The First Colombian in Space

By Fiona Christie

Viviana Pacheco is five years old when she sees footage of the first moon landing on television. A year later, the circus comes to town and Viviana's life will never be the same again. Set in on Colombia's Atlantic Coast, The First Colombian in Space imagines the life of a child who attends a Funky Frog Children's Club. The Funky Frog Clubs exist to help churches reach out to the children in their communities with the love of Jesus. All the proceeds from the sale of this short story will go towards the work of the Vive Foundation and the Funky Frog Clubs.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fiona Christie
• Release date: Oct 24, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386407393

Book preview

Preface

Viviana Pacheco is a fictional character, but like Viviana, thousands of real children in the north of Colombia participate in their local Funky Frog Children’s Club every week. They play, pray, worship God and learn the Bible with their leaders. The Vive Foundation (in Spanish Fundación Comunidad Vive) trains the Club leaders and designs the Bible teaching materials.

1. The Men on the Moon

When Viviana Pacheco was five years old, she saw footage of the first moon landing on television. Perched on her grandfather’s bony knees, she was the only person paying attention to the screen because her uncle had just arrived and everyone else in the room had turned to greet him. But Viviana kept watching, enchanted by the jerky way the astronauts moved and the crackle of the sound in English.

Look, grandpa, she said, reaching back with her hand and patting his chest. People walking on the moon.

Yes, baby, her grandfather said, trapping her tiny hand in his wizened one. Look, your uncle has come. You’d better say hello.

Viviana climbed down and walked to where her mother, her three older brothers and her aunt were clustered around her uncle, taking turns to hug and kiss him, but she couldn’t resist turning back to catch a glimpse of the grainy, flickering images.

My little Vivi, her uncle said, clutching her around the waist and swinging her up so that her face was level with his. His breath smelled of tobacco and beer and Viviana didn’t like it. She put her hands on his chest and pushed away but he pulled her close, put his arm around her shoulder and started to rock her back and forth as you might rock a baby. Viviana started to cry and everyone else started to laugh.

Put her down, Héctor, her mum