Dear co-laborers in Christ’s great harvest field,

Greetings from the southern regions of the northern hemisphere! Yes, we’re still in South America, but Colombia is mostly north of the Equator, which means that we share the same seasons as North America.  Right now we’re in autumn and the days are shortening as the sun moves visibly south with each new day’s beginning.  One of our favorite times of the day is right at daybreak as we open the door to the rooftop patio and look to the east where the sun’s first rays are tinging the mountains or the clouds, depending on the weather.  Lately we’ve had some spectacular views of the Nevado de Ruiz, clearly seeing the smoke rising from volcano that became active a couple of years ago.  With the change of seasons we’re seeing much more white on the snow cap as the cooler weather leads to snowfall up there.

Blessed by the church
September started off with a special break from routine.  Sheri did not have to work the first Friday of the month so she took me to celebrate my birthday at a hot springs north of here.  We had an amazing time relaxing and enjoying the change of routine and the opportunity to see the beauty of the mountains around the hotel.  Then on Sunday we went home after church.  We’d invited one of our foster daughters and her husband for the mid-day meal and I was preparing steaks for the grill when the doorbell rang.  A couple of ladies from church were there and others followed until we had over twenty people for lunch that day! Everyone brought meat for the grill or side dishes and we had a great time.  What a blessing it was! Yes, Sheri managed to “get me” this year with a surprise party!

Studies
Sheri and I have both been continuing our college level studies.  She is studying over the internet with Summit University in Clarks Summit, PA.  This has kept us both busy as I help her in the editing department.  She’s been taking two courses per semester and she received an A for the first one this term.  I’ve been studying a college level course in World View And Societal Change that is being hosted by the local ministerial alliance.  This keeps us busy as we study along with our regular ministry work.  It has been a real blessing to me to be able to work along with some of the local ministers and other church leaders from a variety of denominations and groups.

Community Outreach
Recently we’ve been involved in a group that is seeking to bring churches together to impact the society around us.  In the spirit of Jesus’s command in John 13:34-35 and His prayer in John 17 we have been working together based on what we share instead of fighting over differences.  This lead to a beautiful time of community public prayer in the Bolivar Park downtown on the last Friday of September.  We gathered with hundreds of people from many different congregations to humbly ask God’s blessing and guidance for Colombia’s people and leaders prior to the national plebiscite on the so called peace agreement between the government and the marxist rebel forces that have tormented the country over the past five decades.  In peace and harmony we gathered to seek God’s presence and guidance and it was a blessing to see the people standing humbly in the rain that fell as we prayed together for the country and her leaders, people and churches.  

Couples’ Ministry – Love and Friendship Banquet
September is “The Month Of Love And Friendship” here in Colombia.  People get really involved in it with “secret friends” at work and school.  So each year we try to do something special with the couples that participate in our couples’ ministry.  This year we had a banquet at a restaurant across the street from the church.  They went the second mile by decorating the place attractively for the occasion and 14 couples joined together to enjoy a time of fellowship, good food and a gift exchange.  Some of the couples are not from the church, but have been referred to us by others we have helped or who we’ve become acquainted with through Sheri’s work or the English Conversation Club.  Please continue to pray with us for this ministry and the doors that are opening to the Gospel.

Paperwork and Red Tape
As the current legal representative of the group of churches we’re working with, it falls on me to take care of a lot of official business that concerns one or all of the congregations.  Currently the Colombian government is pushing the various companies that provide pensions to Colombian workers to get things in order.  This year we’ve received notice from different companies about issues dealing with workers that were/are affiliated in the name of the churches.  Most of them have been teachers at the school down in the plains, but some of them are or have been preachers in different congregations.  This has been a mental strain as there is no central repository for the paperwork.  So far we’ve been able to get most things taken care of, but there is a big issue that promises to be a tough nut to crack.  This can bring consequences in both treasure and confinement if we don’t get things in order.  Your prayers are sincerely requested that we be able to get these issues resolved.

Thank YOU!
Thank you for being a part of our team. I apologize for the lateness of this report.  This has been an odd month for us and time got out of hand.  We are very grateful for each of you who are lifting us up in prayer and contributing so that we can continue to live and minister here in Colombia. It is the certain knowledge that we have such a wonderful group of prayer partners behind us that helps us to keep on each day.

In Christ,


Paul and Sheri Moreland

--   South American Christian Mission "... to prepare the saints..." Ephesians 4:12 www.sacm.net www.paulmoreland.com