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Colombia

  • Pastor's Wife Killed by Guerrillas

    The wife of a pastor who serves in one of Colombia's "red zones" was shot to death recently by FARC guerrillas.

    One night at around 9:30 p.m., after the family of Pastor James and his wife had gone to bed, two men on a motorcycle stopped by the home. The men lured the pastor outside by asking him to help them fix their motorcycle. When the pastor went to take a look at the vehicle, he heard men behind him ask his wife her name. When she replied, they shot her twice at point-blank range.
  • Murdered Father and Son Together in Eternity

    On January 10th, "Manuel," 35, and his 11-year-old son, "Daniel," were brutally tortured and murdered by members of the FARC guerrilla group in the village of Guacamayas (Guaviare). In this region of Colombia, Christians face strong persecution from the guerrilla groups who threaten, pressure and forbid them from preaching the Gospel in rural areas. Manuel, a recent convert to Christianity, leaves behind his pregnant wife and their three daughters, who range in age from three to 17. The family has since been moved to another city.
  • Displaced Christians Build a New Community

    The refugee village in Paez

    In 2007, approximately 50 Christian families were forced to leave their homes and move to a refugee village in Colombia's Andes Mountains. A member of VOMC's leadership team recently visited with these displaced brothers and sisters in Christ. He was touched by their stories of overwhelming pain and loss, as well as their testimonies of God's continued faithfulness and provision.

    The Colombian Christians first began to face opposition for their faith when they stood against the tribal leaders of their home village. The tribal leaders, who have ties to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (also known as FARC), tried to force the Christians to steal, get drunk, take part in land raids, and participate in rituals relating to spiritism. When a natural disaster struck the area, forcing the whole community to flee their homes, the tribal leaders refused to share the government-provided aid with the believers.

  • Terrorist Bombing Threatens Christians and Neighbouring Families

    Greg Musselman of VOM Canada, who has recently returned from Colombia, reports that a bomb blast took place near the home of one of our in-country ministry partners, causing terrible destruction in the neighbouring area. This former FARC commander-turned-evangelist is not sure if the blast was meant as a warning for him to cease his Christian activity.

  • Shooting of Evangelist's Widow Leaves Children Orphaned

    Alicia Castilla
    Photo: Open Doors

    On January 7th, 2013, as a local pastor concluded an evening devotional in the home of widow Alicia Castilla, guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN) forcefully entered and opened fire with pistols. Alicia was instantly killed in front of her three children and her elderly father. This tragedy follows the previous shooting of her husband, lay evangelist Nelson Ramos, who was murdered in January of 2011, also at the hands of the ELN.

    Alicia's late husband, Nelson, who had come to faith in Christ two years before his death, often shared the Gospel in Saravena, a border town near Colombia's frontier with Venezuela. A few months after his conversion, the ELN issued its first expulsion order against him and his family. As done in the recent incident, assassins entered the family's home and shot the evangelist as his wife and two small daughters helplessly watched.

    Founded in 1964, the ELN is one of several illegal armed groups fighting for control of the rich petroleum resources along Colombia's eastern-central border with Venezuela. These violent groups forcibly recruit children into their ranks, and persecute those who oppose them, namely the church. (For more about the country of Colombia and the challenges Christians face there, go to the Colombia Country Report.) Yet, despite their belief that Christians are "brainwashed" by the Bible, "they also notice that when Christians fast and pray, the guerrillas' violent plans...are oddly stopped!" states an Open Doors representative who oversees ministry in the Arauca area.

    Please pray for the protection and healing of the surviving traumatized children: 18-year-old Hernán and his little sisters Rosmy and Jackeline, ages 9 and 6, who now face life without both parents. Also remember Alicia's father who was present at the recent January shooting. May they all be surrounded by God's love through caring family and friends, especially the members of the Christian community. We are reminded that God's salvation is extended to anyone who willingly receives it, including the members of the ELN who clearly need His touch upon their lives.
  • Violent guerrilla group impedes evangelism

    Pray that God’s Word and other Christian material
    will reach all the regions of Colombia.

    Members of the notorious guerrilla group Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) recently prevented a VOM evangelist, "Rolo," from entering La Macarena region in Colombia with radios, Bibles and Christian books. The Marxist-Leninist revolutionary guerrilla organization has been a significant contributor to violence and volatility in the region. A VOM worker in the area reported that members of FARC are closing the churches and burning the buses of those attempting to enter the area.

    Leftist guerrillas and right-wing paramilitary groups in the country are both acting as lawless gangs raising funds with drug trafficking and ransom kidnapping. Despite the upheaval and political violence, however, the Church is flourishing. While there were about 15,000 evangelical Christians in Colombia in 1933, by last year, they numbered between 3.5 and 5 million with some churches growing 1,000-fold over the last two decades.

