Day 17 – This morning we went up to beautiful La Calera to take our precious daughter Heidy home. We spent a wonderful morning with her and the girls that she lives with. We took a long walk through this picturesque mountain village and just enjoyed the day. The girls were so cute and fun. We returned to the house and did some painting and English lessons and a wonderful lunch and then it was time to go. Pastor Urrego picked us up and we drove out to the beautiful little mountain village of Sopo where I was to preach that night. We were early so we ate some goodies and drank coffee and enjoyed learning all about the village. When we arrived at the church, the pastor’s 21 year old daughter (who speaks good English) and I had a wonderful visit. One of my favorite things about this ministry is getting to encourage young people for the Lord. Oscar and I preached that night and once again the Lord was there to touch and change lives. 6 visitors came to receive Christ and many many cried out their soul hunger to God. What a blessing. I’ve been invited back to preach at their 15th anniversary in September. Praise the Lord for what He is doing here.
Day 18 – This morning had the privilege of preaching for my dear friend Pastor Juan Carlos Caro in the barrio of Suba. God has done an amazing work here through Juan Carlos and his wife. They came to this very dangerous part of Bogota 7 years ago and have carved a wonderful church out of the rock. They have 4 packed services every Sunday and about 1/2 of each service is young people. He told us story after story of different people in the praise team how they had been on drugs since the age of 8 or their husband was just shot and killed the previous month and yet I’ve never seen people more excited about Jesus. It is a stunning place. I preached in the 9 am and 11 am services and the Holy Spirit was gracious to make His presence powerfully known in each service. What a blessing to pray with the very aged and the very young alike all weeping and crying out for more of Him in their life. It is such a thrill to follow Jesus on His mission among the nations. Today was the last day of this incredible 3 week journey and I can only pray and dream of what my heavenly Father has in store for me next. Thank you all for the prayers and support. Your account in heaven is compounding with excellent fruit. Praise Jesus!
Day 12 – This morning we went up to beautiful La Calera to pick up our precious daughter Heidy so that she can spend the week with us. I never get used to her little yelp and her running and jumping in my arms the first time she sees us. We met with the leaders of the ministry that she lives with and talked about some future plans and then we went to get her a chocolate milk shake which is her favorite. I’ll never forget the first time I bought her one and she looked at me with tears in her eyes because it was so good and she had never had one before so now it is a tradition.
Day 13 – This morning we were blessed to meet up with Juan David and Hillary (another aged out orphan having a very hard time on the streets) and treat them to a ride up the cable car to Monserrate overlooking Bogota. We had a nice lunch and took lots of photos and then they had to go and we met up with our daughter Ginary and her boyfriend Sebastian and our dear friend and Pastor Hector’s nephew Rafael for dinner. We laughed and teased mercilessly and everyone had a grand time. I love being a Papi, Padrino, and Tio to as many of these precious kids as I can. But so many are so desperate and it hurts me that I can’t do more. I always tell them that I am praying and looking for more people in the U.S. to get a consuming passion that will help me help them…
Day 14 – This morning we visited a deaf school. It is the first one of its kind in the city. It was founded by a girl from Texas and she is still there 31 years later. She gave us the grand tour and shared story after story of what God has done. It was amazing. They are working on translating the entire Bible into Colombian sign language videos too. We were so blessed to spend time with her and hear what God is doing. Later we met up with our dear friends Pastors Lucas and Doraynne and their kids and had a wonderful dinner and fellowship. Brooke lived with them for two months in 2012 and considers them her second family. It was a blessed reunion! Pastor Lucas is a leader in a large pastors council here in Bogota and we made some exciting plans for my next preaching trip.
Today we were very excited to head back to Soacha (which was such a blessing to us in September) and meet up with Pastor AC Jordan and Centro Internacional Cristiano. Wow! We were so amazed at what God has done here since we last saw them. Based on some great advice and mentoring from Pastor Timothy Vowell when we were here last time and when he returned in January, Jordan has been building relationships all over the city and God has been sending him people and resources and this place is growing like crazy. He has built a skate park and an auditorium and video room and much more. We were each asked to share our testimony and I couldn’t have been prouder of Heidy and Brooke. Heidy shared how our family had brought her to Christ slowly but surely and how she gave her heart to Jesus at the end of one of my sermons on the last mission trip. Praise God! She now wants to give her life to working with Mission Critical in Colombia helping girls and boys like her to know Jesus. Brooke and I were also interviewed for their new television station! God has given them everything they need but the right camera, a Canon 7D. We are praying that God will use us to get that camera for them.
