Destination:  Luz y Vida, an orphanage in Bogotá, Colombia in the Colony of San Cristobal.  San Cristobal is one of                          the oldest parts of the city.

Dates:             On June 28th, 10 of us traveled to the city to stay for 10 days.

Mission:         To assist in much of the work that needs to be done in Luz y Vida, which houses over 100 kids, many                          of them requiring special attention as they are mentally or physically handicap.  One of the biggest                              missions of this trip is just to simply see what they need, how they operate, and how we can better                              serve them in the future.

History:         As a result of the war in Colombia that has taken place for the past 40 years, Colombia has been left                         in a state of brokenness.  One result of the war has been a displacement of children and an inability to                         care for them.  The history of Luz y Vida starts with Sister Valeriana, a Spanish nun who traveled to                         Bogotá in 1970 to start an Institution for the Blind under the leadership of her Catholic Order.  When                         the home got too big for these and the Order would not provide any more, she turned to her 14                                     siblings back in Spain who collectively provided her the money to purchase the building in San                                     Cristobal.  Present day, the building is home to over 100 children, and growing at a tremendous rate,                         and has expanded to schools and even orphanages outside the city of Bogotá.  The orphange is a safe                         home for these children who suffer from disabilities or have no home.  They focus on acceptance and                         even attempt to integrate the children into society.


Results:        Check it out!!!!!