Category Archives: Mission Trip
Church Growth and Special Visits — November 2024 Prayer Letter
Reading time: 3 minutes
Dear Praying Friends & Family,
The last two months have been full of ministry, special visits, and God’s abundant blessings. Rejoice with us as we review what the Lord has done.
Fourth Anniversary of Ágape
Agape Baptist Church, our current ministry base, celebrated its fourth anniversary in November. It’s so awesome to be a part of God’s work of seeing people saved, discipling them, training them, and launching them into Christian maturity and ministry. Every week, we witness between two and three hundred believers gather to worship, study, pray, and serve.
Faithful Churches & Ministers
The other local churches we have had a part in starting are also doing well. It is a joy to witness from a distance the pastors and leaders faithfully serving the Lord week by week. Many of them are also training their own groups of disciples and future pastors without our direct involvement. This brings joy to my soul! The success of our ministry doesn’t depend on us doing everything, but in this long-term process of multiplying faithful men and women for the glory of God.
Special Visitors
In the last two months, we enjoyed visits from several special guests. Dave, a representative of Christian Media International, was with us in October. They helped us launch our studio and media ministry and are now assisting us in expanding our non-profit outreach based out of our church in the Café Madrid neighborhood. I’ll share more on that later. In November, we enjoyed getting to know Chantha and Jake, pastors from a new supporting church in Illinois. We also had a great time with our Macedonia field director, Bruce Berry, who was with us during Agape Baptist Church’s anniversary. Additionally, we were visited by David Robles and his family, a Peruvian pastor who is praying about coming to work with us here in Colombia. We thank God for these faithful servants! It seems God brings just the right people into our path at the right moments.
Family Update
Aubrie and the girls are doing well, and we were blessed to celebrate Alethea’s seventh birthday in November. In the midst of a crazy ministry schedule, it was also nice to get away for a few days on a family vacation in October. I thank the Lord we get to do what we do, and for the people with whom we get to do it!
We thank the Lord for you all. We appreciate you faithfully holding the ropes for us with your prayers and financial support. We pray for you often. Feel free to reach out anytime if you need special prayer or just to say hello.
With Grateful Hearts,
Aaron & Aubrie Vance
(Along with the girls: Amira, Anabel, Aris & Alethea)
“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:”
—Psalm 103:1-2—
Travel & Teaching — March 2024 Prayer Letter
Reading time: 3 minutes
Dear Praying Friends & Family,
God continues to open abundant opportunities to serve him here in Colombia and beyond. This year has been packed with travel & teaching. We are deeply grateful for your prayers and support, which have been instrumental in our mission work.
Training Pastors in India And Nepal
I was invited to train national pastors in India and Nepal in January. Over one month, I preached and taught 41 times in 8 churches and 11 different pastors’ and leaders’ conferences. Over 2,000 people attended, with 800 of those being pastors. We were in many regions, each with its own dialect and culture. The travel was strenuous, and the schedule was demanding, but God blessed us in huge ways! The theme of these conferences was Gospel-Centered life and ministry.
Multiply Conference in Chile
March brought a new opportunity to preach and teach in the annual pastors and leaders conference at the Chile Baptist Seminary, hosted by veteran missionary Jason Holt. It was a blessing to share with the Chilean pastors about evangelism and discipleship and learn from the ministry experience of other faithful missionaries and pastors.
Growing Churches in Colombia
We are thrilled with the spiritual and numerical growth of the churches God has allowed us to start in Colombia. We regularly witness new people getting saved, baptized, and joining the local churches, but it never gets old! The Gospel is changing lives! God has blessed our evangelism and discipleship efforts, and we’re always looking for ways to continue to push forward. There is still much to do!
Men’s Camp
The men from our churches always look forward to gathering collectively in March for our annual men’s retreat. We focused this year on living out the principles of the upside-down kingdom of God. Pastors Felix and Juan joined me in teaching, and the Lord worked in many hearts.
New Semester of Bible Institute
We also started a new year of Bible and ministry training classes in March to prepare our churches’ upcoming pastors and leaders. We praise God for the 40(+) students studying apologetics and ecclesiology this semester. Additionally, I gather with 25 men weekly who feel called into pastoral ministry. We go over doctrine, ministry ethics, and homiletics. Only God knows what the future holds for these faithful believers!
Building Prayer Request
We have mentioned the fundraising efforts to purchase our current rented facility for Agape Baptist Church. We praise God for meeting the initial goal and being able to start the paperwork process. However, the US dollar has lost about 25% of its value compared to the Colombian Peso over the past year, and it is now the lowest it has been in 3 years. Aside from affecting our personal finances, this significantly impacts the value of the funds we still need to bring from the US to Colombia to finalize the purchase of the building. Pray for this need.
For The Cause of Christ,
Aaron & Aubrie Vance
(Along with the girls: Amira, Anabel, Aris & Alethea)
“Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. For the administration of this service not only supplieth the ant of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;”
—2 Corinthians 9:11-12—
I learned to preach shoe-less and in a kurta (man dress) in India. All things to all men! 
