The Value of Life (Leverage Colombia Team)

My heart has literally been breaking over the past couple days. And things have been stirring in my heart that are hard to explain. But this one, I actually got to process a little with my team tonight (Wednesday) during debrief, so I’m gonna take a stab at writing it out in order to share it with you…

I’m not usually the kind of girl to cry. I would say I’m usually not the emotional one either. But the more I draw closer to God, the more my heart breaks for the things that break His. While it doesn’t feel good to have a broken heart, I have to praise God because a broken heart is an answer to prayer and God’s way of getting my attention. You see, three years ago that was exactly my plea to Him.



Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like You have loved me
Break my heart for what breaks Yours
Everything I am for Your Kingdom’s cause
As I walk from earth into eternity
(Hillsong United – Hosanna)



The first time God answered that plea for Him to break my heart was through the experience on my first mission trip to Haiti in December 2009-January 2010. But this time God is taking me deeper since my trust in Him has grown deeper.

There is much to share about our days here in Colombia, sharing the gospel going door to door. Its been more than words can say but what has been breaking my heart are the real life stories that are being shared when we ask before we leave if we can pray with and for them. It’s story after story of broken marriages, broken homes, sickness in what feels like every family member, unexpected death, the list goes on. Today (Wednesday) was my breaking point though.

After spending 30-40 minutes with this family of six sharing about the Recycle for Life Program and using the Evangecube to share the gospel (and praise Jesus having all six making a profession of faith), my heart just absolutely broke.

The grandmother who was visiting from Spain asked us to pray for everything to come together for her to become guardian of her granddaughter and have her move back with her to Spain. With her 13 year old granddaughter sitting right beside her, she continued to tell more about what was going on. We found out that the 13 year old’s father, the grandmother’s son, had been killed 7 years ago. It was clear that the grandmother still was having a hard time with it as her eyes flooded with tears. The part that got me was the girl being completely unaffected by the reality that she had no father because he was killed. Like it was no big deal.

Back up about an hour to the end of lunchtime, we had just heard that someone had been killed not too far from us and the local believer with us responded by saying, “Bummer…”. I specifically said, “I don’t think that’s the word I would use to describe that.” He proceeded to explain that for Colombians its part of everyday life, its nothing new, definitely not shocking. Colombians are more or less desensitized to a life being taken too soon, or so it seems.

So pair that “bummer” with the lack of emotion felt or seen by this girl with the other stories we’ve heard and your left questioning, “what is the value of a life here in Colombia?” Do they even value life? I mean, of course they do to an extent-clearly this is a generalization! But what if this situation in Colombia, of everything being a mess is exactly why God has chosen to make Himself known in this country,right now!

You wouldn’t believe the number of people making a profession of faith, choosing to put their trust in Jesus and desiring to hear the gospel. Its crazy! This is definitely not happening in the U.S. But what if God has been preparing the Colombians hearts because… What if he has been sending believers to share the gospel here because… What if He is creating unity amongst the churches and body of believers because… What if it’s all BECAUSE God’s heart is breaking into pieces. Breaking, because the people He has created in His own image here, are choosing sin, sin, sin and are being killed left and right. If not 100%, it was pretty close, of the number of people I talked to that had a close family member get killed. What if he is so tired of seeing His children choose death not life for themselves and each other as they choose to murder their neighbor.

Is there a harvest right now in Colombia, specifically, because the value of life has been lost here and something has to change?

- Emily Tuten

Daughters of the King (Women's Colombia Team)

I had no idea that when I came to Barranquilla, Colombia on my first mission trip that I would fall so deeply in love with the people of this country. We have been met with hospitality, kindness, and love at every turn. God has definitely helped me to look beyond the differences and to focus on the similarities. We are all children of God in need of our Lord and Savior. We all need to feel loved, cherished, and treasured . . . to love and be loved. We all need each other to share our joys and sorrows and to live in community with one another. My heart has filled with joy as we have helped to bring a sprinkling of this to Barranquilla. Our team of six women from 12stone have had the blessing of teaching some of the local women to lead small groups in their community. To begin the process of sharing life with one another and to be transformed by the renewing of their minds. We used the Diamond Journey of Faith to teach the women to live life in the order that is glorifying to God: love God, love yourself, love others, love what you do, and love the lost. I pray that they continue to inspire life, share life, and give life as small groups grow throughout the area. I came here with six sisters in Christ from America and am leaving with so many sisters in Christ from Colombia. We are daughters of the King and are precious in His sight. To God be the glory!

