Report from Colombia

[0:00] Well, good morning everybody. So good to see all of you. And today we have a special guest speaker that nearly all of you know. Some of you are here because you're members of his fan club and we welcome you.

[0:18] And some of you are visiting and don't know our special guest, but I'll just give you a brief background. Our dear brother in Christ, Demas Quintero Duran, a good southern name because he's much further south than we are.

[0:38] So he's from Colombia and grew up there, born there. And we've known him now for about 11 or 12 years as we've taken mission trips to Colombia. We've been there 20 plus times and he's been with us on every trip except one of those.

[0:58] And he would have been there that time, but he didn't know about it. So anyway, we're just delighted to have him here. And I want to tell you that I helped Demas put together this slideshow and it was my idea to put a circle around him in the different pictures.

[1:17] Because if you know Demas, he never wants to draw attention to himself. He always has a servant's heart. He's always happy to be in the background.

[1:28] And I thought, well, I want people to see where he is in the pictures. So I put circles around where it wasn't obvious. And I came up with this little title on this picture too. Demas, serving where the doors are open.

[1:43] And you see their opening doors there on little taxis, little three-wheel motorcycle taxis in Colombia. And I looked real close and you can't see it. But in one of those little taxis, it's Becky and me.

[1:58] And in the other one is Phil and Sherry. So Demas has been with us there many times. He's done the Lord's work. And today he's back for your, maybe your third visit with us.

[2:13] Maybe. At least your second. But it's been about five years now since he was here. He was going to come right during COVID. And we canceled that trip because everything, you know, got shut down and so forth.

[2:25] So anyway, he's back with us. And we've been hosting him now for a month. He will be heading home. In fact, is it this week? This week, Wednesday, he flies first to Miami, Thursday.

[2:41] First he flies to Miami, visits with some of his family there, and then on from there back to Colombia. And he's involved in the Lord's work in many ways, works with our Baptist missionaries there, works with all kinds of people.

[2:55] Whoever, like it says there, he serves wherever the Lord opens a door. And so I've just spent, several of us have spent some weeks with him lately. And everywhere we went, everywhere we went, he was witnessing to somebody.

[3:12] I mean, waitresses, people at gas pumps, wherever we were, he was talking to them about the Lord Jesus Christ. So I know this guy to be a true brother in the Lord.

[3:24] We call him our guardian angel when we're down in Colombia. So Brother Demas, come and share with us. Welcome back to Moncure Baptist Church. Let's welcome him. Thank you, Brother.

[3:42] Good morning, everyone.

[4:02] It's good to be here. I'm so blessed. I'm so blessed.

[4:35] of how the Lord has been using all this to train me, training me, training me. Get it, Demas. Get it, Demas.

[4:45] You can go back and put everything in practice in Colombia. So I've been really blessed by you all. So I don't sometimes feel worthy to be here.

[4:59] I'm so blessed. I would like to open my chair with a word of prayer. I would like Cody to pray, please.

[5:09] Lord, let me follow you. Thank you so much for everyone here. Thank you so much for my brother Demas, my Lord. Father, I just pray that your Holy Spirit works through him and that you'll share with us some of the experiences that he has.

[5:27] I had in Colombia serve you, my Lord, and that you would motivate us and encourage us and inspire us to have a servant's heart like our brother here, my Lord.

[5:37] We do this all for your glory. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Cody. So I just have this experience going through all these pictures.

[5:53] Even you have two pictures on the board. So it's just like remind me to some of the things that are going on now in Colombia with the ministry, what is going to happen because so many changes.

[6:11] But like how I got into, first, as you know, how I met Matt and John because Brian told me, we're going there.

[6:27] And I said, who? He said, no, we are going there. We're going to see if we can help you. Help me? I was like, get us home in the hotel.

[6:39] So I got in the hotel and they came. And so we have this. I was, I didn't know what they want to help me with in this town full of guerrillas, full of paramilitares.

