Mission Moments: Ecuador and Colombia

Together, we can win more souls

Sometimes things simply appear to be impossible. There just doesn’t seem to be a way forward. Perhaps Climbing For Christ’s missionary to Peru, Jaime Servat, experienced some of those feelings himself as he spent the past few years enduring numerous personal trials.

But with God all things are possible, and there is always a way forward.

As Jaime concluded his latest report with Mark 10:27, I couldn’t help but wonder if some of those thoughts were in his mind.

“But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.’” – Mark 10:27.

Jaime on an outreach walk in Ecuador.

Jaime has always had a passion for lost souls in “the highlands,” as he puts it. This, of course, includes Peru, where C4C has ministered in the Cordillera Blanca and the Cordillera Huayhuash ranges of the stunning Andes. (A C4C Evangelic Expedition will be returning to the Huayhuash in August.) But his passion extends elsewhere in South America as well.

Throughout much of February and March, Jaime traveled from Peru to Ecuador and Colombia to share the love of Christ with more people of the highlands.

“Really [it] was a blessing to meet my old friend Jairo Luna,” Jaime wrote of his co-laborer in Christ from Ecuador. “We [were doing] outreach walking almost eight hours every day in rural areas.”

The hours of handing out tracts and New Testaments on the path paid off as Jaime and Jairo met several students during their outreach who were ready to receive Christ. Heaven rejoiced as Katia, Neiva, Ubidio, Luis and Kevin put their faith in the Lord.

As Jaime prepared to travel from Ecuador to Colombia, he told the church, “I hope to return here in His time.”

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

After 2½ days of travel, he arrived in Santa Marta, at the foot of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, learning of the indigenous tribes that live in the remote reaches of the mountains. As quick as the excitement came, however, Jaime ran into several roadblocks between him and reaching the people on the mountain.

“The conditions to enter there are really difficult, [and] they are a community very closed to Christian themes,” Jaime was told. 

It appears that the area is greatly restricted by the Colombian government and access is granted to tourists for a fee. However, with God all things are possible, and another door was possibly opening.

Later, Jaime met with a local church leader named Luis. As Jaime spoke of Climbing For Christ and also his desire to reach the indigenous people living in the nearby mountains, Luis remembered that his pastor had spoken of a Bible study he recently began on his land in the Sierra Nevada with five indigenous people. The pastor did not want to share the name of the area where he is conducting this study, because one of Colombia’s many guerilla groups live near his land.

“They (the guerillas) [are] allowing by His grace [the pastor to] teach the Gospel. He recommended that I can go with him and not alone because [it] could be dangerous [to be] confused as a stranger and informant,” Jaime said. “[Right now] he is only teaching five indigenous [people about the Good] News, but together we can win more souls.” 

Amen. Together, we can win more souls! Please pray for this seemingly open door in the mountains of Colombia. 

Jordan Rowley is Climbing For Christ’s spiritual coordinator. He has participated in all of C4C’s expeditions to Peru and is leading Mission: Peru 2018.