The month of July was filled with awesomeness for us. God continues to teach us, keep us humble, and give us opportunities to bless others. On August 15, we will have known each other for a year, and it’s hard to believe all God has done in our individual lives and our lives together since then. We are blessed and excited for what God has already done in almost four months of marriage and for what He will continue to do.
Marriage and Ministry
God continues to give us favor with others in trust, responsibility, and opportunities. The end of June/beginning of July we were able to attend our church retreat (Campamento). It was a good time of hearing from God’s Word, relaxing, and getting to know and spend time with many persons and youth from the church. We were also able to attend a two-evening service at our church where a prophet/healer from the USA came to speak. We were blessed greatly by our experience there, and I even got to help translate for him after the service when praying for people. We both continue to teach Sunday school classes as well.
Our work at Esperanza Viva continues to go well. We both are working there Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Maria was helping to counsel and do activities with the kids, but now she is teaching math and religion in 3rd grade. I am teaching religion to 3rd-7th grades and a little physical education. It has been a blessing for both of us, and God continues to use us there as there are many needs. This past Monday we showed the movie “The Shack” and had a time of prayer and worship with the staff, and God moved mightily in the church and in their hearts! We are learning to speak to the students with more love and patience.
I also continue to work in Centro Educativo Jireh on Tuesdays and Thursdays teaching religion and physical education in 3rd-5th grades. God put on my heart to have a retreat for the 4th/5th graders there for them to experience God and have inner healing and liberation. I am looking to see how much it costs and other details associated with that. I am having them memorize verses and read/journal in Matthew each week. I hope to be able to go the streets in the neighborhood with them again to share God’s Word and pray for the people. I am also teaching an informal Bible/God “class” at Fundadores school on Friday afternoons for those who want to learn more about God.
We have been working in a neighborhood called Barrio 17 on Saturday mornings. God has been bringing more and more kids continue to come to hear a Bible lesson, play games, and eat a snack. God has been faithful, and we are praying for volunteers to help us in the work as it is already growing a lot. We both feel God would have us start a foundation for kids in Santa Marta in the future, but we are praying and preparing in the meantime. It’s possible that it could be there in Barrio 17 as it seems God is putting things together. We want to obtain/purchase Bibles for many of these kids as well as students in the schools.
Personal Updates
I am super excited about what God is doing in my life right now. On July 9, I was able to celebrate three years of living in Colombia. Everything has been different since attending the Encuentro in June. God has freed me from many things and has made me a warrior for His kingdom and an intercessor. I’ve been able to “see” and feel more of the spiritual world. I have had a lasting peace, joy, authority, and confidence in the Lord that I’ve never had before, and mostly importantly, a changed heart. My spirit has felt so alive with God’s presence. I have had “visions” of me standing beside God (sometimes He’s a person, sometimes a lion) with a sword with a darkness surrounding us, and we are about to go fight a spiritual battle. God has also given me “warrior tongues” since the Encuentro. God has been rooting out my selfishness, and I am seeing more and more the blessings of obedience. And most importantly, my love for God Himself is growing a lot.
Maria has been enjoying being a teacher again after many years of not teaching. She mostly saw herself before working in banks, but she is thankful for what God is doing with her and us in the schools, Barrio 17, the church, etc. She is learning to be more patient and wise and to be a good teacher and wife. She is learning how to teach more simply. She started her university classes again this past week, and she is excited about most of her classes. She continues to seek the Lord for His will and is growing more in the prophetic and in intimacy with God.
“Above all else guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” – Proverbs 4:23
“Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.” – 1 John 2:28
En Cristo,
María and Jonathan
Marriage and Ministry
God continues to give us favor with others in trust, responsibility, and opportunities. The end of June/beginning of July we were able to attend our church retreat (Campamento). It was a good time of hearing from God’s Word, relaxing, and getting to know and spend time with many persons and youth from the church. We were also able to attend a two-evening service at our church where a prophet/healer from the USA came to speak. We were blessed greatly by our experience there, and I even got to help translate for him after the service when praying for people. We both continue to teach Sunday school classes as well.
Our work at Esperanza Viva continues to go well. We both are working there Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Maria was helping to counsel and do activities with the kids, but now she is teaching math and religion in 3rd grade. I am teaching religion to 3rd-7th grades and a little physical education. It has been a blessing for both of us, and God continues to use us there as there are many needs. This past Monday we showed the movie “The Shack” and had a time of prayer and worship with the staff, and God moved mightily in the church and in their hearts! We are learning to speak to the students with more love and patience.
I also continue to work in Centro Educativo Jireh on Tuesdays and Thursdays teaching religion and physical education in 3rd-5th grades. God put on my heart to have a retreat for the 4th/5th graders there for them to experience God and have inner healing and liberation. I am looking to see how much it costs and other details associated with that. I am having them memorize verses and read/journal in Matthew each week. I hope to be able to go the streets in the neighborhood with them again to share God’s Word and pray for the people. I am also teaching an informal Bible/God “class” at Fundadores school on Friday afternoons for those who want to learn more about God.
We have been working in a neighborhood called Barrio 17 on Saturday mornings. God has been bringing more and more kids continue to come to hear a Bible lesson, play games, and eat a snack. God has been faithful, and we are praying for volunteers to help us in the work as it is already growing a lot. We both feel God would have us start a foundation for kids in Santa Marta in the future, but we are praying and preparing in the meantime. It’s possible that it could be there in Barrio 17 as it seems God is putting things together. We want to obtain/purchase Bibles for many of these kids as well as students in the schools.
Personal Updates
I am super excited about what God is doing in my life right now. On July 9, I was able to celebrate three years of living in Colombia. Everything has been different since attending the Encuentro in June. God has freed me from many things and has made me a warrior for His kingdom and an intercessor. I’ve been able to “see” and feel more of the spiritual world. I have had a lasting peace, joy, authority, and confidence in the Lord that I’ve never had before, and mostly importantly, a changed heart. My spirit has felt so alive with God’s presence. I have had “visions” of me standing beside God (sometimes He’s a person, sometimes a lion) with a sword with a darkness surrounding us, and we are about to go fight a spiritual battle. God has also given me “warrior tongues” since the Encuentro. God has been rooting out my selfishness, and I am seeing more and more the blessings of obedience. And most importantly, my love for God Himself is growing a lot.
Maria has been enjoying being a teacher again after many years of not teaching. She mostly saw herself before working in banks, but she is thankful for what God is doing with her and us in the schools, Barrio 17, the church, etc. She is learning to be more patient and wise and to be a good teacher and wife. She is learning how to teach more simply. She started her university classes again this past week, and she is excited about most of her classes. She continues to seek the Lord for His will and is growing more in the prophetic and in intimacy with God.
“Above all else guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” – Proverbs 4:23
“Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.” – 1 John 2:28
En Cristo,
María and Jonathan