[6:57] So dangerous, you know. I was like, we, I say Ocaña is pretty safe, the town. But around the area of the indigenous, I don't even go there.

[7:09] You see? So, so that's how this all started because they moved to Urabá to do their work. And then I started to go, I moved to Cartagena.

[7:21] And that's when I, Brian, I was working with Brian. And then he told me about how they decided to study in Turbo. So that was my first meeting with, with you guys teaching English was in Turbo.

[7:37] And they were asking me about Turbo. And I, I said, I don't know anything about Turbo. The only thing I can tell you, we are, for me, in the dangerous town in the world.

[7:51] Because that's the record of that town. Every day they kill people in the corners. In one corner, one, another. So I said, that's the only thing I can tell you about it.

[8:03] But then we start with this process. And I say, Lord, guide me to, to be helpful.

[8:14] Because I am in Colombia. You are coming to my country to teach English, to help. You know, like, but, you know, she was, you know, kind of saying, you're doing that such a special thing for my people, for my indigenous.

[8:35] So, how can I, how can I, I am not helping them. So, Brian was telling me, you, because he's always so busy.

[8:46] So, he, so he started to let me get in charge. So, I just was getting in charge. So, this is the second town that, that we went to.

[8:57] First we went in Turbo. Then we went to Neko Clean. So, this is the open door, as Mateo was saying.

[9:10] The car gave us, and he's giving us open doors there. Now they are getting close. It's getting complicated in Colombia.

[9:20] Missionary works are kind of closing, because they close all missionary or religious visas.

[9:35] They are, they are finished. So, all the missionaries have to leave. So, then, I, I have to do it here?

[9:49] No, just tell him to do it for you. Yes, please. So, as I, I've been, I've been, I've been, you go, we, from, from San Pedro.

[10:04] You know, so you, you are familiar with all these experiences. But, what amazed me, that I thought that Turbo was a dangerous town.

[10:15] The dangerous town was San Pedro. And I didn't know anything about San Pedro. But people, I was telling people, we are in San Pedro.

[10:25] They said, where are you? In Cartagena, whatever I say. You see, that's the house of Mancuso. You know, Mancuso is the, the biggest paramilitar.

[10:37] And that's where her house is. So, I said, really? And so, somehow, I was amazed to see how people were so welcoming us in these towns.

[10:53] I remember, they arrived, and we were walking in the street, and these people from the store, we come out from the stores, and they told each other, they are back.

[11:05] They are back. So, so people really, nobody would go around that town. To this. And no Americans, of course. So, so the Lord really opens.

[11:18] You know, in that town, what happened? The, what the, the principal, and they said, okay, if the major town invites you, all, all of us are gonna organize everything for you to come back.

[11:33] But the, the work was finished. So, we went to, to, we, from San Pedro, we went to, uh, Chigurodo. So, I went to Chigurodo, as normally, uh, I go first to organize everything.

[11:50] So, I went to Chigurodo, to organize, uh, meeting the mayor, the secretary of education, to get open, to organize everything.

[12:02] So, I came to this, red shirt, men's office. Uh, I got into his office, to talk about the program. And after we organize everything, he, he, he has everything, he has all the power to organize everything.

[12:20] And at the end of the meeting, I say, you know, I've been, you know, I've already been praying for you, Mayor, Eleazar. I know already the mayor's name. I was praying for him. And, and he said to me, I am Christian.

[12:35] And I said, really? So, let's pray. He, he didn't, he didn't let me pray. He just pray, and pray for all the counselors from town.

[12:46] And he, and I was, I said, Lord, you open this door with these Christian men in this town. So, you remember Leonel?

[12:58] He was almost getting into Leonard's church in, in Kurulao. So, we, everything, we start, and we have, he started in class.

[13:10] I know you have been saying, she's a Christian. So, we, we just, have a, a really blessed time, right, in, in Chigurodo, we're really blessed.

[13:25] Okay, Mark. And then we tried to keep in focus what we were doing there, right?

