Without a permanent place of worship, Esneda’s congregation scatters. How will she find a church home?

My name is Barbaneda de Jesús Calle, although most people call me Esneda. I live in La Unión, Valle, Colombia. Now that I am in my later years, I can reflect on my life and see how patiently God has led me.

When I was younger, I enjoyed comfort, possessions and the luxuries of life; but as the years passed, I realized that material things do not last. To fill the void in my life, I tried attending several different denominations. The one I stayed with the longest was the Jehovah’s Witnesses, but even while dedicating my time and efforts to their work, I felt empty inside.

Then someone introduced me to the Adventist message, and I began attending services. At last, I had found a church home. In La Unión, however, we did not have a church building or even a reliable gathering place, and, over time, the congregation faded away. Then dissident groups came in and scattered what remained of the congregation. All of this discouraged me deeply. Without a local church, I did not bother to look up a more distant Adventist congregation.

Several years passed, and my health began to decline. Then one day, I heard that a new Adventist group had begun meeting in my area with Juvenal Galo as Bible instructor. The news filled me with joy and renewed hope.

When I arrived at the newly opened Adventist church, I recognized familiar faces I had not seen in years. I also noticed the absence of some of the former members. The young people especially had drifted away.

As I attended Sabbath after Sabbath, I felt a growing desire to recommit my life to God. On Sabbath, September 14, 2024, I gave my life to Jesus in baptism. After years of confusion, that day of commitment was very special to me. Pastor Adiel Trejos, president of our Central Colombia Conference, baptized me. Although the ceremony made my knees hurt, I had a heart full of gratitude for the church that had prayed for me and supported me at every step. After the baptism, we shared a meal together, making it a perfect day of fellowship.

Each Sabbath morning, one of the church members comes to pick me up since the church is too far from my home for me to walk. At times, I feel embarrassed to ask for help, but my church family’s loving willingness to serve has touched my heart.

Please pray for our congregation as we work toward obtaining a permanent place of worship. It may take time, but we are praying for God’s guidance to know where He would have His church established in our community. We now know how important it is for a church to have a permanent home! Each Sabbath, we contribute what we can toward the building project. Many among us depend on temporary work, and some, like myself, are no longer able to work; still, we trust in God’s providence and believe that one day—hopefully soon—we will have our own church to worship in. This will help keep our congregation stable!

The dissident groups still visit me sometimes, but the leaders of my church are aware and have been studying with me as well. I continue to study the Scriptures carefully and with prayer. I trust that God will guide me as I walk in His path!  

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Location
Colombia

Author
Narrated by Barbaneda de Jesús Calle to Juvenal Galo, the director of the Bible and Evangelism Department at Fundación Las Delicias.

How You Can Help
Pray for Barbaneda to remain faithful to the message and to be a witness to the power of God in her life.

Pray for Barbaneda’s church to raise the funds for their own permanent place of worship.

Give to the work in Colombia by sending your donations marked “Colombia Evangelism” to:

Mission Projects International
PO Box 237
Kirksville, MO 63501

To give securely online, visit: 
www.missionspro.org/donate

Thank you. Fundación Las Delicias says “thank you” to all the MPI supporters for your contributions to God’s work in their part of the world!