fbpx
Menu

Love

Confraternidad-photo

Laureles Update – New English Bible Study

For several months, we have had a burden to reach out to English speakers in other parts of Medellin, specifically Laureles. This post is titled Laureles Update and tells a little more about our adventure with God in this community.

Why is Laureles so important? Laureles is the second most popular area for North Americans and other Expats who live here. Laureles is on the other side of the Medellin River from Poblado and is much flatter than most other parts of Medellin. So walking is much easier. And from what we have been told, prices for rent, food, and most other things are less expensive there than in Poblado.

Favorite Expat hangout in Laureles. Sweet Georgia Cafe featuring breakfast all day!
Favorite Expat hangout in Laureles. Sweet Georgia Cafe featuring breakfast all day!

Search for Location

This week, the Lord opened up this community to us. Sweet Georgia Cafe is a restaurant owned by Robert Lester from Fort Valley, Georgia. They have great food and a very popular feature – they serve breakfast all day long! Robert is a Christian, and almost all of his customers speak English. So it is a very comfortable environment, especially for Americans.

At one time we had talked with Robert about allowing us to host a small group Bible study in his restaurant and he agreed. The last time we visited with him he also encouraged us to check out a Spanish Evangelical Christian church just around the corner from his restaurant.

As I explained in my last post, we visited the church the next Sunday morning and immediately connected with Pastor Carlos. Pastor Carlos was excited about the possibility of an English speaking Christian group and wanted us to hold it in his church. So fast-forward to this week and let me share with you all God has done.

“Opening Night”!

Tuesday night, Michael, Nichole, Paulette and I drove over to Laureles, with all the supplies we thought we needed to host a small group. We got there early so we had dinner at Sweet Georgia Cafe. Nichole had the standard breakfast – Waffles, scrambled eggs and bacon, while Paulette had the same but skipped the eggs. Michael had one of their specialties – Waffles and Fried Chicken. I was the boring one and ordered the grilled chicken salad. Everything was delicious!

While there, we met several new friends and having previously received Robert’s permission, we put up a poster about the new small group Bible study. Then we walked over to the church. We arrived early, and while we were waiting, Michael couldn’t help but try to entertain them and make them laugh. That allowed me to show off the article and pictures of Michael in his Christian clown ministry.

We didn’t know if anyone would show up, but we went in faith. The church had a men’s Bible study group scheduled at the same time so we shared the sanctuary with them. We had a few logistical issues especially when both groups were singing – different songs in different languages! Even though they outnumbered us, we held our own, especially in the singing department! But afterward, we got this photo of both groups. We were all able to encourage each other. God is very good!

Two Bible Study Groups - 1 in English and the other in Spanish
Photo of our first night in Laureles at Iglesia Cristiana Confraternidad. A group picture of the men’s Spanish bible study led by Pastor Carlos (bottom center) and our Grace Church Medellin English group.

Our First Visitor

One young man from Colombia who spoke English and who had traveled some in the US attended our group. We had a wonderful time singing, studying John Chapter 1, praying, and sharing Communion. During prayer time, I got a little bit “nosey” and we ended up praying for a Christian wife for him!

We ended right on time at 8:30 so everyone could get home at a reasonable hour. We can’t wait to see what plans God has for this group.

God Is Opening New Doors

As part of this expansion to Laureles, we have met several new people who I feel are going to be very important for the future of our group. I told you in my last post about our meetings with Pastor Carlos at ICC and Pastor Diego at Redil Estadio. Both of these pastors lead fairly large congregations of Spanish Evangelical Christians. I have been excited to learn of the many Evangelical churches in this area of the world that is so heavily dominated by Roman Catholicism.

Pastor Diego referred me to Shane Keely who is the owner of OLSA (Official Language School of the Americas). Please click here to learn more about Shane and OLSA. Yesterday, Shane generously gave me an hour of his time to get to know him and talk about ways we could work together to accomplish our goals. Shane immediately gave me 3 ideas for how we could expand the ministries of Grace Church Medellin. Two of these would also assist OLSA in providing additional services to its students, so a “win-win solution”.

