The Great Commission given by Jesus invites us to make disciples of all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Since Jesus shared that command with the disciples, the good news of salvation has been preached in all languages and in the most remote places.
In harmony with Jesus’ request, the Spanish-speaking churches in the Nevada-Utah Conference (NUC) planned an evangelistic exchange with pastors from Colombia, South America. From February 11 to 19, eight pastors from the Colombian East Association powerfully preached the good news of salvation in NUC’s Spanish- speaking churches.
It was not an easy undertaking at a time when we still had COVID-19 health protocols in the churches. At a time when even our members are slowly returning to our churches, getting friends and neighbors to attend services turned out to be a challenge. Nevertheless, by the grace of God, the attendance of members and visiting friends was surprisingly good.
The participating churches were Maranatha, Salem, Torre Fuerte, Paraíso, and Camino a Cristo in Las Vegas; the Reno-Sparks Spanish church in northern Nevada; and the Ogden, New Jerusalem, and Nueva Esperanza churches in Utah.
The guest speakers from the Colombian East Association were Roberto Carvajal, president; Jeremías Gamboa, executive secretary; Neil Ortiz, treasurer; Julio César Solano, evangelist; Evangelio Amado, evangelist and director of evangelism; Dorlay Tarazona, youth director; and two district pastors, Jesus Rueda and Luis Eduardo Lemus.
The NUC Hispanic churches thank God for the abundant sowing of the precious seed of the gospel in dozens of hearts. They also glorify God for the 21 beautiful souls baptized at the end of these evangelistic meetings. NUC President Carlos Camacho had this to say about the success of this exchange: “It was really a treat to see the response of the churches throughout the conference. On one of the nights, the pastor made an appeal, and a young man gave his life to Jesus right then and there.”
This evangelistic exchange had been put on hold since 2020 for obvious reasons. Praise God for the church's response, even with the health protocols that prevail. In appreciation, the Colombian colleagues were taken to visit the Grand Canyon Sky Walk, among other local places. Most of them experienced snowfall for the first time ever.
The NUC Hispanic Ministries Department would like to extend their gratitude for the support of this evangelistic effort by our president, Carlos A. Camacho, and our treasurer, Karen Schneider. Also, thanks go to the team of NUC pastors for the attention of the churches toward our guest evangelists.
In the month of May of this year, the pastoral team will culminate this evangelistic exchange by going to preach in Colombia. They are looking forward to serving in the Columbia East Association.
Let us continue advancing in the work of sharing Jesus, because He is coming soon. This is the humble attempt of NUC Hispanic Ministries to join the world church in word and deed as we respond, “I will go.”
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By Benjamin Carballo