After we went and had a marvelous dinner with Pastors Hector and Liliana and there precious daughters Heyley and Karoline and liliana’s sister and her sweet little ones at their apartment. We ate and laughed and sang and cut up something fierce. It was blessed and joyous. Heidy again told her testimony and made Pastor Hector cry. What precious friendships we have in this country. God is so good to let us be a part of His mission here.
Day 16 – This morning we visited a brand new ministry 3 years old that cares for disabled children. It is a very neat place and we will definitely be spending some time there are future trips. The husband and wife team that founded it are sweet Christians and we hope to get to know them better. This evening Heidy and I shared our testimonies with a Christian band called Grako (short for Great Commission). My friend and translator, Oscar Useche, is one of the founders and their drummer. We again had a blessed and wonderful time sharing and hearing about their passion for Christ. We then went and had Colombian pizza on the roof around a nice fire. I couldn’t wait to take a photo and share with our Mission Critical board and supporters/friends because we often meet around a fire at the Arnold’s our dear friends and board members. Tomorrow we take Heidy back to La Calera and start our last preaching run before heading home to Texas. Blessings.
Day 10 – This morning we joined up with some Colombian friends that used to be missionaries to China and are working to return there and jumped on the metro cable car to go spend some time at an ecological park at the top of the mountain outside of Medellin. What an amazing and beautiful ride up as we hung just a few stories above the barrios as we climbed up and up into the clouds. It was breathtakingly beautiful. We enjoyed lunch up there and many pretty sites and then came back to get ready for a church service tonight.
We arrived at the church and could hear the most amazing worship music as we pulled up. The place was packed with smiling faces and as we walked in my spirit swelled that God loves me this much to let me be a part of His work in the nations. We enjoyed stunning worship together and then Oscar and I mounted the platform to preach. Once again, I have rarely enjoyed the power and freedom with which I was blessed to deliver the message and when I invited those to come who felt a fresh hunger in their souls for God the front was flooded with weeping people crying out to God for a fresh breath from heaven on their lives and ministries. What a blessing! After the service we prayed with dozens of families and then dozens more young people and stood for what seemed like a couple of hours in the church and then in the parking lot just fellowshipping and loving on the youth. We were also blessed to meet many national evangelical leaders that we didn’t know were going to be there and they told me to “get prepared” because they foresee God giving us much to do together in the years to come. Wow Jesus! Following you truly is the grandest adventure of all.
Day 11 – Just when I thought God couldn’t surprise me any more on this trip. He did. I preached in 2 packed out churches this morning and God’s power fell like I have never experienced before. People were saved who had just come out of curiosity, people were delivered, people were restored. Jesus presence was so powerful in each place. There are so many miracle stories that I couldn’t begin to put them down in writing.
Just know that God started something here in Medellin in the three services yesterday and today that I’ve never seen before and many here had never seen before and it was heavenly and wonderful. The pastors thanked us over and over again. They kept praising the Lord and saying that God used us to do something very special here and they believe it is just the beginning. They are already talking about the next time I come. Thank you to all the prayer warriors that are holding us up and the supporters who made it possible for us to be here. Much fruit is being forwarded to your account in heaven. All for His glory and our great joy!
Day 8 – This morning we boarded a plane for Medellin. What a beautiful city tucked in a valley between mountains. We checked into our hotel and then set out walking to a nearby orphanage called Open Arms. We spent the next several hours there enjoying their fellowship, hearing stories, and learning much about ministry to the least of these in Medellin. They also have a church and I was invited to preach there the next time I am in town. Then we headed up the mountainside twisting and turning on very narrow streets through barrio after barrio until we came to the church of my dear friend Pastor Lucas’s brother-in-law Hector Estrada. What an amazing place and what an amazing view of Medellin from up here. What an amazing church! It was packed with people and we enjoyed fantastic worship and then Oscar and I preached and I could see God moving on the faces of the people and when I gave the invitation more than 1/2 the crowd came to be prayed over. One young man in particular, named Anderson, had caught my attention during the message and he came straight to me and with tears told me that God was calling him to ministry and we prayed over him. Then we shared a wonderful dinner with the pastor and his family and heard many miracle stories of how God is transforming this once extremely dangerous area of the city. Praise God for another beautiful day.
Day 9 – This morning we went up into another barrio to visit a hot lunch ministry that ministers to hundreds of children. Later in the day we visited their other site and played with the children there. We also visited two of their churches in the city. All of these ministries plead with me to send missionaries and interns and any kind of help that we can give. They are doing a tremendous work for Christ here in Medellin and I am praying for how I can help. Will you pray with me?