Live and Serve Christ in Medellin

Over the next few weeks, we will be praying about and discussing how God wants us to use these ideas. As I said last week, the Holy Spirit is moving quickly to accomplish His purposes concerning Laureles. He is already using this to train us and design a process for expanding to other areas of Medellin in the future.

Please pray for Medellin and especially for this growing ministry to the English speaking community. As Jesus said in John 4:35,

Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.

And in Matthew 9:37-38,

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. “Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

We at Grace Church Medellin believe that God is calling and equipping individuals and couples to live and serve Christ in Medellin (as well as other parts of Latin America). We pray that many others will catch this vision and see the benefits of relocating to help fulfill the Great Commission!

Steve Tuggle

Pastor-Carlos-Paulette-Steve-08-2019

English Speaking Group Bible Study in Laureles

Hello from beautiful Medellin, Colombia. Grace Church Medellin is pleased to announce a new English Speaking Group Bible Study in Laureles beginning Tuesday September 3rd at 7:00 pm. Grace Church Medellin officially started our ministry on March 1, 2019. We minister through “Bible-study, fellowship groups” using guidelines established by Saddleback Church in California. We currently have two groups in Poblado, and we are excited to announce our brand new group in Laureles. God has worked out the details in just the past few days. We now have a local church and pastor who are providing the space. They saw what God is doing and immediately wanted to be a part.

Thank you to Pastor Carlos Roberto Cardenas and Iglesia Cristiana Confraternidad (Christian Fellowship Church) for helping to make this group a reality. Here are the details:

  • Where – Calle 32F, No 78-36, Laureles, Medellin, Antioquia
  • When – Tuesday Nights at 7:00 beginning September 3, 2019

What To Expect In The Group

Our groups are totally English-speaking. Occasionally we have a spouse or guest who doesn’t speak English and we do what we can to make the time meaningful for them. We emphasize fellowship and interactive study of the Bible. We sing new and old Christian songs and hymns, with lyrics and music from Videos. In our study time, we read passages from the Bible and then discuss the meaning and how we can apply the Bible to our daily lives. We pray specifically for one another’s needs, and look forward to seeing God answer our prayers. And we end each meeting with Communion, remembering Jesus Christ’s ultimate sacrifice in which He paid in full the penalty for our sins. We plan the meestings to last 1 1/2 hours, and we will do our best to maintain that schedule so you can get home at a reasonable time.

How We Study The Bible

We believe the Bible is the Word of God, verbally inspired in every word, absolutely inerrant, and the only infallible rule of faith and practice. We study the Bible by selecting a book of the Bible and studying it verse-by-verse. In that way, we take the Bible as God wrote it. Everyone is encouraged to read and express their observations or ask questions. In this way we can all grow together. For this study, we will start in Chapter 1 of the Gospel of John.

Our Groups in Poblado

As shown in the photos below, we have two different groups in Poblado. One meets during the day because most of the members are retired from North America and live or are visiting in Medellin. We thought that ministering to retirees was going to be our primary focus. But shortly after we started, several younger people contacted us and asked for a night group because they worked during the day. Michael and Nichole Thayer volunteered to host that group so now we have two small group Bible studies. Our morning group continues to have between 7 and 12 people depending on illness and travel schedules. And the night group is alive and well with an average attendance of 8-10. The night group has had as many as 15 participants.

Grace Church Medellin Small Groups
Photos of our two groups in Poblado.

Both of our groups continue to study the Gospel of John, which is proving to be an excellent study. We are learning so much about Jesus and the many ways He is clearly revealed as Fully God in the flesh who existed before creation and through whom everything was created.

Our New English Speaking Group in Laureles

Laureles is a Bario in Medellin that is the second-favorite area for English speakers. We have been considering for several months how to start a group there. Unknown to us, the Lord was away ahead of us. This past weekend, Paulette and I visited Laureles (about 30 minutes by bus in light traffic). An acquaintance from Georgia owns a restaurant (Sweet Georgia Cafe) that is very popular with Expats. He took us around the corner to a Spanish speaking Baptist Church. We visited with them Saturday, came back for church on Sunday, and met with the Pastor. One of their members spoke fluent English and stayed with us the entire time to translate.

