Christmas is past, one week to go!

As Christmas has come and gone and everybody has taken some time to spend with family and friends, we draw near to our departure for Colombia. We continue to pray for a safe trip and for a fruitful time in Medellin.

We have already received great news and one answer to all our prayers:
As we discussed in previous items on this blog as well as in church, there was concern about our use of the conference facilities at the Commercial Center in Sabaneta. This center was sold to new owners and there was significant uncertainty if we would have been able to still use it without cost. God has answered all the prayers! We recently received news from Diego that the new owners has given permission for us to continue using the conference rooms! Praise the Lord, for He is almighty!

This week ahead is our last week of preparations. The final things that needs to be done is really just some packing of bags. This will include many gifts that we use during the ESL sessions, as well as gifts to our hosts and host church.

God willing, on Friday 06 January 2012 we will depart by car from Revelstoke on our way to Seattle. Please pray that God will provide a window in the weather that will allow us to make it out of here safely.

Please also continue to pray for the outreach in general: for salvation to come to many people directly or indirectly through the work that we will be doing there. We may not even meet the people or know that they are drawn to Him, but just being there opens doors for individuals to be reached by the local church in Sabaneta and Poblado.

Also pray for our work and the work of the Colombians in El Pacifico, the poor barrio in the hills on the outskirts of Medellin. This is where a volunteer program is reaching out to local children who live in poor conditions and often with poor parental care.

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Please pray for our team members individually, by name. This includes the group from Ottawa that will be joining us this year. The names are on the bookmarks that were handed out at church, but here are the pictures again (Barb is not going anymore, but will be involved in our weekly prayer group chain, please contact her for information):

Last of the final preparations

As Christmas is approaching we are in our final stages of prep work for our outreach to Colombia. We have several things to do to round off our ESL teaching sessions. We need to build PowerPoint files which will help us do our general lessons. We also have to start packing all the STUFF that has to go with us. This include all the ESL material, several gifts and donations and, off course our own things.

We continue to need lots of prayer for this trip:

There are still concerns about the venue for the ESL. Diego stepped out in faith and sent out advertising indicating that the course will happen at the Commercial Center. He had to do this as people will be leaving on Christmas holidays and there will not be enough time after Christmas to make the event well known. Please pray that the center will be available.

Pray as we all make our final preparations that God will touch us and lead us. Please pray that He will fill us with His Spirit. That He will touch our hearts so that we will be able to hear His voice and that we may walk in His path.

Also pray for the Ottawa Greenbelt team. Pray that our Father will protect them and also help them with their preparations.

Prayerfully consider if you would be willing to join a prayer team to pray for us while we are away. We need people to join in these small groups that will pray on rotation every day while we are in Colombia. The leaders of these groups have been posted in the last blog entry. We still need a leader for the Thursday group and will appreciate your prayerful consideration.

This Sunday during the service we will discuss the prayer groups some more, and we are hoping to find enough volunteer then.

God bless!

We need your prayer

This week we want to start focusing on the power of prayer and how it can support us during our last bit of planning, and also during our outreach to Colombia.

The Colombia Outreach team has been meeting and praying regularly for months now, and we believe with all our hearts that our Father hears our prayers. He promises in His Word that where "two or more gather in His Name, He will hear their prayers".
He also promises us that he will hear our prayers when we pray according to His will. When we pray that he will guide us to the people who need His Word and who need Jesus, we believe that we are praying according to his command in Matthew 28:19-20 to make disciples of all nations. Therefor we are within His will, and thus we claim this promise as our own.

In the next few weeks we will be approaching the church to seek help. We need you to pray for us now and during our trip to Medellin. We are hoping to provide different opportunities for people to pray for us. This can be done individually and/or in groups.

During the two weeks that we are going to be away small groups of persons will be meeting to pray daily. We want to give everybody and opportunity to be able to attend and be part of the Great Commission of the Lord Jesus. If you believe that through faith your prayers can make a difference in Colombia, then please get involved. Remember, the one who sends is as important as the one who goes.

Tentatively the leaders of these groups will be as follows, with the days of the week they will be leading:

Sundays: Prayer in huddles during the morning service
Mondays: Barb Eby
Tuesdays: Noeline Mostert
Wednesdays: Nelli Chikwula and Stoked Youth in the evening
Thursdays: Still open
Fridays: Fred Weatherby
Saturdays: Niki Hills

These groups can potentially meet anytime during the day or evening, and the time will likely be a decision made by each group once they are made up. The length of the prayer meetings can also be determined by the group, but typically should not be more than one hour.

Can you please prayerfully consider if you may be willing and able to pray, not just as an individual, but also in one of these groups? If you feel the Lord leading that you can be a leader of one of these groups, or if you have an existing group that can also pray for us, please let us know.

If you feel that you can be involved, please contact Barb or any of the team members for further information.