[13:36] So our job is to get indigenous to be in our classes, the indigenous, so we can open doors to go into their communities.

[13:48] So we have all these indigenous to be in class. But we were working with the pastors, so we have the opportunity to be in all the churches, like in Francisco Church, that is in Chigorodó, and all these towns like Apartado, in Cunulao.

[14:15] So we were able to go as a witness in these churches. And in this church right here on the corner, this pastor Roberto, his daughter, under the age of 18, she just said, I want to be a missionary.

[14:42] And the other girl there, that's the question, I want to be a missionary. So they just probably finished high school.

[14:53] We want to be missionaries. I mean, nothing that can stop these girls. Really nice girls. They were chipping. So it's a small church that you didn't believe when you get into that church.

[15:09] They are like, everybody is in fire. I have to. The dark girl, they want to know. They want to learn English. They always ask, can we come and teach them English, you know.

[15:23] And these two girls went, got training near Bogotá. So what happened now, because of the cancel of the visas, they opened a Bautist association, opened a center to teach Colombians, whoever wants to get training.

[15:45] And so these two girls right away, they went there. And they got the training. And one of the girls is somewhere down in the jungle, really working.

[15:58] And the other girl is in Valle del Parque, which is a town between Cartagena and my hometown. And she's working there. They are full time.

[16:09] And it is, the girl in the jungle, she's in the jungle. I mean, she's in the middle of forest and everything. But the one that she is in Valle del Parque is more into a town, but all around the mountains.

[16:27] There are so many indigenous, Aroacos, Cogis, Uihuas, all different languages, all different cultures. And they are really doing a good job.

[16:38] And she's just there. So you talk to her father, she's there working, working. She doesn't want to do anything else. Okay?

[16:49] So you come to her market. So then, sometimes I say, okay, I'm translating.

[17:04] And this last time in this class in Chivo.to, through the cultural activities, through the classes, we have the opportunity to witness them clear, clear the gospel to all these teachers.

[17:26] Making sure that they listen to the word of God and make sure they understood. So we put it clear, the gospel.

[17:38] So you can see some of these people, we don't know exactly what they believe or what their religion is, but we make sure they got the gospel.

[17:53] And I remember that time. And I remember that time. That was a blessed time when Matt and Steve came to testimony about how Steve got saved. That was a really blessed moment because they saw how God saved him in Iraq.

[18:12] So we have a lot of fun too with this guy. We have a lot of fun. That was a lot of fun.

[18:23] Enjoyment that we have. So you see some of the indigenous there. And there, but I will show you like this guy here, pretty head, and this is a bear with the long hair.

[18:39] And you can have so marked. And in this, this opportunity, we have this girl, Milena.

[18:54] They are both the teachers in the indigenous communities near there. And near this town. And he's a writer. He's a poetry and write books, stories, indigenous stories.

[19:11] And we got to be very close because I was helping him with that. And Milena, a really sweet indigenous.

[19:22] Her husband left her with four kids. But she, I think she was trained by some Adventist church.

[19:33] So she would sing for us in her language, a Christian song. She would say, that's a Christian song. You understand, that was a Christian song. That she was raised by this, probably Adventist missionary that was in their community.

[19:50] So she, she really is hoping to listen in their communities. They are already being visited by, by some of the humans that they have to live.

[20:05] But some humans are already visiting there. And some of the other people that are trained there. So her name is Milena. She just called me before I came.

[20:18] I said, this year I had to go to Bogota. I said, yes, Milena. Yes, I'm going to get my graduation from the university. So I'm going to Bogota.

[20:30] But you don't have four kids. So difficult. You know, it's so, so hard. But she, she was really like a blessing for us to see her. Her attention, her, her, she's serious girl.

[20:43] She enjoys so much everything. So we have a nice time with, with Alberto. Then we got close. So I was able, because I was skating horses for a field.

[20:54] So we have a meeting before we start classes. And he was able to give me like four options to, to get a horse. So we meet, we meet with his wife.