After sharing our story and desire for an English speaking Christian group for a few minutes, Pastor Carlos pretty-much insisted that we use their space for the group. That was more than we could hope for! He also committed to helping us get the word out. We are praising God. Then a few days later, we met with another Pastor of a Spanish Christian Church. This time he spoke very good English which made our meeting much easier. He was very encouraging, agreed to help publicize the group, and knew Pastor Carlos very well. And he gave us a few more contacts.

Our Outreach Methods

So far, our outreach process has basically been through our website and Facebook page. But we have been considering more. For several months we have talked about wearing shirts with a message in English – “Ask Me About Our Bible Study Groups”. This week our talk changed to action, and now we have 12 such shirts. We believe the Holy Spirit will use these shirts to draw people to us for more information.

To kick off our new group in Laureles, we also designed and purchased posters. We will be placing these in high-traffic areas in hopes of reaching more English speakers who might like to check us out.

Laureles Group and New Shirts

Thanks for your comment. Be sure and leave a comment below. And let us know if there is any way we can minister to or pray with/for you.

Steve Tuggle

Amazing-Grace

God’s Amazing Grace

, , , ,

The title of my message today is God’s Amazing Grace. And the text is Ephesians 2:8-10.

I’m sure almost every Christian knows some of the words to the song, Amazing Grace. It may be one of the most-recorded songs in history. And the plain fact is that God’s grace is truly amazing. We could use many superlative descriptions such as “Awesome”, “Breathtaking”, “Inspiring”, Unfathomable”, etc. and we would only touch the surface of trying to understand God’s grace.

According to Ephesians chapter 1, verse 4, God’s plan of grace started “before the foundation of the world”; that is, before creation. God loved His Son and wanted to present Him with a gift to demonstrate that love. The entire creation was part of that plan, and He chose every believer in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world to be a part of the “Bride of Christ”.

That plan never changed. It was the same plan before Christ was born, before David and Solomon, before the prophets, before Moses, before Abraham, before Noah and the flood, and before Adam and Eve.

God created the plan, and it was perfect. From the very beginning, the plan called for Jesus Christ to come to earth to die on the cross and make a way for all believers to be righteous in God’s sight. Jesus is, was, and always will be the way, the truth, and the life – no one can come to the Father except through belief in Him.

None of us deserved it. No one in the history of the world was ever good enough to deserve Heaven on their own. Please allow me to repeat that – No one in history was ever good enough to deserve to spend eternity with the creator of the world – Certainly not me!

I. My Testimony

In March 1975, I was just about to turn 23. I had been in the US Air Force for nearly 2 years, and I was lonely and miserable. I had one of the best jobs I could ever have had – a Tuba player in the US Air Force Band in Washington DC. Little did I know that God had me right where He wanted me!

One afternoon, I was alone in the breakroom with a young man from Mississippi named Buddy. Buddy didn’t come there knowing he was going to share the gospel with me. But the Holy Spirit knew, and He put Buddy there at that precise moment.

Somehow, Buddy sensed that I was unhappy and confused. Praise the Lord that he was obedient and shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with me. A few days later, he did it again, and I repented of my sin and trusted Jesus Christ for my salvation. A few weeks later, a friend baptized me in a swimming pool (previously made available by the Holy Spirit). And 10 months later, Paulette said “Yes”, and we were married.

The next 40 years had its high and low points. There were times when we were very close to God. But without a doubt, the lowest point was when we lost our first-born son, Jeremy to a problem caused by his drug addiction. At one point during that journey, I remember vividly telling God I just didn’t trust Him anymore. Thank God for the 8th Chapter of Romans!

[Read Romans 8:28-39]

In all those years, God never forgot me, regardless of my actions [or inactions] toward Him. He makes promises all throughout His Word. Fortunately for all of us, God’s promises are totally dependent on Him – not on us, or our response. And He is incapable of breaking even one of His promises, for He is perfectly Holy, and Righteous.

In 2015, I started planning what I called “My Retirement Adventure”. January 4, 2016, was my last day at work. On January 13th Paulette and I boarded a plane for Roatan, Honduras.

And two days later, on January 15, 2016, God took over “My Retirement Adventure”! I honestly can hear Him saying, “I like this idea, so now I am going to be in charge!” And believe me, I am so glad He did! This was God’s amazing grace working in my life.

