I am not the same person that arrived to Colombia.

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I write this in the same airport that I went through to get to Colombia, it has the same bustle of people but I am not the same Sandra that waited anxiously for that plane that would take me to Colombia. I now wait for the plane that will take me to my homeland, Puerto Rico, where I will trade the “Want a “tinto”?” for the “Want coffee? With or without sugar?” I am not the same person that arrived to Colombia.

                When I arrived, I arrived with the team of Wine to Water, and like them I was disoriented in a new country. The only difference was I knew the language and with my role as interpreter I had to adjust fast and try to make them understand the Colombian world in English. During that week we went to San Antonio and Irene; in both communities we served and tried to provide them what we have in abundance and take for granted: clean water. What was done this week I will leave, so that if you have the opportunity, to experiment with your own five senses. Descriptions have a habit of turning monotonous and never make justice to reality. Words have their limits.

                What I will talk about is how the thought transition goes from, “I am going to this place to teach and share the gospel” to “I have been changed by this experience”. When I arrived it was to impart, to give and to share the knowledge of a God that loves. Instead I came back with a deeper conviction of my faith. I saw the Amazon and its imposing majesty; the children and their freely given affection, their disposition of always wanting to help and their shining smile when they receive a bible. This was a scalpel that the Lord used to cut open and show me who he is and who am I. He showed me things that not even I knew were in my heart. And he showed me how to take them out.

                Jesus said that it was better to give than to receive but he did not say that when you give you are changed permanently in the depths of your soul. And yes, I am not the same person that went to Colombia couple of weeks ago, I am different because of the blessings the Lord gave me when I was giving to others. I come back thankful for food, for clothing for clean water and for having the hope that God gives me. That is the most important part. Every day that passed my love for God took a bigger space in my heart and turned more intense. I do not understand why the Lord permitted me, a lowly human, to live this experience but I do know that I am thankful with a bigger capacity to be thankful, that I praise him with a bigger capacity to praise and that now I can serve him with more devotion. I have grown in this trip and I am thankful to the one who permitted me to take it: God.

This is written by Sandra Santigo, she is a student at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. She volunteered with Agua y Vida for a couple weeks for the summer 2014.