Babies and Journalists (Update from Venezuela)

Hello - As Jesus was heading to the cross, the evangelist Luke reports that a lot of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him... Luke then reports that at that moment, 'Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’ For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”' (Luke 23:27-31). ... As many countries in the (Western) world are watching their birthrates fall, I wonder if this is one of those prophecies that is starting to come true? ...According to this graph from Visual Capitalist:

Venezuela seemes to have exactly the right birth replacement rate to keep the population as is (excluding, of course, the 25% displacement rate); but it is true that sometimes I think about everything that Venezuela has (and is) going through, and it's like - man, I know that people consider that stuff whenever they're thinking about having kids, so I could understand why the birthrate is falling... What's weird though, is that it isn't falling in Venezuela or in many other poor African nations, but it is rather, in some of the richest and healthiest ones! ...What Jesus was getting at however, as he approached the climax of his mission, is that if the world at that time had the privilege of hosting the very Lord of all Creation, and yet that's the way we treated him - the truest mourning and wailing will happen when God's judgement will come, and humanity itself will wish we didn't even exist. ...Notwithstanding, a passage that I always think about whenever disaster strikes is at the beginning of Luke 13, when Jesus clarifies that a couple specific tragedies that happened back in his day weren't a result of any specific people being any worse sinners than others (v.1-5)... Instead, maybe earthquakes and wars and economic depressions can serve as warning signs to make us repent; as we imagine a greater calamity to come... So what do we do in the meantime? Well, we share the good news (Matt 28:16-20, Mark 16:14-18, Luke 24:44-49, John 20:19-23). And we also do good to all people, especially to those of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10).

...So yesterday I spent about 5 hours trying to get permission to travel to the interior of Venezuela to help any way I could, but for now I was denied access... As I was waiting for my interview, it was certainly interesting to talk with journalists from Caracol and NPR, and realize that in many ways we share a similar profession (as essentially Alejandra and I are journalists of Jesus) - just like they report history as well... For now, I'm going to try to get a few things in order, and see if in about a week the Venezuelan authorities will re-evaluate my case. In the meantime, Alejandra's and my offer still stands for anyone reading this email, to stay at our apartment in San Cristobal for a few days, as you may want to join us in sharing the gospel or in doing good to all people (especially if you can find a way to get further into Venezuela than I can)...

Also, if you would like to help our church in Duitama (located in Boyaca, Colombia which is lot easier to get to), you are also welcome to spend a few nights in our apartment there, which is located directly below our meeting room

The point is that journalists in general just want to get the story out there, and however we can help each other accomplish that - we should! (let's just make sure we get the story straight)... I for one, know from experience all around the world, that whenever Christians open up their home for me to lay my head, it really means a lot.

-Sam Killins Missionary Profile: ---------------------------------------- Very few passages talk about how God is a midwife who opens the womb (Isaiah 66:7-9) or how God is like a mother who nurses her children who are looking to be comforted (Isaiah 66:13; 49:15). Doulos (doula) means servant or slave in Greek, and when we're talking about brothers and sisters in the faith, I was so happy to accompany them to go through one of the most important transitions in life. To Lina, David, and Emet (a girl), it was a privilege to give them the best of me for a couple of months, making an extensive accompaniment a couple weeks before and after the birth of their baby girl. On the day of the labor, I spent the night going back and forth from their house to mine to be able to attend the needs of my own family and also theirs. With a wonderful work team, they prepared themselves for months to be able to receive their baby at home, and by the grace of God, everything was a success. This is just a very little example of how we can serve our family in Christ, even more on the areas where we are new. We can always point others to Jesus.

-Alejandra Killins Missionary Profile: -------------------------------------- Recently I've been talking with my friend and colleague Juan Carlos Corredor to see if the name of the church that Alejandra and our friends and I want to start in San Cristobal, Venezuela could be called Levantemonos y Edifiquemos (Rise Up and Build)...

...While 3 of the churches Alejandra and a bunch of other friends and I started in Colombia are called Refugio (Refuge), the name of our close allies Levantemonos y Edifiquemos has a more appropriate connotation for what the Lord has laid on our hearts to accomplish in Venezuela... The name "Refuge" carries a connotation of being a place where sinners can run to and find protection (think: the cities of refuge in Numbers, Deuteronomy and Joshua where someone who committed involuntary manslaughter could run and find refuge in until the high priest died); and we also liked the idea and fact that many Venezuelan immigrants were finding their way into our churches in which they were welcomed and valued and cared for... At this time in Venezuela though, definitely the idea of building up and edifying a Christ honoring church within the rubble, is the job we have before us (think: Nehemiah). -Sam Killins Missionary Profile:

Homer Simpson Fruit

Hi - One of the most hilarious stores in our neighborhood is called Fruteria Homero Simpson ...Whenever we drive past that place I always smile in thinking about how the negative stereotype of a dumb, passive, and irresponsible cartoon character from Springdale who loves drinking beer has been transformed in San Cristobal into a healthy-conscious fellow who eats fruit!