[Play At The Cross – Chris Tomlin]

II. Introduction to Ephesians

Before we get to our text, I want to make sure we understand the context. Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church was written while he was in prison in Rome. Based on what we know, the church at Ephesus was started by missionaries – Priscilla and Aquila, a couple left there during Paul’s second missionary journey. Paul later returned on his third missionary journey and pastored the church for about 3 years. And after Paul left, Timothy pastored the church. So, Paul was very familiar with the church and its people.

As we are learning in our Wednesday morning group, the first chapter of Ephesians talks at length about God’s amazing grace. It is all about the blessings we have in Christ, redemption, our inheritance, the Holy Spirit, and other resources available to us in Christ Jesus.

III. Ephesians 2: 1-3 – Dead in Sin

In my study Bible, Ephesians Chapter 2 is titled “Made Alive in Christ”

Before we met Christ, here is what the Bible says about us.

Ephesians 2:1 says: “You [We] were dead in your trespasses and sins”.

Ephesians 2:2 says: “you [we] walked –

  • According to the course of this world,
  • According to the prince of the power of the air,
  • Of the spirit [Satan] that is now working in the sons of disobedience.”

Ephesians 2:3 continues: “Among them, we too all formerly –

  • Lived in the lusts of our flesh,
  • Indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
  • We were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

This is certainly not a flattering picture, but the Bible says it so it must be true. Lots of movies like to portray humans as basically good people – “there’s goodness in you.” That is not what the Bible says.

We had no choice but to live the same as our earthly father, Adam because our sin-nature controlled us. There was no way we could rescue ourselves, even if we wanted to. Our state was anything but godly. We were both incapable of and unwilling to choose Christ.

And Romans 3:11 makes it even more clear:

“There is none who understands,

There is none who seeks for God”.

IV. Ephesians 2: 4-6 – “But God”

Against the backdrop of all that bad news, and in accordance with God’s marvelous amazing grace, we arrive at Ephesians 2:4 which begins with – “But God…”

Those are two very powerful and very encouraging words – “But God”. Even though we may be incapable and unwilling, God’s power is unlimited –

“with God, all things are possible.” Matt 19:26.

Verses 4 through 6 tell us about the power of God’s love for us –

  • God is rich in mercy,
  • He loved us with His great love,
  • Even when we were dead in our transgressions,
  • God made us alive together with Christ,
  • God raised us up with Christ,
  • He seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Also, Romans 5:8 tells us –

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

And earlier, Romans 5:5 states –

“and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

V. Ephesians 2:7 – The Best is Yet to Come!

We come to verse 7-

“so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace toward us in Christ Jesus.”

I believe God is telling us in this verse – “The best is yet to come – You haven’t seen anything yet!”

VI. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us how we are saved

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

According to this passage, as well as many others in the Bible, our salvation was totally a work of God.

  • He loved us so much that He sent His only Son to die on a cross in payment of the penalty for our sins – all of our sins, past, present, and future.
  • The above verse starts with “For by grace you have been saved”. Our salvation is God’s free gift to us, and it is the only way we can be saved.
  • The above verse says that our faith is a gift of God, not of ourselves. While we were sinners, and not seeking or wanting anything to do with God, He gave us the faith to believe.
  • Salvation has nothing to do with works. Not anything we or our parents did. We didn’t deserve it, and we cannot do anything to earn it.
  • There is nothing for which we can take credit; nothing to boast about. We didn’t do it – God did.
  • And God did it solely for His glory.

VII. Ephesians 2:10 – What Is Our Response

In light of this wonderful free gift from the Creator of the universe, “How should we then live? What should be our response? Let’s read Ephesians 2:10.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

Here is the application of this message. God starts this verse by reminding us who we are, and why He leaves us here on earth rather than immediately taking us to Heaven after we are saved. Then and only then, here is where good works come in – AFTER we are saved by grace.

Yes, but which works? God even took care of that little detail. He has already prepared the works we should do. Our response to God’s amazing grace is to find the good works God has prepared for us, and then walk in them. The Holy Spirit will lead and help you find them.

My challenge to each one of us is – Find the good works God has prepared for you. Then walk in them. In other words, do them.

I believe many would refer to this as “their calling”.

