2016 PRAYER LETTERS
2015 PRAYER LETTERS
March-April 2015
Greeting from the Coffee country of Colombia,
SOMETHING TO LAUGH ABOUT…coffee is written in a Bible
· Job 7:10 TMB - "They don't return to visit their families; never again will friends drop in for coffee."
· Job 7:10 KVJ - "He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more."
NOT the King James…To bad, KJV coffee lovers…
¨The peace process in Colombia¨
Colombia is now looking to make peace with guerrilla forces by way of Peace negotiation that the Government has been doing for the past two years.
Colombia nor any other country will see total peace until the prince of peace comes and sets up his kingdom here.
Our main Job here in Colombia is to present to the Colombian People that Prince of peace:
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6).
These last few months, our people have been busy preaching about that Prince of Peace, they have been inviting folks to come to see who he is and what he is about, we present the solution to their empty hearts, confused minds and discontented life.
Pray for Carlos & Johana, Carlos just got out of prison and needs the Lord, Johana Got saved. Pray for Fabian a 23 year old Colombian born young man that lived since he was a child in the states that has returned to Colombia to live for certain reasons and got saved in our church. Pray for Cristian, a 20 year old college student that was saved in one of our house support groups Pray for Arnulfo & Sandra Cuero, a couple which got saved years ago with us and is working in their area with people that are in much conflict due to their upbringing lifestyles. Pray for Cielo Zapata, a 44 year old woman that got saved one year and half ago and is excited about her salvation, she witnesses to everyone that gives her an opportunity to do so. Pray for the Church in Cali, Iglesia Biblica Bautista La Luz Pray for Lorenzo Gonzales, he has now started to works in Bogota, one on the north side and on the south side, he and his wife Marcela, has been busy working these past year.
THANK YOU, Pastor, church family and praying partner. Without your prayers your financial support would have little impact, we are very much thankful for your economic support, but your prayers will bring eternal rewards, so I extend my gratitude for believing in this ministry and allowing me to be your missionary in the Country of Colombia.
Luis Bolaños
Dear Pastor & Church Family,
This new year of 2015 has started very well, with a new building for the church in Cali, that we have leased to buy, this of course has taken a great sacrifice on the part of the members of the (Iglesia Biblica Bautista La Luz) since they have a desire to have their own building.
Mathew 21:13 says: ¨My house shall be called the house of prayer¨
We have applied ourselves to training these men:
(From Left to Right) Jorge Trochez, Ricardo Vera, Justo Hurtado, Luis Bolaños, Luis Fernando Cortez, Jimmy Florez
These men that have a desire to get the gospel to their own people, every one of them are well trained to witness and win some one to Christ, they are devouted men that have only a desire to see people get saved.
we have asked in the past, to pray for a Brother by the name of Arnulfo Cuero & his wife Sandra, they are a busy couple, reaching the people in a very low income areas, where there is much violence and poverty.
The Cuero FamilY
(From Left to Right) Elizabeth, David, Luis Bolaños, Arnulfo & Sandra Cuero
Also pray for the new area that we have been involved in preaching to the folks that have been given houses by the Government and there is no churches of any kind there. The place is called Llano Verde, Arnulfo is also leading that group there.
Brother Jorge Trochez & Ricardo Vera has taken another proyect in a drug center where the founder of this organizacion of twenty years was not even saved and these men won him to the Lord, so he has opened the doors for us to come in one a week and teach him and the men that are in the drug programs, WHAT A BLESSING!!!!
NEWS FROM BOGOTA BETHEL SCHOOL:
We have been facing some difficult times with the school, we had some adversaries that have been wanting the school to closed, thank the Lord He is always faithful to the ones that are serving him with a clean heart.
Javier & Claudia Obando has been a blessing to that school, as they have given their lifes to not only teach the children in the academic part, but to be able to be part of their home life, involving the parents. Through this thinking, they have been able to bring several families to the Lord and are now serving in church.
NEWS FROM CHURCHES IN BOGOTA WITH GONZALEZ FAMILY
Lorenzo & Marcela: As you well know, have started a work in the North part of Bogota and trough the school they was a family that had gotten saved and wanted some one to come to the south part of Bogota to preach in their house, since Lorenzo was available, he started a group there also and now he is busy with over 20 people in the north side and over 45 people in the south, what a blessing to be able to see this family as they are busy working to reach the people of Bogota for the Lord, a city of about 10 million in population.
Continue to pray for our street ministry, as we have taken every week to reach people in the streets and in the door knocking program that the folks here have been trained and love the results.
