The following year, I returned to San Pedro de Uraba, Colombia. I travelled the same route riding on the large Soviet SUV. The pastor of the local Presbyterian church met me. I rode on this motorcycle for a few kilometers to his home.
While on the way, with the wind whistling by us, he turned aside his face and told me that the ELN guerrillas knew that I was coming. I was dumbfounded. “How could they know?” “He said. "They know who is coming and going in their territory. "
The pastor explained. “A couple of nights ago, a young man came to may house in the middle of the night and informed me that they knew a North American was coming to San Pedro. ‘Why is he coming and what is here doing here?" he asked.
I told him that he was invited by my church and Alfalit Colombiano to lead a workshop about community development. Apparently the ELN was familiar with Alfalit’s activities for a long time, teaching adults literacy and community development. Up to now, they had not interfered with Alfalit and the Presbyterian church.
Then the young man said, “We will be at the workshop. You won’t know who we are, but we will pay close attention to what he says.”
As the pastor shared this with me, I wondered if the last part about “close attention,” was a threat and if they didn’t like what I said, what would happen to me?
The next day, I led the seminar with no incidents. I never asked the pastor if he saw an unfamiliar face in the group. We will never know anyway, because I am here to tell the tale.
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