[21:06] When he, his step, his step son got killed in Medellin. They were storing him a cell phone. And that kid, so that way I want to also to meet him. So I met his wife.

[21:18] And one of the, of his wife's kids came when we were having coffee. And so I was able to witness to them the word of God, just personally.

[21:30] And he was really open. But at the same time, she's really the lady. They're very, they give me so many options for Phil to ride horses.

[21:44] But they were in Paso Fino. So that, right. But, but they, they were so, they were so open to help me with, with that.

[21:58] So, I'm in touch with him. Okay. So you can continue. Okay. So, how really I start to be working with, with Brian in Cartagena.

[22:09] Was that they open, they already have a ministry going on in the Zenú church in Arjona. It's an hour away from, from Cartagena. So we start to be in this church.

[22:22] I start to see what was Brian doing. And with, with Carmen, I know you have seen her, Carmen. She's, she's really growing because the Lord is being, I mean, it's been hard for her.

[22:38] While we met, one of his boys got killed. Something about drunk TV. And now about eight months ago, another boy got killed too.

[22:53] And you see this, this is the last song she had, the blue shirt. And he was there, the other guy got killed. And they want to kill him too.

[23:04] So they, they hit him in his head. So when I went to the funeral, he was with all these wounds. So his name is Eduardo.

[23:15] And so, somehow the Lord is, like I, I tell Brian, Brian, do you know how the Lord is blessing? We even have a, a town near Cartagena called Palenque.

[23:29] It's an African town. So when I got there, to this church, we had this lady on the back, Maria. Maria and her husband, they had three kids.

[23:40] At that time, I met them, but they only had one, the other girl. They were Christians working, ministering. So, but I get like, oh, an African town.

[23:51] So, I went there, I visited them, and she had, you know, she comes to me, that because Brian, how Brian started ministering?

[24:03] He started, as a, he started as a, as a refugees, helping refugees. He's supposed to be only a music teacher in Colombia, but he wasn't, you know, to be stopped by helping the refugees.

[24:22] But then, so many refugees were indigenous, so, that started to be a minister. So, so, okay, this girl, because we got so close to be friends, when she was, has a boy, the, the second boy, and she said, she's, she's going to be named Dimas.

[24:43] And her husband said, why Dimas? We were friends. And she said, she didn't say anything, she just said, he's going to be Dimas. Because these girls, they are such a hard workers.

[24:58] They are such a hard workers. And the man is kind of slow, you know, African, in a hammock. And these girls go with the fruits, with the candy, and work, and work.

[25:09] So they have to, and they are, so the guy, the little boy's name is Dimas Jose. So, so, so, we are very close.

[25:20] So, all these people you see here, like Rhonda, Jillian, and, and, and, and these, these girls, they have a, they have such a nice Saturday, a little kids school for teens.

[25:38] And, and I, I, I can tell you, Brian, Brian, the Lord is giving you, you, you, you go ahead. Brian, the Lord, I see, the Lord is giving you a blessing now.

[25:52] Because you've been working so many years. And these churches go up and down. People just go away, and they never show up anymore. But the ones that are in the church, look how it is growing.

[26:05] You see the, the church in the Bible? They are the same ones that you just saw. So many kids on Saturdays, you wouldn't believe all these kids playing, learning the Word of God.

[26:19] You know, our methodology is not preaching. What we do, we do Bible, Bible storytelling. So that's what we do. So these kids, and all these people from the church, it's always learning how to do Bible storytelling.

[26:34] So we, we challenged the little ones, okay, are you going to share this Bible story in whoever you meet? Yeah, so they say yes.

[26:45] And so they have competition, and they bring other kids, tell them the Bible story, and go around their school or the neighborhood. And, and you see Brian.

[26:57] Brian, I'm telling you, Brian, this is a quiet guy, you know, you never imagine where he is. He will go to, to places that even, you can imagine anybody will go, Columbia.

