Blog Archives
April 2016 Prayer Letter
Dear Praying Friends,
March and April have been such a whirlwind here in Bucaramanga, Colombia! We are pleased to report some praises of God’s great favor upon the ministry in these days.
Church and Bible Institute Growth
Our church — Iglesia Bíblica Bautista El Faro
Our church has continued to witness the Lord’s mighty hand in changing lives, calling leaders and using them to impact others. In addition to seeing people regularly saved and baptized, we currently have 43 people each week either teaching or receiving basic discipleship lessons. Our building is packed out every week and we are investigating creative options to continue growing before having to move again (we have been here for less than a year!). What a great problem to have! Pray with us as we are looking into buying property, Lord willing. More info coming soon!
Training men for the ministry!
Our Bible Institute has continued to grow with more men who feel called toward the Gospel ministry. It thrills my heart to have a part in preparing them for the work God has for their lives. They’re applying what they’re learning now by working in many of our ministries, and we have one of them preach a mini-message every service. Pray for these men and their families as they take steps necessary toward full-time service.
EVERYONE gets excited when we see new converts following in believer’s baptism!
Mission Group Visit
We praise God for this group of friends.
We had a great time with Victory Baptist from Shelbyville, TN who came to visit over Easter week. Thousands of tracts were distributed, and many of the men were able to preach, including Stephen Lawwell, a Christian apologist. He has already planned a return trip! It was a productive trip for everybody, for the church here, and for our family. All were challenged, and some are considering full-time missions. We also enjoyed the company of a long-time friend and missionary, Jeff Bush, as well as a new friend, Peter Knezevich. THANK YOU, Victory, for your labor of love and for opening your heart to us. *If you would like to line up a trip to Colombia, just get in touch!
“¡Ven a mi Iglesia!” (Come to my Church!)
Aubrie teaching our church ladies in our monthly women’s bible study
Our kids, Amira (6), Anabel (4) and Airs (1) are all doing well with learning Spanish and helping with the ministry here. One of their favorite things to do is invite people to our church with gospel tracts when we go out anywhere. They’ll chase people down until they take one. Nobody can say no to these little blonde haired princesses!
Praises & Prayer Requests
- Praise God for providing a vehicle! We praise God for the 10 passenger 2009 Kia van we were able to buy at the end of March. It has been a blessing, both for our family and ministry. Thank you to all who gave and prayed toward this!
- Iglesia Bíblica Bautista El Faro. People are getting saved and being added to the church constantly. Pray for their spiritual growth, as well as wisdom in how to accommodate all of the new believers in our limited space.
- Men preparing for ministry in our Bible Institute. (Alfredo, David, Eduardo, Ernesto, Félix, Hernando, Javier, Jhon Fredi, Juan Carlos, Juan Danilo, Kenneth, Leonardo, Libardo, Óscar, Richard…)
- Increased monthly support. With all the ministry growth we’ve been experiencing, comes greater expenses. Pray that God would lead more folks to partner with us in reaching Colombia with the Gospel.
The van that God allowed us to purchase. Thank you to all who gave!
Once again, thank you for your faithful prayers and financial support. God is adding much fruit to your account through your gifts.
Love In Christ Jesus,
Aaron, Aubrie, Amira, Anabel & Aris Vance
“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
Click here to view a printable PDF of our prayer letter: https://aaronlvance.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/04-2016-prayer-letter.pdf
February 2016 Prayer Letter
Dear Praying Friends,
Productive Christmas Trip
Christmas with Aubrie’s Family in Ohio
With Pastor Alfonso Gonzales at the Spanish church we started in GA way back in 2006. They’ve grown!
In addition to preaching opportunities in Ohio, Georgia, and at the Our Generation Missions Summit in Tennessee, I was able to record 15 Spanish sermons in our home church’s television studio, Lighthouse Global Studios. These will soon broadcast throughout Latin America. Pray that the Word would have free course and be glorified!
Phenomenal Growth
During our month-long absence from the work in Colombia, several of our men stepped up to preach & to make sure the services ran smoothly. They did an excellent job, and we returned to find that our church had even grown by a few new families!
We had an excellent Christmas program for our outreach ministry kids. God is changing lives!
Training Men
“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
From The Mouth Of Babes
The girls with their uncle Brian (aka: “the horse”) and cousins Rhett and Conner.
Praises & Prayer Requests
- Vehicle. Praise God for the funds that have come in for this need! Thanks to those who have given. Lord willing, we will be purchasing something in the weeks to come. Pray that we can find the right vehicle, and that all paperwork will go smoothly.
