FBA Colombia Team 2019

This is what greeted our team Thursday morning. Venezuelan immigrants line up outside FBC Bucaramanga each morning to receive food, clothing, a shower and encouragement in the Name of Christ. We helped make sandwiches and organized shoes and other clothing according to size. Dale shared his testimony as everyone listened with great interest. They applauded when he was finished. Baba continued to care for minor medical needs.  These are just two of many very satisfied customers. There’s nothing like new shoes!  One family needed special care this week as the mother had fallen during their journey and broken her foot. We are thankful for the Lord’s timing that allowed us to help care for this family this week. As is often the case, we haven’t lost weight on this trip! Here we are enjoying a typical Colombian lunch.  The evening service was for Venezuelans and Diji shared from God’s Word in Spanish! He did a great job! It’s

Wednesday was team t- shirt day and it was great to share some shirts with our ministry partners in Bucaramanga! They are part of our team too!  Not long after the doors opened, the “salon” filled with over 80 Venezuelans! What a blessing to start the day in God’s Word as Babatunde reminded us all how to find “rest” in Christ! After most had eaten, received clothing and had showers...Diji had room to spend some quality time with one of his new friends. Kids are kids everywhere and these children don’t have much opportunity to just be kids. This is the view from the front of the church where a line had formed for the evening worship service which is followed by a meal. Another full house! We were excited to share our “Emotions” skit with them. Many raised there hands and prayed to receive Christ during this service...PTL! Our day ended with a short outing to the historic town of Girón. It was s great time to enjoy some of the history and be

Each Tuesday night FBC Bucaramanga hosts a ladies meeting to provide fellowship and spiritual encouragement for all who may come. They have music, a message from God’s Word, prayer and a meal together. Traci  shared a very relevant passage and everyone seemed encouraged by the Truth that was shared. It was a blessing for our team to be involved in another ongoing, effective ministry outreach of FBC Bucaramanga.  Thank you for praying as we continue to serve the Lord in Colombia!

The room filled quickly after the doors were opened for the daily “Touch of Life” outreach at First Baptist Church of Bucaramanga. What a blessing to welcome those who had been walking for days and were in need of clothing, shoes, a shower and words of hope and encouragement.  Connie led the morning devotional and it was right on target! Our team had many opportunities to get to know the families and individuals who had left everything and were looking to start a new life in Colombia or in a neighboring country. We shared God’s Word and prayed with them. It was evident that God was at work in many of these people’s lives. We helped them pick out clothes. And were even able to provide minor medical care because the Lord provided a nurse (Baba) on our team! We heard many heartbreaking stories and were so thankful to provide a little comfort and encouragement in the Name of Christ. It was hard to see them go but our prayers

Monday morning, we traveled two hours up the mountain from Bucaramanga to the little community called Berlin. While the views up the mountain were beautiful, the road was one curve after another! At 10,500 feet is the Samaritan Purse refuge in Berlin. Until we arrived, we did not know if or how many Venezuelan’s would be there.  This sign is right next to the front door of the refuge. It shows the path from the border city called Cucuta to Bucaramanga. The refuge is at the top of the mountain range and it is much colder there than anywhere else along the way! We were surprised to find about 60 Venezuelan immigrants at the shelter. We were given an opportunity to do our “Emotions” skit and everyone present applauded and were encouraged by God’s Word! Before we left, there were another 30 or 40 who arrived at the shelter.  On the way back down the mountain, we had the opportunity to share some of the warm clothes and shoes with some young Venezuelan

Our team was so blessed by the warm welcome and hospitality of the First Baptist Church of Bucaramanga!  We had a great morning worshipping together with this church, spending time in prayer and  growing together in God’s Word.  The Pastor and his wife both recently had birthdays so, after church we participated in a time of celebration for the pastor and his family.  Complete with a live band singing “Happy Birthday” and many other songs of celebration for this special family in this church! Later on Sunday, we were able to go through all of the clothing, shoes and supplies we brought for the church’s “Touch of Life” outreach ministry that will go to Venezuelan immigrants and others from the community in the days ahead!  Our Sunday ended with a dinner of empanadas and cheese...and time in God’s Word. We are so thankful for the day the Lord has given us today! And thank you for your prayers as we go to the Samaritan Purse Refuge tomorrow!