Tobago Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

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Adventist Information Network News 29th August 2024

This mission story from Colombia is for Sabbath, August 31.

Bar Bought With Prayer

By Andrew McChesney

Adriana was adept at planting churches in Colombia. The 35-year-old wife and mother planted six churches over 15 years, and she was ready to help plant church No. 7 in a poor neighborhood in the south of Colombia’s sprawling capital, Bogotá.

But no one seemed to be able to find an affordable building in a prime location.

The seed for the church was planted when Wilinton, a former alcoholic in the neighborhood, gave his heart to Jesus and started a small Bible-study group in his home. The group outgrew his home and moved several times. Now 50 people were worshipping together every Sabbath, and it was time for them to have a church building of their own.

Adriana belonged to another church that wanted to help Wilinton’s congregation plant the church. She looked at five buildings and found nothing.

Then Wilinton suggested a bar that he had frequented before he got baptized. The bar was right in the middle of the neighborhood, and it was up for sale. But the asking price was too high.

Adriana met with the bar owner. She explained that church members wanted to buy the building but didn’t have the funds.

“Could you please wait for a year while we raise the money?” she asked.

The owner didn’t want to wait, and he shook his head.

Adriana begged him to reconsider, but he refused. However, he added, “If your plan is from God, this building will be yours.”

Adriana and other church members prayed to God for help, and they started raising money.

Then a potential buyer came to take a look at the building. He liked what he saw, and he agreed to buy it.

Church members wondered if they would lose the building. They prayed for God’s will to be done.

The potential buyer left and never returned with the money for the building.

The building remained up for sale.

Then another buyer visited the building and offered to buy it. It looked like the sale would go through. Church members again prayed for God’s will to be done, and the buyer didn’t return with the money.

The bar owner couldn’t understand why his building wasn’t selling. He reduced the price. Then he reduced it again. But still, he couldn’t find a buyer.

Adriana was convinced that God had a plan to turn the bar into a church and center of influence. The center of influence would teach life skills to people in the community and help those who were struggling with alcoholism.

Adriana visited the bar owner again.

“You won’t sell this building,” she said, boldly. “You will sell it to us because it will be a place that will help the community and glorify God.”

A year passed, and church members had gathered enough money to buy the building at the lower asking price. A church leader visited the owner to finalize the sale.

The owner expressed relief that he could finally sell the building.

“I haven’t been able to sell this building because those Adventists have been praying to buy it,” he said.

Two weeks later, the building was sold to the Adventist Church. The final, reduced price was half the market value of similar buildings in the neighborhood.

Today, Adriana praises God for the new church and center of influence.

“We all prayed for this place,” she said. “When God has a plan, no one can change it.”

This mission story provides an inside look at life in Colombia and missional challenges there. Part of this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help open two centers of influence to help children who are at risk of alcohol and drug abuse in Colombia. Thank you for planning a generous offering on September 28.

Story Tips

Pronounce Wilinton as: WILL-ing-ton.

Watch a short YouTube video of Adriana: bit.ly/Adriana-IAD.

Know that you can read more about Wilinton last week.

Download photos for this story from Facebook: bit.ly/fb-mq.

Share Mission Posts and Fast Facts from the Inter-American Division: bit.ly/iad-2024.

Know that this mission story illustrates the following objectives of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s “I Will Go” strategic plan: Mission Objective No. 1, “To revive the concept of worldwide mission and sacrifice for mission as a way of life involving not only pastors but every church member, young and old, in the joy of witnessing for Christ and making disciples,” and Spiritual Growth Objective No. 5, “To disciple individuals and families into Spirit-filled lives.” The Thirteenth Sabbath projects illustrate Spiritual Growth Objective No. 6, “To increase accession, retention, reclamation, and participation of children, youth, and young adults,” and Spiritual Growth Objective No. 7, “To help youth and young adults place God first and exemplify a biblical worldview.” For more information, go to the website: IWillGo.org.

Fast Fact

Colombia has the second-highest level of biodiversity in the world. Only Brazil, which is eight times the size of Colombia, has greater biodiversity.

Home - I Will Go The Reach the World: I Will Go strategic plan is a rallying cry to Total Member Involvement. At its core, I Will Go is about you. It’s also about the whole church—church members, local churches, missions, conferences, unions, divisions, the General Conference, and other institutions—partnering...

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This mission story from Colombia is for Sabbath, August 24.

In Paul’s Footsteps

By Andrew McChesney

Wilinton’s life began to change after he stopped drinking in Bogotá, Colombia.

He got a job, he began paying off his debts, and he married his common-law wife.

Then Wilinton, his wife, and their 12-year-old son decided to give their hearts to God in baptism.

A day before Wilinton’s baptism, a Seventh-day Adventist friend predicted that God had big plans for him. “You are going to be the next apostle Paul,” said the friend, Jaime. “You are going to help many people.”

