CÚCUTA, COLOMBIA — Samaritan’s Purse is in Colombia helping Venezuelan migrants living in areas where there are limited resources. In these neighborhoods, they are teaching children how to read and write, and sowing seeds of the Gospel into their hearts.

Tom Ovington – Samaritan’s Purse:

Venezuela started to have extreme economic issues. And a lot of Venezuelans left Venezuela to come to Colombia to seek a better way of life. Many of the Venezuelans are seeking to settle down in certain neighborhoods that don’t have a lot of resources in and of themselves. We do all we can to locate these neighborhoods, to share the love of Jesus and to take our services to them.

Martha Chinchilla – Samaritan’s Purse:

My responsibility within the children’s ministry is to teach the children in the community of Cumbres del Salado. We serve children weekly divided into age groups.

Karen Rojas – Samaritan’s Purse:

Many children in this community are not in school. There are children who are 9 to 10 years old that do not know how to write, but they come with a desire to learn. We teach them the alphabet with the characteristics of God. And later on, as they review those letters, they will remember God through every letter they have learned.

Maribel Carrero – Samaritan’s Purse:

The response toward the project we are executing in the community has been well accepted. They look forward to the day when we come to the community and we do the work with them.

Karen:

Glory to God, we have been able to sow seeds, even though they come from various difficult situations, we can show them Jesus. We sow the Word into their heart and they take it to their parents.

Yisbeli Memdoza – Madre:

My 10-year-old daughter talks to me about the word and the verses because her teachers teach it to her. She gets home and says, “mom, I learned this new verse and I want you to learn it.” And I tell her to explain it to me.

Maribel:

We started to implement visits with the parents so that we can get to know them better. We can also see if they have any needs in the home. If they don’t have food then we can support them through getting the necessary groceries. Through these home visits we have been able to see those needs and share the gospel of salvation. Also that they come to know that in the midst of difficulty, there is a God whom they can turn to. there is a great need to know the Lord. We know that somehow, the seed that is being planted in their hearts will grow and produce fruit. Although we may not see it, the Lord will do His work in them.

Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet the needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ. The organization serves the Church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

CONTACT: Gabrielle Bouquet, news@samaritan.org

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