Luis Bolaños
Dear Pastor and Church Family,
Greetings from the Coffee Capital of the World (COLOMBIA)
As we been working in Cali, for the past couple of months, the Lord has been gracious with us in allowing us to Teach and Preach to the congregation ( La Luz). God is faithful and has been sending new people to the congregation every week.
We are working with a couple that are in judicial trouble and God has placed them in our hands to help them spiritually, please PRAY for them, ( CARLOS & JOHANA ) She received the Lord as her savior but Carlos has not made that step yet, Johana is in house arrest and is very happy to be a saved woman.
Also PRAY for (MISAEL) another man that is in trouble with the law for something minor that he committed but is in house arrest AND God has been dealing with him and his wife (LUZ ESTELLA) both not yet saved.
Cielo (her name meaning Heaven) is a forty year old lady that we had helped seventeen years ago by taken her to several drug centers and after a year she came out and started coming to church with her future husband (Nelson) whom was shot down due to drug related trouble. We ran into her but now with 6 children and doing “great” in life including almost finishing college, but NO God, PRAY for CIELO and her children, that she may be able to continue coming to church as she has been doing for the past four sundays.
The Brethren of the church “LA LUZ” in Cali, are all exited about the way the church is once again moving forward, as it seems we are getting new visitors every Sunday and every week the brothers are getting contacts to invite folks in, praise God for that.
PRAYER REQUEST: We have been looking to rent another building for the church, almost had one but the owner backed out on us, please pray that the Lord will give us the correct place to hold meetings for the church. Also PRAY FOR BIBLES and GOSPEL TRACTS that we are running out. God has given me a group of men that are faithful, loyal and servants to the Lord, their names are Justo Hurtado, Jorge Trochez, Ricardo Vera & Arnulfo Cuero, please PRAY for these men that are here working with me.
Luis Bolaños
colombian_missions@colombia.com
August 2013
Greetings From Colombia,
Psalms 2:8 “ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession”.
THE GREAT COMISSION:
We have been traveling to several cities in the last two months, helping other national Pastors and missionary friends that were holding some evangelistic meetings. We have also been doing a lot of street preaching in smaller towns where they are mostly very religious and devoted to the Catholic church and the “Holy Mother Mary”. As we preach in the main parks and in front of the Catholic church where the people congregate the most. The psalm quoted earlier is what we are asking God to do for us, give us the Heathen for our inheritance that we may win some, and other towns and villages for the Glory of God.
THE GREAT BLESSINGS:
We travel to several towns with Missionary Marco Perez, where we been able to win several folks to the Lord Jesus Christ.
As we travel from Medellin to Armenia (about a 7 hour Drive through the mountains) Bro. Marco Perez' car broke down and we had to stay several days in a small town called (La pintada), so while the mechanic fixed the car and we waited for parts to come in from the bigger city about two hours away, the Lord opened doors for us to preach to the people, and the Lord gave five souls that came to the saving knowledge of the Lord. Gloria, the Hotel receptionist was saved in the morning, and in the evening she came from her house and told us to go and visit her friend that wanted to hear what we told her, and she also was saved, her name is Patricia. Next day we meet a family and they were all saved, The man's name is Leo and his wife Beatriz and the 20 year old daughter is Lynna, the next night we had a meeting at their house and they invited some neighbors and we preached to them. So Romans 8:28 always comes to mind when something goes wrong, God has a purpose for it.
THE GREAT VISION:
As we have stated in past prayer letters, we continue to be in Cali helping the church there and Brother Arnulfo Cuero in the other side of town encouraging these men and their work. We have several men that Brother Arnulfo has won to Christ that are most interested in learning the Bible, so we will open the Bible School in Cali once again, but this time, we are getting some help from Pastor Jeff Mc Artle, as he will be giving us the material that we need to get the Bible School marching. Our vision is still the same, win the lost, disciple them and trained them to be involved in the ministry.
Missionary Luis Bolanos
June 2013
Dear Pastor & Church Family,
In Nehemiah 4 the word “WORK” is written seven times, but in that chapter in verse 19 it says that the “work” is great and large.
Since my last letter in April, I reported to you that I have gone into Cali to help the church (Iglesia Bautista La Luz or The Light House Baptist Church) and also the Group that Arnulfo Cuero has been teaching and discipline. The process of getting a church back into its feet is with much difficult, but as we stated in the book of Nehemiah it is “WORK” and that is what we’re here in Colombia to do.