And even that - just to give you an example of how things are progressing in Venezuela - just in this short amount of time that we've been living in San Cristobal - the fruit store's mural has now been updated and improved to include the one and only Marge (who lovingly shares her fruit with her husband (but please don't confuse this image with the tragic story of the fall of Adam and Eve))...

Anyway, another really interesting picture is this one:

...I know that safety is somewhat important, but the roads in Venezuela aren't too conducive to people driving very fast anyway, and sometimes I feel like too many restrictions can stifle the excitement of just being alive... I feel like there's something really cool about seeing a group of kids with wind in their faces talking and having fun without any cell phones... Sometimes I wonder which is more dangerous - riding in the back of a pick up, or unlimited distraction from a cell phone?

Okay, so Alejandra and I don't let Jackson ride by himself in the back (or on the top or on the bumper) of any vehicle at his age

- but we do let him ride in the front with his mom without a child-safety seat (please don't judge us too harshly) ... And man, I tell you what - but Alejandra is such a trooper for being willing to go such long distances while taking such good care of Jackson...

Right now we're back in Duitama so that Alejandra can help as a dula for the birth of Lina and David's daughter,

but after that, we're heading back to Venezuela again, without any plans of driving any long distances any time soon

And as for flying - the first direct commercial flight from the US to Venezuela in nearly 7 years departed at the end of April as another indication of improved relations between both nations

And as for improved relations, who knows? Maybe even John Peasland will include us in his missionary prayer handbook this next year as well... If he or anyone else receiving and reading this email would like to come visit us - we have a nice guest room available for you which you'd be welcome to stay in... You can even arrive at midnight! and if you do, I'll run out and ask a neighbor for 3 loaves of bread to give you (Luke 11:5-8)... If you're lucky, I'll even run over to Fruteria Homero Simpson and fetch you some fruit

...But yeah, the point of that parable is that in pleading to God for something, sometimes we should even be annoyingly intense about it. If in a human sense we pay attention to annoying beggars - so much more will God (v.9-10)... So thank you for praying for us and for the Torres family. They are doing well by the grace of God

Please also pray for the Guerrero family... They've always been our closest friends in Venezuela, and they're trying to finish building an extra room in their house

Please also pray for the new church we want to start. A couple weeks ago I spoke again with my good friend and restaurant owner and man of peace Gino - and I'm really excited that he wants to endorse our vision and somehow be a part of it. I really hope that someday he will ask God to receive Holy Spirit

Even evil me - if I know how to give good gifts to Jackson, how much more will our heavenly Father give us the greatest gift of all? (v.9-13)

Sam and Alejandra Killins Missionary Profile:

A Small and New Beginning

Hello - One of my good friends once told me "thanks for going places and doing stuff that we can't" and I never really thought about it much until recently... Honestly, he's the one that does a lot of stuff that I don't know how to do, and when it comes to being a missionary - I've always loved it. I think it's a privilege and a joy to be commended, prayed for, and supported as Alejandra and I go about making disciples, starting churches, baptizing new believers, and teaching our friends to obey everything that Jesus commanded... I know that many of you can't do that in Venezuela, but empowering and encouraging us to do so is so indispensable.

...So the big news is that I signed the contract for an apartment in San Cristobal, Venezuela a couple weeks ago; and we'll make the big move and live there before the end of this month, Lord willing.

The water and lights frequently go out in Venezuela; and it's annoying to have to pass through so many military checkpoints whenever we cross the border,

but working with our friends and sharing our lives and God's love with them is what makes it totally worth it.

I already found a meeting room for our potential church,

and the fact that it's at a soccer club makes it quite attractive for the upcoming World Cup.

...On the Monday after the triumphal entry Jesus cursed a fig tree because it had no fruit... Not only was Jesus hungry right then, but he was also extremely frustrated with how the system of the temple was mostly just a facade...

This whole idea that I'm pitching for where Alejandra and I want to start a church is cool and it's starting to look nice and gain a bit of traction... Our real desire though, is that our lives bear much fruit for God, and that we remain connected to Him every step of the way, because without Him we can do nothing.

