Colombia V2.5 Santa Martha

First 4 days

Well as stated in the last blog, in stead of going to Venezuela we ended up going to Santa Martha in Columbia. We got on the bus and for a nice relaxing 20h bus ride to Santa Martha. We were met by pastor Julio and Jon a missionary of the church that we were put in contact with. We were blessed with our own 3 bedroom apartment that we could stay in for the first week for free and they had a programme planned out. We started the first few days with some kids ministry in the poorer area, ministry at the church, the Christian school run by the church, door to door evangelism, and the campus ministry that that the church runs. We also went to visit 2 of the church plants on the Sundays. Highlights of the first few days was when Jaco and Kasia tipped a boat and landed in the lake at campus after the campus ministry, it made quite a splash and the whole campus ran to the side of the lake to see them try and fish out the boat. It was like a scene out of a movie where all the peeps run to an area. We also watched Avengers at Jon's place on Tuesday and besides being a cool movie it also had an very important message for our team, but more of that later (that is if I remember). Wednesday 1 May was a public holiday and we were taken to Taganga beach, a famous village for tourist to go diving in, were we chilled like real tourist for the morning. We did a few things the first 4 days, but it was still quite a chill time.

And then the dial was turned up

It was then as if God turned up the dial and put the accelerator on. The Thursday was a turning point, that morning in school we had a very powerful time with the kids and even I (more accurately the Holy Spirit through me) gave a message for 12 years old that they understood. The afternoon we did our first park ministry, were we went into a park did a few plays and gave a testimony and then just chatted with people. And did God want to use us, there is so many stories of how God used the team in the parks that we did go and evangelise, but that first day we saw a few people giving their lives to Christ. That evening we had a interesting experience where 2 pastors from the street saw us and started speaking to us, they were invited to come and meet the team and before we know it they started prophesying over the team, but it felt all wrong and when Arthur challenged them to what the believed, as in 1 Jon 4, they got defensive and left. So we had false prophet 101 and 201 practical all at once. This let to a good (and late) session in the team were a lot a things were sorted out in teamwork and things (the Avengers aliens is here moment where they start to work together). After that it was a if the team started to slot into their roles that was meant for them and if it freed others to function better in theirs. After that we went on with the different ministries and started some park ministry and that was very powerful. For one cool story read Jansie's blog on how one girls life was changed http://www.gcex.org/participants/latest-blogs/entry/jansie-malan/the-story-of-a-20-year-old-girl-the-unstoppable-god.html . Were moved out of the flat in that time and stayed 3 days in different locations till our travel details for the next step was fixed. In that time we painted a few rooms in Jon's house were some of the girls in the team stayed. We were all just in constant amazement at how God works and that how He was using us to achieve that that He has planned.

The next step??

So we were still in Columbia and had to be in Guyana before 22 May, problem was that we did not have enough money to flight from Columbia to Guyana. Venezuela was still in turmoil and we found out that there is actually no road from Venezuela to it neighbour Guyana, but you need to travel through Brazil to get to Guyana so lots of travelling. So around the 7^th we started seeking God's heart for the next step and over the next day or what He revealed that we had to go to Venezuela. But we did not know how, since there were a few problems with logistics including how are we getting there and then into Guyana and how are we affording it. Additionally the stories coming out of Venezuela was not that great, the previous week they deported some Americans, about all the nations was pulling their citizens out of Venezuela in that week. We also heard that to get in you needed a letter of invitation from someone in Venezuela and/or proof that you have a way out of the country, we had neither. But the white team took a step of faith and went to the airport, not a lot happened. After that a lot of did happen and things started to come together. We bought bus tickets to Caracas and that meant that we did not have have remotely enough money for plane tickets or even bus tickets to Guyana, but we knew we had to take the first step. So we climbed on the bus on 12 May to Venezuela

My time there

Well I had a very interesting time in the 2 weeks we were there. The first few days till the false prophet event there was a massive pressing on my heart to intercede in prayer for a range of things that was put on my heart as never experienced before. I know that I have never prayed that much in 4 days as I did then. It went to the extend that I was almost unable to speak or read or anything except pray. And then the Holy Spirit taught me how to do it while busy with other things. So my main journey in the 2 weeks was one of intense intersession and being taught by the Holy Spirit to intercede. On the back of that it was also a time of some pre-conceived ideas of what I can do going out of the window, I shared word at the school to 12 year old and lead a kids programme, including giving then a word, to 3-9 year old. I did park ministry and evangelised people (something I never liked or were any good at), the first time to and old man that has been a seeker for a long time and seeing how he came alive when the Truth came to him, me and the translator just being blown away and laughing by what happened. The next time speaking to a young man and in that case God revealing so much of me about the guy that it was as if I knew him and he was blown away by what I could tell him of his own life. It also blew my mind at how God ministered to us the same time we ministered to people, by what we have to say to them also speaking to us. After the false prophet episode it was if my role was released in the team, I had a idea of what it was and in certain instances I could function in it, but it was as if was bound/limited, but since the false prophets it opened up, but that is something I am still finding my feet in. All in all it was a good time of being taught by the Holy Spirit, seeing anything is possible since the Holy Spirit is living inside you and finding out more of myself and how I am to be used.