At the end of January, we had the privilege of traveling to Moline, Illinois to participate in a missions conference that the area Covenant churches were hosting. We took the whole family as it was only a 3 hour drive from Chicago and we arrived Friday night and were hosted by a wonderful woman, Natalie, who made us feel right at home. Sam was thrilled because Natalie had a little dog! The missions conference was all morning Saturday and there was a great group of people who had come from the different churches in the district and were excited to hear more about what God is doing around the world. We were just one of the missionary couples that shared, there were also missionaries from Mexico, our friends the Sanders in Colombia (via skype), and a local missionary. We had such a great time getting to know the people and sharing what God is doing in Colombia and how we are planning to go and serve and work alongside the church there. It was wonderful to see how many different connections we had with people. One of the reasons Julio ever considered ministry was because of the first missionary couple he met in Colombia, the Gilberts. Well Karen Gilbert’s brother-in-law is pastor at the church we visited. What a special connection to be able to meet that family!!!

After the conference, we packed up our things and traveled to Princeton, an hour away. That evening Julio was able to join the youth for their activity and also share with them about God’s heart for mission and the work in Colombia. Then, Sunday morning we were invited to share 15 minutes with the congregation about the work we’ll be doing in Colombia. Again, it was amazing to see all the different connections we had with people at the church. It just happened that one of my old college roommates and her family attend the church! We felt so welcomed and encouraged by the church as they prayed for us and took an offering to support the ministry in Colombia. Another highlight was teaching the children’s Sunday school class! Julio and I had about 15 kids in the class and we took them on a “trip” to Colombia. They made passports, passed through immigration, and then got to learn songs and see pictures about what life is like in Colombia. It was such a joy to watch their excitement! After church we had a wonderful lunch with the pastor and his family and friends, and then headed back to Chicago.

It was a whirlwind weekend, but we loved it!! We love the opportunity to visit churches, connect with people who have a heart for God’s mission, and share about our heart for Colombia. We’re planning on doing some more visits this spring! Right now we have a trip to California planned for March! If you’re at all interested in having us come and share with your church, youth group, missions committee, etc. Just let us know!! Write to us at