[27:14] Even the police or the army, they will never go to the places that Brian goes. So you see Brian, can you see him? There, we wrote that, and he found this area in the place that we, we can go.

[27:30] He knew probably that there were indigenous there, being trained, and they're good pastors. But right now, this is really a training place, right, somewhere I've never been.

[27:47] But it's, it's really getting a lot of people trained. Okay. And then, this indigenous girl, right, got baptized, and his boyfriend was there with her.

[28:05] And this, this guy, he just said, a few weeks later, I want to get baptized too. So this guy got baptized, and he, he become Christian. So he wants to learn to play guitar.

[28:17] And she, she's, she's a , she's captain's daughter, and she's one of the leaders of the church. So he, he's learning now to play guitar, to be helping in the church.

[28:32] Okay. So these kids come now, it's a group of, a bunch of kids that come. So, you see, this is a normal meeting.

[28:45] You see, we have a, there, two, the two back kids are cohes. They normally dress in white, but because they are in the city, so they normally, they have a long hair.

[29:01] But this, this kid is named Simon. He's already pastoring, and because he's not there, he's in the university now.

[29:12] His brother is pastoring in the church. And you wouldn't believe what this community can be roof, roof to the, to the gospel. But she's going to go with all these kids, having church and everything.

[29:26] And, and so in this training, the bishop pastor Roberto, he went. This man with glasses after me, his name is Calisto.

[29:38] You know what he's been doing all his life? Selling fruits in the streets. Right? Selling fruits, you know, that's normal thing in Colombia. And, and somehow the Lord called him, and he went to the training.

[29:53] So he came to, to, to the church in Arjona. And, you know, the church in Arjona neighborhood could be dangerous. You know, Carmen's son got killed there.

[30:06] This other kid was in another town. His other son. So he didn't do much moving around. So we sent him to the main headquarters of the Tuchin.

[30:20] This, this indigenous of Tuchin. So he went there, and there was this lady almost dying in a hammock. She was ready. She was looking at the dead. She was ready to go to die.

[30:33] She was talking about. And he got there. Full time. Lived there. Have the, Saturday classes for kids.

[30:44] Saturday afternoon for the, the others. And, and he started Sunday worship. So Pastor Omar, he went there with all the people from the St. Louis church.

[30:58] And they built. You see? They built something like this in, in, in, in that church. So he, he finished his period.

[31:09] And he just went home on Saturday. And about four days ago, he went home. To his home church. Yesterday, or today, he's, yesterday he's giving a report to the church.

[31:23] And so we pray that, that the, the church keep supporting him to be back in that town, in that area. And this lady was almost dead.

[31:38] She's now, she was in a hammock. Her leg was like this, each leg. And, but she got such a joy, such a love. And she just started to get strength.

[31:50] And you wouldn't believe. Her house is a church. And then all the neighborhood, her sisters, all these kids, you have. So, this is, this is a funny thing.

[32:07] But friendship evangelism wins hearts. You see, I'm blessed to be here. I enjoy, while I came for, taking some cats.

[32:22] But now, this is something that, that I enjoy. This is, Omar Sal, the pastor, really, a little that we have at the church with, with this cat.

[32:37] So, they took me, my, my cat with this, four, before I went to Chigoro, my, my lady cat got four.

[32:49] I didn't know what to do. So, the pastor took them, and, and they are there. And then, you have a picture in the board. You see a man, he's being baptized, right?

[33:03] And he, and he, and he's the chief. No, wait, go back. And he's the chief of, of the, the community in, and that, Arcona church.

[33:16] That's, I'm going with him, you know. We're very close to that. He's being like, not growing too much. But he's now gaining. So, I said, Brian, the Lord is blessing now.

[33:29] The church really getting the people involved and serious. So, you go ahead now. And then, you never know. I've been praying for me to get a helper to have them in Cartagena.

[33:43] Because I have so many open doors in Cartagena. It's something, I don't know. Through the pandemia, and all this, that I noticed the people so open.

