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"Kindness I encountered from strangers while traveling: A humble and kind heart."

"Kindness I encountered from strangers while traveling: A humble and kind heart."

June 2020 · 6 min read · Arauca

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Desperate for the situation that was getting worse at that time in my country, inflation, speculation, the protests that made us lose our job or walk miles back home, money was beginning to be tight and I was tight and with little money, while my two children and my wife waited at home praying that nothing bad happened to me.

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Until the time came when I said "I have to find another option for my family" and by that time many were leaving the country fleeing from the critical situation to look for a better opportunity and that was when I was encouraged by 3 friends to also look for a better one quality of life for my family.

My 3 friends were excited since they had already left the country for another nation and they did well and they returned for a while to go again, but this time with the intention of not returning.

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They started talking to me since I had also decided to leave the country and an opportunity presented itself. One of them on his previous trip would have made contact with a boy from a hacienda who told him that the owner of the rice farm was looking for people to work, in this way the dream began in me of having the opportunity to get to work in another country without having to go through hardships.

We started the trip and the boys told me to take some things to sell there and why not get an extra income until we received the first salary, so my wife gave me some shoes, a silver chain, and some fancy bracelets to sell there, while I take an ivory domino game that I had saved.

The day came to leave, between tears and nostalgia, with a mixture of excitement and nerves, I left together with my 3 friends without my children and without my wife since the idea was to go make money there and then send them to look for money. I had was only for one person, it was all I could save.

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Arauca, Colombia was the destination we did not direct, a small but very active city in the agriculture part. My friends with experience were excited and joking along the way, I was meditating and thinking since it was the first time, apart from that we were going to arrive while we waited for the owner of the farm to call us, we took some chinchorros since the first At night we would have to sleep on the boardwalk on the banks of the river.

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We arrived with difficulties at last on a Saturday, so as my friends had already arrived there they knew how to move, we crossed the river since we were all illegal, but when crossing the fear it invaded me to see the number of destitute Venezuelans living on the banks of the river, People with bad looks and the smell of excrement began to generate trauma to me knowing that we had to spend a night there.

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Walking a few blocks from the river we arrived at the house of the Lady Flor, I will never forget her, since she was like an angel that the Lord crossed my path to save me a great suffering.

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That first night I did not want to sleep in the river and she offered me a room for 5,000 pesos which I accepted since I had a few of some shoes that I sold that first day, and since Monday I would start working on the Farm.

I began to engage in conversations with her, and she told me that she worked for the government at the time of the wars with the guerrillas, she tells me that once she arrived in a guerrilla camp to give assistance to those who were kidnapped, since she was part of her social work, and since she was a single woman since her husband died from the guerrillas, she always took her children with her, but one day her 14-year-old son was taken by the guerrillas, after 20 years they were found dead in the river.

She did not have many resources, she lived on the rent of rooms and the subsidy that the government gave her for being a victim of the war, which was not much. But that lady had a big heart because I tell you that what was coming for me was not easy and I already told you all the storms that arose:

The owner of the hacienda did not want to hire more Venezuelans since there was a first group that hired and left him all the comforts and in the end they stole everything from the house, from the weeds to the televisions, from there the owner did not want to hire more Venezuelans. The money ran out and I did not even have to return to my country and what I was selling remained in my hands since nobody bought me anything, that sad and defeated night when I had to go to the river to sleep which I did not want, Mrs. Flor asked me to stay, I told her that I had no money to pay her and she told me not to worry, that the traveler is known for his suitcase, implying that I was not used to that kind of life that many Venezuelans got used to other nations.

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She gave me breakfast in the morning, she kept me lunch and she even gave me dinner without asking me for anything in return, I remember that she even told my friends to stay in the room with me too, so they did it too and we were blessed by her. In a disinterested way, while we were looking for jobs we were there for a few days, then another of my colleagues decided to return after having obtained some cash, since we did not achieve the objective.

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I will never forget what Mrs. Flor did for me, how she saved me from living in times of anguish and hunger, giving me a roof to sleep on and feeding myself without expecting anything in return, she did everything from the heart and it was nice to see that I find grace before her eyes and how God used her so that no work would happen.

And who has been kind to you even without knowing you? tell your story and participate in this contest where $ 100 in prize money will be distributed, follow the link to see the contest rules: Contest: Kindness I encountered from strangers while traveling (Prize Pool - $100 worth of Crypto)

 


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Travel Resources for your trip to Colombia

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Flights: We recommend checking Kiwi.com to find the best and cheapest flights to Colombia.

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Day Trips & Tours: We recommend GetYourGuide for a variety of well-organized and enjoyable activities.

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Travel Planner: Need a hand planning? Our free travel planner chatbot is your personal guide to Colombia. Chat now.

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