In the latest Mission Possible update, which is a report of their May 2019 visit to Colombia, they ‘thank and praise God for His love and faithfulness to Mission Possible and the projects in Bogota.’
Mission Possible chairman Joe Law and his wife Sadie have returned home from the trip which was ‘such an encouragement and blessing.’ Joe continues, “To see young lives being given such amazing opportunities to fulfill their hopes and dreams and to know that lives are being transformed as many have put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ is such an encouragement and blessing. Our God is doing mighty things in this city where violence, abuse, addiction and all sorts of evil depravity are rampant.”
The report goes on to focus on their projects in Bogota –
Hope House for girls and boys
My heart has been deeply touched by stories of little children who have been rescued from extremely poor backgrounds and who have suffered much neglect and sexual abuse. Some of the children were having nightmares about their past painful and traumatic experiences. To that end a Child Psychologist is employed on a part time basis to help the girls and boys to come to terms with what has happened and to motivate them to move forward with hope for a brighter future where they will feel safe, loved and valued.
A five year old boy and his twin sister were admitted into the respective homes in January. They were from a one parent family and for various reasons their mother was unable to look after them. Luz Ma, the manager of the two homes, assessed their situation and found that they had only been given food once per day and were starving. They had been forced to beg for food on the streets of Bogota and were at great risk of being picked up by evil men and women who would either sell them to the sex trade or subject them to many forms of child exploitation and abuse.
A good news story from the Hope House for boys is the testimony of Felipe. We praise God for His grace, love and mercy on this young life. Here is Felipe’s life story, “At the age of 6, my Mum and Dad abandoned me on the streets. I was then brought to Hope House and lived most of my life in it. I learned many things here and discovered my aspirations and the things that motivate me to move forward, but above all, at the age of 15 I received God into my heart and was baptised in my Church.
It has been like my first real home. Being here I have known many friends and wonderful people. I have had normal childhood experiences, some good and some sad, I have laughed, I have cried. I have spent the happiest moments of my life living as they taught me.
Today I am 18 years old. I am studying Architectural Constructions in University, taking a step to fulfill my dreams and all thanks to the love of God that brought me to the Hope House.
They ask me if I have thought about where I would be if I had not arrived at home; the truth is that I dread to think about this question. With God’s help I have managed to block out from my mind, the painful memories of abandonment, hunger and abuse.
Thank you to God and all those kind people in Mission Possible who have made my dream come true.”
Our sincere thanks to our homes’ manager, Luz Ma, and her excellent team of helpers for their love, care and dedication to these children whose lives have been changed dramatically. Now, we no longer see sad and poverty stricken eyes, instead we see eyes filled with hope, contentment and happiness.
We thank God that He is saving the souls of many of these little children who were previously referred to as “the last, the lost and the least”
Psalm 27 v 10: “Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.”
Juan Rey Church and Feeding Centre
We are delighted to report that there is excellent progress being made in the new Culture Centre which is used primarily as a Church and also a Feeding Centre. The Centre is also used for preaching God’s word, feeding many hungry children from poverty stricken homes and for studying the Bible.
We were very pleased to find that the children are also being taught English, Woodwork, Crafts and Music. This is very important as education in the public schools in Juan Rey is very limited. It is a real blessing that these children are given such wonderful opportunities to progress their lives and to help secure future employment.
Our thanks to Pastor Julio and his wife Blanca, Pastor Freddie, Pastor Christian and his wife Laura for the tremendous work that they do with the Juan Rey children. A special mention to Pastor Julio’s daughter Marie who has such a passion for these vulnerable children and to all the other hard working staff involved in this Ministry for God’s Kingdom. Please remember the children and leaders in your prayers.
To find out more about Mission Possible and to support them financially in their mission to help the street children of Bogota, Colombia, click here to go to their website.