Down Town Bogota
Hope everyone had a great Christmas wherever you spent it. My family and I had a nice fun day together you can't get turkey here but we had a good chicken meal (that's pretty much what we eat, cause its affordable, chicken with chicken and a side of chicken). Two weird things happen, one we were playing basketball when the basketball literally exploded with a huge boom (I think it was overfull and the high altitude), we couldn't stop laughing, and two, this candle lantern thing we had hanging over the table for Christmas somehow caught on fire. We were playing a charade game and my dad starts yelling "fire!" We thought he has playing then we look up and see the lantern on fire. After we put it out we had a good laugh about that too. So just another day in my crazy family.
We went out the other night and had great crowd. The people were hanging on our every word and we shared a lot of things through our performance. Then the Alcaldia hassled us out of no where, made us leave and now say we have to get permission even though you don't technically need it to perform on the street. They say it is because our volume is to loud and they get complaints which may be true but I believe that some people also are offended by our message and emphasis on helping the poor and turning away from ones self. There are evangelical pastors who teach that one must give tithes to them in the name of God and this is the only way to receive salvation. The pastors then go on to use the money however they please and many of the people they take from are very poor. I have seen families put on the streets because of theses corrupt pastors. It is infuriating. These pastors and churches are threatened by us telling the people that God desires their hearts, that each man can learn from God directly and that if they can afford it, it is better to give there money to help feed the homeless then to a church. They complain to the police and Alcaldia and make up accusations against us. So anyway we have to submit a letter and try to get permission. This can be a frustrating process because no one wants to take responsibility so they just hand you off to another office and another person and tell you need another letter or to come back on another day (we have been through the process many times in many countries). I know God will work all things out for the good like He always does. It's always a fight but hey, that's what the fighting Irish do, they fight and this is worth fighting for.
We went out the other night and had great crowd. The people were hanging on our every word and we shared a lot of things through our performance. Then the Alcaldia hassled us out of no where, made us leave and now say we have to get permission even though you don't technically need it to perform on the street. They say it is because our volume is to loud and they get complaints which may be true but I believe that some people also are offended by our message and emphasis on helping the poor and turning away from ones self. There are evangelical pastors who teach that one must give tithes to them in the name of God and this is the only way to receive salvation. The pastors then go on to use the money however they please and many of the people they take from are very poor. I have seen families put on the streets because of theses corrupt pastors. It is infuriating. These pastors and churches are threatened by us telling the people that God desires their hearts, that each man can learn from God directly and that if they can afford it, it is better to give there money to help feed the homeless then to a church. They complain to the police and Alcaldia and make up accusations against us. So anyway we have to submit a letter and try to get permission. This can be a frustrating process because no one wants to take responsibility so they just hand you off to another office and another person and tell you need another letter or to come back on another day (we have been through the process many times in many countries). I know God will work all things out for the good like He always does. It's always a fight but hey, that's what the fighting Irish do, they fight and this is worth fighting for.