On April 16 through the 19th, Sister Marsha Farley (our Pastor’s wife) and a couple of the ladies from our home church, came for a ladies meeting that we arrange to be held in Bogota with the ladies from the Christian School Bethel located in Bogota, a ministry that we are working with Pastor Lorenzo Gonzales and Javier Obando to reach the children of that zone through the academic education and be able to bring them and their families to the knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Combined with the mothers and friends of the school with the ladies of Pastor Freddy Nieto’s church ( Iglesia Bautista De Suba) were over three hundred ladies that attended the meeting. God touched the Hearts of many women as over 15 ladies were saved and many made commitments to follow the lord and work with their children.
I have also been traveling into other towns, preaching and distributing gospel literature in obedience to the word of God that tells us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. During this gospel distribution, I meet a man by the name of Milton, whom I was able to talk to him for over an hour, as I presented to him the clear Gospel message, he was able to understand the need for his eternal salvation. Milton is a very humble man that has heard the Gospel many times in the past, but was yet to make a decision, I thank the Lord that He used me to reach out to this man that was confused and empty with no hope of the future, please pray for him. Also a teenager by the name of David that is hooked on drugs and lives part of his life in the streets, the Lord used me to reach out to this young 19 year old and lead him to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I also would like for you to pray for a young couple by the name of Oscar and Mercy, she is only seventeen years old and is expecting a baby, Oscar is only 18, I was able to deal with them already several times, though they have not yet made a decision to be saved, they are listening as I have been visiting them often, please pray that God would reach into their hearts and allow the spirit of God to bring conviction to their soul.
Please pray for the Towns of Palmira, Florida, Jamundi, Buga and Tulua, which has no Independent Baptist church whatsoever. We will continue to visit this towns that are within an hour from Cali. Thanks for the many prayers you do on our behalf, God Bless.
Luis Bolaños
colombian_missions@colombia.com
April 2013
Greetings From the country of Colombia,
Arriving in Armenia, Colombia and been able to be in the church of Missionary Marcos Perez that has a church in Montenegro, a town outside of Armenia was a real blessing and refreshing time with the brethren there, I was asked to preached that first Sunday after my arrival and was good to preach again in Colombian soil.
Since than I have been praying about what God wants me to start doing here. I left Armenia to go into Cali to see what has become of the brethren there, I meet with some of the men there and seems like there are in much difficulties with the church, Arnulfo Cuero has a group of about 20 people that he has been preaching to and teaching them the Bible, I talked to My Pastor and he suggested for me to stay in Cali for a couple of months to help this brother get that work going and try to help the other brethren of the Church (La Luz)get back in order and reconcile, Please pray for the brethren in Cali.
I am at this moment in Medellin, where I have been scouting the territory where I feel God wants me to come here to start this Bible Institute and hopefully a church to be birth through the men that we train.
Brethren, I am going to need much prayer coming from you, the task is difficult but God gives us strength to reach the goals set in our heart by the Lord.
Before I left I visited a few churches and shared the need of some funds to buy all the equipment to start the bible school, including renting building, desk, computer, coping machine, office items and also transportation, we are still in need for this funds, if your are able to help please send a special offerning to my home church (Shady Acres Baptist Church) attach BIBLE SCHOOL FUNDS....this would be a real blessing for us to get started.
Thank you Brethren for your continue prayers and support, may the Lord keep you in his arms.
Luis Bolaños
Missionary in Colombia.
December 2012
Dear Brethren,
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
The Text commands us to do three things; 1. to not conform 2. to transform 3. to prove
This year that I have been here in the states, God has showed me the lessons stated above. By not conforming to this world I am able to transform my mind and than prove the will of God.
As this year is coming to an end, more than ever I see the will of God for me and the work he has commanded me to do, in-spite of the difficult that I have gone through, I am now ready to continue the responsibility that God has placed upon my shoulders in carrying the Gospel message to the People of Colombia.
DISTRIBUTE: I ask you to pray for ammunition that we will need to carry over into Colombia, lest any one think the wrong way, am talking about, Bibles, gospel tracts, teaching literature for Bible School level, books that will help in training men for the ministry, Bible curriculum for Bible Institute level and other christian literature.(preferably in spanish, but if you have material in english, it will work just as well) email:colombian_missions@colombia.com
DELIVER: The Bible says: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. Colossians 1:13
This is the reason why we have a continued desire to get the Gospel to our people in Colombia, time is short and the heat of the battle is strong. Pray with us, as we deliver this great message of Jesus Christ and the free gift of Eternal life.
