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God Is Working in Bogotá!
Before coming to Colombia, a mentor and pastor friend of mine recommended that I get together with Freddy Nieto while in Bogotá. He’s the pastor of Iglesia Bíblica Bautista de Suba (Suba Biblical Baptist Church) and is doing an incredible work. We met up with him and his wife this morning and spent several hours learning about the way that God is working in Bogotá and the surrounding areas. Unfortunately we weren’t able to go to any of their church services, but we were able to tour the church’s beautiful facility and spend several hours with this precious pastor and his wife. Their church runs about 500 and they see people saved every week. There are many studying in their Bible Institute getting ready to go out into the rest of the country to reach the lost. Amen!
Be praying with me if you will, as Brother Freddy asked me to consider coming back in January to preach their annual youth camp. It would be an awesome opportunity but we’ll have to see if finances and time permit and ultimately if God opens the doors for this.
Later this afternoon we met up with a new missionary family, Daniel and Jennifer Mee along with their beautiful little baby girl Eliana (definitely made me miss my daughter Amira). They work with ABWE and just arrived here in the country about a month ago. They gave us some great advice about deputation, moving to Colombia and general tidbits of info they wished they’d have known before moving here. God is really working in their hearts and they are excited to be part of a movement of church planting and evangelism here in Bogotá and around Colombia.
After a delicious dinner with the Mee family we went to the Bogotá Baptist Seminary that is sponsored by ABWE and enjoyed their evening chapel service. There are quite a few young people studying in the Seminary to become pastors and missionaries and even to be laymen in the churches. There were maybe 40 in the room, then another 90 or so studying online through correspondence courses. Praise God for what he is doing in this ministry! The Lord has already used them to start dozens of churches around Bogotá and there are plans for even more churches down the road as God permits.
What we are finding is that God is definitely working here. It is incredible! People are finding hope. Souls are being eternally saved. Lives are being changed. Families are being restored. Revival is being experienced. It is great!
However, even with the wonderful news about what God is doing in this place, we must be honest with ourselves.
Let me throw some stats at you… I live in the US state of Georgia. According to the 2010 US Census, there are 9,687,653 people in Georgia. That’s just a little bigger than the city of Bogotá–smaller, if you include Bogotá’s larger metro area. In 2005 there were an estimated 8,190 Baptist churches. That’s one church for every 1,183 people. Do we need more churches there? Of course!
Yet… in this city of over 8,500,000 people (11,000,000 according to some statistics) there are maybe 25 or 30 churches, total. Only 25 or 30. That’s all. To me, at first, honestly it seemed like a lot. It seemed that this city, at least, was being reached. But that’s only one church for every 440,000 people. Wow.
God is working here.
But the need is still great.
What are we doing to reach this city?
What are we doing to reach the world?
What will you do?
We’re leaving tomorrow. I am thankful that we’ve been able to spend this time here. God has worked in my heart and I am more excited than ever about coming to this beautiful country and to these beautiful people to tell them about my beautiful Savior. He loves them and gave his life for them. The least we can do is deliver the message!
Bogotá — Day 2
What a day!
We saw much of the city today, but honestly we have hardly scratched the surface. We walked around several important neighborhoods, saw huge plazas and big museums, and we were able to go up to Cerro Monserrate, a Catholic church on top of the mountain by the city. We’re finding that the Colombians are very good at their Teleféricos (cable cars) as this is the third one we’ve ridden so far.
Here’s a few things we’ve learned while here in Bogotá, many of which can also be applied to many other cities around the world:
1. People are Religious
This country is over 90% Roman Catholic, and it shows in many parts of their society. The Hotel we stayed at in Bucaramanga even had a chapel and held mass everyday for those traveling through. Catholics aren’t the only ones here, though. There are reports of Jews, Muslims, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witness, Taoists, Ba’hai, Atheists, several Evangelical denominations and others that claim this as their home. Everybody has religion. It’s that way in the entire world. So, what makes us different? Why would we want to come here when people already have something to believe? Read on…
