Well, it was a year in the making, and we made our way to the beach. The boys had a dream, they made it reality, and I am proud of them.
It all started in August 2009. The boys who went on the trip a few months earlier asked if we could go again. I said that they could but that they would have to earn their way. And so commenced our wrist band project. Eight boys expressed interest, so I invited other boys who had not been before to join our project.
The boys worked hard. Super hard. They calloused their fingers tying unending small knots, and producing a high quality product. Well, it was high quality after some time; the original bands were laughable compared to what they were producing after six months. The business was lucrative with very minimal material costs and very generous buyers.
The wrist band business in Colombia is not so lucrative. A band that would take one of my boys two full days to make could be sold on the street in Colombia for around $3. Our generous supporters paid us at least $10. Most people suggested that I sold the bands too cheaply, and that definitely felt true when I saw the endless hours they spent hunched over their work. Nonetheless, the boys made a relative fortune, and enjoyed the experience. The youngest boy that made the bands was seven and the oldest fourteen.
By August 2010 we had reached our goal of $4500. The trip was finally a reality, but I was set back a bit by a weak American dollar and a price increase for the trip. The Lord was faithful though and the money arrived at the last second.
In September I set out with 17 boys and another adult for a one week trip to the beach. We travelled through some cities on the way, where we stopped off and enjoyed a city train ride, and we arrived at the beach 18 hours later.
My greatest joy of the trip was to see the reaction of the boys who had never seen the ocean. They jumped into waves with pure glee on their faces sputtering salty water from their mouths in shock at the strong taste. They chased crabs around rocks for hours and stuffed their pockets full of shells and sand.
In total we slept in 3 coastal cities and the boys much enjoyed hotel living and restaraunt dining. They sat at dining tables with perfect postures in deep concentration in demonstrating faultless table manners. For boys who usually tear meat grasped in their hands it was special to enjoy a more formal dining experience. The hotels were arranged so that the boys had the freedom to escape to the beach whenever they wanted. Their dining room elegance was fast lost on the beach where we battled epic football games which usually ended in a 17 boy beach wrestle. They enjoyed childhood experiences that were so normal to me as a child; they laughed with excitement at being buried in sand or puffed their chest in pride at the engineering genious of their sand castles.
Another highlight for me was the boat trip to Las Islas de Rosario. We visited the aquarium but the water was too choppy to see the animals. We walked around in disappointment until we saw some dolphins swimming in one of the areas of the aquarium. The dolphins swam to greet us and allowed us to touch them as they swam by us. I had never touched a dolphin myself so was most grateful that my boys were able to have that experience. We then ate lunch on a beautiful tropical island and enjoyed the afternoon snorkelling and swimming; they spent hours chasing tropical fish and diving for shells.
It was that day that I appreciated what we as a group were able to give these children. I realised how blessed my life has been; how rich I am in experiences and memories. For boys who have nothing, and who never enjoyed the positiveness or freedom which I have always experienced, this was the adventure of their lives. I know that all that they fault in their lives was not rectified, I know that I didnt save their lives; but for just a week their were allowed to be free and happy. For just one week they were allowed to leave the horror of their reality and were able to be children. They now carry positive memories that they can draw on.
Thankyou to all who so generously supported us. I´d especially like to thank Camp Carolina campers who placed very generous orders and helped sell the bands to their friends. Many campers paid well over the prices I set, demonstrating compassion for kids far less fortunate than themselves. I wish you all could have been here with me.
