Hillary Merwin
Hillary Merwin
Colombia 2013
VIEW FINAL REPORT
Hola! My travels are taking me to Bogotá, Colombia where I will be spending six months volunteering with a community development organization called Fundación Comunidad Viva by tutoring children in after-school programs, planning community events, leading camps and much more. Join me on this adventure! Read More About Hillary →

Why Colombia?

It’s official, I’ve landed in Colombia and I couldn’t be more excited!

Many people have asked me why I chose this country and the city of Bogotá out of anywhere else in the world. The answer is simple.

The people.

Two years ago I came here on a mission trip and worked in a small town up in the Andes Mountains called Pacho. We put on a vacation bible school for the kids and held afternoon English classes and craft workshops for the children and their mothers. The team that came from Bogotá worked selflessly to meet the needs of the community of Pacho and served tirelessly for the entire week. I learned so much from their incredible hospitality and servanthood. I knew that if I ever came back, I would want to serve like they did and make an impact on this awesome community.

So I am back and ready to head off to Pacho on Sunday. Jorge and Ginny Enciso run a nonprofit called Fundación Comunidad Viva and through this organization, we will make the 2 hour trek to this town and spend a week with the Pacho community. This time around we are not only offering a camp for the young children but also workshops for the teenagers as well as the mothers.

I’m so thrilled for the opportunity to return to this town and see some familiar faces. There are few things more rewarding than returning to a community and seeing how they have grown and changed from the seeds you planted years ago.

So more updates are definitely coming! We may not have wireless access in Pacho so get ready for a big update when we return in a week!

Here are a few pictures I took of Pacho two years ago:

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Playing games at the school

 

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A view of the Andes wherever you turn

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Exploring the town

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It’s a beautiful drive up the mountains!

 

 

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