JOURNEYS
Build It and They Will Come
A senior director with International Cooperating Ministries takes JTJ on a partner building trip to Peru and Columbia
- Don Douglas // April 13, 2010
A snapshot of the ferver of the worship in Peru, where their love of the Lord and praise for Him transcend the language barrier. © Don Douglas 2010
Don Douglas, this journey report's author, stand on a water taxi that would take him to a remote church in Columbia. ©
A faithful woman looks intently on as worship begins. The congregation made sure she was in her seat before starting the service. Faith to the end and gratitude to the elderly were just some of the blessed characteristics Don Douglas found in his trip to Peru and Columbia. © Don Douglas 2010
I am ever-amazed by the stories we hear on these journeys to countries where our Church Growth Partnerships build churches and nurture believers. As slices of life in a broken world, these stories give us insights to faith of Biblical proportions.
For this trip, our first stop was Lima, Peru, where we met with our Peruvian Partner, Miguel, a charismatic leader who influences and coordinates the efforts of multiple organizations that help bring Christ to the Peruvian Indians. The saying, “God has uniquely prepared …” applies well for how God is using Miguel and his perspective, to which neither of us (me or my travel associate, Albert) could relate. A former senator, Miguel now finds God leading him to service in other ways.
At one point along his journey, Miguel and his family were stopped by guerrillas at roadside in a jungle area. Lined up, the family was shot one-by-one because of their belief, until finally Miguel was next, … when Divine Intervention brought three miracles! First, Miguel’s son jumped at the gunman before he could shoot his father. Then government forces appeared, forcing the guerillas to run. Even so, a third miracle happened before they left, when one of the guerillas pointed a gun at Miguel’s head, pulled the trigger….and the gun failed to fire.
Driving to us his home, Miguel’s incredible smile and joyful spirit denied this past and even the current trial-pressured life that is his. The reason? It is simply his faith. And that faith has inspired many, including us as we spent the next few days visiting Quechua congregations over the Andes Mountains, hearing from Miguel how God has worked in these communities.
I came to Peru, in late January and early February, on what was a fairly typical ICM ‘Work Trip’, this time to Peru and Columbia. During these Work Trips we meet with Partners to encourage their work, inspect church building work of the Partnerships, participate in church dedication services, distribute Bible-teaching small group materials (These consist of audio lessons on a special solar-powered MP3-like device, Study Booklets, Leaders Guides and Student Workbooks; see http://www.icm.org/ministry/mbc/), help train for the use of these materials and investigate potential Partners for the expansion of God’s work through ICM. This time we also had an additional objective of taking 160 MegaVoice audio players into Peru. My teammate for this trip was Albert Allen, who covers Latin America for ICM.
On this portion of our journey, as we drove through the mountains and the jungle area, God made His Companionship a constant reminder, showering us with His creation in ways of magnificence that pictures cannot capture (But see the accompanying photo gallery anyway!). With each day came beautiful children’s faces, beckoning looks at magnificent mountains ahead and elevated views of the lush-green valleys below, … all surely what John Denver describes in his song as “almost heaven!” So great were these amazements that they overwhelmed the ‘sideline scenes’ as we “drove” on the many seemingly ‘un-travelable’ roads made dangerous and slippery by the deep mud, large rocks and washed-out pavement.
From Peru, we flew to Medellin, Colombia, known widely as the drug capital of the world. There we visited with 3 new Church Growth Partners, presented thoughts and insights to 1,000 pastors at a national convention, learned of potential Partnerships in Chile and finally travelled by twin engine plane to a remote area a couple of hours north of the city, visiting the communities of Caucasia and Bagre. In these places we heard stories of recent drug killings, the capturing of a drug lord and the trials and tribulations of living in drug-infested territories where guerillas, paramilitary and government forces all exist in a tension-filled environment of which we know not.
But my first Columbia “awareness” actually came from the experience with Hector, a church organization leader who picked us up at the airport in Medellin. Hector’s warm smile and upbeat style didn’t give away the pain he revealed as we sat down for a snack in a nearby café. Hector told us his brother recently died too young and that his dying had been difficult. When I asked if he had a family, Hector said his lovely wife of 14 years (both of them work for their church) has had 5 miscarriages, to lead them to the conclusion they will never have children.
As a Stephen Minister, I could feel Hector’s pain and wanted to hear more, … but time and language didn’t permit. The good news (always) is that both have that blessed assurance that all things work for the good of those who love the Lord And His peace beyond all understanding shone brightly through their countenance and through the love they extended to us.
Soon we met up with Franklin, a man of amazing gifts, both in leading construction work and in sharing what’s really important. Franklin is so full of life and love for Jesus that you can’t help but love him. He is with our top Partner in Latin America and, importantly, has made himself available (thanks to Albert’s encouragement) to give his expertise to new and current Latin America Partners. During one of our sessions, Franklin received a call from his wife, letting him know her father had suddenly died. Further, her mother could not be told because of her condition in the hospital. So Franklin was to make the 10-hour drive home as soon as possible, to be with his wife. He said he could tell his wife needed him because she was unnaturally calm, and that concerned him. Before leaving, this deeply committed husband shared his testimony, as to how he had gone astray with alcohol and adultery, leaving his family. The Lord had brought him back and he was indeed a new man.
