What has already felt like a lifetime of being here, has only been less than a week since we left the United States. It started with a flight from Georgia to Fort Lauderdale. Then a quick bus ride to Miami for a 15 hour layover. To then begin our flights to Bogota and Medellin.
We are officially settled into our ministry hosts for the month, and jumped right into a weekend packed with ministry! I want to share with you just some sweet moments of how God is moving in the streets of Medellin.
We are working with a ministry that has a lot of opportunities for us to get connected with. They run a homeless shelter in the first floor of the compound during the evenings. They have a men’s and women’s residential restoration program for those who are seeking freedom and a relationship with God. They have a ministry off site; Aqua Panela, where two nights a week we go out to the streets to evangelize and spread love to those who are living on the streets. There are multiple church services throughout the week, as well as a worship night in the cafe. This week, they held a VBS program for kid’s from the local community. Lastly, there is another off site ministry opportunity each week where we go out of the city to one of the largest displacement camps in Colombia.
Ready to here just SOME of the good things God has done?!?
So the first day, I was working with the women who are in the restoration program. We started the morning prepping meals and cleaning the kitchen. It was a great start to the morning to begin to build relationships with the women. In the afternoon, we had a Bible study going through Proverbs 10. We were not sure how it was going to go or how willing the women would be to share with us..but God blew our expectations out of the water! After each passage, the women would share such a insight on what it was teaching them and how it connected to them. I sat there humbled with a learning spirit to receive all the wisdom they were pouring out from the scriptures. There was no language barrier when it came to laughter, smiles, and the gentleness that was pouring out of each one of us. We got to grow closer to these women as began to share our own testimonies of how God views our worth. Through a drawing activity, the women were able to discover how uniquely God views them as. It was a day full of tenderness and pure joy!
Later that night half of our team went out to Aqua Panela, and the other half stayed back to intercede through prayer for them. What a powerful testament on both ends on how the Spirit was moving in both areas. On the ground in Aqua Panela, our team was having encounters with people to bring healing, restoration, and bringing people back to HIs Kingdom. On the rooftop, as we prayed, you couldn’t help but become overwhelmed with the Holy Spirit as he was moving. We had moments of speaking out songs, verses, and words of what was already happening down below! It was such a powerful night full of glory going right back to Him.
I got to go with some of the squad to the village outside of Medellin to spend two days loving and caring for His people. The first day, we went to different houses to deliver school supplies. There was so much joy in this city, even through all the difficulties they’ve been through. Many of the people have been displaced from their homes, because of the drug cartel. We came across this group of children who we immediately all fell in love with! The feelings were mutual, as they continued to hold our hands and walk with us all the way through the village. We got to play games, sing songs, and love/be loved by this community. The next day we went to a different section of the neighborhood to evangelize. A group of us came across the Sauza family. The mom had such a gentle presence and you could see it overflowing into her household. She invited us in to pray for her family. We were able to boldly pray for healing in her, as she was struggling with pain in her breasts. God showed up and healed this woman in that moment! We got to pray over her children for provision, jobs, unity, and to bring them all back to Jesus. That moment was completely anointed by God!
This is just the beginning of the wonders that He is doing! There were so many times this week where you could just feel Heaven touch Earth. God did so much in just 4 days! I can only imagine what is next to come as we continue to follow His direction over these next 3 weeks in Colombia!
Fundraising Update:
I am currently $2,700 away from reaching my February deadline. I would love to continue to stay on the field, and make it to Ecuador and Peru! I am fully trusting that God will continue to financially provide for this trip. If you feel led to give, please do by clicking the Donate button directly on my blog account.
Thank you and much love!
McKenzie