VIII. Final Comments and Prayer

If you have any questions about this message or this church, how to know you have eternal life, or any other topic, please come up after the service. Also, if anyone desires to be baptized, we can arrange to do that. One of us would love to talk with you and try to answer your questions.

Thank you for your kind attention. Let’s pray.

Lord God Almighty, thank you for your grace, your free gift which we don’t deserve. We are thankful for Jesus Christ. Thank you for forgiving our sins, for redeeming us, and giving us the hope of eternal life with you.

Thank you for drawing us to you to receive this marvelous gift. And thank you for sealing us with the Holy Spirit to guide us as we live on this earth, and throughout all eternity. Help us to find the good works you have already prepared for us, and help us to walk in them.

In the wonderful and powerful name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

Us-Above-Sacred-Valley-in-Peru

Walking In The Presence of God

Paulette and I have lived for the past 3 1/2 years in Latin America. Ever since we retired at the end of 2015, we feel like we have been walking in the presence of God. The Holy Spirit has transformed our lives. We love Jesus, and we love each other. That was not the case before we retired.

Background

By the grace of God through the death, burial, and resurrection of my Lord Jesus Christ, He saved me in 1975. This was just before my 23rd birthday. A few weeks later, I shared that news with a Christian girl I had known since High School. We married about 10 months later. Paulette and I celebrated 43 years together earlier this year, and that is a miracle only God could do.

When we married, I lived near Washington DC and played tuba in the US Air Force Band. I also discovered an interest in income tax and prepared federal and state income tax returns for individuals. In the next four years, I completed an accounting degree at the University of Maryland, and we moved back to Houston, Texas, in 1980.

Family Issues

With our two sons, we found excellent churches, joined a great small group, and got on with our life. We were relatively new Christians and thought we were walking in the presence of God. But things started to fall apart when my first son, Jeremy, started taking illegal drugs when 11. That was 1989. 3 years later, our second son followed in his brother’s footsteps. During their teenage years, the Texas legal system taught me more than I ever wanted to know.

Jeremy got successively worse, caused enormous problems in our home, and eventually died of complications from a drug overdose at age 30. That was 2008. My wife was devastated. Somewhere in that time frame, I remember telling God that I didn’t trust Him anymore. This was definitely the low point. It is a real testament to the Lord and my wife that we are still married.

God Never Leaves Us

Fortunately, God has infinite patience and infinite love. In 2014, we started planning what I called “Our Retirement Adventure” – retiring outside the USA. I don’t remember ever consulting the Lord about our plans. We thought we had it all figured out. Paulette retired in late 2015, and my last workday was January 4, 2016. We took care of a few last-minute details and flew to Roatan Wednesday, January 13, 2016. A few days later, the Lord grabbed our attention. We discovered an English-speaking church less than a mile from where we were staying. We attended that Sunday, and I believe God hijacked my retirement adventure that day. It was as if He was saying, “I like this retirement adventure idea. But now I will be in charge!” (And we are very glad he did!)

After Roatan, Boquete Panama

We got involved in several ministries through the church and got back to reading the Word and spending time with God. He started us on a training program, which I now refer to as “Live and Serve Christ in Latin America” (see ** below). As we traveled, God introduced us to many people like us who were living on their Social Security and serving part-time in ministries throughout Central and South America. Our life was not all roses, but throughout we felt Him drawing us closer.

https://www.facebook.com/MAPinPanama

https://www.godseyeschiriqui.org/

Jesus Calls Us to Medellin

The real eye-opener for us was April 2018 when we became confident that the Holy Spirit wanted us to move to Medellin, Colombia and help another couple start a Christian Church for English Speakers. We aren’t Pastors and we have no formal Bible instruction. But for reasons only He understands, He is working through us and we are trusting and obeying Him for the results.

Grace Church Medellin

Shortly after we arrived in Medellin, we met Michael and Nichole Thayer, who served as self-supporting missionaries to a local Spanish Christian congregation. They introduced us to their fellow missionaries, and now we are one big family. In addition to their work with the Spanish church, they help us with the English church.