Later in the day we visited a woman that reminded me of George Mueller, Mother Teresa, and Amy Carmichael. She has been ministering to the least of these for over 20 years in Colombia. She has worked with the persecuted church for years and her stories made each of us weep. She has worked with orphans for many years and recently prayed down millions of pesos to build a home for her 40 something children here in the city. She told story after story and we were mesmerized. She is now the national director in Colombia for YWAM as well as many other things. She needs 20 missionaries right now. I have been invited to go with her to the unreached tribes in the mountains of Colombia later this year. I pray that God will make a way. We had a wonderful dinner on top of a mountain and now I am ready to fall into bed and hit it again tomorrow. God bless! My dream maker in my head is spinning fast 🙂 hope I can sleep.
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.
Jesus is risen! We started the morning praying over the leaders of the church. I prayed that God would give them a double portion of His spirit like Elisha had. That He would make them the spiritual fathers and spiritual mothers to tens of thousands. And that He would increase their capacity to enjoy Him and that the overflow would touch Bogota, Colombia, South America, and the nations. I have been so blessed and enriched to spend 4 days with these precious saints. We’ve been treated like royalty and have felt very loved. Thank you Jesus for this opportunity.
I was blessed to preach in the 9am and 11am services and I have never had more fun, more response from a crowd and prayed over more people or received more hugs in my life. I’ve never seen people so hungry for God. It is infectious and they drank up every word and every minute of this conference and I can’t wait to see the fruit that comes from it. So many people young and old told me that God had used my messages to confirm in their life things that God was already stirring and they thanked us and thanked us for coming. What a blessing! This afternoon we enjoyed a wonderful time of rest and relaxation. Tomorrow we head to Meta for more ministry. I’m ready!
Today was a day of rest and soaking it in for me since I was not on the schedule to preach today. Pastor Hans preached a wonderful message this morning and then we prayed over the leaders of the church. I was blessed to pray over Pastor Henry’s mother and father and over his sister who is a pastor with her husband in Medellin. After the service I was surprised and super blessed to discover that we would be honorary professors of their seminary and help officiate a graduation of their students. We donned our gowns and sashes and caps, signed the diplomas, and were honored to present the diplomas to each graduate with a gran abrazo. They gave us the sashes as a momento to remember the day. I am so impressed with all that God is doing at Mision Berakah and am blessed to be around these heroes of the faith.
Another humbling and beautiful surprise was to follow the graduation. The church has a large scouting ministry called Ghibbor which means great warrior. The children and young people were all decked out in their uniforms and performed some of their drills for us. Then they explained that we were to be inducted in their troop as honorary members of the highest order. We were presented with a beautiful neckerchief representing green for Jesus our shepherd, purple for Jesus our King, and white for purity. We were also presented with a pin showing that we were of the highest rank. Then the children and young people prayed over us that we would shake the nations for Jesus. Wow! What a blessing. God is raising up powerful leaders for Colombia, South America, and the world.
We had a wonderful dinner at a typical Colombian restaurant in the mountains. It was beautiful. We returned to the coliseum and saw a Christian film and then it was time for Brooke to share. The only word that describes what happened next is supernatural. This girl who has all her life hated being in front of people, stepped up with power and confidence and shared her heart in a very vulnerable and authenticate way. She shared her pain and struggles and how God is redeeming them into a monster passion for Jesus and His cause in the world. She challenged the people to follow Jesus and never give up. Many many young people came to her weeping and thanked her for the push that she gave them to go further into the kingdom of God. It was such a blessing. After we enjoyed dinner with Juan David. He is the first orphan Beverly and I met on our very first day on our very first trip to Colombia 5 years ago. He was the first one that broke our hearts here. We had a wonderful time with him tonight. Something he said tonight rocked my world and reminded me why we do what we do here. He said, “I was so terribly alone before you came that first time and you came and loved me and I have known from that day to this that you guys love me and are there for me and it has made a difference in my life.” Wow. One day of love for one of these love starved children can alter a life forever. Praise Jesus! That is why we keep coming. Well, good night, I preach in 2 services tomorrow. Prayers greatly appreciated!
Today was a marvelous day. We met in the park with Pastor Henry and some of his leaders for an outdoor prayer meeting. I was standing in the circle praying with my eyes closed and face lifted to heaven and suddenly the sun rise broke on my face and I felt its warmth and it was like the heavens had opened to our prayers, amazing feeling. After prayer we enjoyed an amazing breakfast at the home of one of the church leader’s mother and then we were off to the coliseum for another anointed day of worship, prayer, and preaching.
