On February 28th, we had the opportunity to travel to Colombia for the first time with our local Venezuelan staff. It was such a privilege to meet those whom we have heard and prayed over for so long. We were amazed by the warm welcome we received from the Wayuu in Colombia. After traveling by car for several hours, we finally arrived at our destination to find our Wayuu family singing and praising God. Their welcome was a glimpse of heaven as each and every one present came by to greet us with a warm embrace.
Their heart and desire to serve God is truly inspiring. Pastor Jesualdo Gouriyu is our main contact in Colombia. A few months ago our local staff gave him a Proclaimer during one of their mission trips. Pastor Jesualdo was using this same Proclaimer in 8 different communities. While this may not seem like a big deal these communities are very far apart. Pastor Jesualdo would travel each day to a different community and some days he would have to travel to more than one. He often traveled by foot. Thanks to your donations and support we were able to bring a Proclaimer for each one of the communities as well as a bicycle for Pastor Jesualdo. During our trip, we visited these eight communities to deliver a Proclaimer to their leader. We’ll never forget the look on their faces when we handed them their own Proclaimer. It was as if we had given them a case of pure gold. God’s word is such a treasure to them and the Proclaimer effectively communicates the gospel in a way that overcomes their educational and cultural barriers. Many of the Wayuu in this region cannot read, so the only way they can know God’s word is by hearing.
Thanks to all of your generous support we were able to buy all of the Proclaimers we needed to meet our goal this year for listening groups.
While in Colombia we saw many additional opportunities for ministry. The region we were in has a great physical need for water. It hasn’t rained in this area for two years. Furthermore, their access to potable water is very limited. People travel miles to purchase their daily ration of water and that’s if they’re able to afford it. We are currently working on a project to help supply potable water to families in this region. Please pray for wisdom and direction as we move forward in faith.
Pray also for our team as we start to prepare future mission trips to Colombia. Above all, please keep Pastor Jesualdo and his team in your prayers as they use the Proclaimers to multiply God’s kingdom among the Wayuu.