What a great work God is doing in Chile! The night sessions were held outdoors. 
“We spent 15 years in a religion that only gave us more fear of eternity. Now we know Christ, his Gospel and his peace!”
-Luis Fernando giving his testimony before getting baptized.
Pastor Felix teaching in the men’s retreat. It’s been great seeing God’s work in him and through him during the past decade. 
It’s a great honor to teach and train God’s choice servants. Pray for his work in them. 
In February & March we celebrated birthdays for Aubrie, Aris (9), and Amira (14)! 
What a Year! — December 2023 Prayer Letter
Reading time: 3 minutes
Dear Praying Friends & Family,
We trust you had a wonderful and Christ-filled Christmas. As we reflect on 2023, we are constantly amazed at the goodness of God. He continues to pour out his blessing and cause the ministry in Colombia to flourish. Thank you for your faithful prayers and financial support!
Celebrating New Milestones
The primary church we’re working at now, Agape Baptist, continues growing and reaching new people. Each month, our attendance average increases. We are witnessing new salvations, baptisms, and discipleship involvement. Many men are advancing in their ministry training. By God’s grace, we have around 250 people attending each week! We celebrated this church’s 3rd anniversary this November.
Exciting Building News
Despite concern over the recent devaluing of the US dollar, by God’s grace and through the generous donations of some of our supporting churches and the Colombian members of Agape Baptist, we have met our fundraising goal to purchase our current rented facility! We praise God for this open door. Pray for us as we work out the paperwork in the days ahead. As God leads and provides, we’re already making future plans to purchase an adjoining lot that will allow us to continue growing and expanding.
Opportunity To Train Pastors
God opened the door for me to travel to India and Nepal in January and February of 2024 with another missionary friend. He has been several times and wanted me to join him on this trip. Lord willing, I will teach around 500 local pastors in training seminars between 10-12 locations. Some of these areas have been affected by persecution and oppression. I pray that I can bless those leading Christ’s church in this needy area. Though traveling from South America to South Asia is odd, training pastors has always been at the heart of my calling. This is an incredible opportunity! By God’s grace, my primary travel expenses have already been taken care of by my missionary friend. However, I could still use some financial help to get around the country and try to be a blessing to the local pastors and hosts. We know where God guides, he provides.
Aubrie’s Health Update
Aubrie had a tumor removed in October. This turned out to be malignant, though it is a very treatable type of skin cancer. We were told that she would need another surgery sometime in the coming months. Thank you all for your prayers for this and the other health needs Aubrie has been facing lately.
We Thank God For You!
November marked ten years since we moved to Colombia as church-planting missionaries. Our hearts were full of dreams and expectations to spread the Gospel and God’s glory, but we didn’t know the full scope of what the Lord would do. Thank you for holding the ropes for us. Many of you have faithfully supported us since the beginning, and others have joined our team of partners recently. We thank God for you!
For The Glorious Christ,
Aaron & Aubrie Vance
(Along with the girls: Amira, Anabel, Aris & Alehea)
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”
—Ephesians 3:20-21—
Our little family continues to grow. How is the time going by so fast?! 
Agape Baptist Church celebrated its third anniversary. Christ builds his church! 
Thanksgiving is just another ordinary day for most Colombians, but we had the privilege of hosting several ex-pat families for Thanksgiving again this year. 
We were blessed to host Pastor Alberto Gomez in October. He was the first to challenge me to pray about Colombia when I was a student nearly 20 years ago! 
We celebrated Alethea’s sixth birthday in November. How is she our youngest? 
“I Can Finally See!” — June 2021 Prayer Letter
Dear Praying Friends & Family,
We have experienced an incredible two months since our last update! Between emergency surgery, church growth, travel, a medical clinic, and hundreds of salvations — God has been so good.
“You Shouldn’t Be Alive!”
As I mentioned previously, since last year, I had been dealing with occasional abdominal attacks. The doctors here did not know the cause. I decided to go another route and pay out-of-pocket to be seen by the best gastroenterologists in our city and get the care I needed. They quickly did more tests and found I had an umbilical hernia that was getting strangulated. Between October and June, I had ten severe attacks. According to the doctors, I should not have lived through them. But God must not be done with me yet! The surgery in June was simple, and I have recovered well since then.
“I Can Finally See!”
At the end of June, we hosted a team from Medical Missions Outreach to do a vision clinic for our city and surrounding area. Over four days, we served 938 people, nearly all of whom received glasses (and sometimes two pairs)! Each person also spent time one on one with personal evangelism workers from our churches, and over a third of them made professions of faith! Praise the Lord! Many waited for hours, and even days, to be seen. Unfortunately, we had to turn away thousands of people who we could not accommodate. The desperate need was humbling. After receiving glasses, one happy elderly person cried with joy and told us they were glad to finally see with their eyes, but also with their heart. They had just trusted Christ for salvation. Now, the real work begins. Pray as we follow up with each of these souls and get them connected into discipleship and community in one of our five churches.
