The Cast

So this post will give you a little intro to each member of the team here in Colombia.  It's not the whole Give Us Names team (thankfully), so look for a future post introducing the rest of us. Here goes.

Zack Mellette- A light once flickered brightly in the distance.  As I slowly moved towards the light, it grew farther and farther away. there were times when I thought the light had vanished completely, but it was merely hidden behind some other object.  While following the light, there were times of despair and heartache, but also of excitement and vigor.  I have now taken a leap towards the light and realize that its home is in Colombia.  I am not sure if I will ever reach the light, but I am here chasing it now with all of my heart.

Michael Christmas- If there is anything from Zack's words that I can also cavalier, it is that there have most certainly been times of heartache and times of excitement.  One thing remains constant, there is a story in the works and if it is to be worth anything, there will be a lot more excitement and a lot more heartache.  On a lighter note, I am happy to be living and working with people who believe in the power of story.  I guess that wasn't that light of a note.  On an actual light note, I haven't shaved in about two months and don't intend on doing so for some time.  The benefits of looking homeless in a developing country are invaluable.

Caleb Collier-  All I have are my words.  I wish that I could give you more.  But in all reality, there is nothing greater.  We've come to Colombia in search of words.  We wish to give names to the nameless, voices to the silenced, hope to the discouraged, justice to the oppressed, and good news to all. We do so with words.  The words of our mouths, of our eyes, of our hands.  The words of our laughter and tears.  The words of our politics and our finances.  I am here to tell a story.  And so are you.  All we need are the words.

Owen Carroll- I'm 6'1", and my driver's license says 155 lbs., but if I'm being honest I've put on a few more since I filled out that form.  I like to think my life is made up of a bunch of little adventures that build on each other to prepare me for the next, which if things go as planned will always be a little bigger than the last.  That's definitely the case with this one, my biggest yet.  I think the grandeur of this, and any adventure, is directly related to one's vulnerability.  That's why this one is so big. The path is not laid, but I continue walking. Hoping and knowing that with this team, we'll get that next stone in place before my foot hits the ground.

Owen, Zack, Michael, and Caleb

¡Llegamos Anoche!

The view from Bogota from near our hostel

So here it is, the first post on the new blog from Colombia - hopefully the first of many.  We arrived late last night in Bogotá, where we're going to spend a couple of days polishing up our Spanish before we head up to Medellín.

In Colombian news today, the US State Department has chimed in regarding Venezuela's troop deployment to the Colombian border (Read more).  Despite the State Department's statement to the contrary, many believe that Hugo Chavez's recent actions were in response to last week's agreement between the US and Colombia which increases the US military presence in the country for the next ten years (Read more).  From what we've seen, daily life in Bogotá remains unaffected by the current events.

Chapter 1

Welcome to the story.

Starting a non-profit organization during a recession may not be the best business move, and we can testify that it sure isn't easy.  In fact, it's difficult.  And frustrating.  Frustratingly difficult.

But when things looked bleakest, our friends and family came through, giving money in a time when money is scarce.  To all of those who have given us support, be it money, prayer, or an encouraging word, we thank you.  You've become a part of the story, a character in the tale.

Due to such generosity, we are able to go back to Colombia for a five-week jaunt.  We are pleased to announce that within the next few days Give Us Names will be reporting live from South America.

Our goal is (sort of) simple:  to discover how we can best help the displaced people of Colombia.

We want to know how Give Us Names can be most effective in such a complicated situation.  This is a learning expedition, a vision trip, a quest for clarity.  Throw in any other cheesy lines pertaining to travel and research.  That's what this is.  We invite you to be a part of it.  This is the begining of the story.  The first step out the Shire, the tornado to Oz, the wagon West towards the great frontier and the setting sun.  This is our "Once upon a time."

See what happens next.