Missionary style

Walking the streets of foreign places like Bogota, Colombia, alongside the homeless and the poor.

This is what Pamella Bohorquez, a 17-year-old sophomore and liberal arts major, enjoys doing in her free time.

Pamella, who is dual-enrolled at CFCC, travels on mission trips with her family and her church, spreading the word of God.

As the oldest of three children from parents who are originally from Colombia, Pamella was raised in Ocala, Fla., as a Baptist. She feels that living each day for Jesus makes her life complete and wants to share this belief with others.

“I believe in Jesus, he is my savior,” Pamella said. “I believe in having a relationship with him and living to serve him everyday.”

Her first experience as a missionary was on a local mission trip to Jacksonville, Fla., with her church, Church of Hope in Ocala. The group visited the inner city and held block parties and Bible school for the children.

“We went and did bounce houses, cotton candy machines and free hot dogs and stuff,” Pamella said. “It was cool. A lot of them have really bad family situations and don’t know what it’s like to be loved.”

After the trip to Jacksonville, Pamella got really interested in missions and went to Honduras with her church a year later in 2008. She, her mom and her brother were the only ones in the group of 20 or so people who went who spoke Spanish.

Valerie Lacefield, a member of the church and family friend, was in the group that went to Honduras.

“Pamella really stepped up to the plate,” Lacefield said. “We were short-handed for interpreters and even though she was initially uncertain, she quickly jumped in and did what was needed.”

Perhaps the most life-changing trip Pamella attended was the last mission she went on to Colombia. Her parents had previously traveled to Colombia, their homeland, to teach the people about Christianity. Pamella was interested, so when they decided to go back in December of last year, she went along.

Pamella said that the people of Colombia are in desperate need of help. The Guerrillas, anti-government militias, have taken over the peoples’ land. These people, called desplazados, are placed in tiny shacks by the government.

She said that most of the people are farmers, and all they know how to do is grow crops, so they are stuck with no income, no food and dirty water.

“In Bogota it is around 60 degrees year-round,” Pamella said. “It is really sad because you see moms with six kids with just a little blanket, freezing cold and begging for money.”

Not everyone is receptive to hearing about Jesus though, and Pamella feels that it is not something that can be pushed.

“I think that you can’t really force it on people, so we ask ‘Is there anything I can pray about for you?’,” Pamella said. “Some people are like ‘I don’t want you or your Jesus’ so all you can do is say ‘OK, God bless you’.”

Whatever she decides to do with her life, Pamella said that mission trips will always be a part of it. Melanie Morales, 17, Pamella’s cousin and best friend, agreed.

“She loves helping people,” Morales said. “That is definitely one of the things she wants to do in the future. Whatever profession she chooses, she is going to want to help in the mission field with that profession.”

Pamella, who is in her last semester at CFCC, hopes to transfer to either UF or FSU to continue on in a career in political science. She said at one time she wanted to be a pharmacologist but has now decided on a career in international development.

One thing is for sure; whatever Pamella decided to do, she is bringing God with her.

Pamella said, “With God, I feel like I am living for something.”