Closing the chapter on Brazil and opening up to Colombia. From building relationships to digging holes. Global Challenge will make you do it all! I love it!
We stayed over one night in Bogota, with some of the missionaries, Mark and Joyce. Lovely couple from America. They work with the Indian tribes, there are about 65 different tribes, learning their language and culture and then sharing the gospel with them. It takes about 5 or 6 years to learn their language. Translating the bible can take anything from 15 years (for the New Testament alone) to 52 years (for the whole bible). Now that’s commitment! They are part of New Tribe Missions – www.usa.ntm.org
From Bogota we went to Fusagasuga, where we joined Juan and Stella. We stayed at a camp site, which was used as training grounds for missionaries, but after the Gorillas came in and chased many missionaries out of Colombia, it has been used much less. We’re really praying for God’s will on this place. It has so much potential!
There were a few projects waiting for us, building a fence, digging ditches and re-enforcing a sunken pavement. Our team was called to work on the pavement. We were very happy to have Gerrie part of the yellow team!
Initially we only had to dig a corner, 1.5m by 1m and add steps, so that it can give support to the pavement that is sinking in and possibly damage the house as well.
After digging through about a meter of mud, it became more clay.
We found that under the foundation of the house, there is sewage pipe that broke and that’s why the ground gave way.
This turned a 2 day project into a 7 day project. The pipe couldn’t be repaired, so we had to reroute it and join it up much lower down. We ended up with a hole almost 1.8 meters deep and 17 meters in length. But we did it!! After many hours of digging, laughing and sliding…
Attaching the last pipe was quite a mission, because it has to fit perfectly and it has to be completely dry, but that’s not the easiest thing to do, because it’s the only sewage pipe on the whole camping grounds. But hey, 5 hours, 7 connections and lots of gross sewage-water later, the new pipe was complete!
We found however that filling the hole back up actually takes longer than digging them out!
God was good and blessed us with much wisdom and protection. Being almost on the Equator, it rains a lot and water mixed with clay makes a very nice slide. Many times I saw people slipping, but God’s hand always kept us from falling. Thank you, Jesus!
My prayer for Colombia was that we are Yellow team will really grow and build relationships. And that we did. Working together as a team just brings a totally different dynamic to a group! I also experienced physical healing. I have problems with my wrists, probably from playing too much tennis =o). After day one of pick-axing and shovelling, I could hardly pick up a tool. My team prayed for me and as I’m sitting here, typing this, I went through 5 more days of digging and experienced no pain! God is good!
Don’t just serve God, glorify Him!
Hebr 6:10-12 “God is not unjust, He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them."
Even when God commands you to do something, it only happens when you step into it with faith.
God doesn’t shout. When the world gets loud, God whispers. He’s looking for people who’ll move out of the noise to hear His voice.
I was confronted about still having joy, because it didn’t always feel like I did. The search for joy taught me that you can’t have it when you focus on yourself, JOY is only found in God.
We’re called to reflect Jesus. But a mirror can’t reflect something it’s not focused on.& nbsp; I so easily turn the focus to myself and that’s when it feels like life doesn’t make sense anymore. That’s when I get irritated, that’s when pride enters every aspect of life and that’s when we hurt those around us. Focus on God. Ask Him how He wants to use you, based on who you are in Him.
Please pray with me:
- I have an incredible hunger for God and His Word. This is a hunger that can’t be stilled anywhere else. Please pray that I’ll never stop searching.
- For our trip to Peru. We are so excited about it!! It includes a boat ride through the Amazon!
During our time in Colombia, being only our second country, I have seen healing, deliverance, commitment, love, joy, laughter, success, determination, works coming to completion, protection, compassion and God in all of it. I’m so excited for all that God still has in store for us!!
Blessings!
Linel*