On 31 July 2016 an Organisation Global Challenge sent a team, Hidden World, to Colombia to find God the Father, alias Provider.
On arrival at Bogota the team had to split into two groups for hosting purposes. "Our group had 10 people sleeping in a flat that was designed for 4", commented Ashleigh Smart, the travel executive of Hidden World. They have been in pursuit of God since January 2016. "God prearranged everything and then we stepped into it", said Simon Dilger, the teams second in command.
Jeanette Snyders, the public liason of Hidden World, shared information that one of God's tactics when He operates is to draw people in to where He is hiding. "He takes them deeper to where He is", she explains.
Hidden World went deeper into Colombia to Santa Marta. They had ministry with university students, the Alabanza Church, english classes, sport with youth, and kindergarden children. David Schöllhorn, the financial advisor, shares that he experiences how ministry is dependant on God. God sends the people He wants to break through to, to the ministry groups.
At Santa Marta they got confirmation that God is on His way to Medellin, but they didn't have enough money for accommodation or for traveling to get them there. Then donations started coming in. When the team payed for the accommodation in Medellin, the organisation, called Youth with a Mission, with whom they worked and stayed, gave half of the money back. At the end everything worked out like God planned it. He provided what they needed, just like He promised.
In Medellin, Hidden World went to Youth with a Mission Colombia that is an orphanage. Johannes Häring, the travel coordinator, says that the language barrier makes the ministry more difficult, but that he gets to learn a lot about applying love. "I learned theoretically about love, but this was a good time to see how much I understood it and how it looks physically. Everybody needs Jesus. It was a cool opportunity not to look at circumstances but on Jesus." Häring also confesses that even when God shows up, often he doesn't see it or is not aware of it. "I still learn to be aware of God."
According to Talita Spies, the cuisine coordinator, the team gets shaped a lot during the difficult times. "That is when people grow and look to Jesus." She said that in this year it's part of their purpose to experience God. And that is exactly what happens, God allows us to see His hand in everything.
The team will start their next ministry point after a three day boat trip on the Amazon from Leticia, Colombia, to Iquitos, Peru. Keep your eyes open for more details of the teams whereabouts.