God at Work in Chile and Colombia
Sometimes ministry opportunities develop in ways we could never have planned. During a recent visit to Chile and Colombia, I watched God work through leaders who never expected to lead, churches that grew from nothing, and people who stepped forward the moment He called them, ready or not.
A Growing Church in Chile
Pastor Luciano Barreto Nogueira de Moura, President of the SDB World Federation, and I, were met at the Santiago, Chile airport by the father and son team of Pastors Manuel and Eduardo Marambio. We traveled to Chile to visit some of our SDB churches there. A worship service with a group looking for affiliation with SDBs in Chile, was our first ministry opportunity, where Pastor Luciano preached, and we both fielded questions from members of the prospective group.
Their Pastor, Alejandro, lost his sight suddenly about three years ago, and has continued to give godly and enthusiastic leadership to the group, faithfully teaching the Bible. That faithfulness to the Word, led him to embrace the practice of the Sabbath, after which he and his family left the non-sabbathkeeping church they were attending. They began studying the Bible at home, with no intention of starting a church, or of Alejandro becoming a Pastor. Yet, over a relatively brief period of time, that is exactly what happened. Their group now has 45 members, and they discovered the Chilean SDB Conference on the internet.
On Sabbath, we worshiped with the Santiago congregation, occupying rented church facilities. I had the opportunity to share a message following a Sabbath School lesson taught by one of our Chilean brothers. Included in the service was the welcoming of the Chilean SDB Conference to the membership of the SDB World Federation. Pastor Luciano, in his capacity as World Federation President presented a plaque to the Chilean SDB leaders, and extended the official welcome. One more strategic partnership, strengthened.
Our Chilean congregations need prayers for their churches to resume consistent in-person services, as most of them are still only meeting in virtual settings.
When the Leader You Need Isn't the One You Planned On
Alejandro never set out to pastor a congregation. He just kept teaching what he knew, even after he could no longer see the page. That's a pattern I'd see again, a few days later, in Colombia.
In Colombia, I was accompanied by Andrea Pozo and Ana Lovato from Ecuador, two leaders whose presence there was its own kind of partnership: leaders from one culturally close country serving alongside another, exactly the kind of leadership development that multiplies rather than duplicates.
Andrea and Ana led a children's ministry program for three evenings, which included music, dancing, crafts, and the ministry of the Word. The wordless Gospel book was used to share the Gospel with the children, and they made bracelets using beads with the various colors representing each page of the wordless Gospel book. Between 15 and 25 children were blessed through this ministry.
Immediately after the children's ministry, there were worship services which provided opportunities for powerful times of worship, and the preaching of the Word. The congregation was very responsive to the ministry, and time was spent praying for people who responded to the nightly invitations to receive Christ, and to renew their relationship with Him.
An unmistakable and miraculous move of God was manifested when Andrea, our translator, became ill and could not attend our final nightly service. Ana stepped in and served as translator for that sermon, something that she was not prepared for, not equipped to do, and had no idea that she would do or could do. But the Lord showed up, and it was amazing. Look what the Lord has done!
Continuing What God Has Begun
Alejandro kept teaching when he couldn't see. Ana translated when she'd never planned to. Neither one set out to lead. Both did, because someone had to, and God met them there. That's the same pattern we see across our partnerships, again and again: strong local leaders, already positioned by God, ready to step into whatever the moment requires. Our job isn't to hand them a plan. It's to recognize what God has already put in place and come alongside it. We pray that the ministry to the children can be built on, and that the people who responded to the invitations will live victorious and fulfilling lives for the Lord.
-Pastor Andrew Samuels
Reflection Question
Where might God already be at work around you, inviting you to recognize, encourage, or come alongside what He has begun?
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