Our trip to Colombia (July 29-August 8, 2018) had three main emphases:
The first goal was to strengthen the bond between Luis Chavarria, Frontline Mission’s lead in Colombia, and the Colombian pastors and leaders in Santa Marta. We did this by participating with the Colombian pastors in a training that was conducted by Manna Church and Grace College of Divinity (GCD) leadership on how to build healthy churches using the Manna Model. As a result, stronger ties were developed and a richer mutual understanding emerged. Luis was invited to visit Manna church in Fayetteville, NC, in the near future to get more familiar with their process.
The second goal was to develop a better understanding of the vision of the churches from Santa Marta. This will help us define a strategy to reach mutual goals for the expansion of God’s Kingdom in the city of Santa Marta, the state of Magdalena, and Colombia. The churches identified a few key needs related to programs and equipment for the Christian TV station, Canal Territorio. For now, their most urgent need is a HD professional video camera.
The last goal was to visit the Guajira area and establish initial contact with the Wayuú people. Luis, Pastors Julia and Amado, traveled to a small Wayuú community called Calabacito. This is located in the northern part of La Guajira, very close to the border with Venezuela. This community is led by Mamma María, a 92-year-old lady who welcomed us and cried when we left.
They have a very small group of Christ followers meeting under a rustic roof. They love the Lord, and they are thirsty and willing to grow in their faith. This will be a good starting point for Frontline Missions to reach out to them through evangelism and leadership training. Our initial approach is to create a missionary team and partner with several Colombian ministries that are already interested in reaching out to the Wayuú. Conversations have already started and a meeting will be scheduled in October to define specific steps to get the effort rolling by early 2019.
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