It didn’t take long for Wilinton to realize that God was calling him to help alcoholics.

A month after his baptism, as he was walking to church on a Sabbath morning, he sensed a voice say, “Stop right here.”

He stopped. Looking up, he saw a city street lined with bars where he used to drink.

The voice said, “You are going to help all these people. You drank, and now you are going to help others who drink. I’ll give you opportunities, and I’ll help you not to relapse.”

At church, Wilinton sought out Jaime.

“I have an idea,” he said.

“I also have an idea,” Jaime said. “Tell me your idea first.”

“I think that God is telling me to be a light in those bars where there is only darkness,” Wilinton said.

“Wow!” Jaime exclaimed. “That’s the same idea that I had.”

It seemed like more than a coincidence. The two men agreed that the Holy Spirit must be calling Wilinton to help alcoholics.

Over the next week, Wilinton invited people in bars to come to his house to study the Bible. Eleven people showed up for the first Bible study on Sabbath afternoon.

As the weeks passed, the group grew too large to meet in his home. Wilinton rented a larger house. When the group grew too large for that house, they moved to a hall. People were baptized, and the group kept growing.

Finally, Wilinton decided that the group needed to own its own place. He looked for a building to buy, but city property was expensive. As he prayed, he felt impressed to visit a bar that he had frequented from the age of 16. It seemed improbable, but if he could buy the bar, it could be remodeled into a meeting hall.

He prayed, “God, do You really want me to work for you in a bar?”

Wilinton sought out the bar owner and learned that the building was up for sale.

The owner immediately recognized Wilinton, and he was shocked to see him sober.

“Is that really you?” he asked.

“Yes, it’s me,” Wilinton said.

“Do you remember how you used to come here to drink all the time?” he said.

“Yes, I remember.”

The owner shook his head in disbelief. “I know you,” he said. “I can’t believe that you have a new life.”

He named the price for the building.

Wilinton didn’t have that kind of money. He told other church members about the building, but they also didn’t have the funds.

Wilinton wasn’t discouraged. “The plans of God are perfect,” he told them. “Don’t worry. This building will be ours.”

He and the other church members started to pray and raise funds. A year later, they bought the bar and turned it into an Adventist church and center of influence.

Today, 50 people worship in the church every Sabbath. During the week, the center of influence offers life-skills classes and a program to stop drinking.

Wilinton, who is a church elder and deputy director of the center of influence, said that, through his small group, more than 15 former alcoholics have given their hearts to Jesus and been baptized. In addition, 85 people have been baptized through the new church and center of influence over the past three years.

“Now I am working for Jesus and seeking the missing,” Wilinton said. “I have decided to be like Paul, always sharing the gospel and asking God for His power to lead people to Him.”

He added, “God’s plans are perfect, and they never change.”

This mission story provides an inside look at life in Colombia and missional challenges there. Part of this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help open two centers of influence to help children who are at risk of alcohol and drug abuse in Colombia. The centers of influence will be in the cities of Buenaventura and Puerto Tejada. Thank you for planning a generous offering on September 28.

Story Tips

Show Colombia on the map. Then show Bogotá, where Wilinton lives, and the cities of Buenaventura and Puerto Tejada, where the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help open centers of influence for at-risk children.

Pronounce Wilinton as: WILL-ing-ton.

Pronounce Jaime as: hi-MEE.

Watch a short YouTube video of Wilinton: bit.ly/Wilinton-IAD.

Download photos for this story from Facebook: bit.ly/fb-mq.

Share Mission Posts and Fast Facts from the Inter-American Division: bit.ly/iad-2024.

Know that this mission story illustrates the following objectives of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s “I Will Go” strategic plan: Mission Objective No. 1, “To revive the concept of worldwide mission and sacrifice for mission as a way of life involving not only pastors but every church member, young and old, in the joy of witnessing for Christ and making disciples,” and Spiritual Growth Objective No. 5, “To disciple individuals and families into Spirit-filled lives.” The Thirteenth Sabbath projects illustrate Spiritual Growth Objective No. 6, “To increase accession, retention, reclamation, and participation of children, youth, and young adults,” and Spiritual Growth Objective No. 7, “To help youth and young adults place God first and exemplify a biblical worldview.” For more information, go to the website: IWillGo.org.

Mission Post

The 1980s and 1990s were a period of brutal political violence in Colombia. In some places, church members and pastors were kidnapped, tortured, or forced to flee their homes.

Home - I Will Go The Reach the World: I Will Go strategic plan is a rallying cry to Total Member Involvement. At its core, I Will Go is about you. It’s also about the whole church—church members, local churches, missions, conferences, unions, divisions, the General Conference, and other institutions—partnering...

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