[33:55] So, I have this neighbor in the neighborhood that my family has apartments. His name is Emilio. I go there, and he's always busy.

[34:08] Because these indigenous are so busy. They come from the community to work, sell coffee, sell cigarettes, sell tobacco. And they are so busy. How are you going to witness to them? Can you get them to see and listen to the Bible story?

[34:21] They go all around. You see them. But he's stable. Emilio is stable. So, I just go to blocks from my house.

[34:33] I prepare the story. And I go, somehow, he's overrated. It's always the perfect time. Always we get other people. So, I say, we pray, we pray, we sing.

[34:44] And we tell back the story. And he's so into it. And this one, he got saved before the COVID. I was witnessing him, Oscar, for a long time.

[34:55] And just the pandemia, that, um, Resurrection Day, he was across the hostel. And I said, oh, can people make a decision for Christ? I said, no.

[35:06] Are you ready now? Yes. Right there. He prayed with me. So, we spent the whole pandemia around. So, that's Oscar.

[35:17] So, and this is an American. This is American. You never know. I go around, Cartagena, Cartagena is full of Americans.

[35:28] They love, especially the Afros. They just don't want to leave Colombia. They want to live in Colombia. I hear them saying, how can I live here? How can I get a residence? But I mean, all these kids were walking, Americans.

[35:42] So, I started to talk to this one. I started to witness to him. And he listened. He literally got into the BBM. And he was telling all his friends, you know, hey, look.

[35:56] And then, with this one, just before I came about, a week before I came, I was in my room in the apartment.

[36:07] And I hear boom, boom. And I said, oh, what is this? So, I came out, and this guy was on top of this coconut tree, taking all these coconuts.

[36:20] And I looked at him and I said, okay, he was throwing all the coconuts on the ground. So, I saw a few coconuts on the street. So, it's no good because the car will hit them.

[36:33] So, I just got out, be careful. But I started to take all the coconuts on the sideway. And he saw me. I couldn't see him. But I was, he kept throwing the coconuts.

[36:47] So, I kept them, say, he has a bag there. And then, when he finished, a lot of coconuts. When he finished, he came down and I meet him.

[37:01] What's your name? Andres Mauricio. Okay, Andres Mauricio. Would you like some water? I guess he needs some water. So, I got him some salt water.

[37:14] And I said, Andres Mauricio. Because, okay, I helped him to fill the bag of coconut. So, I opened it.

[37:25] I didn't carry too much. But I opened it and he started to put all the coconuts. So, it was hot. He said, how are you going to carry it? He said, I'm going to carry it. Very strong, strong guy.

[37:38] So, I told him the plan of salvation. Right there. He listened to me and attended me. And I was going to tell him how to do a prayer.

[37:51] And you know what? I was going to tell him how to do the prayer. He closed his eyes. So, I did the prayer with him right away. Did you do the prayer? He said, yes.

[38:02] Yes. So, you are my brother, right? So, he just had me. So, you see him. His hand is around my, you know, the guy from the street.

[38:15] And he's, I make a video of him. So, how are you doing this? His hand says, It's right.

[38:26] The big friend. Seeing as I found. So, then so I was I married. And then in the church in Arcona, this is the man I'm telling you, the chief now, we went fishing. We just got one.

[38:47] That's the only one we got, but we have men's fellowship at the church in Arcona, and there are two churches, so we are all having a good fellowship.

[39:00] And so these, they never kind of, they promised they were going to come, but now they are coming. They are getting bored. So it's like the Lord is really bringing the people together. So go ahead.

[39:17] And then evangelism, friendship evangelism, 20 years of friendship with Jeannie. You know Jeannie? I was looking at the picture. You have a Jeannie there. She was a kid. You see, you will see her again when you are.

[39:33] She's married and expecting a first baby. Her family is one of the first Christians among her tribe. So Jeannie has been a blessing. And after we were there, that's what we have in Chico-Rodo.