2. Religion is Empty.
One person defined religion as “Man’s attempt to get to God.” But that’s just it… we can’t get to God. That’s why he came to us. Nearly every religion, including most of those found in this country, are based on works. My good deeds. You know, the scale system. Everything good I ever did is weighed against everything bad I ever did. Whichever is greater determines my eternal fate. If I were sincerely judged on that scale, I’d lose. There’s no doubt. I was talking to one of our taxi drivers about this today as I was explaining the Gospel. He seemed so intrigued that we could actually be saved in spite of who we are. It’s the beauty of God’s salvation. But religion…. religion is empty. It leaves you wanting. That’s because it can only give so much hope. What we need is a relationship. When Jesus Christ becomes not only a figure of our church but our Savior and Lord, that’s when we have hope of life. That’s when things become different. That’s what sets us apart. It’s not what I do, it’s what He has done!
3. People are Searching.
You remember all those religions I listed off just a second ago? You know why those places are filling up? It’s because people want something else. They want hope. The dead faith of their fathers has left them wanting, and they are willing to look elsewhere for the truth that’s missing. Unfortunately, what they find many times, and even what they take a risk on and sometimes change their entire life for, is just another lie. That’s why we need to get the truth in their hands. The harvest is ripe. People are searching!
4. Christ’s Church is Growing.
In spite of all the lies in this place, in spite of all the deception, in spite of all the false prophets, and in spite of the need that still exists, God’s is building his work here. There are quite a few good churches that we’ve found in this city. We hope to visit two of them tomorrow. Be praying though, that God would send more laborers here. Would you pray about coming?
I’ll leave you a few more photos before going to bed. We only have a couple of days left before heading back to Georgia. Pray that God would help us redeem the time. Love you all….
Three generations grace a busy sidewalk with sweet music. You should have seen the kid on the harp. He was flying!
Plaza Bolivar is a huge open place, surrounded by official buildings, churches and... pigeons. Lots and lots of pigeons!
It has been common for us to see people such as this man looking through the trash for something to eat. In fact, many do whatever it takes to get by. We've seen many beggars, street performers (acrobats, jugglers, unicyclists, musicians, etc...), windshield washers (they sneak up on you while you're at stop lights), and quite a few that just seemed to have given up. Some sleep during mid day, some swim through trash for a moldy piece of bread and some stare off into nowhere, wondering if anybody cares. Do you?
Paying The Price In Bogota
It’s amazing the things you’ll do for something (or someone) you love!
Today we arrived in Bogotá, which is the capital city of Colombia with a metro population of over around 8,500,000 people. It’s huge. Really huge. This city is very high too, at about 8,600 feet above sea level, and it’s a bit colder too, compared to the other cities we’ve visited.
Well, being a larger city, and being the capital, there are quite a few more american stores and restaurants here. It’s crazy how much you can miss something that’s familiar after not having it available for a couple of weeks.
Well, my wife mentioned going to eat dinner at one of these places. And, since I liked that particular place, and I love my wife, we decided to set out on a grand trek to find it. A map said it was only about 20 blocks away. It would be a nice little walk.
Then it started to rain.
And rain.
And rain.
And rain.
Then it even started hailing.
Then we found an umbrella. Too late, maybe? lol
Needless to say, we were entirely drenched. Completely wet. Soaked to the core. You get the idea….
But when we found it (inside of a mall, of all places) it was oh, so good. Worth every drop of rain dripping from our noses; every sopping step we took; every shiver in the cold and wet breeze.
We found our Taco Bell. Yum. We were willing to pay the price!
Taco Bell has never tasted better!
Sometimes I wonder if we’re willing to pay the price for other things too. A wise man once told me, “Aaron, people always do what they want to do.” How true is that! If somebody really wants something, they’ll find a way.
This is a big city. The need is so great, not only here in Colombia but around the entire world. But are we willing to pay the price? It might be difficult, yes. But we have the power of an almighty God on our side. He has commanded us to go, but we as Christians have not gone.
Has there been anything in your life that’s been easy to pay the price for, yet other things are just so hard?
I know it’s been that way for me. Would to God that we could take a stand, live for the Lord, do what’s right and reach the world. We need His power and strength.
So, people always find a way to do what they want to do. What do you want to do?