Shortly after that, we met Gil and Marina Huguley, who had just arrived in Medellin after spending 11 years traveling around the Caribbean in their sailboat. We got to know them much better during a class on evangelism. Last March, our 3 couples decided to start one small group Bible study in our apartment with 7 people.

I built a website and Facebook page about the English-speaking church in Medellin, and The Holy Spirit started working, drawing a few people at a time.

Grace Church Medellin Small Groups - Summer 2019
Photos of our two Bible study groups in the Summer of 2019.

Originally, I thought we would focus on retired English speakers from North America and Europe. But as you can see, God had a different plan for His English-speaking Church. Shortly after we started, 4 younger people contacted us saying they needed a night study because they work. Michael and Nichole started a group in their apartment. So then we had 2 groups in Poblado.

Our Newest Group in Laureles

But there are English speakers in many other areas of Medellin, and we especially felt drawn to Laureles. In October 2019, the Holy Spirit worked out many details, and we started a small group Bible study in a Spanish Christian Church in Laureles. Our first 3 attendees are Colombians who are learning English. So God’s plan is much bigger than mine.

New Laureles English Bible Study
Our new group in Laureles with details and photos of Steve, Pastor Carlos, and Paulette. Pastor Carlos is a constant source of encouragement!

Today we have 3 small groups studying the Bible in Medellin under the name Grace Church Medellin, 100% in English. We are all studying the Gospel of John verse by verse, learning together. We also sing using YouTube videos, pray for one another, and remember Christ’s sacrifice through Communion.

That is where we are right now, walking in the presence of God. And we are looking forward to what God is going to do in Medellin and the rest of Latin America. Please think about joining us, or at least come for a visit. Medellin is a wonderful place to live and serve Christ.

Steve Tuggle

** Live and Serve Christ in Latin America

A few months ago with the urging of the Holy Spirit, I created a Facebook page with the name Live and Serve Christ in Latin America. I am convinced that many Christian retirees in North America are struggling to live on their retirement income and dwindling savings. Most of them could live very comfortably on their Social Security down here. And I’m sure God has plenty of ministry opportunities in mind for them. Now I just need a way to attract a much bigger audience to get the word out.

https://www.facebook.com/ServeChristLatinAmerica/

Can you imagine the impact on the Great Commission if millions of retirees used their Social Security as guaranteed support and came down all over Latin America and other parts of the world looking for a way to serve our Lord?

Please click the link and like our Facebook page. Thanks for your attention.

Caracas-Protests

My Medellin Miracle Story

,

Introduction to Jose M Galindo

My name is Jose Galindo and I come from Barquisimeto, Venezuela. Most people in the world have heard by now of all the chaos in my home country. The picture above is of the huge protests in Caracas against the government of Nicolas Maduro. I am an English and Spanish teacher that works with children and teenagers to help them speak the language. Honestly, my time in my home country finished and I decided to come to Medellin, Colombia. I am a Christian, saved by the blood of Jesus Christ living my Medellin Miracle story.

The Beginning of the Quest

My Medellin Miracle story quest started in 2017.

I was crossing the border from Santa Elena de Uairen to the town of Pacaraima. I was planning to meet a friend in Sao Paulo. Well, it all turned out to be a fatal mistake. I couldn’t get past the town of Boa Vista in the Roraima department and ended up there sleeping in the street (specifically on a cold sidewalk for two days). Some Evangelical churches from that area of Brazil were giving out some fresh food for all the Venezuelans that immigrated there. I had a good portion of chicken, rice, soup, juice, Coke, and bread.

Bus fare from Venezuela to Sao Pulo, Brazil
The bus fare from Venezuela to Brazil was ridiculously high and unaffordable for the vast majority of Venezuelan refugees.

I went back to Barquisimeto, Venezuela just to realize that the trip to Sao Paulo would cost me a lot of money. That is why I came back. My friend just told me that the trip would cost me around 800 dollars!!! (Just see the image to the right.)

I had less than 90 dollars the moment I got to Boa Vista and ended up with less than 30 when I decided to return. It was absolute madness!

The Journey to Santa Fe de Bogota

I carried on with my life in Venezuela. Then I began to see options in the city of Bogota, Colombia and got answers from five different job sources. I told my mom (Yes, I must admit to my embarrassment that at my 32 years old I was living with mama) that that was my chance. I quickly packed my stuff and in October 2018, I arrived by land to the city of Bogota crossing the border from San Antonio (in Tachira state, Venezuela) to Cucuta (In the department of Santander, Colombia) to then take a coach that would take me to the capital of Cundinamarca department.

