Category Archives: Colombia
Another fantastic and crazy week in Colombia!
Week in Review – September 30, 2014
Hello, and welcome to another week in review. We thank the Lord for the time he gives us to serve him in Bucaramanga, Colombia, and for you who pray for us and support us financially!
Ministry News
- We had quite the scare in our church on Sunday between our English and Spanish service. As people were arriving, one of our young man, Jhon desired to speak to me about something for a few minutes. This is one who just told me a week ago that God has given him a desire & calling for ministry. Well, during our conversation, he began to have massive seizures. Our people from church came in and were working with him, and contacting doctor friends and his family. We took him to a hospital and got his seizures under control. He spent the night there, but seems to be recovered now, and back on the right medications.
- Needless to say, we missed our 2nd service. However, we didn’t miss an opportunity to serve! During our hours-long wait in the hospital, I was able to spend that time with 4 of our men, discussing our great God and his Word and purpose for our lives. My wife stayed back at the church with most of the ladies. I think this event has strengthened our people.
- Please pray with me for both Jhon and his family. They are not believers, but we are praying that even through this situation that they will see the love we have one for another and surrender their lives also to Jesus.
- We thank the Lord for the growth we’ve seen in the church lately with new visitors in our services as well as new people plugging in to discipleship and serving. It’s amazing to be a part of God’s work!
Family News
- I was able to feel our little girl kick for the first time this week! Aubrie is just over 19 weeks along… Almost halfway there!
- We’re in the process of name picking. Since we happened to end up with all A names, we don’t want this one to be left out. Any ideas?
- We are hoping to purchase a vehicle this month, Lord willing. We are at a point now where it is needful, both for family and for ministry. Instead of a small car, we would like something that could carry 7 or more passengers for use in the church. Used vehicles are not cheap here, but we know that our God is able. Will you pray with us about this need? If you would like to give toward this cause, we would appreciate it greatly! Anything helps!
An event to consider
- This week I want to highlight a special ministry of our sending church, Lighthouse Baptist Church in Dawsonville, GA. For the past 3 years, they have done a special End Times walk-through drama called Hell’s Gates. It has been a huge evangelistic success. Tens of thousands of locals as well as church groups have come through and seen a clear biblical depiction of the end times and the plan of salvation. If you are within a few hours of Atlanta, I’d encourage you to check out their website to buy tickets or to get more info!
Think On These Things
- We’ve been walking through and studying the book of John as a church. It’s amazing to see how each message has been meeting the needs of our people. Here is a passage we dug into this week. Maybe it will challenge you as it did us…
- 45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. … 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. [John 6:45-51]
- Jesus gave his flesh for the life of the world, but they must hear! All it takes to receive eternal life is to believe on Jesus, but how will they ever believe unless they’ve never heard?! As Romans 10:17 clearly states in the context of this thought, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” As we lift up the Word, God does the work of drawing men unto him and saving. Are you actively concerned about helping others individuals, people groups, and cultures hear?
Awesome start to a new outreach ministry!
Saturday morning, several families, all newcomers to our church plant in Colombia, decided to skip their regular Saturday morning sleep-in and show up early to our church in the city for training and prayer.
Then, about 8:30 AM eleven of us (8 adults) loaded up and traveled the swirling road to the northern district — said to be one of the most dangerous and poorest areas around.
We unloaded our supplies at a local park and immediately, young people were coming out from everywhere carrying chairs and siblings. They knew why we were there… to share with them Bible stories and songs! The community president had been coming to our church for the past few weeks and had been announcing all week long that we would be coming.
And boy, did they show up! The best count was over 90 children, 10-20 adults (moms), plus the 11 from our church. This all when we were only expecting 20-50! We had just begun to plan this outreach one week ago. It’s amazing to see how, when God is in something, it comes together in a way only He can make happen.
Preaching from Genesis 1
What did we do? We sang songs about Jesus, I shared the Bible story about God’s creation being “very good” and that each of them had value and was precious to God, the children colored a sheet corresponding with our lesson, and then snacked on some cake that one of our ladies made. It was a great time, but perhaps the greatest thing was to see how our church folks, jumped in and helped with every little detail. God is growing them, and their heart to see others come to know the sweet salvation we have through Jesus is astounding. What an encouragement.
“Dios hizo todo buenísimo, ¡y Dios me hizo a mí!”
(God made everything very good, and God made me!!)
Please be praying as we will be continuing this ministry, Lord willing, every two weeks. This is a great time to get the children to focus on God and open their lives to him. Most of these kids will end up just like their family members and friends within a few years…
…Boys will be hooked on drugs before their 14th birthday. They will get involved in violent gang activity and either end up in jail or dead before they are 25.
…Girls will be pressured into thinking that they must give their body away while they are still children. We were told this morning that the girl’s mindset in this community is that if they do not have a “spouse” by the time they are 12 that they will never have one. We met mothers who were not yet in high school and children who did not know their parents at all.
The need is incredible. Yes they are poor, but the true need these kids have is knowing that they are loved, that there’s a God that offers new life to them, and to believe on Jesus! They need to know they don’t have to follow the footsteps of others who have destroyed their present life and forsaken all hope for the next life. They need somebody to believe in them.
Will you come help us start churches, train the Colombian people & see others like these reached before it’s too late?
Here is a video we put together with pictures of the day’s event. I trust it is a blessing to you!
The Most Action-Packed Update, Ever!
September 1, 2014
Dear Friends,
Brace yourselves — This is perhaps the most exciting prayer letter we’ve ever written! The past two months have been packed with God’s grace and blessings. Here is a quick rundown summary.