- Mission Trip. We are expecting a mission team from one of our supporting churches toward the end of March. Pray that God would work in and through them. If you would like to line up a trip, just get in touch and we can work something out.
- New believers. There are several people who have recently believed on Jesus for salvation. Pray as we help them grow in grace and truth, and for others to be saved.
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Church growth & plans. This year we are focusing on training men and furthering our discipleship development, as well as opening a mission church on the outskirts of town. The enemy is not happy, as we have had some spiritual attacks lately, but the Light is always stronger than darkness!
Pray for these men and others as they train for the Gospel ministry (Juan Danilo, Félix & Jhon Freddy)
- Financial Support. With the ministry growth and family growth, we could use at least another 5 monthly supporters. Would you pray about partnering with us as we continue to lift up Jesus and his Gospel to the Colombian people?
Love In Christ Jesus,
Aaron & Aubrie Vance
(along with Amira, Anabel & Aris!)
Breaking news! Our updated prayer cards are in. Let us know if you want us to send you one, or a bunch of them for your church.
Click here to see a printable PDF of this letter.
December 2015 Prayer Letter Update
Dear Praying Friends,
First of all, I apologize for the delay in getting updates to you. Our September letter did not go out, so I am sending it along with this one. It has honestly been the most blessed period in all of our years of ministry.
Church EXPLOSION!
Don’t worry. We’re talking about the good kind — an explosion in growth! Since being in the new building, our attendance is now nearly 100. This is in addition to the many we see in our outreach ministry in the north part of the city! People are finding joy in the Lord and his Word. We are regularly seeing people saved and baptized. Colombia is experiencing a great movement toward the Gospel, but we need more laborers. There is much to do!
In September, we finished our series on the Gospel of John. To conclude, 7 of our men helped me by each preaching a mini-sermon on the “I Am” statements of Christ in John. It was a sweet night of reflecting on the sufficiency of Christ, and more exciting still to see him work in new preachers of the Gospel. This is why we are here — to train men! Pray for these & others as they develop the calling God has placed on their lives.
Click for a printable PDF of this letter (with pictures).
In December, we will conduct a special Christmas program again in a poor area of town where we have a weekly outreach ministry. We did this last year and it was a huge success! We’ll prepare a special gift and meal for each of the 200 children who attend and then preach to the families and community. For about $5 per child, we will include a toy, toiletry items, a gospel-centered kids book, and a personalized letter. This is the area of our next church plant, Lord willing.
We have also just started a bus route to this area on Sundays to bring families in until we can get a church officially started there. Pray for an increase in our monthly support to provide for this new ministry. Also, pray for funds to purchase a personal vehicle. This has become an urgent need.
Residents At Last!
It was quite a struggle to get our new visas, as the laws changed multiple times this year, extra certifications were requested, documents were lost internationally, and we paid much more than anticipated, but the Lord is faithful in providing each part of this need and allowing us to finalize everything just in time. Thanks especially to Community Baptist in NC and Calvary Baptist in OH for the special offerings. We are now permanent residents of Colombia!
Christmas Trip
Thanks to our sending church & family, we will be back in the States for one month over Christmas. This will be the first time we’ve been back since two years ago when we arrived in Colombia. We thank God for a full schedule including a couple new churches who wish to join our team of financial supporters. This is an answer to prayer!
We will also participate in an amazing missions retreat called the Our Generation Summit in Pigeon Forge, TN from December 31 through January 2. Why don’t you come join us? Time is short. Contact me for information.
Prayer Requests
- More lost souls to be saved, baptized and discipled
- Continued growth in our church — Iglesia Bíblica Bautista El Faro
- Christmas program for needy children in our outreach ministry
- Christmas traveling to Georgia and Ohio
- Our people who will be leading the church in our short absence
- Church Youth/Singles ministry camp in January
- URGENT: Purchase of a vehicle for family and ministry
We wish you a very Merry Christmas! Thanks for standing with us & supporting the Lord’s work in Colombia.
Aaron & Aubrie Vance
(with Amira, Anabel & Aris!)
September 2015 Prayer Letter Update
Dear Praying Friends,
What a joy it is to report to you that God’s work in Colombia is bursting in growth!
Ministry Milestones
Our church, Iglesia Bíblica Bautista El Faro celebrated its first anniversary on July 19th. After our first year, we have had an average attendance of about 50 but on the anniversary we had a big day with a record attendance of 140 people! Each week we’ve seen new visitors. Many have repented and believed the Gospel for salvation and we praise God that many others are in the initial and advanced stages of discipleship. We praise God for this growth.
