Blog Archives
Spiritual Fruit Abounding! — March 2025 Prayer Letter
Reading time: 3 minutes
Dear Praying Friends & Family,
What a year it has already been! Join us in rejoicing over God’s blessings on the ministry here in Bucaramanga, Colombia.
The Refuge Of Life Center
In February, we launched a nonprofit feeding and education center in conjunction with our church in the Café Madrid neighborhood. We are serving around 50 underprivileged children each day. We provide a hot meal (often the only food they’ll have all day), help with their homework, and—most importantly—offer them hope. The children receive daily time in the Word, along with mentorship, counseling, and practical discipleship tailored to their individual needs and maturity level. We’re already seeing fruit from this program!
A project of this magnitude is quite costly. A generous donation from Impact Others helped us start strong, and we’re now working toward launching small businesses to support local families and ensure long-term sustainability.
Discipleship Initiative
Christ’s mandate to make disciples has always been at the heart of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18–20) and the core of our ministry. This year, we reorganized our format and efforts at Ágape Baptist Church as a pilot program for our other ministries, and the results have been fantastic!
We meet in several small groups, each comprising 4–12 people, all of whom are reading through the Bible using the same reading plan. Each person highlights verses and passages that stand out to them, and we meet weekly to pray and discuss those highlights. Additionally, we incorporate outside readings to cover doctrine and the Christian life. It’s a reproducible and sustainable model, and I have high hopes for the long-term fruit it will bear.
Men’s Retreat
In March, we once again organized and hosted a camp for about 50 men from our churches. Over the course of a few days, we explored Scripture, focusing on the process God uses to form, purify, strengthen, and prepare us for spiritual battle. I thank the Lord for the way He is forging these men of valor!
Milestone Birthdays
We celebrated Aubrie’s birthday and Aris’s 10th in February, and in March, Amira’s quinceañera—a special Latin American tradition marking her 15th birthday and her transition into young womanhood. We’re proud of the godly young ladies our daughters are becoming!
Isn’t it amazing to be part of God’s work? We thank you for your prayers and financial support, which enable us to minister here in Colombia. This is eternal fruit—and it abounds to your account!
With Grateful Hearts,
Aaron & Aubrie Vance
(Along with the girls: Amira, Anabel, Aris & Alethea)
“Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.”
—Philippians 4:17—
An Exciting New Outreach! — January 2025 Prayer Letter
Reading time: 3 minutes
Dear Praying Friends & Family,
Sometimes, life gets so busy that certain things are left undone. It has been a few months since some of you have heard from us, so we are sending out this letter along with the last one which was never sent. Please accept our apologies!
With Impact Others in Mexico
I was invited to join a group from Impact Others / Christian Media International in Guadalajara for a few days in December. We visited missionary Sam Robles, assisting in accommodating a new place for them to house orphans. I also learned from their experience in order to launch similar outreaches in the next stage of our ministry here in Colombia. There are exciting days ahead!
Nonprofit Launch!
As we have mentioned in the past, one of our churches serves a very needy community, in which many of the children are left to raise themselves. Many go hungry every day. Many struggle with school. Many end up in gangs or start using drugs from an early age. We’ve decided to do something about all of this!
With the help of a large donation from Impact Others, we are constituting a nonprofit feeding and outreach center based out of our church in Café Madrid. In addition to holding regular services, we will provide daily meals, assistance with homework, discipleship, and other resources to help between 40 and 50 needy children every day. We are currently remodeling the facilities of the church building to better serve these dear kids and their families in a very tangible way. This nonprofit will be led by Nicanor Uribe and his wife, Lyda, who have been training for ministry with us during the past few years. Lord willing, we will launch mid-February. As you can imagine, there will be many ongoing costs with this project. We are stepping out in faith and trusting the Lord to provide.
Mass Media Outreach
Our television recording studio is in full use, and we are putting out content every day in which tens of thousands of people are hearing the Gospel. If you speak Spanish and would like to check out some of the devotional and preaching videos, along with interviews and question & answer sessions, check out our new YouTube channel (along with other social media platforms): @verdadenamorbga.
Family Update
Aubrie had a long-awaited extraction of her four wisdom teeth in January. She did great, though recovery has been quite a process! Pray for her.
We thank the Lord for your faithful prayers and support, which enable us to minister in Colombia and beyond. Thank you also for the special Christmas gifts many of you sent to our family. These special offerings met very specific needs!
With Grateful Hearts,
Aaron & Aubrie Vance
(Along with the girls: Amira, Anabel, Aris & Alethea)
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:”
—1 Peter 2:9—
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—
Hundreds Reached and a New Church — September 2024 Prayer Letter
Reading time: 3 minutes
Dear Praying Friends & Family,
God continues to pour out His grace and blessings on us and the ministry here in Colombia. We invite you to celebrate His work over the past quarter with us.
Tenth Anniversary!
