Blog Archives
March 2015 Prayer Letter Update
March 11, 2015
Dear Praying Friends,
What a month it has been! Please rejoice with us in what the Jesus has been doing in Colombia, South America.
Young Lives Surrendered to God
Several weeks ago I was invited to preach a youth camp with over 100 teens from churches all over the country. Two of our own young men joined me on the trip across Colombia, and God did a mighty work in many lives. We thank Him for many who repented and believed on Him for salvation, as well as dozens who gave their lives to be used of God.
*Click to see printable pdf of this prayer letter (With pictures!)*
English as Evangelism
In January, we began free English classes as a community outreach. The response has been phenomenal! With help from other believers already attending our weekly English service, we’ve been able to offer a good class structure as well as cast a net for the Gospel’s sake. It’s been amazing seeing the steady flow of truth-seeking people into our church who in turn have discovered a family.
New Address
Praise God, we finally were able to rent a new apartment. It was a long process, but God’s timing and plans are better than our own. Here is our new mailing address:
Calle 91 #22-104 APTO 804 | Bucaramanga – Santander | COLOMBIA
She’s Here!
The newest Vance princess, Aris Lily, was born on February 24th. We praise the Lord for a smooth delivery and a healthy baby. We joked that she would look Colombian since she’d be born here, and were surprised to see her born with darker hair, skin and eyes than our other girls! Yes, this one takes after her mom. 🙂
Prayer Points
- Our growing church, Iglesia Bíblica Bautista El Faro
- Outreach ministries — Kids ministry, English classes, evangelism, discipleship, etc.
- Future plans for a church plant on the outskirts of town where we’ve been working with around 150 children and their families on Saturdays.
- Vehicle for family and ministry. Thank you to those who have given already!! If you would like to give toward this desperate need, you can send a check to: MWBM, Inc., PO Box 519, Braselton, GA 30517, marked “A. Vance – Vehicle” or give online here.
Again, we want to extend a warm thank you to each of you who have been so faithful in supporting us with your prayers and financial support. Your gifts become an investment in eternity, and God is already adding lasting fruit to your account!
For Christ the King,
Aaron & Aubrie Vance
(with Amira, Anabel & Aris!)
Click to see printable pdf of this prayer letter (With pictures!)
Bless a Colombian Child This Christmas
God’s Work In Café Madrid
For the past 3 months, our new church plant (just 5 months old), has sponsored an outreach ministry for children in an outskirt community of our city of Bucaramanga, called Café Madrid. I am amazed to see the impact God is making through us in this short time, both in families from the community and in our church people.
Changed Lives — Changed Destinies
These Children are thrilled to see us each time we show up, bringing their chairs to the local park, with smiles on their faces, ready to sing, say their memory verses, do a craft, eat a snack and hear a Bible lesson. Many of these do not know, or have been separated from their parents. Many of these would end up in jail, in gangs or dead within 5-10 years. Many of these might be lucky to eat one meal a day. Many of these have never understood or known the love of Jesus and his people. That is, until now. Children and adults are accepting Christ and experiencing a life and hope that is above circumstances.
Physical vs. Spiritual Food
We understand that giving physical help (humanitarian assistance) without the spiritual (real missions) is empty and non-profitable in the long-term. However, we also remember God’s words in Proverbs 28:27, “He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.” (See also Proverbs 3:27-28; 14:31; 19:17; 22:9; 31:20; Isaiah 58:10; Matthew 25:31-46; Acts 20:35; Romans 12:20; James 2:15-17; 1 John 3:16-18).
Big Hearts, Big Plans
With that in mind, we are planning a big Christmas event this weekend. 157 children have registered (who have already been coming to our Bible Club), and many of them are bringing whatever family they have around. A small choir will sing songs they have been practicing, I’ll share a Christmas salvation message, we’re making traditional Christmas food for everyone, and we’ll give away special gifts to each of these kids. In a special box, we’ll put a few small toys (according to the child’s age and gender), a toothbrush, toothpaste, a bar of soap, a book of Bible stories, a children’s gospel tract and a personalized letter from somebody in our church. That’s the most thrilling part for me. Our church folks have really jumped on board with this program and are working day and night as a team to see it come to pass. It’s really going to be a great day!
Your Part — Help us be a blessing!
If you want to be a part of blessing a Colombian child this Christmas, there is still time to give. You can sponsor a child’s Christmas this year for $5! You can donate through our mission agency, Macedonia World Baptist Missions, who will then forward the funds to us. They’ve made it easy to give online through Paypal, or you can send a check to: P.O. Box 519, Braselton, GA 30517 (make it out to MWBM, Inc. and put “Aaron Vance – Special Project” in the memo). All contributions are tax deductible and you will receive a receipt. Any extra funds that come in will be used toward this ministry for future projects and events.
And above all, please pray. Pray that everything goes smoothly. Pray that we can be a blessing to these families. Pray more precious souls accept God’s perfect gift of salvation. That is, after all, the real reason we celebrate CHRISTmas!
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” – James 1:17 –
Enjoy this slideshow of a few pictures we have taken over the last couple months.
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?
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!)
November – December 2013 Prayer Letter
Dear Prayer Partners,
Hola From Colombia!
We have at last arrived on the field! It’s been quite a process, but now the easy part is done and the work has just begun.
The last month in the US was very hectic with 15 meetings in 5 states (what was I thinking??). We sincerely appreciate all that helped us prepare for our departure as well as those that gave monthly and one time gifts. God used you to get us here. You have advanced the cause of the Gospel and there will be eternal fruit to your account.
The Holidays
It was definitely a different experience spending Thanksgiving and Christmas in Colombia without the rest of our extended family, but God’s grace is always sufficient! Christmas is an exciting time here, as everything was completely decked out with lights and nativity scenes. On the surface it appears that Colombians celebrate the Christ of Christmas even more than in the States. However, it brings tears to my eyes that most Colombians don’t KNOW the Christ of Christmas. They know the religious traditions, holidays and rituals, but all without a sweet relationship with Jesus. There is a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof (2 Timothy 3:5). Please pray as we introduce Christ the Savior to those that know him only in tradition and religion.
Click to see a printable version of our letter.
Ministry Opportunities
We have been able to survey different areas of this growing city and have it narrowed down to a couple of neighborhoods for our first church plant, hopefully by Spring. The need here is incredible. We have seen some people saved and are currently working on making contacts and conducting home bible study groups in preparation for the church launch.
During our time getting established we have also been able to attend and help out another Baptist church started by a missionary brother from Panama on the other side of the city from us. I’m currently preaching here each Wednesday. Please pray for Pastor José Morales and this dear church.
Prayer Requests
Again, thank you for your support in prayers and financial gifts. For those that have been holding out, we remain at about 95% of our needed funds and could definitely use a few more monthly partners as we launch our ministry. Please prayerfully consider if God would have you support the work of church planting in Colombia. Souls are in the balance.
Also pray for wisdom in all that goes into starting a church, for open doors to present the Gospel, for men & women as well as young people that we could not only see saved but also trained and discipled.
Lastly, pray for the family as we adjust. The girls are doing great learning some Spanish and Aubrie is gaining fluency. It’s a big change to all but we’re excited to be here for the glory of our great God.
All for Jesus,
Aaron, Aubrie, Amira & Anabel Vance
Philippians 1:20-21
P.S. – Here is our new field address:
Carrera 51 #50-103
Bucaramanga, Santander
Colombia
You can also call us any time on an US number that rings on my cell here: 678-696-0082 or email us: aaronlvance@gmail.com
The Vance Family 