Sincelejo, Colombia, July 21-29, 2010

Last Sunday, a dear friend asked me, Isn't it dangerous? Yes, it could be. The question in my heart... Isn't it worth of it? Absolutely YES, it is!


Along with my dear Colombian brother, Edgar Puerta, we left for our second trip to Colombia, this year, on July 21.  Our  goal, to start the Bible Institute at Bethesda Church. A 10 subject program that will take us two and a half years to complete. The main idea is to train them so that they can train others in the future. The Church already has a good group of young professional, including college teachers,  engineers, and psychologists. They just needed some hope, some encouragement and we believe, the Lord in His mercy is just using us to do so. The three days of training (Leadership and Spiritual Life) were a great time, with forty pastors and leaders from different denominations in attendance. Our next trip is scheduled for November. We will be teaching "Missions and Evangelism", a challenge to get out, reach their own people for Christ, and start new churches.

Besides that, they have requested us to help them with a vision, a facility to reach out to orphans (we are working in an area that used to be a guerrilla-paramilitia battlefield, and a substance abuse recovery center. To accomplish that we are to help them to acquire a 30 acres farm for around $12000 (twelve thousand dollars). They will use the farm to produce corn and beans and other products to be able to support the cost of the whole project.

After all this years in ministry, I (Luis) have not yet learned how to explain it, but I know, in my heart, helping them is what God wants me to do. Please pray with us, for wisdom, for strength, and that God will provide for this as He wants. The window of opportunity is wide open, the people of Colombia are thursty, pray with us for them please.

El Terrero, Nicaragua, June 13-19, 2010

This was a very productive Trip with a team from Crossroads Church (Douglasville, GA). God really blessed us on this trip . We did Medical/Dental  (joint effort with medical people from US and Nicaragua), Children Ministry, and construction.

Medical/Dental?Children Ministry work together and served over a thousand people, both in the city of La Trinidad and near the Construction site.

On the construction side of the story I should say that we started to build the "Camp/ Retreat Center". The first youth camp is scheduled for the first week of January 2011. At least a hundred youth will come. Marriage retreats, pastors and leaders training and church retreats will follow. The walls and roof of one third of the main building was completed by this team. Next big push will take place in October. November and December will be used to do whatever else needed.

This is a great project that will impact, not only the churches we are working with, but those in between Managua and Esteli, and the areas around.

A picture speaks louder than a thousand words they say. Let me share with you a video prepared by Crossroads. There are pictures of the team, the camp, medical, dental, children ministry, etc. We hope you will enjoy it.  Please follow this link:
Nicaragua June 13-19, 2010

After the team left, Luis stayed and shared in a one day marriage retreat and at a pastors conference. Many lives were touched by the Lord . Seeing the encouragement in pastors and leaders, and the way they talk about the future, and how God is blessing their lives and ministry is a humbling experience and a big challenge for us.