In this section of our blog you will find monthly prayer requests and praises.

March 2014

• Praise God for a weekend of learning together as Katie and her friend, Diana, traveled to Monteria, San Carlos and El Hato to lead 3 separate children’s ministry workshops. Praise God for the talented teachers and leaders in these towns. Pray for unity and more opportunities to come together to share resources and experiences.
• Pray for the team of students and professor coming from North Park Theological Seminary and participants and leaders from the Covenant churches of Mexico, who will be joining a team of Colombian participants for a week-long course entitled, “United Against Human Trafficking.” Pray for the participants and leaders. Pray for safety and protection. Pray for constructive dialogue. Pray for unity and for clarity in decisions and next steps. Pray for Julio and Katie and the other missionaries on our team as we all have roles in hosting, teaching, and accompanying the group during the week. If you would like to be on our prayer team during that week, send us an email and we will send you updated prayer requests.
• Pray for important meetings that will be held in Monteria the weekend of March 22-23, regarding next steps in youth ministry and youth leadership development in this region. Pray for those leading the meetings and for a spirit of unity among the participants.

December 2013

1. Praise God for the two visits Julio has had to El Hato and for the 20+ people who are studying in the leadership training program. They are currently studying material on the life of Christ. Pray for them as they continue to move forward studying God’s word and learning together. Julio is currently finishing up a trip to El Hato and also met with another group of 20 people in the small town of San Carlos who will begin studying together as well.

2. Praise God for two teams that came from California in November and helped to make some major progress on the construction of the Family Restoration Center (Covenant Church) in Monteria. We are thankful for the people that came from Bayside (Granite Bay) and First Covenant of Sacramento to serve alongside Pastor Luis and his congregation. Pray for the Family Restoration Center as they hope to move forward with this construction project. See pictures here.

3. Praise God for a wonderful retreat for the children’s ministry leaders in Medellin. Over 29 people participated from 10 different churches. It was a time of encouragement, of training and of networking. God moved in a big way! See pictures here.

5. Pray for the pastoral families Christmas gathering that we will be participating in on Dec. 17th. This will be a fun time for the pastors from Medellin and their families to come together for fellowship.

6. Pray for our family in December as our boys are on break from school this month and we hope to make some special Christmas memories together as a family.

August 2013

May 2012

1. Praise God Julio had a fruitful visit to the coastal towns of Monteria, San Carlos and El Hato. Julio accompanied the regional (Antioquia) president of the youth organization as they met with leaders about starting a leadership training program for youth in the region. We are working with the Covenant’s Biblical and Theological training center (FECEMPEC) and the Covenant Youth Organization to help develop a plan, curriculum, etc. Pray for us as we move forward in this important ministry. Julio was also able to meet with pastors and talk about church planting, as well as other ministries and social projects.

2. Praise God for the English Conversation groups that have begun in our home two nights a week. We have been so blessed to open up our home and welcome college students and others who want to improve their English. Pray that this would continue to be a place where we are able to share our faith and hope in Jesus Christ.

3. Please pray for Katie who will be traveling to the city of Barranquilla (on the coast) in the month of May to work with teachers at the local Covenant school, as well as children’s ministry volunteers in the churches, who want to be trained in how to use the curriculum “El Pacto con Dios.” Pray for the preparation that is needed, for safe travels, for a fruitful time with the teachers.

4. Pray for a small gathering of people focused on church planting that will be held in Medellin in May. Pray for our pastor Peter Hong and friend Karlos who will be joining us from Chicago and will be sharing some important teaching times. They will also meet with the small group that is gathering in Medellin that wants to move forward in reaching out to university students and professionals.

5. Pray for us as we continue to seek individuals and churches who will consider partnering with us financially in Colombia. We continue to need support as we look to the future and project ourselves serving in Colombia for years to come. Visit https://blogs.covchurch.org/isaza to find out how to support us in this way.

January 2012

• Praise God for safe travels to Colombia.
• Continue to pray for peace and strength as we get acclimated to our new home and all of the details involved with being in a new culture. Especially pray for our children.
• Pray for wisdom as we find a local preschool for Sam. Pray for him as he starts school in a new country shortly after we arrive.
• We will only have two weeks with our supervisors and fellow missionaries before they head to the states for home assignment. Pray that we would make the most of the time to ask the questions we need to as we settle in.
• Pray for us as we meet with other pastors and leaders to talk about next steps in ministry as we begin serving in Colombia.