Well, Bogota is a huge city and it is cold. I managed to take SITPs, Transmilenio double-decker buses, and normal buses to get along. I arrived at Salitre Bus terminal and met with a great brother from church called Xavier. He met me there and we went together to stay in a residence located in the neighborhood of Barrancas, in Carrera Septima (7th Avenue), and close to the famous building titled North Point and the Longman Pearson book store. That very same afternoon, I went to Teleperformance located in the El Dorado area in Bogota. Their huge headquarters was located in a building titled Connecta Bussiness Ecosystem building. The recruiters were highly interested in me but when they realized I had no PEP (Permiso Especial de Permanencia or Spacial Permanence Permit) they kindly told me to get it and then come back again.

My Medellin Miracle - Bogota Colombia
I first tried to find a job and residence in Bogota. But without a work permit, it was impossible.

When I got there, things began to go downhill. Xavier’s friend just wanted me to stay there for only a few days and the two of us plus Marcos, another friend from church, began to look for a place to sleep and stay. I went to a church called Euphoria Church, located in Suba that Sunday. Some Colombian brothers decided to take me to their house to at least sleep a night there. They lived in Los Cerritos at the North of Bogota and slept in a very cozy and comfortable apartment.

My Bogota Job Search Begins

I then began to look for jobs and a Call Center enterprise also called me. The call center place was located exactly inside the North Point building in the Seventh Avenue at the far North of Bogota (The Simon Bolivar Hospital is located a few blocks away). The psychologist received me and they almost agreed to hire me until they also realized I had no PEP. That very thing frustrated me to the uttermost.

Then, my friends and I moved out from Barrancas to an apartment located in Molinos, near the far south of Bogota to stay there. Before that, we slept in the streets and slept in some other houses around. I slept for two nights in a house in Teusaquillo, specifically in front of the Profamilia Transmilenio Stop. In there, I stayed for almost three weeks, looking for jobs in the capital unsuccessfully. many times I was running out of money to even go on and I was frankly frustrated and angry.

I had to leave the apartment since there were people who were going to stay at that moment. It was almost Christmas Eve, and I had no choice but to leave the apartment. Against all odds, I ended up staying in a house near Normandia and began going to the center of Bogota. I spent a good time with lots of tourists but my entrance visa was almost about to be over. Fortunately, I was able to get my PEP and print it since the Government opened a new chance for Venezuelans to get the document online. However, I had no choice than coming back to Venezuela that January 2019. Despite I had my PEP, I was facing a huge fine and to avoid that at all cost, I had to come back to Venezuela.

My Medellin Miracle is now Taking Shape

I was sad, angry, and totally out of my mind. Then I began to work in a school in Barquisimeto called Rio Claro teaching English. Chile seemed to be a very good option but I had no contacts whatsoever. To make the story short, Chile was not an option. The ironic part is that I didn’t want to know ANYTHING about Colombia. I tried Ecuador, Uruguay, and Brazil again. Nothing.

New home in Medellin, Colombia
Now I make my home in Medellin, Colombia with a new job and new friends. This is a miracle.

Then I decided to do things right. I began to seek Evangelical English speaking churches in Medellin and I found Grace Church Medellin. I wrote a man named Steve Tuggle and he kindly answered all my questions and offered me his help. At the very end, a Colombian lady managed to find a place for me to sleep for twenty days. With my hopes renewed, I gathered money and decided to travel to the city of Medellin from Cucuta again on the 30th of June of 2019. I stayed in an apartment in a neighborhood titled Calasania II.

During this time, I got to know interesting people like The Tuggle family, Andrew Stringer (a very schematic elder and pastor), Andrew’s family, and other acquaintances. I am now working in looking for jobs that can provide me with a great chance to make a living and pursue my ultimate goals and also teaching English privately to some students and congregating in a great church in the Poblado area. I am convinced that God had no interest in me in any place other than Medellin, and He worked out all the details for His glory.

Written by Jose Galindo.