[39:46] So we went through and we visited her. She's a really loving girl. And Brian was telling me, Dimas, I really appreciate her friendship, Jeannie's friendship. Because she, you can see her face, she's happy, she's happy, she's happy, that you can see Brian, because that's what makes all this, so you can really reach an indigenous God. And then, this is, I suppose, finish now? Yes.

[40:25] You got a few more minutes. Okay. Okay. So this is, friendship always helps wherever you can. I was, you remember I told you about the Monty Don, Marie, the one that you went to help me with.

[40:43] So we were there, we went to the priest. So that years down with pastor, this lady that was dying, she gave us more than a million pesos to the pastor, to this missionary and me.

[40:57] And I told the pastor, pastor, where should we go to Tibu? Tibu is that town. So we went all the way to this town. And with this money, because we already got this offering. So we went. And then when I was coming back to Santa Marta, because that's the way back, I decided to stay visiting this friend, the French in a hostel.

[41:23] And then I met this lady in the town with the baby. No, she said, I said, what are you doing here? She said, no, I have a baby and I have tomorrow to come here to the hospital to feed the baby.

[41:38] What time are you going to be there? Around nine. Okay. So I took my, it was the 24th of December, I took my suitcase, went to the hospital and wait for the girl to come. She didn't show up.

[41:53] But I see this Indigenous lady there crying. And I see the other Indigenous lady there. I don't know how I made her laugh. So we kind of got some good friendship. But I told, she told me why she was there.

[42:16] Her husband got hit by the trunk. He was in a coma, almost in a coma. And this boy was bitten by a snake. So she had two. Her husband and her younger son in the hospital. Now you see him after some time, he's reading the Bible for me. I was visiting them, Numael, and her father, his father, Ephraim.

[42:48] I went to visit him. And I was with Alex visiting him in his community. They have a school there. He, his father opened this new, new community just by the ocean. Beautiful. So I was, I went to visit him.

[43:08] And, and, and you know, because I knew that, I went to Barranquilla that day and his father called me.

[43:19] Oh, he moved, they moved him to Barranquilla. My mother is with no food and no, something to get. So I went in Barranquilla. I said, I'm in Barranquilla for a purpose. So I went to visit him.

[43:30] So he got back, he got surgery. He got back into Santa Marta. So I went and visit him. And then we have like a nice reunion. So I told him, I'm going to visit you and your community.

[43:47] So that's when I went to Alex to see his community. So we went there. I was there with them. I noticed that we're in trouble. We're in trouble. Why? I see all these indigenous coming in.

[44:04] And they look at Alex and me. All they're dressed in white. But there was scaling dark that day. And I look at them and they look, how do you say, bright.

[44:17] Their faces, shine. Their mouths, shine. What are these zombies? What? What? Really, really.

[44:28] I can't really like, but I didn't know because of the coke. They shoot. They have, all of them are chewing coke. And they have this popoto. They have coke.

[44:41] But it's a tradition. But I knew my friend and Frank was in trouble. So I said, Frank, next day, bye-bye. But I will be back this afternoon to say goodbye. So I went to my nephew, Palomino. We were in Palomino.

[45:00] So I went and pissed at my nephew in the afternoon. I said, Alex, Alex, go who? So he went. And I went and come back. And I say, Efraim, I got you in trouble, right?

[45:12] He called me to his hammock. He said, he didn't say, I got you in trouble, right, Efraim? And he didn't say, he said, I told them, who pissed at me in Santa Marta?

[45:29] Who visited me in Barranquilla? See how pretty she works? Who visited me and come to help me? And they just, just go and tell them, they need to help me.

[45:44] Because they are all the members of this same community. So we really got to be in that show. Now, go ahead. And I said, I'm going to go to the hospital. He asked me to visit her sister in the hospital because she has lung problems.

[46:00] Cecilia, her daughter Alba was with her. At this time, I visited her, she was already saved. She was already a Christian.

