Colombia Preaching Tour Day 5-7

Day 5 – This morning we headed out to Meta with Pastor Hector and our new friend from the conference Bernardo who was very gracious to drive us. But before we left I was blessed to be introduced by Pastor Hector to the national director of Open Doors the ministry founded by Brother Andrew. I was so excited because I had read his biography, God’s Smuggler, the first year I was a Christian and it had a huge impact on my life. I didn’t know until that moment that the home we are visiting is part of their ministry to the persecuted church and that the children there are refugees from all over Colombia due to losing their parents because they are Christians. It was a wonderful meeting and I am looking forward to giving a devotion at their national office when I’m back in Bogota on the 29th. So off we went and traveled through beautiful mountains with waterfalls and high bridges and tunnels. It was breathtaking. Then we arrived at this beautiful orphanage/school in the jungle and got a grand tour. It was wonderful. The staff and children were wonderful. God is at work in this place.

Day 6 – I wrote this… “Waking up to the sound of tropical birds singing in the jungle outside our room… watching Brooke have a conversation in Spanish with a big green and yellow parrot that hangs out in the courtyard (he kept asking her if she wanted chocolate)… hearing the stories of children whose parents were killed in front of them, or beaten, or imprisoned, or are in hiding because of their Christian faith… seeing what God is doing for them through this ministry… how they are learning farming with crops and animals, fish hatchery, baking, sewing, chemistry, physics, art, music (they have a small recording studio and have written and performed their own beautifully worshipful songs)… getting to share my testimony and encourage them that their parents were right and that Jesus is the only thing in life worth pursuing with everything you have… and now listening to a torrential downpour playing a symphony on the many different sized leaves in the jungle… It’s only noon and already it has been a good day… a God day.”

But the best was yet to come. At 4pm we met with the young people (6 of them) who are graduating this year and will go out into the world to make their own way. I shared my heart with them about the advance of Christianity in our world today and that it is no accident that they are here, learning what they are learning, and that God will use them greatly if they stay close to Him. Like Esther, they have come to the kingdom for such a time as this. The rest of the team shared and it was beautiful. Then they poured their hearts out to us about their dreams and calling and it tied directly into what I had just shared. It was stunning. They are all feeling called to missions, or pastorate, or evangelism. It was a beautiful time! We had no idea as we were loving on these young people and drying some tears as they poured out their hearts what some of them had been through. After the meeting the directors showed us this video. The children in this video are now the very teenagers we had just met with and been loving on all day. Wow! Major tears and awe that God would allow us this privilege. Later that night each one came to me with tears and a big hug and thanked me for the impact we have had on their lives and I know the other team members received similar responses. What a difference a day makes when the Holy Spirit is in control of that day. Praise the Lord! These precious six young people each need about $2000 USD for their college in the coming year. The ministry here currently has no budget for helping them beyond high school so I am begging God that we can help them raise that. Would you pray with me for God to provide this for them. They are God’s elite. The children of martyrs and they have no hope of furthering their education without help from God’s people.

Day 7 – We left early this morning to return to Bogota and get some rest before we head out to Medellin tomorrow for 4 more days of preaching and visiting institutions. The drive back was again stunning as we wound our way through beautiful mountains on the 4.5 hour trip back. Our hearts are full. We thoroughly enjoyed our rest but we are hungry and thirsty for more of God’s power to fall in the meetings to come. Please Lord grant it.