GOD’S LOVE IN COLOMBIA!!

The end of July 2026, we flew with a team of 10 people in total, via Panama, to the megacity of Cali in Colombia. The entire team consisted of people from our Community Church De Levensbron in Zevenhuizen (Gr) and Oosterwolde, and our predecessor Sierd also traveled with us!! 

We were invited by Peter and Gloria Wardenaar, who are the pastors of the EnCasa church in Cali. Years ago, they met at a Bible school in Portland, Oregon, in the USA, and clearly felt that the Lord wanted to use them in Colombia.

Colombia is a beautiful country, but with many drug cartels, crime has increased enormously in recent years.

But when we received the invitation, we prayed for God’s guidance and praised the Lord. After a while, the Lord clearly gave the green light!! Then we knew: “We have to go”!!

After an intense and tiring journey of 12 hours in total, we arrived at Cali airport. We were enthusiastically greeted by a number of young people, our suitcases were placed in the two reserved vans, and we drove late in the evening to the church grounds. We were directed to our apartments and fell asleep like a log!!  

That same week, a team from America had also arrived! The next day, we sat outside at a very long table for breakfast!! A little awkwardly, we greeted each other and introduced ourselves!! Soon there was a connection, and we quickly became friends who had only one desire: to BE A BLESSING TO CALI!!

A large evangelistic service was planned for the first ^Saturday  . An enormous party tent had been erected, offering protection against the bright sun and potential rain (which never came).

Because it was a Vacation Bible Week specially organized for the children, the first evangelistic service was ^far  from boring!! On the grounds near where we held the service, there was a bouncy castle, a face painting station, a cotton candy machine, etc., etc.

The evangelistic service was magnificent, attracting many people. The professional worship team from the EnCasa church led us in worship and sang beautiful songs!! Both teams and all staff members wore bright red T-shirts with “LOVE CALI” written on them!!  

A little later, we were introduced in a very friendly way by Peter and had a fantastic performance where Efi sang her heart out. 

Then I delivered the Message about God’s selfless and extreme love for the world and every individual!! Gloria translated me from English to Spanish.

We strongly experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit and praise the Lord: When I made the call to repentance, 26 people walked forward, some in tears to give their hearts to Jesus!! What a wonderful harvest!! After we had blessed them and laid hands on them, they were welcomed into God’s Family with a standing ovation and were all presented with a beautiful Bible by church staff!! Wow, to God be the Glory!! 

VACATION BIBLE WEEK

VBW was also very successful. The following week, a festive program was organized for four days for all kids aged 9 to 14. The building was colorfully decorated, fun music played through the sound system, and all the boys and girls were really looking forward to it and walked into the building curiously (some with their parents). A tremendous amount had been prepared, particularly by Gloria Wardenaar and the staff, and there was a varied program every day, including an exciting cartoon on a big screen. 

Relaxation was also provided for, as one day a bus was hired and we were treated to a city tour!! We visited a real Colombian market, enjoyed the beautiful nature and mountains, and as the icing on the cake, we visited the famous massive STATUE OF CHRIST (CHRISTO REY) OF JESUS OVERLOOKING OVER THE ENTIRE CITY!! Truly breathtaking! 

BUSY WORKING-CLASS NEIGHBORHOOD

The program also included an evangelistic service on the 3rd ^floor  , where we had to lug a few boxes upstairs (without an elevator). There were also many kids present. It turned out to be a chaotic but fantastic service. Several people from our team and the American team shared testimonies about their experiences with the Lord, and some members of our team sang a beautiful Spanish song!

At one point, Sierd delivered a powerful Message and everyone was touched!! After that, I led a very short meditation and made the call to repentance!! And praise God, 16 people walked forward, including many young people, and decided to follow Jesus! 

INDONESIAN RICE TABLE

 And sure enough, Efi wouldn’t be Efi if she hadn’t brought some goodies from the Netherlands and, at a certain point, announced that she would treat everyone to a delicious rijsttafel one evening! Wow, that was a real feast!

Peter and Gloria had also organized a training evening one night for everyone Sierd and I taught!!

THE LAST SERVICE

Before we were due to travel back to Amsterdam on Monday, they had organized an evangelistic service on Sunday in the Baptist church on the premises! A magnificent set had been built, and the colored lighting, in part, created a special atmosphere. Everyone was ready! The worship team was prepared, people walked in, and we began the service in a well-filled church. Quite a number of children had come because they were going to perform a choreographed song and dance. Peter and Gloria thanked the teams from the Netherla.    TYPEN TYPEN TYPEN nds and America and all the staff. Then Efi arrived and performed a beautiful song with our team! Then it was Sierd’s turn, and Sierd delivered a powerful message with the theme: “The man in the mirror”!! A beautiful message about the importance of: Self-reflection”!! 

After that, Efi sang another beautiful Spanish song, and then I arrived because it was ‘fishing time’. After a short message, I cast the net, and 17 big fish and a few teenage fish swam into the Heavenly Trap and were saved!! Hallelujah!  

We are delighted to announce that a total of 56 people, including a large number of young people, have given their hearts to Jesus!! And Oh Oh, how we long to go home now…”Coffee with a stroopwafel and….mashed potatoes with Brussels sprouts and a pork sausage”!!

What a blessing, what togetherness, and what fruit!!