Mission Trip to Colombia - Part 3
- Glenni Lorick
- Sep 20
- 4 min read
We arrived at the Hotel Finca in Mahanaim on Friday afternoon as rain pelted our bus windows. Other buses had already arrived, and one by one, the buses unloaded. None of our group minded the wait because it gave the rain time to stop. When it was our turn, we got off, retrieved our luggage, and went to find our room assignments.
When planning the trip, we thought that we would be sharing a room with one other person, but that wasn’t quite how it worked out! We had 5 beds in our room, so there were five of us in there. It felt kind of like a giant slumber party – lots of fun! After settling in our room, we dressed for dinner. Our instructions for the retreat had told us to bring a hat and an apron that resembled something from the early 1900s. We donned our festive outfits and headed to the large covered patio area that served as a cafeteria. However, we quickly realized that 440 ladies could not all fit into the 160 available seats. By breakfast the next morning, though, our amazing organizers had a system in place for mealtime that worked perfectly!
The Retreat Begins
After dinner, we went to the huge assembly room for our first meeting. The ladies from Bonaventura were already worshipping loudly with their drums and African-inspired beat as we entered. Excitement filled the atmosphere as the Congreso de Mujeres opened with corporate praise and worship. Everything was in Spanish, which wasn’t a problem for me, but made it a bit difficult for some of our group. However, Hedemarrie worked hard to make sure as many of our ladies as possible understood what was happening.
The theme for the weekend was “De Invisibles a Protagonistas” (From Invisible to Protagonists). We began each day with a devotion that led us to dig into a passage, laying a foundation for the morning worship. Saturday morning, we looked at Rahab. During our morning worship time, Rev. Luz Maria Heilbron spoke about how God created us in His image to be a suitable helper – “Ezer Kenegido” in Hebrew. The woman was created to serve God together with the man. Then we examined how God utilized women like Rahab and Jochebed in His liberating plan.
We reflected on the fact that two of the first Cumberland Presbyterian missionaries to Colombia were women who left the comfort of their homes in the United States to follow God’s call. Their obedience helped lay the foundation for the thriving church that exists in that country today. Over the years, thousands of people there have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior. Saturday afternoon, the Valle Presbytery entertained us with delightful skits that traced the history of the CP church in Colombia from the 1920s to the 1970s.
We Experienced Incredible Worship
Saturday night after our meeting, our group of 12 Americans, 4 Brazilians, 4 from Mexico, and 4 from Guatemala came together for a time of prayer. We ended our prayer by singing “How Great Thou Art,” “Because He Lives,” and “The Goodness of God.” The beauty of our three languages blended in praise overwhelmed us. It was so moving that we decided we would lead everyone in worship on Sunday afternoon in our combined languages. Then it was time for me to work up my courage to take a shower – a cold shower (there was no hot water). I must say that the anticipation was worse than the actual act!
Sunday morning our devotion led us into Luke 7, where a sinful woman wept at Jesus’ feet, cleaning them with her hair, then kissing them and anointing them with perfume. Jesus’ response of loving forgiveness lifted her from being an unseen sinner to a forgiven member of His kingdom. When Rev. Luz Marie spoke later that morning, she read Luke 13:10-17, where Jesus healed a disabled woman. After the synagogue leader criticized Him, Jesus referred to her as a “Daughter of Abraham.” By referring to her in this way, He implied that she was as deserving of His concern and healing as any Jewish man and had the full right to the religious heritage of her people. She continued through the New Testament, giving examples of women whom Jesus viewed as partners in faith and ministry.
That afternoon, the ladies from the Emaus Presbytery creatively shared the history of ministry in Colombia from the 1980s through the present day. The ladies from Brazil, Mexico, and Guatemala also shared what the Lord is doing in each of their countries. Following their presentations, our group led the congregation in worship, singing in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. It felt like a taste of Heaven, where we will spend eternity worshipping the Lord together in all our different tongues. Later Sunday evening during our closing worship, we celebrated the Lord’s Supper together. All of the ordained women present participated in passing the elements row by row. It was a beautiful moment of reflection on God’s amazing grace in each of our lives.
Back to Armenia and Pereira
All too soon, the retreat came to an end, and we boarded our bus again to go to nearby Armenia, where we stayed at the beautiful Armenia Hotel. Tuesday morning, we visited the magnificent Armenia Cumberland Presbyterian Church, where we enjoyed a wonderful time of worship led by a gifted young couple. Last-minute shopping filled our afternoon as everyone looked for the perfect gifts to take back home to loved ones. Then we returned to our hotel for a relaxing evening in the whirlpool and sauna.
On Wednesday, we got up early for the trip back to Pereira. Before going to the airport, we stopped at the fabulous botanical gardens of the Technological University of Pereira. Our guide Jersson led us on a mile-long trek where we saw incredible trees, flowers, foliage, butterflies, and birds. It was breathtakingly beautiful, but also left many of us catching our breath after yet another uphill climb.
Finally, it was time to go to the airport, where we said tearful goodbyes to our Brazilian, Mexican, and Guatemalan friends. As we boarded our first plane at 10:00 on Wednesday night, we were no longer 12 ladies from different churches around the country. We had become 12 sisters who can’t wait for the next adventure God has for us!
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