy to work in the Lord’s work.

I am very happy because of the sadness I had known, because I met the Lord when I had cancer. The Lord healed me of a cancer in the body. After that at the age of 42 I had a son, and at age 47 I had another daughter. That’s why I can see that the Lord healed me so quickly from the cancer.

Three years ago, I had a stroke. The Lord also healed me, because it wasn’t my time, and He wanted me to continue doing his work. I’m 66.

Since the time I met the Lord, I was born to serve in the things of God. Then I began to work in the House of the Young. (Translator's note: The House of the Young is a home for youth with drug or behavior problems.) I worked there for almost a year. There I worked with children with drug problems. I continued working with youth drug addicts in camps. I worked with them bringing youth from here, from Cali to the camps. My husband didn’t like it and didn’t agree with it. So I retired.

One time I heard on the radio that the Christian Cross Church needed someone to teach crafts. I applied, because it was for children who were sponsored children. (Translator's note: They are children that have a “godparent” or sponsor who helps them with their education. Generally they are very poor children.) I began there, and I spoke with Sister Mercedes.
I began to work. There she told me that they opened an ancianato (Director's note: An ancianato is a nursing home or home for the aging.) And I saw the necessity of us, of the Presbyterians, also having an ancianato. Then I had taken several elderly there and I told Sister Mercedes that I would like for there to be an ancianato in my church. And she told me, "Sister, pray to God, talk to Him." So that was how I began to ask God and I told Him what was said, that we should have an ancianato.

Then, once in that time, there was also there was an old servant and I took him to the town council. The town council told me that it would require much money and many other things and that it was very difficult. I was discouraged. I told all this to a Sister and she said to me, “Sister have you told the Lord?”

Then I came here (to Samaria CP Church) one day and I knelt and said to Him, “God, I want, I want to work with the elderly,” because I had already worked in another ancianato as a social worker, and then the Lord said to me, “So what are you afraid of?” And I said “God, forgive me.” And I went where Sister Nancy Cortes was and I told her that He told me to go ahead.

I didn’t say anything to the town council, but went and began to look for a house. (Translator's note: She was trying to rent a house to have the elderly there.) It was very difficult. Many people said no. For old people, no. They damage the homes and it is very difficult. They have a bad smell. I had a lot of difficulty. But I kept on.

They told me that they had a house that was very narrow, but we began there... We continued to receive blessings. Here (at the church) the women gave us a shower, because we didn’t have anything. They gave everything themselves. And they kept on giving.

We came to have 12 elderly residents. Two that they brought on Sunday. Sometimes they brought up to 6 elderly but just to spend the day. And I continued falling in love and enjoying them, more every day. And each one of them left a story in our lives because there were some that were 105 years old. And they sang “Pretty Little Doll” (Translator's note: a typical song of Colombia).

Others that said that they were going to the farm. (That’s what they called the house for the elderly.) For example, like the brother of Sister Mery, he went to the patio, where we had an azulejo (Translator's note: an azulego is a bird that sings prettily.) And I said to him look, look at your friend, and he understood and talked to himself, and he told me later Ï’m going to the farm to milk the cows. He was confused and a little disoriented. And I let him talk.

And well, each one had something. And there was another that also taught us. She was 90. She was the grandmother of Pastor Manuel Vargas and she arrived very aggressive. She had dementia. No one wanted to take care of her because she took her clothes, she went out and she lost them. When she arrived there, the first thing she did was to slap us. And they told me, "sister are you going to take this?" And I told them, "That’s the job. There could be no laughs, and it couldn’t be that way. Here it’s that we had coming sisters, and each time she hit us, it was with crossed hands." And she hit everyone that walked by.

Then the Lord and Holy Spirit enlightend me to say, "What a pity that you hit us. I love you Carmen." So it was that she learned and only lifted her hand and said, "I love you. I love you. I won’t fight." She knew that at 3 in the afternoon, the people that were caring for them would make them fresh pan de bono. (Translator's note: Pan de Bono is a traditional bread from the Cali bakery.) And she touched us on the shoulder and said, "Pan de bono, pan de bono." And we knew that she still wanted her bread.

And each one, each one was a very beautiful story, a story that we have left for ourselves.