- Denise Wegesin

For Such A Time as This (Women's Colombia Team)

Our time is coming to an end here in Barranquilla. It has been a week of incredible ministry and life change. I will go home a diiferent person with a new world view. I will not say that it has been an easy week. There have been many different types of challenges where I have had to remember that my strength comes from Christ. I not only had to remember it, but be willing to believe it, be obedient and perservere. Theee, good news is, with obedience comes blessing. Yesterday as my team was walking the streets of Mesalondia we entered in a home that was basically the size of most of our dens and the only peice of furniture in the room was a bed. The house was full full of people and they were clearly upset. As we began to talk to them we discovered that the person who lived in this "house" was a 20 year named Edwin who, because of living alone and his struggle with depression, had tried to hang himself the night before. He was found before he was able to accomplish his mission and now was on watch by his family and friends. I was blessed to be able to take time to listen to his sister while she cried through the story of what had happened and what she was feeling. As my translator and I talked with her, we called one of the local pastors over to talk with Edwin.

We took the time to share the gospel story with Edwin's sister and three friends. They were very eager and ready to drop thier heads and pray to accpet Christ as their Lord and Savior. Then I was blessed to be able to pray over Edwin. I walked away after that experience blown away with who our God is and how He works. If we had not come to Mesalondia on that day, I do not know that anyone would have been in that barrio at that time not only to minister to this family but for them to have the opportunity to come to know Christ. Obedience in every step. That is what is the key to to the blessings God has for us. I will never forget Edwin and his sister's face. If this trip has taught me anything, it is that I have NO IDEA what God may have planned for me on any given day. I just need to be obedient what He asks me to do.

- Lisa Goodwin

The Unexpected (Leverage Colombia Team)

Her face you would find familiar. Round, tanned by the sun, thick and bushy eyebrows her face finished with dark chocolate eyes. Her small stature yet round dimensions exudes kindness, care and neglect. As we speak through a wrought iron gate, she learns that i'm a foreigner and reluctantly lets us into a small space just passed the front door. I wonder why the hesitation? She kindly pushes tables across the cement floor and hurries about to find flimsy plastic chairs for us to rest. Visibly, we've been blistered by the sun, and beaten up by the humidity. As we further acquaint ourselves with one another I waste little time in getting to the incredible story. I wanted to get to the point where she learns she can have a relationship with Christ right now. So I proceed to explain the story of Christ through a concise visual presentation (E3 cube). She kindly obliged and tenderly listened to us as the gospel discussion unfolds before us. As instructed, this is not a presentation, I would like to ask questions to have a small glimpse into her thoughts. What is sin? Is God a sinner? Why is Jesus special? We asked did she understand the illustration and would she like a relationship with Christ? She seemed to gather her thoughts. She explained that she believed in Jesus Christ and had walked with Him for some time now.

I was encouraged and yet bewildered. Why did she let us go on. Wanting to use our time well, I asked, how could we help her, encourage her, pray for her? As her eyes gradually roamed the floor she begin to explain. She raised her kids in the truth of the gospel but they have unfortunately walked away. She said this greatly saddened her. She asked if we could pray for her kids. I at that moment no longer saw foreign, or Colombian. The poverty stricken area in which her home was placed along with the myriad of details that made her complex situation a reality didn't really matter. At that moment I saw a mother grieving the fact her kids were raised in truth but had departed it. I simply and beautifully saw a mother. Like any phenomenal mother, her concern was not for herself, but for her kids. We laid hands and prayed over her. As I continued praying to the Lord, now aloud, I was amazed once again.

The mother begin interceding for her kids as well. She wanted to participate in her kids return to the Lord. She wanted to participate in the promise that what she has invested as she mothered her kids would not return void. After the prayer concluded, she thanked me. As I began to help her collect the chairs she told me, God commands us to go to different nations to share his good news. She thanked me for what I was doing in her neighborhood. Although she knew the gospel well before I presented it, I believe she wanted to invite me in, and encourage me along. How gracious of her to let me in. How selfless of her to hear me out. I will more then likely not see this woman again this side of Heaven. However, her sweet, self-less actions have been impressed upon my heart.

