Bogota, Colombia November 22-30, 2015 Cristo Rey Jesuit High School
Pathways to Children created for Cristo Rey students LIFE-CHANGING TRAVEL AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES While they were in Bogota, Colombia
Hands on Volunteer Projects Volunteer projects included: outdoor sports, English coaching, art projects, mural painting, furniture assembly, computer tutoring, child care, health care aid, gardening, teaching American culture, construction of parks, building clean up and maintenance and more.
Building a park for CASFA families' neighborhood on Thanksgiving
I felt happy when we were done with the park and I never imagined myself to build a park on Thanksgiving. It was the best Thanksgiving ever too. I would love to build more little playgrounds and make kids happy. This is what Thanksgiving is and I just felt grateful for what I already have and I could say that I have become more humble and selfless. Kim
When we did community service that made me feel a feeling of happiness I haven't felt before! I'm always doing this for myself and others but they already had a lot compared to them. The smiles on their faces melted my heart and I could actually say that I'm changing the world one person at a time. When we were leaving I cried,and I'm not really sure why I did but it was tears of happiness! I miss being there and helping people out! When we got back people kept asking us how the trip was and they still do,and it's hard to explain I can't describe how it made me feel, I eventually always ended up saying that you have to go to understand the feeling,there aren't words to explain how I felt being there." Trelawny
I R E A L L Y L O V E H O W W E A L L C A M E T O G E T H E R T O H E L P F I X U P A P L A Y G R O U N D. W E J U S T T O O K O F F T H E S L I D E A N D T H E S W I N G A N D P U T S O M E N E W O N E S F R O M T H E W O O D W E G O T A T T H E L I T T L E D U M P Y A R D T H E Y H A D. W E J U S T P U T T H E T I R E S T O U S E B Y M A K I N G I T I N T O A T R E E A N D F I X I N G U P T H E F E N C E S O N O C A R S G E T I N B U T A L S O M A K I N G A B E N C H W A S S O M E H A R D W O R K. W E H A D T O D I G D E E P H O L E S F O R T H E S T U F F T O F I T T I D Y A N D N I C E B U T A L S O M A N Y O T H E R S W E R E H E L P I N G U P W I T H P A I N T I N G A N D W E J U S T F I X E D U P T H A T O N C E W E G O T D O N E T H E K I D S C A M E B A C K T O P L A Y. " - S H A N E
T H E D I S P E N S A R Y A T P A C H A S
Showing off their gifts from the students I learned that your outlook on life, not your position, determines how you will live everyday there on out. If those who have nothing compared to the people here in the United States can live life as if they ve owned every treasure in the world, what makes anyone think that they can t do the same." -Yadari
Tamales and Music!
W E H E L P E D O U T W I T H T H E E L D E R L Y T H A T C A M E T O E A T. I T W A S N I C E B E C A U S E T H E S E P E O P L E W E R E R E A L L Y G E N T L E A N D T H E Y R E A L L Y S E E M E D T O L I K E T H E A T T E N T I O N A N D C O M P A N Y T H A T W E G A V E T H E M. I L O V E D H O W T H E Y G O T I N T O T H E A C T I V I T I E S W E H A D P L A N N E D F O R T H E M A N D I T W A S N I C E H O W O N E O F T H E M A C T U A L L Y S A N G T O M E A N D I H A V E T O S A Y S H E H A D A R E A L L Y N I C E V O I C E A N D I E N J O Y E D M Y T I M E W I T H T H E M." - S H A N E
Soacha Soacha a mining town on the outskirts of Bogota. Resources are limited and conditions are poor. Fresh water comes once a month or less. The students met in a community center and painted the inside to give it a fresh look. Then they had a meal with the local people, took a tour of the neighborhood and enjoyed some music.
Welcomed by many at the community center...
O N E O F T H E T H I N G S T H A T D E E P L Y E M B E D D E D I N M Y M I N D W A S W H E N O N E O F T H E L E A D E R S O F T H E O R G A N I Z A T I O N H E L P I N G T H E C O M M U N I T Y I S S O A C H A S S A I D, W H E N Y O U G I V E S E R V I C E T O O T H E R S Y O U E N D U P R E C E I V I N G M O R E T H A N W H A T Y O U G I V E. T H E R E A S O N T H A T L I N E S T U C K T O M E T H E M O S T W A S B E C A U S E I L I V E D I T. I W E N T T O C O L O M B I A W I T H T H E P U R P O S E O F H E L P I N G C O M M U N I T I E S I N N E E D B U T I N S T E A D O F M E G I V I N G I T W A S M E W H O R E C E I V E D. I R E C E I V E D T H E L O V E A N D C A R E O F E V E R Y C O L O M B I A N I E N C O U N T E R E D. T H E Y M A D E M E F E E L A T H O M E A S I F I W E R E P A R T O F T H E M. - T A N I A
Soacha is very proud of its hill of three crosses. It is a difficult hike up and the students were proud to make the climb.
Our Colombian partners and lifelong friends...
Dining at the Soacha Community Center, a library and safe haven for kids after school.
I W A S A B L E T O L O O K P A S T T H E S T E R E O T Y P E S. I D I D N O T W A N T T H E M T O R U I N M Y E X P E R I E N C E I N C O L O M B I A. C O L O M B I A O F F E R S B E A U T I F U L F L O R A A N D F A U N A. I W A S A B L E T O S E E H O W B E A U T I F U L T H E T R E E S A N D T H E M O U N T A I N S W E R E. E V E N S O A C H A W A S B E A U T I F U L. I W A S E N A M O R E D B Y T H E V I E W F R O M M O N S E R R A T E. A L S O, T H E H O S P I T A L I T Y T H A T T H E P E O P L E I N C O L O M B I A W A S U N M A T C H E D B Y A N Y O N E T H A T I H A V E M E T H E R E I N T H E S T A T E S. E V E N T H O U G H W E O N L Y S P E N T A S H O R T A M O U N T O F T I M E T O G E T H E R, W E W E R E A B L E T O C R E A T E D E E P C O N N E C T I O N S. " - J U A N
A small space filled with a lot of love.
Face painting at the daycare.
I A M P L A N N I N G T O G O B A C K T O C O L O M B I A I N T H E F U T U R E. I M E T P E O P L E W H O H A V E C H A N G E D M Y L I F E. B U T I T W O U L D B E A M A Z I N G I F T H E S A M E P E O P L E W H O W E N T T O C O L O M B I A C A N C O M E A G A I N. I R E M E M B E R O N T H E L A S T D A Y, I W I S H E D T O R E L I V E T H E W E E K A G A I N... W E A L L W A N T T O G O B A C K. I M I S S A L L O F M Y F R I E N D S I N C O L O M B I A. C R I S T O R E Y C A N N O T W A I T U N T I L C A S F A C O M E S T O T H E U. S., S O W E C A N G I V E T H E M T H E S A M E L I F E - C H A N G I N G E X P E R I E N C E T H E Y G A V E U S. T H E Y D E S E R V E I T. - J U A N