[46:11] Because this Christian missionary daughter from Cuba, lead her to the Lord. And Alba, we were able to visit them. So they gave me some nice fresh fruit.

[46:24] And there, we had such a nice fresh fruit. And go ahead. Cecilia and Alba. And then, all the way back, you see, these kids, you can believe.

[46:37] These, these, these are, these kids, they, um, amazing, interested in, and, and, to be walking around. And these children, they, I got in trouble. Because I, I, I was enjoying to help them to carry the water from the lake. Okay.

[47:04] Okay. I was helping them, these kids, and I was helping them, these kids, and all the kids with the mule, and the carriage, go and I get the water. So that afternoon we went, I got the water. But all these kids jumped in the water and they were showing me that they were, they were climbing the mountains. And I was like, all right, good, good, good.

[47:23] And then, the following day, I got my shoes. This beautiful lake. And I went to help them to carry the water. You know what I did? I jumped in the water. And I was swimming. And I was, who wants to learn how to swim? You see, I was enjoying it.

[47:44] I was, who wants to see it. Somehow came to my mind, I'm doing something wrong. This is the water they drink. And I, you see, this lake, this lake has all the communities around, and they come to get water. And some people were there looking, and some other people were there looking. But suddenly, something, I came up to say, okay, I'm doing something wrong.

[48:08] But then, a man carrying a motorcycle to get some water. And then, I just got out of the water and ran to the man in the motorcycle. Can I help you? You know, I can, can I help you? I can carry your water.

[48:26] I said, who are you? What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be there in the water, doesn't it? The water that we drink. And I said, I didn't know what he really told me. Really, I wasn't aware of, I was doing anything wrong.

[48:43] But the way we got into Omar's pastor's house, they already knew. So they can meet and put me in the sepal. You know? They could put me in the prison. Because of what I was doing.

[49:00] And I had to stay there for a few days. All my hands and my feet in the sepal. Down on the ground. In a room. They say, he doesn't know. He's just visiting. So they forget me. So they keep joking. They keep joking. They are waiting for you. Go ahead, Omar. They are waiting for you to put you in the sepal.

[49:27] And I think this is it. And I think this is it, right? They must maybe go ahead and do the last slide then. Right, yeah. That's it. Yes. So, this group, the Tule. The Tule. Have you know, in Brian's heart. In our hearts. Because we've been working with them. You know about the Tules. But they got it too.

[49:56] They have a couple now. They have a couple now. They are working almost 24 hours there. Doing excellent work. But you know how the enemy is working something.

[50:10] Drugs dealing in that town has become so strong. As Maurice told me, in the evenings. They stay there and work, sheep, study. But people will come from Turbo and from Necoclip. Come and buy cocaine. They buy a candy. A lot. A lot. A lot. So that's… And they see that they are teaching the watercats. And they see that they are teaching the watercats. And the leaders say that's prohibited to do that. So besides, they are in danger there. The leaders say that it's prohibited. So, praise the Lord that we have open doors there. And it's still reality.

[50:56] Some of our friends. So, our friends. Brian is not able to even to go and see them. Because they are selling drugs. In this town. So, praise the Lord. Because… Because of your business. And you… Jorge. He just called me before I came. He's the school principal. He's waiting. Before he used to say, no, no. Oh, no, no. Not yet. To have meetings there. Now he's waiting. For someone to come. And teach them English to the kids. And then that can be used.

[51:34] But he told me. I'm able to authorize any meetings. So, the Lord is opening doors. And through all the years you have been doing this. And praying. And supporting this ministry.

[51:48] And I think the Lord is going to work something. And I really am grateful. That we will continue to do it. Now with Colombians. Because we don't know how Brian, Julian, and all these.

[52:07] And already some families are gone. They are relocated. So, I appreciate your attention. And I praise the Lord that you've been giving me this extra time. Okay. Thank you.

[52:23] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. John, maybe we'll dispense with the last… Thank you.

[52:34] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.