A Chimila girl I met atop a mountain in Colombia during a mission trip. She and her family live in these mountains, in makeshift houses near a rumbling river. The medical team I was travelling with offered routine checkups, medicine and vitamins. We shared a meal, cooked by the Chimilas in an outdoor kitchen using the biggest cauldron I’ve ever seen.
This was one of the first things I saw when I reached the top of a mountain near the northern coast of Colombia. These girls are Chimila – a shrinking indigenous group I had the pleasure of spending a day with in 2008. It shook me to my core to see, up close and in real life, something I had previously only seen in pictures – a hand built hut with incomplete walls and a dirt floor. No electricity, no running water, no…furniture.
The kids were uncomfortable and maybe a bit distrustful at first as this group of strangers stared into their home and quietly took pictures. They quickly warmed up and had a ball playing around in front of the camera. These are some of the sweetest and most affectionate kids I’ve met in my life. I miss this place.
This beautiful white horse is used for transportation in the mountains.
Their smiles are priceless.
After living here for about 10 years, this skyline feels like home.