Panorama of Bogotá, Colombia
New Friends and Random Photos In Bucaramanga
We were so blessed today to go to yet another children’s home in Bucaramanga, this one full of only special needs kids (and some adults). There were 82, all with varying chronic healthcare conditions. Although we were met with smiles and hugs that would melt any heart of stone, it was so sad to see many of these children go without some basic needs. Almost all of them were abandoned by their families. Here, maybe even more so than in the States, when a child has special needs, many times they are considered a waste of time and less than a real person. How sad. I’m glad God didn’t think I was a waste. These kids need to know of a God that loves them and has a special plan for their lives.
We were able to take them a few things to help out with the kids’ basic necessities and give a little money toward getting them proper care.
This two year old was the youngest at the Iris Foundation. Isn't she cute?
Sonya was a hoot. From the moment she saw me she tackled me, grabbed my hand and was pulling me everywhere. Did my wife get jealous? Did she intervene and save me? Did she try to stop Sonya?? Nooooo.... she laughed, grabbed the camera and took pictures. haha
This is Maria, the director along with one of the foundation's oldest residents. Maria sure loves those kids and the kids love her. Please pray for Maria's salvation.
A HUGE pile of DMEs (Durable Medical Equipment) was just donated to the foundation. Working around this stuff everyday, I can tell you this pile of stuff easily totals in the hundreds of thousands of US dollars. What a blessing!
Random Stuff Around The City…
We haven't met too many strangers in this place. People in this precious city are so friendly! We have had so many folks go far out of their way just to help us and to be a blessing to us.
Traffic in Bucaramanga.
Éxito is a very popular grocery/appliance store in Colombia. We've found that it's one of the closest things to Walmart there is here, along with another store named Carrefour. Both of these carry a few imported items from the US, though most everything is from Colombia.
A very common sight is to see people walking around with opened umbrellas, especially on a bright and sunny day. Can't be getting a tan now, can't we, right?
for about 35 cents each, and hoards of other fruits I’ve never heard of.”]
The Love Birds... And no, our hair isn't actually blue. It must have been the lighting 🙂
Broken Hearts In Bucaramanga
He didn’t even lift his head.
As I squatted down next to him and tried to speak kind words, he heard a slight jingle and slowly opened his hand and pointed it upward. The coins that dropped into his grasp, one of them falling to the ground, didn’t even total a dollar, but it was more than he had seen all day.
Then, I slipped a pamphlet out of my pocket and into his hand. “Good news,” I told him. “Maybe a friend can read this to you. It’s a message from the Bible and from a God that loves you.”
He barely acknowledged me.
The smell of alcohol was so strong. Local businesspeople sneered as they looked on with disgust. Why would I waste such a thing? The money, yes, would probably be used for something that would worsen his situation. I wasn’t sure how he would respond, but I couldn’t just walk by. The fact is, I had already walked by several just like him.
People walked by him all day. Hoards of people walked by him. It’s so easy to write this man off as just another waste of space in our society.
But, how long had he been sitting here?
Where does he call home?
Has he been like this his whole life?
How did this situation start?
What does he live for?
Doesn’t he have anybody that loves him?
Family?
Friends?
Fellow citizens?
…Me?
These questions filled my mind all day and my heart has been broken. Tears swell up in my eyes even as I write.
The truth is, people are desperate. It might not always manifest itself like it did in this man’s life, but people have no hope.
They need hope.
We all need hope. We have a void that must be filled.
Some fill that void with religion, but its hope is empty.
Some fill that void with possessions, but its hope is empty.
Some fill that void with bodily pleasure, but its hope is empty.
And some give up. The void remains empty. There is no hope. Why even try?
But Christ, through his mercy, gives us a perfect hope. I love Romans 15:13 that says:
“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”
That’s what makes us different. That’s why we can have hope. It’s because our hope comes from the God of hope.
And we keep it to ourselves?
What about the rest of the world?
Are we going to hoard our hope, when Christ died for all?
Our hearts have been broken here. I have been begging God to show me how to best make a difference in this country and in the world. I need his help.
Courage to speak.
Guts to act.
Willingness to be used.
Our hearts are broken.
Is yours?
The Vance Family 