Please be in prayer for God's work being done in Columbia. The following is an update from a dear friend about some of the work that is being done there for God's kingdom.
OUR NEW CHURCH PLANT IN ROBLEDO!
Hola family and friends! Pictured above is our team in front of the building we have leased for our church plant in the Robledo neighborhood of Medellín and Peter leading our first worship service. We are excited to be taking this next step in our ministry to this needy area! We have been meeting now for a month and have had about 20 in attendance each week. My responsibilities include greeting people as they arrive as well as helping with children’s ministry. We hold weekly Bible studies and discipleship meetings in Robledo so pray that our contacts there would be interested in attending church as well.
We were blessed earlier this month with the visit of a mission team from Grace Baptist Church, Heidi’s home church in Oregon. While they were here, we held a Vacation Bible School and some soccer tournaments. They were a great encouragement to us and we appreciated their help and enthusiasm for our ministry here. Below is a picture of the team and some photos of us during VBS. Pray for us as we follow up on the contacts made during their time here.
While we are praising God for these good things, there have been many difficulties as well. The gang violence has erupted again and things are especially unsettled in the Robledo area. Our team is currently ministering to some people affected by this violence, others by marital breakdown, and those dealing with the death of loved ones. Some of these people are very close to us. Please pray that the Holy Spirit would give us the wisdom needed to counsel and encourage these people.
On a more personal note, I celebrated my 30th birthday the end of May with my favorite confetti cake! Also, Max has been quite sick with a parasite, but I am hopeful that the new medicine he is on will finally clear things up. He is pictured below hooked up to an IV in the animal hospital. I currently have a cold and am trying to decide the best way to deal with a broken laptop screen. I have been taking online graduate classes in Biblical counseling from the Seminario Teológico Bautista in Peru and have had to hook my computer up to our TV in order to do my homework! It has been amazing to see how often my classwork has applied to whatever situation we are dealing with in our ministry – God uses that to show me that He is in control of all things!
I can not tell you enough how much I appreciate your prayers and messages of encouragement. Thank you for partnering with me to share the gospel in Medellín!
For the Kingdom,
Jamie : )