"Heroes are made by the path they choose, not by the powers they are graced with." -- Iron Man

Have you ever had a dream that you could fly, and in that dreaming state, you realize you are dreaming, so you "test" what other super powers you might have, and then you wake up, and for a brief moment you actually FEEL like you are that super hero from your dream? Well, that is how I felt after spending the day in the village of Pozon, here in Cartagena Colombia.

But the real heroes of this story are the founders of Sonrisas de León Foundation (fundacionsonrisasdeleon.org). I was invited to an event to prepare a lunch for the children of the neighborhood. We were asked to help prepare food, cook food, and distribute food to the children.....what we received in return was a connection filled with so much love that my heart could burst. Even as I write this blog, almost a week later, the feeling of love overwhelms me.

As we arrived, we turned down a dirt road, and in front of us stood Roosvelt Morales, who, along with Nohemí Morelos, Maxi Morales, Bladimir Álvarez, and Ana Navarro, have united to help children and adolescents who are looking for the warmth of home. On their website, someone speaks of Roos as someone who "looks like a true guardian angel who daily rebels against poverty to help the hungry and all who need him." When I tell you that this quote couldn't be more true....wow. As we turned that corner and I saw Roos for the first time in person, the light surrounding him was so brilliant and powerful.....only matched by his smile. The love that this man has for these children and this region is palatable. In that moment.....I knew my life would be changed.

We started our day with a tour of the barrio. As a gringo, who regularly enjoys the comforts of living life in America, my heart was breaking. My eyes welling up with tears of sadness. My friend Victor turned and gave me a reassuring look, almost to say, "wait, you will feel different soon", and I did. As we toured the barrio, Roos explained that they had started a program to have local and well known artists paint the houses of the barrio in vibrant portraits and graffiti art so that Pozon might become a tourist stop here in Cartagena to bring some prosperity to the local residents. The art, by the way, is amazing. In one moment, we were passing a small house where a man was fixing something outside of his house with a pocket knife. As we approached, Roos yelled something in Spanish, and out of the house came the most beautiful child, Maria. It was in this moment.....that I felt differently than I had moments before. The tears were still coming, but as I saw the COMPLETE happiness in the face of this little girl, they changed to tears of joy. It is actually somewhat indescribable, so I won't even try, but she was so happy to see Roos and the rest of us, that somehow, her beautiful smile told me "Don't be sad for us. We are so happy to have you here. You are family".

As we continued the tour, I no longer saw the poverty.....I saw the hope. As Roos walked through this town, I mean, it was like Beyoncé had just decided to walk the streets of Little Havana. These kids all greeted Roos like he was a rock star (a super hero, maybe), and when he would turn to greet them.....they lit up! I watched throughout the day and noticed that Roos is not only a chef, providing food, he is a role model and a mentor for these children. At one point a young boy (maybe 8 or 9 years old) approached Roos, somewhat angrily, or maybe frustrated. As he started to talk, Roos stopped him and asked in Spanish "Where is your shirt and where are your shoes?" The boy didn't even balk. He stopped his grievance, and walked away, only to return a few minutes later (shirt and shoes in place) to resume his audience with Roos . It was amazing to see how much respect these kids have for him. He is truly changing the future lives of these kids, who will grow into amazing adults thanks to his efforts and the efforts of the Fundación.

Since I'm lacking in kitchen skills, I didn't actually help much with preparing the food, but what I did get to do was spend time with these amazing kids. Despite the challenge of the language barrier, I was able to connect with them with mutual respect and admiration. The highlight of this connection (and honestly, there were many throughout the day) for me was an impromptu English lesson with a group of about 10-15 boys and girls ranging from about 4 years old to 13 years old. These kids were as hungry for the knowledge as they were for the lunch that was being prepared, and despite a small amount of apprehension, they did soooooo well. The first question I asked them was "Hablas Ingles?" (do you speak English) and they answered "no" (no, lol). By the end, I asked "hablas Ingles?" and they were able to answer, confidently I might add, "Si, un poco!!" (Yes, a little). This made me feel happy, and for a moment, like a super hero.

The food took hours to prepare and cook, and it was hot.....like Africa hot. Yet, there was not one complaint from anyone. Not from the people preparing the food, not from the parents of the children, and most importantly, not from the children themselves. They prepared that food with love and with patience, and those children, when it was time, waited in that line and had a good time speaking to this gringo, and to each other, practicing their new found English skills. It took some time, but the food was distributed to every last child. Once the kids had all been fed, we cleaned up the preparation area, and then we got to eat the food also. The food, by the way.....pasteles. Wrapped in banana leaves were chicken/pork, rice and vegetables. So delicious and such a healthy meal for the kids, and for us!! It was simple, healthy food, prepared meticulously and with love. It was a lesson for me in mindful eating as well.

They day ended around 7, and it was time to say our goodbyes to the Fundación. Roos could not have been happier to have us all there for the day. As I went to say goodbye to him, he hugged me so tightly and told me -- you have a home here in Cartagena, you have a family here. You are welcome here anytime. I know this, Roos, and I will be back. I promise. For now, it is time for me to find my hero path!

If you ever get the chance to visit Cartagena, and you want to visit the Fundacion, please let me know, I'm happy to help arrange the meeting. In the meantime, Roos and the team have a lot of work ahead of them, so if you can/would like to support in any way, please check out this link and see the many ways you can help: https://fundacionsonrisasdeleon.org/como-apoyar/

Vamos!! Let's go!!