- Vincent Mack

God’s Timing (Women's Colombia Team)

I asked God to prepare my heart and those I would meet before arriving in Barranquilla. I know without a doubt this was a God appointed time on Tuesday at 11:00am. We were walking in a community sharing the gospel when a local pastor walked up and asked if we would be willing to talk to a woman in the area. When we arrived the pastor asked if she would talk to us. She agreed with hesitancy. As I shared my testimony tears began to fill her beautiful eyes. How amazing…. we both share a similar story. She shared some very private details of her life with embarrassment and regret. She told me how she felt so alone. We talked for a long time and both agreed God set this time for her to hear and accept His message of love, forgiveness and a hope for her future. It was His perfect timing for Jenny. He heard her cries and worked it out for a woman from the U.S to meet with her. This was no accident. My heart breaks for Jenny as I know she wants to change her life. She is not proud of her past or present choices, she questions her role as a mother to her 6 children and does not know what to do. It was also perfect timing the 6 woman from 12Stone would be teaching the Diamond Life Journey in a small group setting at the local church. I invited her to come and begin to learn and connect with other woman how to change her life. She was embraced with our “12Stone love” for woman. I know God has big plans for Jenny. I pray she can feel the depth of God’s love as she thinks about how God orchestrated that day for her. If God sent me to Barranquilla for 1 woman named Jenny – it was so worth it!

- Rita Pantels

What about Ramiro and ... (Women's Colombia Team)

So it hit me the fifth day in Barranquilla. I thought I was going to escape it, but I woke up this morning feeling horrible. Yesterday had been sweltering- hot even by the local's standards. I wasn't sure if the nausea was a result of dehydration or some local fare I ingested. I just knew I was weak, so I crawled back into bed and pulled the covers over my head. The thought of heading back to Mesolandia, one of the poorest barrios in Barranquilla was making it worse. When we were there yesterday we walked around sewage running down the dirt roads and mounds of garbage for about 7 hours. Did I mention it was the hottest day some Colombians were able to remember? It's a long ride to that barrio and I knew once I was there I would be there for the duration. I got up to get my phone to check the time. Maybe I would feel better if I just skipped breakfast and showed up at the bus. After checking the time, I went to put my phone in my purse. Ironically, You Version popped up with the verse of the day. It said, "Stay with God! Take heart. Don't quit. I'll say it again: Stay with God." I knew that was for me, so I downed some electrolites provided by my dear friend Rita and I started getting dressed. Another friend Vickie greeted me with some rolls from breakfast and Gatorade. The entire bus ride I was praying to feel better. We met in the church to pray and then headed out for more evangelism- walking down those same heart-breaking dirt roads.

The Area of Mesalondia where we were served on Wednesday and Thursday.

The second house we visited was approximately 12 feet wide and 24 feet long. We were greeted by a frail looking woman who invited us in. She asked us to come in and then led us to a tiny room in the back of the house where her son, Ramiro, was laying in bed. Another man, we found out was his brother was exercising Ramiro's legs. During our visit with Ramiro he shared that in March he had been shot and was paralyzed. As he began to share his story he wept. He was a fisherman with 3 children and was grieving the loss of his future- the loss of his world he knew. We laid hands on him and prayed for his family, for his peace, for his pain and for his total and immediate healing. We shared the story of salvation with him and he accepted Christ. He said he knew that God had been with him in the hospital and spared his life for a reason. Before we left his brother also accepted Christ.
As I walked away from his house, I was grateful I hadn't quit. I would have missed a God appointment with Ramiro. I would have missed speaking belief into a young lady named Monica. I would have missed praying over Denise who wept bitterly as I hugged her because she was so lonely.

I lay my head on my pillow tonight humbled to be used by God to love the people in Barranquilla. Our hearts are knit in a way that feels so much bigger than a meeting, a day or a mission trip.

I lay my head on my pillow tonight knowing Ramiro's name is written in the lambs book of life and that whether it be on earth or in heaven, one day he WILL be healed.

Written by: Donna Whitten

La Chinita (Women's Colombia Team)

Over the last several days, we have been exposed to some of the kindest and most loving people I've ever met. From the translators to the nationals to the people with whom we are sharing the Gospel, we have encountered such amazing love.

For the past few days we've been sharing the gospel with people in the barrios of Barranquilla. When we started, it was awkward and difficult to do, but over the last couple of days it certainly has gotten easier and more fluent. So many of these people have heard the story of our Savior before, but it was so wrapped up in religion and condemnation that they have given up hope, so we get to share the real truth with them.

One of the sweetest moments I've had was when we were evangelizing in La Chinita. The day was hotter than hot, but God opened up the heaven's, and the rain came down; so a family invited us onto their porch. We had a captive audience! :). We were able to share the Gospel with the family. The whole family accepted Christ, we prayed for them, and we were able to hold an I am Second group with them. When it was time for us to leave, the mother said, "I was in a bad mood when you first came here, but now I am so happy." WOW! That is the power of God!

- Tracy Carrasquillo