Colombia is a country that struggles with violence and corruption. The violence involves drug cartels, FARQ (a Marxist rebel group), and other paramilitaries. In addition to money and arms, military groups need soldiers. They frequently attempt to force villagers in the rural parts of Colombia to give up children as young as 11 years-old to join them. The result is tens of thousands of internally displaced people (IDP) huddled around the major cities of Colombia, desperately trying to keep their children away from these soldier-starved armies.

Pictures of a home in Barranquilla, Columbia

Our sin has resulted in a broken relationship with God, leading us to glorify ourselves rather than God. But sin also destroys our relationship with other people - we exploit them and abandon our responsibilities. In the cauldron of an IDP zone, the effects of sin are often magnified. Many fathers abandon or abuse their families, mothers desperately cling to the next man that comes along (often for safety), and children join gangs.

It is in these IDP areas, where people live out impoverished lives governed by local militias who come out at night to impose their will with guns, that our partner CDA (Corporacion Dios es Amor) is operating (with funding from Word & Deed Holland, Word & Deed Canada and Word & Deed USA). Christian schools filled with sponsor children are integrated with medical clinics, vocational training, micro-loans projects (small loans for family run businesses) and many other supporting projects with the intent of transforming entire families and through them, entire communities. Since the golden thread of the Gospel runs through each of these projects, many also come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior. Even in the darkest areas, the bright light of God’s amazing grace is at work. People whose faces were once deeply etched with despair are now filled with the joy of being reconciled with God through the redeeming blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This integrated approach to transforming communities has been carried out in the IDP zones around Bogotá, Cartagena and now, over the past two years, we have begun to work in an IDP zone on the outskirts of Barranquilla, the second-largest city in Colombia. In partnership with CDA and the Reformed Church of Barranquilla (led by Pastor Edgar), we hope to build a new Christian school, set up a medical clinic and, in a few years, to add vocational training and micro-loans projects.

Pastor Edgar, left, with elder

This is a very major initiative for Word & Deed North America (Holland is not involved in this project). We are very much in need of God’s gracious provision and direction. The goal for the new school is to raise $924,000 over the next three years ($308,000 each year). A medical clinic previously run by another organization, but closed for several years, will be renovated ($50,000 budget) and will have an estimated running cost of $175,000 in 2009. This amount will decrease to zero over three years, since the operating cost will be covered by patients who can afford to pay small fees for their treatment – an approach being used with great success in Cartagena and Bogotá.

Churches, business groups, schools and individuals have already contributed to this project. Can we count on you to join as well? May the Lord use this large initiative to save countless needy sinners in Barranquilla who will one day gather around the throne in heaven and sing “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.”

Rick Postma is director of public relations for Word & Deed Ministries.