    Please pray that Rolo's evangelistic efforts will not be thwarted any longer and that Christians in the region will not be impeded in sharing the gospel message. Pray that the Church will continue to thrive despite the efforts to keep it from doing so.

    For more information on the struggles of believers in Colombia, please visit the Colombia Country Report.
  • Christians facing increased and intense violence Colombian Christians are on high alert as intense and deadly violence continues in the country. On May 12, a bomb exploded in Puerto Lleras, killing several policemen and injuring bystanders. For several months, members of Colombia's main Marxist rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), have been openly killing individuals in town streets and burning buses throughout the region. FARC guerillas have also been conducting an internal purge, reportedly killing many of their own men and accusing them of being traitors to the communist cause. It is suspected that many of those killed were secret Christians. "In all our years in Colombia, we have never seen it this unstable," said a VOM contact. "Yet we believe that this is also the most opportune time that we have ever seen for the gospel."

    Pray for those working to supply Bibles to Colombian believers in this region, as the need is reportedly very great. Pray the various other ministry efforts of Christian workers in Colombia will be effective. Ask God to guide and sustain new believers as they serve Him in a climate of intense and ongoing violence. Pray those who persecute Christians in Colombia will repent and embrace Christ as Lord.

    To learn more about the persecution of Christians in Colombia, visit the Colombia Country Report.
  • Christians taken hostage


    Children from a Kogui villag

    Sixteen Christians belonging to the Kogui indigenous people group in Colombia are being held captive on their reserve in an attempt to force them to renounce Christianity. The group of believers, which includes men, women and three babies, was captured during a meeting called by the Kogui governor. Community leaders shouted abuses at the believers through the night. They were later taken to a remote area of the reserve and told they would not be freed until they renounced their faith in Christ. At last report, two of the kidnapped infants were seriously ill. The governor and his allies also humiliated non-Christian leaders who had supported the Christians in the community and protected them from being expelled. The governor reportedly intends to capture remaining Christians and force them to renounce their faith. (Source: Christian Solidarity Worldwide)

    Pray for the release of these believers. Pray that their captors will see the love of Christ, repent and come to trust in Jesus. Pray for other Christian members of the Kogui community under fire in Colombia.

    To learn more about Colombian believers suffering for Christ, visit the Colombia Country Report.
  • Pastor martyred by guerillas

    Pastor Manuel was shot and killed by Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas in San Jose del Guaviare, Colombia on September 21, according to VOMC's sister mission in the U.S.

    When the guerrillas scheduled a visit with Pastor Manuel, he believed the meeting was in response to his request to officially have a church. However, when they arrived, Pastor Manuel was shot five times outside his home while his family was inside. One of the guerillas entered the house and yelled, "Make sure that dog stays dead." The guerillas then shot the pastor again, this time in the neck. His wife, Gloria, ran outside to the body of her martyred husband. She cleaned his face and she and her children dragged his body under a tree. She then grabbed her Bible and preached to those who came near. Her 10-year-old son tried to comfort her, saying, "Don't worry, Dad died for Christ and now he is with Christ."

    Pastor Manuel and his wife had been pastoring a church in Chopal village, south of San Jose del Guaviare for about eight years. Many churches in the area had been closed by FARC guerrillas but Pastor Manuel decided to open the church regardless of the threats and risks. In April, he was part of an evangelistic event at which three FARC guerrillas and seven members of the paramilitary militia accepted Christ.

    Praise God for this family's faith. Ask God to comfort Pastor Manuel's wife and children. Pray that Pastor Manuel's courageous testimony will draw nonbelievers into fellowship with Christ.

    To learn more about Colombian believers suffering for Christ,click here.
  • Pastor murdered by gunmen Rafael Velasquez (41), the pastor of the Foursquare Gospel Church in the town of Maranonal, Colombia was shot dead by three masked gunmen in his home on the evening of September 6, according to a September 14 report from Christian Solidarity Worldwide. The assailants broke into the pastor's home and murdered him in front of his wife and six young members of his church. Sources believe that paramilitary groups struggling for power are responsible for the attack. At least a dozen other pastors in the region have reportedly faced threats in recent months. In the past three years, more than 35 pastors in Colombia have been murdered and over 200 churches forcibly closed.

    Pray for Pastor Velasquez's family at this difficult time. Pray that the passion of God's people in Colombia will be a light that draws others to Christ.

    Find out more about the persecution facing believers in Colombia at theColombia Country Report.

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