We want to delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on it so as to not wither away (Psalm 1)... We want to prosper in everything we do, and may we yield the fruit of God's righteousness wherever we go... May the Lord of the Harvest watch over us as we look to Him.

-Sam and Alejandra Killins Missionary Profile: P.S. After Jesus cursed the fig tree, the disciples were impressed that the tree really did wither! In Mark 11:22-24 Jesus responded to their astonishment by saying, “Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." I know it's kind of silly, but I'm always a little encouraged when I go into a supermarket in Venezuela and I can find some mustard powder... Even with the little bit of genuine faith that we have in our Lord Jesus - I think that God can do a lot (even more than we can ask or imagine!) through us and the core group of friends that we want to work with... Perhaps it will be a small beginning, but I believe that it can grow into something wonderful that will give God even more glory. Psalm 115:1

San Cristobal Forerunners

Hello - One of my favorite aspects of Jesus' ministry is that he prioritized proclaiming the good news of God (Mark 1:14-15)... Yes, even though he cast out demons and performed many miracles - one of the things that truly amazed people about Jesus was that "he taught them as one who had authority" (v.22, 27)... On one occasion, after working late into the night (v.29-34), the Son of God snuck away early in the morning to pray (v. 35); only to be interrupted by Simon and his companions who informed him of his celebrity status (v.37)... Jesus' response is awesome - what he says is: "let us go somewhere else - to the nearby villages - so I can preach there also. That is why I have come" (v.38). ...I know that a lot of people think that Alejandra and I are pretty ridiculous for going around to a bunch of cities establishing churches that are often barely able to fly; only to then leave them and do the same thing somewhere else; but however irresponsible people think we are, I still think it's valid and important that we keep moving around to share the good news of Jesus with others, as we establish more churches that keep proclaiming Christ even in our absence. ...So what's the next city where we want to start another church? Yep, you guessed it: San Cristobal, Venezuela.

But perhaps more important than where we want to start another church - maybe with whom we want to do it is even more exciting.

Yalinxon and Angela have been a couple for about 10 years, and Alejandra and I had the privilege of meeting them in Duitama and sharing the gospel with them and discipling them; and then just recently I got to marry Yalinxon and Angela while Alejandra arranged everything for their wedding...

As is the case for many Venezuelans - getting all their papers in order is often pretty tricky, but once Yalinxon and Angela got legally married and expressed their desire to have a ceremony at our church, Alejandra got right after it in helping them set everything up, and about 2 weeks ago we celebrated their union as husband and wife before God.

Ever since the capture of Nicolas Maduro, the Torres family started planning their return to Venezuela, and so a few days after their wedding I offered to take Yalinxon and 2 of his boys to the Venezuelan border in my tuck-tuck.

Once we made it and Angela arrived with her and her husband's youngest son by bus - we crossed the border and traveled to San Cristobal where I showed them around...

Originally the Torres family were thinking about traveling all the way back to Caracas, but once we were in Venezuela, I told them about Alejandra's and my intention to come back to San Cristobal to start a church, and that if they were up for it - maybe they could help us do just that, as we could maybe help them find an apartment...

Well, we found a furnished apartment, and they signed the contract for at least three months, and so we're good to go now... Yalinxon is hoping to get a job as a soccer coach, and it seems like there is already a good chance that he will get hired...

He's had a lot of experience as a coach, and I feel like both Alejandra and Angela make for pretty good soccer moms...

...About a month ago we had the honor of hosting some awesome Christian Scottish football blokes who really encouraged both Yalinxon and myself

Sometimes it's through things as simple as playing soccer or going to eat pizza that real friendships are formed; which leads to really important conversations about who Jesus is; which leads to more thorough scrutiny of the Scriptures; which can then lead to people being saved; and then even... I don't know... maybe even starting a church?

The pizza restaurant in the above pics ⬆️ is owned by an Italian man named Gino who moved to Venezuela when he was about 3 years old, and has become a good friend of mine... When Alejandra and I were living in San Cristobal over a year ago, Gino let us use his restaurant to have meetings in, and hopefully we'll get to do that again before too long...

-Sam Missionary Profile:

P.S. While I went to Venezuela, Alejandra travelled to the coffee region of Colombia with our son, as they went to celebrate Jackson's great grandpa's 97th birthday...

I remember the only time that my dad met Alejandra's grandpa he shared the gospel with him... please pray that Alejandro Mondragon will cling to Jesus in faith before he leaves this earth...