DIVISION: The definition of division is The action of separating something, the last church that we started has had a division within this past year, some of the brethren left and are meeting together in another area and the others were not able to pay rent for the building and also left...please pray that God would touch their hearts to be able to come together and continue the work, it is often hard to see a work destroyed after we have labor hard for it, nevertheless it is Gods work and not mine, have the brethren of the (iglesia Bautista La Luz) in your prayers.
DEPARTURE: As I said in my last letter in October, my date of departure will be in January 2013, Lord willing, so please pray that God will provide for the needed items for the trip.
We have a few needs that need to be meet as we arrive there in Colombia, please pray for the funds needed. Will need funds for transportation, building to rent, as we will be starting a bible school, we will need funds to buy tables, chairs, chalk boards, desktop computer, copiers and any office material needed.
Luis A. Bolaños
Missionary in Colombia. South America
October 2012
Greeting my brethren, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ…
“So then because thou art lukewarm…” Revelations 3:16
This is the condition of the church of Laodicea, one that claims to be alright, to have it all under control, to be rich and increasing with goods, yet God said she has nothing…
As the traveling has taken me to various churches in these last few months, I have notice the Revelations 3:16 church conditions has become more prevailing than any other time in the past…now, it’s not the case in all the churches, but the presence of the end times is stronger than ever.
PRAY FOR NEEDS So with that in mind, I want to remind our praying partners to continue to lift up your eyes and LOOK on the fields, for they are more than ready to harvest. With that said, I want to ask you to pray that our departure to Colombia will be as planned for the First part of January 2013 as we have stated in the last couple of letters. PRAY also for Bibles, Gospel Tracts and Bible teaching and training material that we’ll need; also PRAY that the Lord will provide a good reliable transportation as we will be doing much traveling to the many towns in that area.
PLANS FOR THE MISSION The plans are to be in a different part of Colombia towards the northwest, much of the Gospel has not reached that area, due to the heavy guerrilla activities in the past, which is somewhere in between Medellin and Cartagena. Training will be our priority to get churches started; we must have the laborers that will be used to also go into the fields of Colombia.
PARTNERING WITH OUR MINISTRY The first part of Revelations 3:18 God says to Buy gold of Him…He’s not actually talking about the gold that we make rings and chains and several other ornaments out of, he is talking about something that will cost us to trade him with, one of these is in missions, it is the sacrifice that will take to get a soul to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I want to thank you for continuing to believe in this ministry in Colombia, though it has been trough much trials and difficulties, the work must continue and the ministry of the Lord will prevail. May the Lord Bless you richly.
Luis A. Bolaños
August 2012
Dear Praying friends,
The harvest is past , the summer is ended , and we are not saved .
This was a verse by the prophet Jeremiah, one that did not go through all the troubles as many other prophets did, but saw the people rejecting the word of God as time passes by.
This summer is almost coming to an end, and we have seen folks come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and have used us as instruments to reach those people.
VISITING SUPPORTING CHURCHES: It has been a real blessing as I have been visiting in the past couple of months, many of our supporting churches, some that I have not been there for the past ten years or more, and I enjoyed been able to see church members that are still going strong and faithfully serving the Lord; we visited churches in Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia area. I appreciate the Pastors and members of these churches that express concern and the desire to continue our support. We were able to give report and present what God has allowed us to do there in Colombia.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOS: since I have been back to our home church(shady acres Baptist Church) we have been involved with the people in the area of helping with the visitation and other activities of our church, this past couple of weeks, we had our vacation Bible school but in a different way than traditional, we took it to apartment units where we had games and all the things that we do regularly in VBS but in their territory, it was a blessing that I was able to preach to the children and seen their parents and older teenagers around the sides watching and listening what was going on, best idea ever.
VISION FOR THE COLOMBIAN PEOPLE AND OTHER SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES: We continue to keep the vision for our people in Colombia, hopefully this next few months we can be able to raise a little more support that is needed before returning back to Colombia, we are also hoping to reach out into other South American countries, especially those that we have visited in the past, as Ecuador, Venezuela and Brazil. Pray that we can extend this vision to the regions beyond you…
If any Pastor would like for me to come by and give report before returning to Colombia, please send an email colombian_missions@colombia.com or ( 713)836- 0475, if am not able to answer please leave a message with name and phone number for me to reach you.
Luis A. Bolaños
Joshua 1: 8-9
June 2012
Greeting my brethren, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ..
A quick report of what we have been doing while here in the states on this furlough and the continuance of the mission works in Colombia.
