Sorry friends for the break in our posts! With our departure date just 2 months away we have been busy working on all the details and logistics for our move abroad. There is a lot to do! On top of that we’ve continued to travel and visit churches. While we have reached our goal for having what we need to leave and start serving in Colombia, we still need long-term partners who will support us in the years to come in Colombia. So please join our support team if you haven’t already!

Here’s a little bit about what we’ve been up to. Julio had a great trip out west to Oregon, where he connected with a church that he learned about for the first time almost 15 years ago! He met a team from Trinity Covenant in Salem, OR when he was serving at a Covenant Church in Bogota. He met them through then short-term missionary Carmen Bensink, who is originally from the church, and with her husband has planted a new church! So, Julio was able to stay with Carmen and Scott and visit people he met all those years ago. He had the privilege of preaching at both Trinity Covenant as well as the Bridge Covenant. Julio was so impressed by the welcome and care he received from the people of Salem.

Julio and Pastor Dawn at Trinity Covenant

Julio preached 3 times on Sunday in Oregon

Julio and I have traveled some together, first making a weekend trip to South Dakota. We connected with Prairie Hills Covenant through the pastors at the Covenant Annual meeting back in June. We were excited to make this visit as there have recently been some Colombian families who settled in the area and are attending the church. So, thanks to some great organizational leadership on behalf of the church, they organized a potluck style Taste of Colombia. We had over 60 people come and each family brought a typical Colombia dish. We were so impressed by the variety and authenticity of the food. It was a great evening and so fun to connect with other Colombians who are living in the USA.

A yummy potluck with Colombian food

Sharing a little about ourselves and Colombia

Julio and I also traveled to Rockford to visit a partner church and had a wonderful time sharing in the Sunday School Class and Julio was able to preach during the service. Afterward we enjoyed the hospitality of the people and the yummy food they brought for the potluck. We also had the privilege of sharing at Winnetka Covenant Church with our dear friend, Gary Sander. Gary and his wife Mary Lou are missionaries we’ll be serving with in Colombia and have played a huge role in Julio’s life over the years. How fun to share the story of how God has intertwined our lives and how God is at work in Colombia. Believe it or not, Julio and I also enjoyed a nice time away…something we promised each other we would do before moving to Colombia. We thank God for the time to rest, relax and reconnect.