Planeta Rica, Colombia, training workshop

The first week in December, Kent Davy and I traveled to Planeta Rica, Cordova state, Colombia, South America for a one-week English teacher training workshop. Liceth Oyolo Gamboa has been teaching a basic English class in a Christian school, and wanted to train other teachers as an outreach of her church, La Iglesia del Divino Salvador (Church of the Divine Savior).



There were 7 teachers and about a dozen students, all but one,
under the age of 30! What fun! They were enthusiastic, energetic and full of it....

Though it was hot (their summer) we were able to communicate both methodology and content from my new English book, Using Everyday English.

We played games--Zip-Zap, Elephant, It's a what? and sang songs: The Hokey Pokey, He has the whole world in His hands.

Here in this picture, students are demonstrating the need to blow air for the letters H, P, T, etc. Using a tissue, they hold it close to their mouth and pronounce the word. If the tissue puffs out, then they've placed their mouth in the correct position.

Liceth and her finance, Fabian. And notice that fab T-shirt with the "Carlsbad, CA" logo. How smart.

Here are the teachers with their certificates in the sanctuary of the church.
Alba, Jeimmy (Jaimie), Kent, Reuben, Don, Liceth, Neivies, Erica.
Fabulous teachers - bright, intuitive and creative.

Teachers and most of the students.
Liceth also gave out certificates from the church to her students.

These students are part of the youth ministry of the church and other local association churches in Planeta Rica. The "kids" are a tight group that spends lots of hours together because they play instruments in the worship team, or sing on the worship team, lead Sunday School classes, etc.


Kent and I were housed in a very comfortable home. Our hostess was Afredina. Kent and I must have added several inches to our waistline.

We would eat a meal, then the gang would come over and take us out to some friends home to celebrate their birthday party (more snacks!) or out to their favorite haunt...an ice cream parlor.

We are so blessed by all their love and graciousness. To know that the family of God is doing so well in this rural city of 37,000 is such a joy to my heart.

You have to experience God's love through your brothers and sisters to truly appreciate the definition of "God's Family."