My message this morning was on Faithfulness: The Price of Ministry. I was rested and could feel the Lord lightening my steps as I walked to the podium. I poured my heart out with a passion, freedom, and power that I have rarely experienced before sharing stories from my 31 years of ministry and how God has shown up in power to deliver over and over again. The response from the crowd was overwhelming. I knew that the Holy Spirit had met them and I was overjoyed. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house and many many were touched. The Austrian evangelist that is also preaching at the conference with Pastor Henry and myself told me afterward that it was one of the best messages he had ever heard. That made me weep. Thank you Jesus for doing your work. He then asked me if I had a television ministry to which I replied, “no sir”. He said, “You will brother Matthew. You will have a worldwide ministry very soon I foresee.” Inside, I am a 16 year old boy living out a dream that God birthed in me in the mountains of New Mexico 31 years ago. Praise His name. I’m so grateful for my translator, Oscar, whom God has anointed in his own right.
As we worshipped the Lord in the meeting tonight I was standing on the stage with my eyes closed and my face lifted to heaven and suddenly the sunset broke through a nearby window and lit up my face and I smiled wide and my heart was warmed once again. Hans, the Austrian evangelist preached tonight and it was wonderful. His message was Faithfulness: The Gift of Jesus. He is a precious man and I loved hearing some of his testimony as we shared lunch today. I was blessed to walk through the crowd that came forward at the end to receive a blessing of holy fire from the Lord and to lay hands and pray over dozens of them. They are so hungry for God it is tremendously exciting.
Our hosts, Pastor Henry and his wife Mable and their group of leaders are beyond wonderful and we have been treated like royalty and many of the side conversations and prayer times have been life changing. Brooke and I have laughed, cried, and eaten more than a person should be allowed and it is only the second day. Thank you God for this opportunity. Bendiciones!
Today was the first day of a 4 day conference with our dear friends at Mision Berakah in Bogota. This church has been fasting and praying for God’s power to fall on this conference and He showed up in a mighty way today. I knew it was going to be an amazing day because I didn’t sleep at all last night which is very rare for me. The Holy Spirit kept bringing things to mind that I should pray for and songs kept running through my head so I prayed and listened to worship music until it was time to get up this morning. I am very tired now but sustained!
We have already enjoyed some amazing fellowship. Pastor Henry preached in the morning service and we were able to pray with many who came to re-commit to faithfulness in their walk with Jesus. Brooke has already informed me that she is staying and I’m going home alone 🙂 I was blessed to preach in the evening on The Passion For Jesus. Many were weeping as we prayed over and loved on them after. God is moving mightily and lives will be transformed as a result of this conference. I couldn’t be more excited or blessed to be here. I preach again in the morning so goodnight and God bless you!
Day 17 – This morning we went up to beautiful La Calera to take our precious daughter Heidy home. We spent a wonderful morning with her and the girls that she lives with. We took a long walk through this picturesque mountain village and just enjoyed the day. The girls were so cute and fun. We returned to the house and did some painting and English lessons and a wonderful lunch and then it was time to go. Pastor Urrego picked us up and we drove out to the beautiful little mountain village of Sopo where I was to preach that night. We were early so we ate some goodies and drank coffee and enjoyed learning all about the village. When we arrived at the church, the pastor’s 21 year old daughter (who speaks good English) and I had a wonderful visit. One of my favorite things about this ministry is getting to encourage young people for the Lord. Oscar and I preached that night and once again the Lord was there to touch and change lives. 6 visitors came to receive Christ and many many cried out their soul hunger to God. What a blessing. I’ve been invited back to preach at their 15th anniversary in September. Praise the Lord for what He is doing here.
Day 18 – This morning had the privilege of preaching for my dear friend Pastor Juan Carlos Caro in the barrio of Suba. God has done an amazing work here through Juan Carlos and his wife. They came to this very dangerous part of Bogota 7 years ago and have carved a wonderful church out of the rock. They have 4 packed services every Sunday and about 1/2 of each service is young people. He told us story after story of different people in the praise team how they had been on drugs since the age of 8 or their husband was just shot and killed the previous month and yet I’ve never seen people more excited about Jesus. It is a stunning place. I preached in the 9 am and 11 am services and the Holy Spirit was gracious to make His presence powerfully known in each service. What a blessing to pray with the very aged and the very young alike all weeping and crying out for more of Him in their life. It is such a thrill to follow Jesus on His mission among the nations. Today was the last day of this incredible 3 week journey and I can only pray and dream of what my heavenly Father has in store for me next. Thank you all for the prayers and support. Your account in heaven is compounding with excellent fruit. Praise Jesus!
