In December I flew again to Colombia to spend four weeks on my own in Medellin, Cali, and Bogota. I stayed with Jose Betancur and his wonderful family for two weeks. Jose created Semilla Que Crece (Seed That Grows). Several times we went to the streets to feed and deliver medical help to the homeless. His medical bus, “The Angel”, brought comfort and hope to hundreds of needy souls. He also has a program that provides showers to the homeless.
Jose Betancur is an amazing man. Once a racecar driver, he suffered an accident that rendered one leg two inches shorter than the other. Pain killers made him a drug addict and dealer. Faced with the advent of losing his family and being deported back to Colombia, he turned his life over to Christ He quit drugs cold-turkey and became an advocate for other drug addicts. He is a street pastor who provides prayer, blessings, counselling, and hope. He is the light of love on many truly dark streets.
Inasmuch as the problem of street kids has been largely remedied by the progressive Mayor’s office, the social problem now is with homeless seniors. The city is swamped with economic refugees who come in hopes of getting help. But social services for the homeless and elderly are stretched thin and still lacking. Homeless seniors suffer from hunger and a host of illnesses, as well as assault and acts of violence. One man had been treated for stab wounds years earlier but had never had his sutures removed.
Medical interns and other volunteers go in the van to dispense whatever care they can. Jose also transports serious cases to the hospitals. A few nights each week The Angel delivers food to the community of homeless families, drug addicts, prostitutes, and other night denizens. Accompanied by his wife and daughters, love and hope is administered to those struggling to survive.
It was heartbreaking to see these people and hear their stories. Some of them needed serious medical attention, and some were dying. Despite their misery, however, they were humble and very grateful. With what little they have they help each other.
Misery knows no bounds. I witnessed the worst of the worst. Most troubling to me was meeting a young drug addict with three beautiful children. He had already lost all of his material possessions, but was still on the slide to the bottom most pit of hell. The loving father knew his dilemma but was powerless to break free from his addiction. It was a sobering aspect to my Christmas.
I met a young drug addict named Gabriel who has genius-level intelligence. He was earnest about overcoming his heroin addiction, and was fortunate to be accepted into a good drug recovery program called Carisma. I can only hope that his rehabilitation is successful.
In my final days in Medellin I met several truly incredible persons. Certainly the most outstanding was young Sergio who I first met in 2009 at the Amigos de la Alegria shelter, soon after being rescued from a dog shelter where he had lived for seven years. Although mentally handicapped, he radiates love and happiness. Good fortune brought me to Carlos Borhguez, a former member of UNESCO who spent several years working in Africa. Although left with a strong French accent, he did much to assist me. We met lovely Lucy Pamplona, a street mother, who has a program that provides education to very impoverished children in the inner city. Many of their mothers are prostitutes. I provided her with toys and books I had brought, as well as a cash gift to purchase school supplies.
Last, but certainly not least, I met Elder Steven Jones, from St. George, Utah, who was finishing up his LDS mission. He was an outstanding missionary who had mastered Spanish. He is also a computer geek and very knowledgeable in many fields. Steven expressed interest in my humanitarian objectives and met the Betancurs. We agreed to keep in touch. In 2015 he would begin his freshman studies at Utah State University. When he accompanied me twice to Tijuana he proved instrumental to the success of the projects.