A little girl came and we told them that we couldn't take her because she was so young, but she was a special child (Translator's note: “special child” usually refers to a child with Down’s syndrome.) She was the sister-in-law of Pastor Eduardo Campo, and I said to them, and why can’t you, you can have her there. In her house she fell a lot, and there, thanks to God, we put here with a walker and she enjoyed it so much. She was 18, but there we celebrated two birthdays with her.

We celebrated birthdays with them. I acquainted them with the Third Generation House (a program the government has for elderly with limited resources). We made them swings and they rode them. You could see their happiness when we took them to the Play Ground. Their own families helped us to take them in cars and we went for a whole day for the Youth House, to Pardo Yada. It’s a very nice and pretty site with pools fitted for the elderly, and we also invited other brothers that also liked to serve, and each one was in charge of an elderly person to take care of him there.

I feel very fortunate to see how the Hogar Samaria is growing and how it has not died but I would like to see it full of residents. That would be a dream come true. Amen.

Director's note: We asked Doña Isabel how it makes her feel to see the love, care and commitment of those from the United States who come to Colombia to help with constrtuction and who donate funds to help make Hogar Samaria a reality. Here is her response.

To me it is so beautiful, our family... that they come to work. They come to work and to teach us that they come to set this stone for the work of my Lord. (And I want) to thank them and to thank all of our brothers and sisters, that I know that our family of God is very big, and that everything that they do, they know when God pays us, oh, the joy. This joy at this time seems beautiful to me, of being with brothers and sisters that we hadn’t known, but that we already know, and the brothers and sisters that that send us something...to help us here in Colombia.

I want to say that the brothers and sisters that want to contribute or that we want to contribute, we should ask the Lord
for not our will to be done, because we alone cannot but with Him, yes, we can come to give that love, because if we don’t love ourselves, how can we love others? Then firstly, we should be commanded by God to be able to come to love those elderly. That like the people say, they are like children, and we to our children, how do we treat them? Then in the same way, we should treat them, not treat them like abandoned ones. Because that is what is being lacked in their homes all of a sudden. Because all of a sudden their family works and they don’t have anyone with whom to leave them. That’s why Hogar Samaria has been made.

Today, Hogar Samaria is not only the dream of Isabel Herrera but also the dream of many in Cali and across the United States. Please help us make the dream of this much-needed home for the aging a reality by donating to the Hogar Samaria Fund. All donations are tax-deductible, and 100% of your donations go directly toward construction. Checks should be made to Shepherd's Rest, earmarked "for Hogar Samaria Construction" and mailed to Shepherd's Rest, 605 Lake Scene Dr., Eddyville, KY 42038. Shepherd's Rest is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

(Photo by Mark Mosrie, March 2006)

A Prayer for Peace in Colombia

La Oración de la Paz
Señor hazme un instrumento de tu paz
Que donde haya odio, siembre yo amor.
Que donde haya injuria, perdón.
Que donde haya duda, fé.
Que donde haya desánimo, esperanza.
Que donde haya oscuridad, luz.
Que donde haya tristeza, gozo.
Oh Divino Maestro, concédeme que yo no busque,
Ser consolado, sino consolar.
Que no busque el ser entendido, sino entender.
Que no busque el ser amado, sino amar.
Porque dando es como recibimos.
Perdonándo, es que somos perdonados.
Y muriendo, es que nacemos a la vida eterna.
-San Francisco de Asís

The Prayer of Peace
Lord make an instrument of your peace
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
Oh Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek,
to be consoled, as to console.
to be understood, as to understand.
to be loved, as to love.
For this in giving, that we receive.
It is pardoning, that we are pardoned.
It is in dying, that we are born to eternal life.
-St. Francis of Assisi

(photo taken in Cali, Colombia by P.Richelle White)

Return to Cali

Have you ever read about people who use their free time to help others and stopped to ask yourself, "What am I doing to make the world a better place?" Come to Cali, Colombia and find the answer to that question.

October 6-20, 2007, volunteers from across the US will return to Cali to resume construction at Hogar Samaria. If you're a financial supporter of the project, it will be an amazing opportunity to see your donated dollars at work and to meet some of the people who will benefit from our efforts. And even if you've not been able to support the project financially, your life will be enriched as you work side by side with Colombians to help build something that will indeed make a difference for generations to come.

