Monteria, Columbia
BIG PAPI'S JOURNEY IN July & August 2025
I had the incredible opportunity to visit Monteria, Colombia from July 19 to August 5. As always, this journey was profoundly fulfilling. The warmth, love, and enthusiasm exhibited by the children, families, and the school we support is truly inspiring!
Thanks to the generosity of individuals, churches, and businesses, we were able to equip Pestalozzi Christian School with essential technology, handicap-accessible restrooms, a safer greenspace, and provide bibles and textbooks. (And of course, soccer balls!!!)
This same generosity enabled us to assist five families facing medical challenges, including three surgeries for Mrs. Ruiz, Ms. Moreno, and Ms. Leon, as well as necessary medications for two children with cerebral palsy (Nelson and Emmanuel), one suffering from hydrocephalus (Milan), and another with aphasia and severe dyslexia (Nickole).
Most importantly, we are blessed to share our faith and forge meaningful relationships. May God bless each and every one of you!
Much Love,
Dan Harms "Big Papi"
Monteria, Columbia
BIG PAPI'S JOURNEY IN November 2024
I had numerous reasons to be thankful over the Thanksgiving holiday.
I was grateful to see smiling faces of all ages. They were smiling because they had food to eat, a place to live, medicine, the opportunity to get an education, and a chance to become self-sufficient!
Paola and her family through help from us has established her own dress shop in her home. She is doing well with only minimum assistance from us.
The Ruiz family continues their education: Stefanie, the mother, attends English classes at the local university, Nikole is an honor student at her middle school, and young Celeste is thriving at Pestalozzi Christian School with whom we collaborate.
Judith has received a computer from us to begin working at home. Her two sons Miller, who attends elementary school, and Milan, who is homebound due to his hytroencepalis, are both doing well.
Karla, a young mother who has a congenital heart condition, receives assistance for her illness and tuition for her cosmetology school and tuition for her two children, Jordan and Roseaura.
Lastly, I am thankful for you! Your prayers, good wishes and sharing of your treasure truly shows God's Grace in this sinful world. I hope to continue to be a good steward of your help for those less fortunate than us.
May God Bless all of you, and may God Bless the whole world.
Much Love,
Dan Harms "Big Papi"
JUNE - JULY, 2023
BIG PAPI'S JOURNEY IN 2023
From mid June through the first week of July I was able to visit our friends in Monteria Colombia. I was able to check on the progress of Mia and Sandi as they continue their education in program design and English.
I was also able to visit with Angel and his sister Mari. Angel has down's syndrome, he is an energetic, wonderful young man who loves dinosaurs!
Nikole Ruiz, who we help with therapy and lessons for dyslexia and aphasia, is making wonderful strides. Her younger sister, Celeste, is still battling chronic asthma and bronchitis. Much of her respiratory problems are due to the polluted environment which they are forced to live in. Their mother Stephanie continues to help us vet and work with our families to ensure your treasure is used to its maximum potential.
It is always a joy and pleasure to visit our good buddy Milan, his brother, MIller, and their mother, Judith. Judith does her best to provide for her family, selling food product from the food cart our donors so generously provided. It is always a challenge living in such grinding poverty, but with their strength, and your prayers and help, we will continue on!
Lastly, we made some new friends, Miriam and Emmanuel Moreno. Emmanuel suffers from cerebral palsy and is a such a sweet, young boy. We hope and pray that we will be able to provide them with increasing assistance.
While we continue to work on a consistent revenue stream to provide education, medicine, food and transportation for these families, we ask for God's help on an even larger scale.
We are asking families and organizations with the material means to consider helping us provide livable safe housing for these three families. We have some apartments in safe neighborhoods, better schools that, with our help, could provide the impetus to move these families out of poverty and into a life in which they can provide for themselves!
It will take a lot of resources, hard work, prayer and trust.
Thank you all for your prayers, your treasures, and sharing of our story.
We hope and pray that we continue to earn you support in helping those less fortunate than ourselves.
God bless all!
Sincerely,
Dan Harms, Big Papi
JULY, 2022
Big Papi's JOURNEY in 2022
The last two weeks of July I had the privilege of working in Monteria Colombia, as a representative of Big Papi’s Kids.
This project is under the supervision of Ms. Stefanie Ruiz, who is our hard working intern and is continuing her education at the Corporacion Educativa De Córdoba.
Our goals were primarily two fold:
To distribute laptops and ipads to college and elementary school students.
To establish a relationship with the Proyecto Betania (Bethany Project). The Project helps to feed and educate 40 of the poorest of the poor in Monteria’s barrio.
The director, Mrs. Katia Prima Iglesia Is the director and is truly an Angel of Mercy. We are hoping to develop a revenue stream to feed, educate and possibly, acquire a larger and safer building in the barrio.
I had the privilege to meet, work with, and break bread with their families.
On a personal note… I am “all in'' to help these children and adults to improve their lives. With the goal that once we help them, they can “pay it forward”.
God bless all.
—Dan Harms (Big Papi).
The People of colombia
The Barrio
