~ Separated to the work in Columbia; South America ~
Dear family in Christ,
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord. 2 Pe 1:2
In December, we learned that there was no reason we needed to stay in Medellín until the visas were completed as we had originally understood. So, as soon as was practical for us to do so, we packed back up and headed for the coast arriving in Nuquí on the 16th. We were grateful for the help of Eleasah Mauck who came for about a month over the time of the move and getting settled back into Nuquí.
In early January we made a trip back to Medellín to finish up the last of the visa related paperwork, attend some doctor and dentist appointments, and a missionary retreat/conference for missionaries working in this part of the country. We are very thankful that all of the visa’s came through successfully in spite of some of the documents having expired in the process. The retreat/conference was a real blessing, hearing what the Lord is doing in different communities and making a number of new connections with fellow missionaries in the region. Also during our time in Medellín we made a visit to a city about two hours south of Bogotá to get to know the owners of the parcel of land that I mentioned in the last update. We really enjoyed getting to know them and are thankful for the many bits of advice they gave us. We are just finalizing a two year rental contract on the land.
While we were not able to start a lot of new things with only the month of February back in Nuquí, we were able to continue building relationships and learning the ropes of how to do stuff. We made several new friends and had numerous requests for language classes. The school system in Nuquí teaches English as a required subject but unfortunately it appears that the English teachers don’t actually speak clear English themselves. The students often end up stumbling through their homework with the help of google translate but without actually knowing what they are saying or how to pronounce it correctly. It was rewarding to help a couple of high school students, neighbors, with their English language project and hear that they had passed successfully, in-spite of, in the one case, being known as the bottom of his class. It looks like this is a known need in the community that we may be able to help with and use to facilitate relationships and the sharing of the Gospel.
We are now back in Medellín, most likely for a couple of months, for the birth of our baby due near the beginning of April. There is a lot of planning and preparation to be done while here for beginning house construction and, Lord willing, opening the Bible house when we return to Nuquí. We are also planning to continue with some language study during our city time and see what opportunities the Lord provides for ministry here. In the past, there has been opportunity to join friends of ours who work with the displaced indigenous in the city. Some of the displaced are from the Pacific coast and it can be a neat opportunity to make contacts that also open doors later when we are back on the coast.
Thank you for continuing to remember us and the work here in prayer:
- For good health for Grace and baby and a good birth.
- For the Lord’s direction with the house and Bible house projects.
- Praise to the Lord for completed Visas!
Henry, for: Henry, Grace, David, Noah, and Joseph
Write to:
songofthecoast@proton.me