You don't have to be skilled in construction. You don't have to know how to speak Spanish. You'll be overwhelmed to discover how much you have to offer the project and how easily you will learn to communicate without using spoken words. Your two weeks in Cali will be a life-changing experience.

If you think you might be interested in joining the work team in October, please e-mail me privately for details and contact info. And as always, thanks for your support of our project. The need for funds is ongoing, and your donations are appreciated.

U.S. volunteers report progress at construction site

The group of volunteers from the U.S. are home, following two weeks of work at the construction site in Cali. The following is a progress report from group leader Sam Suddarth of Smyrna, Tennessee.

"The work on Hogar Samaria is progressing. Our 13 member group was from 5 states. We moved dirt in wheelbarrows. We dug ditches and poured concrete, twisted wire ties to put reinforced steel together. Hard work!!!

Tired and dirty, we fellowshipped with our Colombian brothers and sisters, and were treated as royalty by our hosts.


We had Holy Communion at the worksite, and stood in a circle on the newly poured foundation for a new wing and prayed. This new wing will be a two story structure with living quarters above, and a gymnasium below. (Photos coming soon!)

We visited Popayan, one of the oldest cities in Colombia, and Ramonsa, the poor area where there was a devastating fire last year. We also visited the Colegio American and it's satellite schools in Samaria, San Marcos and Renacir."

The next opportunity to travel to Cali to volunteer with the construction of Hogar Samaria will be in October 2007. If you have an interest in possibly joining the group on this trip, drop me a note and I'll send you information. Just as Sam mentions in his report, these trips offer much more than just work (though there is a lot of hard work!), but also an opportunity to visit various parts of Cali, including schools, churches and cultural sites. As someone who has been to Cali twice, I can attest that time spent with the gracious people of Cali is bound to be a life-changing experience.

Please join us in thanking to the volunteers who made the January work trip.
Ollie McClung, Glenda Riddick of Birmingham AL
Tommy Jobe of Nolensville, TN
Barry Summers of Huntingdon, TN
Sam Suddarth, Kim Glasscock of Smyrna, TN
Gloria Gregory of Nashville, TN
Obadiah Okeson, Eddie and Linda Bowen of Hodgenville, KY
Cheryl Bingemer of Jasper, IN
Tommy Tiffin, Marvin Terrell of Longview, TX

(photos by Sam Suddarth)

The Cost of Caring for Cali's Aging

Work on the script continues, and before long we will edit the video and begin distribution. Even as we work to complete the documentary, work on the construction of the nursing home in Cali, Colombia, South America continues. When there is money for supplies, the workers build. When the money runs out, construction slows. Therefore, our fundraising attention for 2007 has turned away from the documentary and toward direct funding of the construction itself.

Whether you are wrapping up your charitable giving for 2006 or looking ahead to 2007, I hope you'll consider the Hogar Samaria nursing home project in your plans. The fundraisers have absolutely no overhead costs. That means every penny or peso you donate goes directly into Hogar Samaria. And a little money can go a long way in Colombia. For example:

$3.25 will feed one Hogar Samaria nursing home resident for one day.

$25.00 will provide much-needed medical insurance for one Hogar Samaria resident for one month.

$260.00 will sponsor one Hogar Samaria resident for one month (including meals).

$2000.00 will provide basic furnishings for one room that will accommodate two residents.

$25,000.00 will provide for the building of a chapel at Hogar Samaria.

$5000.00 will provide basic furnishings for the chapel.

Currently, the most urgent need is funding for the construction of a retaining wall at the back of the Hogar Samaria property. The 20-feet high, 100-feet long wall will protect the property from washing away. The cost of the retaining wall is $25,000.00.

If you feel compelled to give financial support to the construction of this much-needed nursing home in Cali, Colombia, your donations are tax-deductible. Contact me at p.richelle@earthlink.net to find out how to direct your donations. The leaders of the project will put your money to work immediately where it is most needed.

Whether you decide to donate to Hogar Samaria or not, I hope you will share my URL with others who may be interested in the work we're doing in Cali.