November 2011

• Praise God that Katie received her Colombian visa! Julio and the boys already have their necessary papers to live in Colombia. So, we are all set! We have purchased our tickets and we will be moving the first week of January.
• Praise God for the time we had together with Gary Sander, our partner in ministry in Colombia. Gary was in Chicago for meetings and the three of us had the opportunity to share about the ministry in Colombia at Winnetka Covenant Church. How great to tell the story of how God has joined our lives in such special ways and how God is at work in Colombia. To hear the story for yourself, check out the video here.
• Praise God for safe travels and wonderful visits to partner churches. Continue to pray for us as we continue our visits in November. We have been so blessed by the people we’ve met!
• Pray for Julio as he attends a Church Planters Training in Dallas the first week of November. Pray that Julio would be able to gather resources and insights that are applicable in Colombia as we serve in church planting.
• Pray for us as we begin to sell our belongings and decide what we will take with us and what stays. Pray for us as we work out all the logistics such as bank accounts, doctor’s visits, vaccinations, etc.

October 2011

• God did it! We told ourselves it would be a miracle if we reached our goal by the fall. We praise God that as of the end of September we have met the goal of having raised 100% of our support for two years. We thank God for the generous churches and individuals who have committed to partnering with us in the work that God is doing in Colombia. Thank you for your gifts, your pledges, etc. Thank you to those who continue to join our support team, as this is only the beginning of what we have to raise to serve in Colombia for the long haul. What this means is we can solidify a departure date. We will most likely be moving to Colombia at the beginning of January.
• With our departure now solidified, there are many details to take care of in the next month. Pray for us as we apply for Katie’s visa, figure out arrangements for moving/selling/storing our things, get our necessary vaccinations, etc. Pray that we would not be overwhelmed with all of the details and that things would especially go smoothly in securing the visa so that we can indeed leave in January.
• Praise God for the opportunity to participate in the Hispanic Heritage Celebration with Redeemer Covenant Church and La Bendicion Covenant Church in Minnesota. We had the opportunity to host the Colombia booth at the Hispanic festival and share our story in an awesome bilingual celebration service. It was extra special to have family there to share the experience with us. More pictures and details here.
• Praise God for a great visit to Salem, OR where Julio had the opportunity to share in a couple of different churches. He actually preached/taught 4 times on Sunday. Julio’s connection to the churches in this area goes back 15 years, to when we worked with Short-Term missionary, Carmen Bensink, in Colombia. It was a great time to connect with Carmen and others he had met on short-term trips to Colombia. Who would have ever thought one day he’d be visiting them in OR!
• In October we continue to visit partnering churches, as we share about the ministry of the Covenant in Colombia and how we will be serving there. Please pray for us as we travel – pray for safety and health. Pray for the ability to communicate clearly our passion for seeing lives changed by the Gospel. Pray for us as there are many details to be taken care of in arranging these visits.
• Pray for our family as we seek to build in quality time together in the midst of a very busy schedule. Pray for our boys, pray for our marriage to be strengthened. Pray for strength and for rest. Pray for quality time with our extended family here, as we prepare to say goodbye.

August 2011

1. Praise God for the 23 students we had the privilege of serving during a month-long discipleship and leadership training experience. It was a joy to meet these young adults and hear their stories and see God at work in their lives. Praise God for one young man, who after years of being in the church but never fully committing, decided to give his life to Jesus. All glory be to God! To read more, visit https://blogs.covchurch.org/isaza
2. Praise God for the moments we’ve had together as a family, to enjoy each other’s company. We are so thankful for the time we had with family and friends celebrating Benjamin’s 1^st birthday. We are so thankful to God for our boys and for the ways they enrich our lives and teach us every day.
3. Praise God we are at 61% of our support raised. Only 39% more to go. Please pray for more individuals and churches to partner with us and join us on this adventure of serving in Colombia. At this point a fall departure date does not look possible, so pray for us as we make important decisions regarding the next couple of months.
4. Pray for safety as we travel and for the opportunity to connect with people and churches as we travel to Wisconsin and then the West Coast this month.
5. The following prayer request was shared with us from the Sander family, Covenant Missionaries in Colombia. Pray for the new church plant in the small town of San Antonio del Prado, which has continued to extend its ministry after four months since their launching as a Church.  Pray for them as they adapt and solidify their leadership team now after a few months of working together.

July 2011

1. Praise God that we are one step closer on the journey of returning to Colombia, after we were commissioned at the Covenant’s Annual Meeting in Denver. It was a humbling experience to stand before hundreds of people and share our hearts’ desire to serve alongside the church in Colombia. We felt affirmed in our commitment to serve as people in the audience gathered around us to lay hands on us and pray. It was a powerful time for our family.
2. Praise God for an incredible start to the School of Discipleship and Leadership for Hispanic Young Adults that Julio is coordinating this month in Chicago. Please pray for us as Julio has a lot of responsibility for the programming and academic portion of the event and Katie will be teaching a course on Spiritual Formation. Pray for the young people who have come with hearts open to learn and be transformed.
3. Pray for Julio as he continues to serve as a hospital chaplain through August, finishing up his requirements for seminary. It has been an incredible learning experience and Julio is loving the opportunity to minister to people, especially the Hispanic patients he has the privilege of visiting.
4. Pray that we will be able to balance ministry responsibilities, trips to visit potential supporting churches, work, and family time. It is easy to get weary and overwhelmed by all that is before us. Pray for peace and confidence in God’s timing.