Though we are approaching our eleventh year on the field here in Colombia, we celebrated the tenth anniversary of the first church we planted, El Faro (Lighthouse), in July. We praise the Lord for His faithfulness in the lives of these dear people—after all, it’s His church! Nearly four years ago, this church was entrusted to the leadership of Pastor Felix, one of the first men we trained for ministry. He and his family have been faithful, alongside many other leaders and workers. Every time we visit, I feel like a grandparent visiting our spiritual children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren! What joy!
Spectacular Vision Clinic
In August, we once again partnered with Medical Mission Outreach to provide eye exams and glasses to the community. What an exciting week! We served over 1,000 people, and a couple hundred of them made professions of faith. It was also a great joy to see more than 100 church members and friends from our various congregations volunteer to make this event a reality. Praise the Lord!
A New Church Is Born!
In September, one of our pastors, José Nelson Pineda, launched Iglesia Bautista Esperanza (Hope Baptist Church) in the Girón district of our metro area. He is working alongside a fellow missionary, Justin Cox, and a team of people we have sent from our other churches. Please pray for this brand-new congregation!
Missions On The Mission Field
I had the privilege of being the main speaker at a missions conference in the coastal city of Cartagena, Colombia. Pastor Alberto Gomez, who has planted many churches there, first challenged me to pray about Colombia over twenty years ago. Thank God for him! This was our first opportunity to witness the ministry there in person. It was a blessing to encourage this network of mission churches in their mission efforts. Some of these congregations are over 30 years old and have sent out many of their own to various mission fields.
Grateful Hearts
Our family thanks the Lord for your continued prayers and support. We deeply appreciate your faithfulness over the years. It is an honor to serve our Savior! May He find us faithful until He returns!
Love In Christ,
Aaron & Aubrie Vance
(Along with the girls: Amira, Anabel, Aris & Alethea)
“Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
—1 Thessalonians 5:16-18—
Praising God for a decade of His faithfulness in this dear congregation. 
Pray for Pastor Félix, his wife Schantall, and little Daniel as they serve at El Faro. 
Anabel in her element interpreting for MMO team member Mrs. Margaret. 
With Pastor Alberto Gomez and a few others from the conference in Cartagena. 
Pray for Pastor José Nelson, along with his wife Ana Gabriela and their family. 
We’re grateful for what God has done in this city over the past decade. There is still much to be done!
Christ is building his church and we have the keys! April 2019 Prayer Letter
Dear Praying Friends & Family,
It amazes me how God moves, how he provides, and how he proves himself faithful in every circumstance. Celebrate his goodness with us in this month’s report.
We finally have the keys!!
Our church in the Cafe Madrid neighborhood of our city has just finalized the purchase of a three-story house to use for church services, counseling, outreach, children’s activities and more. We thank those of you who have given generously and prayed earnestly for this need! Continue to pray, as we will be working to get the building ready over the next month or two. There remains much work to do!
Growing In Grace & Truth
Our Bible Institute continues strong with 36 men and women registered and preparing for lives of ministry. This semester we’re studying Systematic Theology, Old Testament Survey, and the Christian Home. I also meet with around 15 preacher men for several hours a week to consider biblical Homiletics and help them in developing their gifts and calling. We’re seeing a spiritual army being raised up to take this city, country, continent, and the world for the Gospel’s sake!
Family news
Aubrie, Aris, and Amira recently had birthdays, and Aubrie and I are excited to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary in April! Our children are growing both physically and in their faith! In addition to Anabel getting saved and baptized, it is great to see how God is working in our oldest daughter Amira’s life and heart. She was able to join Aubrie and the ladies of our church to a woman’s retreat in March. She has been reading her Bible and sharing it with others. What joy it brings to us to see our children walking in the truth! We pray that Aris (4) and Alethea (1) may also understand and believe the Gospel in due time.
Next Steps & Prayer Requests
- As previously mentioned, we have a lot of work to do on the new building for the Cafe Madrid church — fixing floors, patching and painting the walls, installing doors, securing windows, adding a security system, etc. This is going to cost a bit more than we had expected, but as always, we trust God to provide.
- Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans live in or are passing through our city seeking a better life. We are trying to do everything we can to help them on their way. Our church gives out food and other supplies every week, which opens the door to share the Gospel. God is using this ministry to see many lives changed!
- We have new bible studies starting up in a couple locations where we have families traveling up to an hour to come to our church. These are possibilities for futures church plants! Pray for the leaders and prospects.
Thank You
Once again, thank you for your constant prayers and faithful support. If you’d ever like to plan a trip to see the work here, we’d love to have you! Just let us know, and we can work out the details.
For Christ’s Fame,
Aaron & Aubrie Vance and Family
Here are a few recent pictures from the ministry:
Aris, Amira, Anabel & Alethea wish you a wonderful Easter!
Wordless book project with one of our kid’s classes (in a classroom instead of the sidewalk!)
Praise the Lord for new believers and for faithful men in ministry!
Part of Instituto Bíblico El Faro (Lighthouse Bible Institute)
Anabel after her baptism
Ladies retreat in March
The Vance Family 