And then there was Remberto, the head of another new Partner. Remberto was born in poverty into a family of 6 children. At his young age, the father walked out and never returned. A year later, their mother died, leaving the uncertainty of who would raise them. By God’s grace, they were able to remain together, and Remberto is now a recognized leader of the Church in Colombia. He is also a product of God’s hand in his life. So many experiences we hear of are the stuff of great pain and of the need for great pain management. The good news is that pain management is found in Jesus, here and all over the world. These people I have cited are living examples; they are heroes of faith. They will be content in all things and go on with grateful hearts. Wow. I’m grateful for the experience of meeting and traveling with them on my journey.
Many of the Medellin neighborhoods are filled with violence from wars among opposing gangs and police. Thus, we were attuned when a young man stopped us and approached our car, warning us not to go the next few blocks to the church because there were armed men who knew of our coming. We turned around and went to another church site, but the interesting point to me was that a young woman with us (the church secretary) volunteered to take Albert’s camera to get pictures of the church. Even though she lives in the community and is comfortable moving about, I couldn’t help but note that all of the men stayed behind, while sending her into the battlefield!
In one of these “hill churches”, the pastor spoke of finding at least 2 bodies each week, … victims of drug gangs. He said his church was encouragement for the community and he hoped to replace their existing small building with a new, sturdy one.
Medellin stories included one of a father sending his 8-year old daughter to have sex with the store owner so he would give them rice to eat. What is clear here, and in most of the countries we visit, is that what you see is not what they get. Stories of sorrow come plentifully, yet if through a church pastor or leader, it is always though the filter of Jesus’ pain management.
Whenever I’m taking trip pictures of people who are not known to be believers, I find myself wanting to know: “What’s your story?” I.e., “What have you been through? How are you feeling? and Where is life taking you?” I love it when I gain insights, but with another language in the way, that’s too often not the case. So maybe this is all just a reminder that all of us have a story, that by the grace of God will become His-story, …along the journey.
One of the tremendous blessings of these trips is the opportunity to gather with our faraway brothers and sisters-in-Christ who are praising God, albeit in their language. And yes, while I cannot understand the words, their hearts come through clearly through their joyful and worshipful actions and faces. This experience is true no matter where we go in the almost 50 countries where the 3,500 churches have been built or are under construction. It’s amazing to see hands in the air and words directed to God—in whatever language those may be.
Another blessing received is speaking at church gatherings and knowing we’re speaking to grateful hearts as we share how God loves each and everyone of them as much as he loves anyone else in the world. I can sense their appreciation for our simply being there, whether that appreciation shows up in the gifts we receive or just the smiles on their faces. These dear brothers and sisters are eternally grateful.
Another plus here was age having an even-greater ‘respect rating’ than in our part of the world (And in my senior years I like that!), allowing for instant friendships, where the youth pours themselves out to you, seeing no generational boundaries. Meet Cleo, a young woman who is now responsible for the Mini Bible College use; having been abandoned by her parents at a young age, she now knows God is her Father. Meet Thalia, a Quechua youth in the Andes, who works in children’s’ ministry while going to college; Thalia’s grandfather founded 3 churches and gave land for the latest church! And meet Edwin, who has affected so many lives of young people and now is pursuing an MBA so he might some day lead the Church in his country. All three were the love of Jesus during our stay, attending to us with utmost love, care and compassion.
What is hard about these trips is saying goodbye to those who have become dear friends over just a few days of travel, … and having to answer their question of “When will you come back?”, knowing the answer is likely, “Never.” At the same time, we are consoled in knowing there’s a legacy left behind, … in the form of a church with a “healthy, reproductive congregation;” in the form of the Mini Bible College 4-year Bible study that will nurture their faith; and in the form of their passing on those things we have taught and shared, such as disciplines they didn’t know they needed but which will help to expand the Kingdom’s work (our partnerships are a mixture of love and discipline, all intended to help make the Partnership more effective and more as “one” in our mindsets and heart-sets). We are also comforted in knowing all of this will make their lives extraordinary.
So what keeps coming back to me during these trips, is the privilege of being a part of a ministry whose work through local partnerships does make a difference. My prayer is with each of the churches, with the pastors who diligently tend to their flock and with the believers, … that Christ will be imbedded deeper into their hearts. May His peace be with them!
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Don Douglas is a senior director with, International Cooperating Ministries (ICM; www.icm.org ), an organization that seeks to nurture believers and spur church growth, primarily through building churches in places that need solid infrastructure to increase their worship capacity. Don may be reached at DDouglas@icm.org.