I
had the privilege to be able to travel with a team from our church to
Barranquilla, Colombia for a mission trip at the end of October. I had
never been on a mission trip before and am excited to join in the
long-term work we are starting in Colombia. I went with a mission
organization called
e3 Partners
with a group of 7 others from our church. It was an amazing time of
spiritual growth for me and an unforgettable time of ministry there. It
was a week-long trip and Matt and my mom graciously stepped up to help
take care of our kids while I was away.
The
first day of the trip we got to attend a local church in Barranquilla
and also had a lot of evangelism training since that is what we were
doing most of the week. We also met our translators, without whom we
would not be able to communicate! It was a full and exciting day. The
next two days were full and powerful. We went door to door in poverty
stricken barrios and shared the good news of Jesus Christ with them.
They were so willing to invite us into their homes and it was a powerful
time.
The
last three days we worked with coalitions of churches in different
barrios who are beginning to work together to solve challenges in their
communities. It was amazing to witness them all putting aside their
differences and working together toward a common goal. I can't wait to
see what results come from their efforts.
This
is just a short summary, but I hope to go again and continue to aid the
work of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ to the people in
Barranquilla, Colombia.
When
we returned, I was able to share with our church a little bit about our
trip. Below is what I shared with them and is a good summary of my
trip:
I am
convinced of God’s power!
God can
motivate you to do things outside of your comfort zone and cause you to succeed mightily
for His glory! There’s nothing like sharing your testimony and the gospel 30
times in two days to really show you God’s power. He took me who was very
unsure about presenting the gospel in ANY meaningful way, and caused me to have
the right words to share with 30+ people about the amazing gift of love our
Savior offered us on the cross if we put our faith and trust in Him alone. I
believe that message with all my heart, but as I actively poured out my heart
and God’s word to person after person… I felt the Holy Spirit like I never have
before.
I am
convinced that God can work through us.
God can
direct you to where he is already moving. In one of the Barrios, I was welcomed into the home
of a young man who listened intently as we shared the gospel, and even admitted
that he didn’t feel worthy of the gift of forgiveness of sin. That admission
told me a lot about where his heart was… he recognized his need for a Savior. After
asking a few questions he gladly prayed a prayer accepting this free gift of
salvation and asking for forgiveness. And then he did something that truly
showed that he got it. He wanted to share it. He brought in another young man
from another room of his house and proceeded to share the gospel with Him. We
had no idea anyone else was even in the house. That happens a lot in Colombia! This
other young man asked to pray a similar prayer to accept the free gift of salvation
and ask for forgiveness. An immediate example of what it means to be a
disciple. His heart was fertile soil for God to work. I was only obeying His
call to be His witness.
I am
convinced that God is the God of the harvest.
God can
multiply your time.
On my last day of evangelism, it was almost time for us to meet back at the
church to load up on our bus. Our group looked at each other and we decided we
had time to do one more house. We were invited in to a house on the corner of
two streets and offered chairs. As we
were walking in more people down the street motioned for us to come visit them
next. Knowing we were out of time I beckoned for them to come in this house
with us. I don’t know if it’s ok to invite other people in to someone else’s house
in Colombia, but I did it anyway! In the small amount of time I had, God
brought in more than 3 households of people to share with all at once. They all
asked to pray a prayer of forgiveness. A true example of God’s power.
I am
convinced that the love of God is something that everyone needs to hear about!
In Romans 8:38-39, Paul describes the power that I felt and the
confidence I now feel in my life.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,
neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither
height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate
us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Here are some pictures from my trip:
Arriving in Colombia - at the airport!
With a local church member in Trinitaria and my awesome translator Jefferson
Our team with Pastor Glaydis in Trinitaria
My lunch - pretty common throughout the week
One of my best friends Kendra and I sweating it out in the barrios
Don Basco
Of course I was attracted to the children... especially this serious 2 year old that reminded me of my serious 2 year old!
Worship in Don Basco
I
got to spend a good amount of time with these girls... especially the
one on the right, Daniela. We traded the few English and Spanish words
we knew and had a special time of bonding.
One
of my favorite moments after we returned was seeing this on Gabriella's
preschool door. They were making thankful turkeys and what she was
thankful for was: "That my mom is telling people about Jesus!" (orange
feather). Seeing that was so meaningful because it summed up my whole
trip in Colombia and also showed that my kids recognized why I had been
gone from them and how important it was. So touching... it made this
momma cry.
I
can't wait to continue to hear how God continues to work in the
communities we visited. You are in my thoughts and prayers Colombian
friends and I can't wait to see you again soon!
