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Week In Review – September 15, 2014
What an amazing week! Friend, God is at work among the people in Bucaramanga, Colombia! Here is a quick rundown of what we’ve been up to.
- Our first church plant here, Iglesia Bíblica Bautista El Faro, just completed 2 months since it’s inauguration. We are still seeing new visitors every week, during the Sunday, Tuesday and Friday services. Regular attendance is slowly but surely growing, as is the offering. They are nearly at a point already where they can take care of their basic monthly expenses (rent and utilities). This is a great step!
- Aubrie has been taking the kids out after our song service and doing a special program for them. This was a stretch for her, but a huge blessing to them! Her group keeps growing each week (there were 8 kids yesterday!), and the children look forward to their special time each week.
- Many people in this area are learning (or want to learn) English, so we decided to begin services once a week in English to give them a chance to practice. We hold this special service right before our main Sunday morning Spanish service and encourage people to stay for both. What I didn’t know was that we would also attract a few foreigners that live here who also speak English. In addition to a few Colombians that come, we have a gentleman from Texas, a Korean who grew up in London and his family and others that join us each week.
- Several are plugging into discipleship, meeting with me throughout the week. It is wonderful to see each progressing, growing in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
- Many families are excited about getting involved in serving in various ministries of the church. This is one of the most exciting things for me! There are also a few men that are wanting to go further. Pray for these that God would enable them to do the work of the ministry and enable me to train them!
- The family is doing well. This week our girls are on vacation from their preschool. Aubrie and our next little baby are fantastic. We find out on THURSDAY if we’re having a boy or a girl! Amira and Anabel are split as to which they want, but they’re both enthusiastic about having a baby around.
- A special thanks to the DeGaetano family for the gifts they sent us for the new baby this week! Also to Plantation Baptist Church for sending a few books by Striving Together publications to distribute to people in our church. What a blessing!
- Just like in many parts of the U.S., it’s fair season here as well. The “Feria Bonita” is going full blast. The difference is that the fair here takes place literally all over the city. Bike races, concerts, art & craft sales, food, games and much more draw people out of their homes to wander around the city. It’s a great opportunity to get the Gospel into people’s hands. Please pray as we pass out tracts this week to some of these people.
- We continue to see the Gospel change lives! Thank you to those that support us to make this work possible.
- **Family funny — I had a dream I went to Walmart a few days ago. Weird…
How can we be praying for 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?
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!
March – April 2014 Prayer Letter
Dear Prayer Partners,
6 Months There, Now 6 Here…
Ten years ago I spent 6 months in Peru, South America for missions training and hands-on preparation. It was an amazing time in my life that God used to teach me and mold me into who I am today.* Well, 6 months have now gone by since our family arrived in Bucaramanga Colombia for long-term church-planting ministry. It feels like just a short while, but at the same time it feels like we’ve been here all our lives! In other words, it feels like home.
God has been working mightily lately. The past couple months we have seen blessings with both ministry and with our own family. In March we enjoyed a visit from my Mother in law, our first from the USA! In April I was able to travel to Chile for a very helpful Latin America church planters conference with many other missionaries. Aubrie and I also celebrated our fifth anniversary in April. Our children are growing and adapting well to life here. God has been good to this family!
HUGE NEWS…
We just signed this week on a building to rent for our first church in Colombia! This is a blessing as it takes us one step forward in our ministry goals. Within a few weeks, in June Lord willing, we will hold our kickoff service. Please pray that as we share the Gospel, God would work in many hearts and build His church. He is worthy!!
Special Projects…
Several have asked me to share special financial needs as they come along. In the coming weeks I’ll be buying 80 chairs, basic sound equipment, 20,000 pieces of literature, nursery supplies and much more as we get ready for the first service. If you would like to help offset these expenses, we have set up PayPal on our website for secure online giving through Macedonia World Baptist Missions, or you can send a check to MWBM at the address below with our name in the memo. Thanks for your help!
We had been saving funds for a vehicle but will use this money to go ahead with the church plant and wait for God’s timing on our own transpiration. We have been using public transportation here and will keep doing so until we have the funds for a car.
We express our heartfelt thanks to those of you that support us regularly with your prayers and financial support. God is already adding fruit to your account and we are most grateful that you have chosen to hold the rope for us! How can we be praying for you?
Prayer Requests…
- Church kickoff within a few weeks
- More people saved, baptized and discipled
- Young men that I can begin to pour my life into
Servants Of Our Great King,
Aaron Vance & Family
“Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” 1 Corinthians 4:1-2
_________
*PS – if you or a young person you know is interested in missions, I highly recommend they check out the Our Generation Training Center!
Click to see a printable PDF copy of our letter (with pictures!)
Prayer Letter for January-February 2014
Dear Prayer Partners,
Ministry Update
Hello again from beautiful Bucaramanga, Colombia! The Lord has opened many doors for us since our last letter. We have seen people trust Christ as well as new discipleship and home Bible studies started, including one in our own home. As we establish these contacts, we plan to officially open a church within the next couple months. It is exciting to be a part of God’s work. Consider coming to join us!
I returned this week from an evangelistic campaign on the other side of Colombia where I was able to preach several times in small villages in open-air meetings and from house to house. Many attended, with over 30 trusting in Christ for salvation, and we were also able to encourage new believers. These campaigns were in preparation for church plants by the Colombian national pastor who invited me. Though I spent dozens of hours in buses, taxis, motorcycles, riverboats and on foot, this trip was a tremendous blessing! The culture, accent, and the weather is much different on the Coast than here in the mountains where we live. Thankfully, the Gospel message works the same!
Family Happenings
February kicks off the school year here in Colombia, so our girls began attending a nearby preschool in the mornings. They are learning well and have fun playing with the other children. Meanwhile, Aubrie is meeting with a personal tutor at the same time to improve her Spanish. I’m proud of how they are all coming along in the language and culture! When explaining to Amira she would be wearing a uniform like all the other children, she exclaimed, “Oh Yeah! Everybody likes Unicorns!” She still gets excited about wearing her unicorn each day. Ha…
Colombian Culture Corner
Many everyday words in Colombia are very vulgar and offensive in other Spanish-speaking countries. Coming from pastoring the Spanish ministry in GA with people from many different countries, it has been an adjustment using these words. It’s all part of learning the culture. We just have to be careful for the words that work the other way around! 🙂
Prayer Requests
- New converts, discipleship groups & Bible studies
- Wisdom as we choose a location for the church
- Financial support — We could use several more partners as we launch the church
- That God would continue to glorify himself in us!
Love In Christ Jesus,
Aaron Vance & Family
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” 1 Timothy 2:3-6
P.S. – Our new field address is: Carrera 51 #50-103 Bucaramanga, Santander Colombia You can also call us any time on a US number that rings on my cell here: 678-696-0082 or email us: aaronlvance@gmail.com
Click to see a printable PDF of our letter (with pictures!)
The Vance Family 