If you’re like me, you know that our missions team is leaving soon for Cali, Colombia. But when are they leaving? Why are they going? What are they doing when they are there? Who is going?

I recently had the opportunity to see what goes on during the weekly mission team’s meeting as well as chat with some of the leaders who are serving on the team. When our mission team meets, they break up in to two groups and take turns focusing on two activities: preparing their message and preparing their hearts. One group practices skits that they will be performing in Colombia while the other team spends time in prayer and God’s Word. As our director of missions, Kevin Maner, said, “We cannot do this of our own power. If we try to do so, we will fail. Be lifting this trip up in prayer.”

Kevin Maner was born in Colombia and has desired to return there to spread the Gospel for years. Now that the climate is safe enough for Americans to travel there, our team has gone for the past five years running. Ken Rutherford, one of our pastors going on the mission trip, explained that “there is a growing climate of receptivity to the gospel in Colombia. The evangelical church is growing and the reformed element among these churches is gaining strength as well. Our desire is to see God raise up strong churches with whom we can partner in spreading the good news in Colombia.”

This is our mission team’s first trip to Cali. Cali (full name: Santiago de Cali) has the largest population of any city in western Colombia at just over two million people. Our team will be working in public schools, as well as local churches by attending Bible studies and youth meetings. Three of our pastors, Larry Farlow, Ken Rutherford, and Pat Dirrim, will also have the opportunity to speak at these churches and to deliver a men’s seminar on the Biblical role of men in the church, the home/family and in the community.

The team will be gone for 10 days, from June 26th through July 5th. Even if you cannot physically be a part of the trip, there are many ways in which the church can support the missions team, especially through prayer, fund-raising, administrative needs, training, and publicity.

In order to better help you pray for our team specifically, the following is a list of the team members:

Kevin Maner

Ken Rutherford

Kyle Rutherfod

Avery Kronz

Larry Farlow

Will Farlow

Micah Laughlin Jr.

Nick Krauss

Amanda Stables

Caleb Hosner

Pat Dirrim

Jacob Dirrim

Marty Kronz

Benjamin Kronz

Annie Roache

Alexa Miller

John Michael Lee

Rebecca Marie Richards

Jacob Laughlin

Haleigh Krauss

Alaina Hammonds

Madi Funk

Don’t forget, our annual Missions picnic is this Sunday, June 22nd. All donations will be going towards helping our team get to Colombia to help spread God’s fame by making disciples of Jesus Christ!