May 2011

1. Please pray for the people of Colombia who have been affected by the massive flooding. Over 3 million people have been affected and over 500 have been killed. The rain has not stopped in Colombia, and this is typically not the rainiest season. Pray for the church, for the wisdom and ability to be able to help those who have been affected by the flooding.
2. Praise God for great visits to California and Minnesota and for the opportunity to share about our upcoming ministry in Colombia. We are so thankful for how our support team continues to grow. We’d love for more people to partner with us and help us reach the goal of leaving for Colombia in the fall. Pray for us as we have more trips planned this summer to visit churches, speak at retirement communities, share in small group gatherings, etc. To partner with us, visit: https://blogs.covchurch.org/isaza/about-us/ways-to-get-involved/
3. Praise God that Julio will be graduating from North Park Theological Seminary on May 14^th with his Masters in Divinity. It has been quite a journey to make it to this place. We are so thankful for the people who have supported us and have kept us going when times got difficult. Pray for stamina to finishes papers and take final exams. Pray for Julio as he completes his education, by serving as a hospital chaplain this summer.

April 2011

One of the most important ways you can support us as we prepare to serve in Colombia is through prayer. April is already upon us, but here are some of our prayer requests and praises for the month! Thank you for joining us in prayer!

1. Praise God for a wonderful time of visiting churches in California this past week. We loved the opportunity to share our story and our commitment to serve in Colombia. We were so encouraged by the people we met and the hospitality that was shown. We were thankful for the chance to meet Dean and Donna Erickson, who were part of the first team of missionaries to serve in Colombia with the Covenant Church.
2. Praise God that Julio is one month away from graduating from North Park Theological Seminary. Pray that he would be able to focus and finish strong. There is so much to be done before the semester ends.
3. Pray for our support team to continue to grow so that we can meet our goal and return to Colombia. Pray for people to get excited about how God is at work in Colombia and about the ways they can partner with us in the ministry there. Pray for us as we continue to travel and connect with individuals and churches.
4. Pray for the Covenant churches in Colombia. Pray for the leaders, for the missionaries, for the pastors. Pray that God would continue to stir a passion for the Gospel in the lives of the people in Colombia.

March 2011

1. Praise God that my parents were able to join us for a weekend and take care of the boys while Julio and I were able to get away for a time to reconnect and rest.

2. Praise God for the plans that are coming together for the leadership and discipleship program for Hispanic young adults  that Julio is coordinating and will take place the whole month of July in Chicago.

3. Pray for us as we visit friends and churches in the Sacramento/San Francisco area the 3rd week of March. Pray that we would clearly be able to communicate how God is at work in Colombia and our desire to serve the church there. Pray for safety in travel and good connections to be made.

4. Pray for us to find time to rest and spend quality time as a family, even amidst our very busy schedule the next couple of months.

February 2011

1. Praise God for good health and strength during an extremely busy two weeks of travel, work, conferences and visiting churches.

2. Praise God for the special visit to Western Illinois we had and for the wonderful people who hosted us and made us feel so welcome.

3. Pray that more people would commit to partnering with us and joining our support team! We need your prayers, your encouragement, your financial support.

4. Pray for the new short-term missionaries moving to Colombia this month, the Posladeks.

January 2011

1. Praise God for safe travels for Julio as he spent 2 weeks in Thailand learning from the different ministry sites and attending a conference as a part of his J-term class with North Park Seminary.

2. Pray for traveling mercies as we visit churches in Western Illinois and in Chicago to share about our upcoming ministry in Colombia. Pray that we would be able to articulate well what God has put on our hearts and that we would be able to clearly share the vision of how we will join in the ministry of church planting and leadership development.

3. Pray for the missionaries in Colombia, especially Holly, who just joined the team as a short-term missionary. We are so thankful for each of them and their support!

December 2010

1. Praise God for safe travels to and from Colombia and for a wonderful time to connect with the different ministries and ministry leaders, as well as for quality time with family and friends.

2. Praise God for our boys who continue to grow and bring lots of joy and laughter. Praise God for Sam, who turns 3 years old this week.

3. Please pray for us as we finish up this semester at North Park Theological Seminary. Pray especially for Julio who has multiple final papers to finish and a very difficult final exam.

4. Pray for rest and restoration, as we take some time to slow down and enjoy the Christmas season. This has been an incredibly busy fall and we are all feeling the effects.

5. Pray for the people of Colombia, who are suffering because of the major flooding that is happening all over the country. Pray for those who have lost their homes and belongings. Pray that the church would rise up and help me the needs of the people.