Once, Luis* was a paramilitary soldier and a human trafficker. But God got hold of his heart, and when we met him in July during the Fortaleza (“strengthening”) Conference in Colombia, Luis was “trafficking” Bibles across the border into Venezuela. The warehouse where he was working, filled with 150,000 Bibles waiting to be put into people’s hands, was also filled with fearless young people and a contagious Holy Spirit passion.
Much of the news you read about Venezuela these days is bleak. But it’s not the whole story. God is at work in the hearts of millions like Luis, and a great spiritual awakening is under way.
Your generosity is helping to support that awakening by sending God’s Word to people who could never afford to own a copy otherwise. The Christmas story—Jesus’s birth in poverty and flight from His home with His family—is deeply personal in the midst of their suffering.
Around 2,000 Christian leaders from Colombia and Venezuela attended Fortaleza. Some walked as long as 19 hours to be sure they didn’t miss the chance to meet with their peers—or receive some of the 300,000 Bibles and other Scripture resources you helped give them. During Fortaleza, 3,400 young men and women also came together for a Reach4Life rally. What an incredible time of seeing God’s hand at work among today’s youth!
Pastor José took the resources you gave him back to his children’s ministry in Venezuela. Soon after the conference, he traveled 17 hours to reach the Givi indigenous people group along the Amazon. His team provides meals, clothing, and simple medical attention in this area of great poverty. But his favorite times are sharing God’s Word, singing, and having fellowship with the children and their families. His motto is, “Looking for a smile for those most in need,” and he found plenty of smiles among the Givi as he gave them copies of the Treasure Hunt Bible and other tools to help them see God’s love.
Thank you for connecting more people in Venezuela to the life-transforming power of Scripture at a time when it’s desperately needed. Luis and Pastor José are putting your generosity to good use!
*Name changed for security reasons.
Thanks to you, we gave out more than 300,000 Bibles and other resources during Fortaleza!
