Church is Home

Hello dear friends! Back in March Alejandra and I made the tough decision to give back our apartment to its landlord so we could invest more of our resources in the church in Cucuta. For one whole year we really enjoyed that place, and it was fun to host people and share the gospel to our neighbors, and look out at the beautiful view of the mountains.

The picture above was taken the last day we hosted some of our friends there, and it was wonderful to just sit around after the meal that evening and drink coffee, as we shared our lives as couples, and prayed for one another in the different challenges we were facing.

We still get together to eat and pray with our friends whenever we get a chance, but now we do it in restaurants or in the church building, where Alejandra and I currently live.

Inversely, the church in Cucuta always used to meet in restaurants and conference rooms, but now we have our own little building where we can pray and worship and study the Scriptures and break bread together, as we linger over the person of Christ, and share our love.

Sometimes Alejandra and I wish we could be in multiple places at the same time so we could visit (and live in) various churches at once, but we just can't.

In a way that's good though, because it forces us to work as a team with other friends to build up the churches that God has entrusted us with... That's the way it's supposed to work anyway, right? Just as Paul described in 1 Corinthians 3:6-7, when he clarified that he planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth... That neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

Especially the Refuge Church in Cucuta is the one that needs the most growth, but which has the fewest number of people who are able or willing to visit it and preach.

Well... I take that back. There are actually two couples who I (Sam) had the privilege of marrying that Alejandra and I trust and cherish a lot. One of those couples is Juan Pablo and Valentina who are from the church in Duitama but are currently in Cucuta encouraging the church there, as they simultaneously work online.

This last Friday before they left we put on a missions meeting in Duitama to pray for them and collect an offering to help them on their way (3 John 6-8).

Then, in a couple weeks Alejandra and I are going to travel with another couple who are teachers at an American school in Bogota (and who are part of the Parkway church there in the capital), to pick up where Juan Pa and Vale will leave off.

I know that a lot of you can't so easily just jump on a plane and serve in either one of these cities to asisst in the strengthening of these churches (though if you can and want to let's definitely talk!), but maybe you can give financially a little, if you like, to support Alejandra's and my life and ministry.

If that's the case, just follow the instructions on the Christian Missions in Many Lands website www.cmml.us/waystogive designating the gift to Sam and Alejandra Killins, or follow the "Support" link on our CMML missions profile site: www.cmml.us/m/702

Thank you so much!!!