KDurant7 blog adventures

Bogota, Colombia 1987

Carlos was the heir to a prosperous family business; he sold top quality men’s suits in Bogota dressing men up prestigiously as men use to dress in the 1940’s, but his was the ’80s. With a suit and tie on, people would say to you, “Good morning, doctor!” At first, I corrected people, I am a teacher, not a doctor!” But I learned that this was just their respectful way of a polite greeting. Being from a wealthy family Carlos traveled to Europe as a young man, partaking in all the excessive pleasures of the 70’s and 80s but soon after those experiences he recounted that he felt suicidal. “What more is there to live for if money and all the insane consumptions out there lead to nowhere?”, he would ask.  Then a young street preacher in Madrid prayed with him to receive Jesus. That conversion truly did change him as when he returned to Bogota, he started fellowshipping with Christians and growing in the faith. He had overcome a cocaine addiction, selfishness, and he just wanted to help people, to love God and others. He would tell me stories of how often he would take out with him on the street $200, and he would pass it out by the $20s to the first 10 people he saw, (the equivalent in pesos) being mostly the homeless ones on the street. He gave away hundreds of very expensive suits to anyone who needed one. He even, on a few occasions, invited our kids to ride on his horses, just outside the city. He was tall, handsome, had dozens of young ladies pursuing him but his passion was the Lord. He always repeated to me and to everyone the story to me of how everything changed on that special day when he accepted Jesus Christ in his life, that transformation meant everything to him! There is always hope that a person’s  life can positively changed even with the life of a person who has all the money in the world; remember that everyone’s soul inherently desires love, peace, and Jesus.