First I thank the Lord for the Salvation that he has given me and the many blessings that God on a constant basis has provided, and the doors that God opens to be able to serve him. We must go on Forward preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ.
MEXICO TRIP: we were able to travel to Mexico City for a three week trip to help Missionary Walt & Maria Selman(missionaries out of my home church) on their two weeks evangelistic campaign; we started the first week knocking on doors in the area where the church is located, we were able to meet a good number of folks and invite them to the meeting, when the week of the revival started, God began to bring the folks that we had invited and many others that came by invitation of the members of the church.
Evangelist Terrel Jackson did most of the preaching and I translated, Brother Glenn Perriraz of Shady acres also helped with the preaching and the music, I also was able to preach to the church that week before the meeting. God Moved every night as the preaching went forth, there were in total of 8 souls that were saved through that evangelistic effort.
COLOMBIAN UPDATES: The brethren in Colombia are still going on forward for the Glory of God, though at times they get setbacks like all of us do, but by encouragement and a push to continue, will remind them where God brought them out from…
FUTURE TRIP IN U.S.A: I will be getting in touch with many of our supporting churches to be able to start visiting sometime after July, we plan to be in the states until January 2013, if we visit the churches that we need to be in total, the dates may change for an earlier time…
Thanks for your prayer and support that has been instrumental in the furtherance of the Gospel here and the regions beyond you.
Luis Bolanos
Feb. 2012
Dear Praying friends,
2 Corinthians 10:16 To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you…
In spite of all the trials that has been set before me in the past few years, the Lord has been good and He is to be praised for all his doings.
PLANS FOR PRESENT AND FUTURE MISSION WORK : since I have been asked by several pastors about our plans about returning to the mission field I thought I would explain that here. We have been in Houston with my 16 year old daughter Elizabeth that is enrolled in the Shady Acres Christian school; we have been able to enjoy the benefits of meeting new members that had gotten saved since I was last in our home church, it has been a real blessing to not only getting to know some, but been able to do much visitation and personal work with them. Our plans are to be in the states for this year of 2012 and return back to Colombia by the middle of 2013, we will be traveling to some of our supporting churches by the middle of this year and mission trips to other countries that God has open doors from fellow missionaries and national pastors that call us for help them in meetings.
The Lord has allowed us to widen our vision in carrying the gospel to regions beyond us, this past month we travel to Chile, South America to help a fellow missionary by the name of Phillip & Brenda Robinson out of Iglesia Biblica Bautista de Hialiah in Miami, Florida. I accompany Pastor Jeff McArdle and his wife sister Medina with Pastor Jorge & wife Lisa Garcia that were a great blessing to me during the trip.
CHILE MISSION TRIP….what a blessing it was to be able to go out into the highways and hedges to compel sinners to come in; God gave us 16 souls that we were able to bring to Christ for the Glory of God, I know numbers is not what counts, we could have had one that was saved and that would of brought rejoicing in heaven, but God choose to give us sixteen precious souls that came to the knowledge of the one who brought them to repentance and turning from darkness to the marvelous light. The preaching came about as we went from town to town preaching in plazas(parks) and street corners where people of strong catholic religion would listen as we lifted our voice as a trumpet. We also had the privilege to be part of a Bible Institute graduation and ordination service to to the pastor of a new established church, as I gave the charge to the church the last day of our trip, a 45 year old man came to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, PRAISE GOD!!!!
REVIVAL MEETING IN NEDERLAND, TEXAS. As soon as we arrived from Chile, immediately we went to Nederland, Texas to preach a three day revival meeting at Mid-County Baptist Church with Pastor Will Agy, and what a blessing it was…it was just that, a REVIVAL meeting, God revived the hearts of the members of Mid-County to make some decisions and commitments that for a very long time had been waiting to do. Pastor Agy had been ill for quite some time, but praise God this year, the Lord not only raised him up but touch his heart to get the folks at Mid-County Baptist Church stirred up to get busy in getting the Gospel out in their Jerusalem.
FUTURE MISSION TRIP, MEXICO: Brother Walt & Maria Selman, missionaries from our home church will be having an evangelistic campaign meeting in Mexico city, Mexico in April 21 to 6 of May. We were invited to help with the door to door personal evangelistic work and open door meetings for one week and an evangelistic meeting the next week at the church that the Selma Family have established recently. Pray that the Lord will give us souls for our labor and safety in a present violent country do to the much drug trafficking that has taking over mexico.
Luis Bolaños