Church Launch
The Iglesia Bíblica Bautista El Faro had its first official services on July 13th with around 40 in attendance. Several acknowledged their need for salvation, repenting and believing on Jesus that day! There have been new visitors every week and many families and individuals are plugging in with personal discipleship, helping around the church and bringing their friends. Pray especially for a few young men who have shown interest in going further. Christ is building his church!!
Surprise Funeral
Just days before the inauguration of our church, a Colombian lady contacted me from the USA whose mother was back in her hometown of Bucaramanga visiting family, and suddenly passed away. Both the daughter and this woman had been recently saved and were attending a good church in Florida, and I was asked to perform her funeral. The wish of this woman was that her lost family members would hear the Gospel preached at her funeral. What God did was truly amazing. By our best counts, about 120 people showed up for the service at our church (which really only holds 80), and heard a clear presentation of Biblical salvation. Dozens of these decided to place their faith in Jesus alone for eternal life. It was amazing! What an honor to this lady who had just been saved one year before. God is good!
More Lives Changed
We have seen several receive Christ and become born again in the past month, including religious people, who realized that Jesus is the only way, He is enough and that works do not save; also Atheists, who understood that there is a God who created them, loves them and died for them; and even an ex-paramilitary hit-man, who found a new beginning and new life in Jesus. God’s power has no limits. He is mighty to save all who will believe.
A Productive Visit
Our pastor and several from our home church came to visit in July. They helped get out thousands of invites the weekend before the big church launch and were a tremendous help to get the building ready for all the people. God worked through them and in them. Please pray especially for two of the young men that desire to return here or another place as God leads to work as full-time missionaries. If you would like to bring a group to Colombia, please get in touch with us, or see our website with details about a trip for students and singles June 15-25, 2015. We would love to have you!
Prayer Requests
- Growth of the church numerically and spiritually
- Families and individuals who are in discipleship
- A new youth outreach starting this month in the poorest and most dangerous neighborhood of our city
- Additional monthly financial support. At this point we have many more plans but are only held back by lack of funds. Would you consider partnering with us, that fruit would abound to your account? No amount is too small!
- Aubrie and the new baby — they are healthy and in the 2nd trimester already!
We love you and pray that the abundant grace of Almighty God would fill you, bless you and enable you to continue laboring for his Worthy Name!
Aaron & Aubrie Vance and family
Click for a printable PDF of our prayer letter (with pictures!).
Thank you for all you do to make it possible for us to be here! How can we be praying for you?
God Worked! Inauguration Service Report
Once again, I have been absolutely amazed. God continues to put his blessing on our ministry in Colombia. Many of you prayed much for our first service at Iglesia Bíblica Bautista El Faro in Bucaramanga. Following is a report of what God did.
- Around 40 thousand invites & tracts total were distributed
- 25 people attended the English Service on Sunday July 13th
- 39 or 40 people attended the Spanish Service that followed
- I was able to start a series in John, wherein I shared the first several verses and the thought, God Came to Us! He brought us eternity, he brought us light, and he brought us life. What an amazing truth! All we must do is receive him.
- 5 people informed us that they repented and trusted Christ alone to be saved!
- Most everybody said they’d be back and bring a friend!
- Many people came because they received an invite in the street or in their home, several came that were personal contacts of mine, some through our Facebook Page and some through the website.
- The visiting group from our sending church, Lighthouse Baptist in Dawsonville, has been such a blessing. They have helped paint and repair many areas of the church building, pass out thousands of invites and tracts the past week, and helped with a few things during the service. We thank God for their presence and help. Pray for my pastor, Charles Blackstock, who will be preaching our midweek service tonight (Tuesday).
- Sunday evening we participated in a special service across town at a sister church with Panamanian missionary, José Morales. They had a wonderful attendance with many visitors. My pastor preached, I interpreted, and the Holy Spirit did a special work.
Thank you all for your prayers and financial support. We have gotten off to a great start! With the funeral that the Lord allowed us to host last Wednesday, as well as this inauguration, we have seen dozens of people profess faith in Christ in the first week of our church! GOD IS GOOD!
Please continue to pray for us. We are just getting started! Pray that some of the young men that have already shown interest would allow God to move in their hearts and lives, and that He would call some to the ministry and let us train and equip them. This is what it’s all about!
“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2
Here are a few pictures from a wonderful day.
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- Literature distribution!
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- Jason painting over some graffiti that was on the front of the church. It turned out great!
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- Will 4 helping get our lyric and verse projection set up.
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- Getting to know one another.
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- A new use for offering baskets!
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- Singing praises to our God
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- Miss Stephanie singing a wonderful special to prepare people’s hearts to hear from God’s Word
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- Sharing from God’s precious word.
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- Bro. Victor mingling with a few Colombian men that came to our service.
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- Thank God for this group. They’ve been a blessing!
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- Pastor Blackstock preaching to the church on the other side of town on Sunday night.
Pray for the inauguration of our first church in Colombia!
Well friends, the time is finally here! Sunday, July 13, 2014 is the official inauguration service of our church in Bucaramanga Colombia.
Countless hours of prayer, finances, preparation and literature distribution has been invested into seeing not only many seats filled in a service, but also Christ exalted and his Word expounded. We pray for many people to hear the Gospel, repent and believe on Him who is our hope.
Would you pray with us?
Keep up with the latest at http://www.bemagnified.org and http://www.luzparasuvida.com
God bless!
The Vance Family 