In August, God opened the door for us to move our church to a new location just on the other side of the block from where we were. The timing of this can only be attributed to God! Because of the growth we’ve seen, it was difficult to fit into the first building, then just one week after we left the old location the entire road closed down for a construction project. We thank the Lord for many of our men who have pitched in to paint, knock out walls, put up new walls, and get things ready for services. We now have over double the seating capacity! With the rise of the value of the US dollar lately we were able to do much more than we could have just a couple of months ago. Still, there is much to be done. During the construction one of my key men, Eduardo, fell off a ladder and broke his leg. Pray for a quick recovery!
Click to see a printable PDF version of this letter (with pictures).
Family News
Our two-year religious visas will be expiring in October. Since our youngest daughter was born in Colombia and has dual citizenship we can now apply for residency. This will be a slightly higher up-front expense than reapplying for the temporary visa, but much better in the long run. Pray that everything goes smoothly. [Update: we got them!] Please also pray that we would be able to purchase a family/ministry vehicle soon.
Fruit Bearing Fruit
A dear friend, Rafael Gomez, is a pastor and missionary in Barranquilla Colombia (on the northern coast). He and his church invited me to preach their third anniversary and first missions conference at the end of August. They are excited about getting involved in supporting other missionaries to reach the world while reaching their Jerusalem. Would you pray for them? Will you pray about coming to Colombia to plant solid bible-believing churches?
Prayer Requests
- More lost souls to be saved and discipled
- Men who are heading into full-time ministry
- Eduardo’s recovery
- Resident visa application and trip to Bogota
- Vehicle for family and ministry
Thank you all for your faithful prayers and financial support! Lives are being changed because of your investment!
For King Jesus,
Aaron & Aubrie Vance
(with Amira, Anabel & Aris!)
June 2015 Prayer Letter Update
June 30, 2015
Dear Praying Friends,
It is a challenge to squeeze into a few words the phenomenal things that have happened here in Bucaramanga, Colombia over the last two months, but let’s give it a try!
Ministry Blessings
Our first church plant has grown so much that we are at capacity in our current facility! With this growing attendance, we are seeking God’s will for our next step. Please pray for wisdom. July 19th marks our church’s first anniversary. It’s amazing what the Lord has done in this first year. On that day, Lord willing, we will also officially and legally organize the church, which will give us much more liberty to do even more and sponsor more church plants.
Just this month, we have about 10 new young people (15-25) who are not only coming but getting involved and earnestly seeking to know God’s Word and to serve him with their lives. As I have mentioned in previous letters, there are several others who are continuing to grow as leaders and desire to be in the ministry. Pray as we plan to officially open a Bible Institute soon. This is why we are here!
Our children’s ministry has also taken off, with 150-200 each week now. It’s a blessing to see these participating in lessons, memorizing scripture, trusting in Jesus, and learning Bible principles which will guide them throughout life. Many of our leaders from the church are even teaching their own groups of children now! To me, that is the greatest success of this ministry.
*Click to see a printable PDF of this letter (with pictures!)*
Hard To Say Goodbye
We’ve enjoyed visits from several in the last few months. My mother-in-law came for Aris’ birth, and my parents and brother came in May for their first time! Also, we had a young man with us in March who is considering a life of missions. If you or a group would like to come for a short-term or extended trip, let me know and we can work something out.
Family Matters
Our 4-month-old, Aris Lily, is beautiful and growing fast! She was recently diagnosed with bilateral hydronephrosis. Thankfully it is the lowest grade of this disease. They will do an ultrasound on her kidneys every few months and hopefully it will resolve on its own without surgery. On another note, Aubrie and I took her to the U.S. embassy in April and she is now both a citizen of Colombia and the U.S.
As a matter of prayer, our family will need to either renew our religious visas or apply for residency within the next few months (we can do this now since one of our children is Colombian!). Either way, we are looking at an expense of about $1500 – $2500. Any financial help toward this need would be a great blessing.
Plans and Prayers
As mentioned earlier, we are in need of a new building soon. Pray with us about this project. Another desire of ours is to have a bus or van to be able to bring many to church who otherwise wouldn’t be able to come. We already have a driver. We also are still in desperate need of a personal vehicle. Will you pray with us for these needs? Will you prayerfully consider making a donation? You can give online or send a check to MWBM, Inc. (PO Box 519, Braselton, GA 30517), and mark it Aaron Vance – Vehicle.
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Thanks again for your prayers & support. Only eternity will tell the full result of the investment you have made into God’s work here in Colombia. We love you all!
Aaron & Aubrie Vance (with Amira, Anabel & Aris!)
Click to see a printable PDF of this letter (With pictures!)
The Vance Family 