“Is There A Church In My Area?”
Since arriving in Colombia in 2013, we constantly hear this question. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough churches to adequately help our city’s population and even less so the surrounding towns and villages. Even after the medical clinic, in which we had people travel hours to come to us, we received multiple requests to start churches in these other areas. The need is great. There is so much more to do. Though we are actively training many Colombian and Venezuelan men and women for ministry, we pray that God raises more missionaries to come and help. Will you help me pray for more laborers in this ripe harvest field of Colombia?
“I’m Ready To Let God Transform Me!”
One of the recent converts in our church has had a very messy past. Jaime was heavily involved with drugs, gangs, violence, addictions, crime — you name it. After hearing and believing the Gospel, he told me he’s ready for a change. As we sat over lunch last week, he expressed, “I don’t know what the future looks like for me, but I’m sure not going back to the past; I’m ready to let God transform me.” He’s still a bit rough around the edges, but I love seeing how the Gospel changes lives. It works.
Aubrie and I are so grateful for each of you. Your prayers are precious to us. Your monthly and one-time financial support is used by God to provide for each of our needs and to reach more people on the mission field. Your notes, cards, emails, and texts encourage us more than you will ever know. Thank you. We hold you close in our hearts and our prayers. May God bless you.
To Magnify Christ,
Aaron & Aubrie Vance, and Family
“We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;”
1 Thessalonians 1:2
Following is a video update we posted during the Vision Clinic.
Our churches began a bi-monthly joint youth meeting. God is working! 
Thousands came to be seen at the vision clinic. Many waited for days! 
The MMO mission team, along with 50 volunteers from our churches, did a fantastic job at the clinic. 
Our soul-winners shared the Gospel with everyone who came through the clinic. 
We thank the Lord for a total of 329 professions of faith after the vision clinic. Now the work begins! 
Anabel turned 9 in May. She and her older sister were big helpers as interpreters during the vision clinic!
A great opportunity, a hospital visit, and a special date — November 2018 Prayer Letter
Dear Praying Friends & Family,
One of the most significant messages of the Bible is that God works in ways we cannot fully understand. He uses ordinary people for extraordinary tasks. He makes a way to move forward when it seems to be a dead-end. He works out even the worst circumstances for his glory and our good. He only calls for us to trust and obey. In this update, we highlight how this is happening all around us.
[Download and print this newsletter: PDF file | JPG file]
One Door Closes, Another Opens
I mentioned in our last letter that the landlord of our second church told us we need to vacate soon. Almost immediately, we were approached by the owners of a store three doors down to inform us that if we would ever want to purchase property, they want to sell to us. What an amazing opportunity! God works things out, doesn’t he? This building was used as a community store on the first floor and served as the owner’s residence on the second and third floors. The space is beautiful and perfect for a church! It will provide a long-term home, and help this new church become fully autonomous. It is also right in the community park that was recently renovated. The first floor is big enough for the church auditorium, and children would have classrooms upstairs instead of meeting on the ground outside.
The owners are giving us an incredible price for the property, and already have all the documents in order. We need to raise $50,000 for this need by January when we return from Furlough. Praise God, in the last two months, we’ve already seen 30% of that given! Please pray about how you could help this young church. Any amount helps! Checks can be sent to:
Macedonia World Baptist Missions, Inc.
PO Box 519, Braselton, GA 30517
(put “A. Vance – Building Fund” in the memo)
You can also give online at mwbm.org. Click on the “give online” banner, follow the prompts, and look for us on the drop-down menu. All gifts are tax-deductible.
Hurry Up, and Slow Down!
It’s amazing how God makes us slow down sometimes. To say this fall has been busy would be quite an understatement. I have had some discomfort for much of this year that finally came to a head in November. I was experiencing extreme pain just hours after arriving “home” after a trip to upstate New York. I rushed to the emergency room and then was transported by ambulance to another hospital where I spent five days. They did several procedures and surgeries, and praise God that all was successful.
It’s hard for me to cancel meetings, but the rest required to recover has been a blessing in disguise. God knows what we need. I’m thankful also for my wife, Aubrie, and her support during all of this. Somehow she excels in keeping up with our children and home on top of being my nurse. She is amazing.
The End Is In Sight
Our tickets are purchased, and we will return to Bucaramanga, Colombia on January 15th, 2019! Furlough has been challenging in some ways, but a tremendous blessing in every way. I’ll write more on this in our next letter. We are close to our monthly support goal, praying the last 10% would come in soon. There is much to do when we return, so we appreciate your prayers as we make the transition back.
Thank you for holding the ropes for us through your prayers and financial giving. God is working, and he is adding fruit to your account. We are grateful for you!
Trusting and Obeying HIM,
Aaron & Aubrie Vance and family
The Vance Family 
