Punta Bolivar, Colombia—From June 9-12, a Youth Convention was held in Punta Bolivar, Colombia under the theme: With Jesus I Will Leave My Footprints.
It was a blessed event with many young people in attendance and special messages and practical activity throughout the four days we spent together. The convention took place beside the beach, and every morning, at five a.m., we met the young people on the beach to run and exercise.
On Thursday, the young people were divided into four groups. These four groups were sent out in missionary activities of different kinds.
The first group was the medical missionary group. This group provided appointments with doctors and therapists, massages, face mask applications, and clothing donations. Over four hundred people were served.
The second group was the building team. This team assisted a fishing family of five, four of which were very ill. The young people renovated the family’s boat, built an addition to their house, installed windows in the house, changed the mattresses and bedding, painted the house, and covered the porch where some family members worked with artisanal handicrafts.
The third group formed the music and literature distribution group. They went throughout the city distributing five hundred the Great Controversy books, accompanied by singers and guitar musicians that played and sang as they gave the books away.
The final group was the food basket distribution team. They approached people who were working on the street with humble jobs (fruit, water, or candy sellers) and after talking a little to get to know them, they would gift them a food basket, sing and pray with them.
It was a beautiful and extremely fruitful day, where we saw the love and gratitude of hundreds of people.
The youth were excited and motivated, and as youth leaders, we were very grateful for the opportunity to be of service to the people in the community.
As a final result of the work, ninety people have requested a home visit and Bible study, and many others were blessed by the word of God!
One of the individuals that received the youths’ aid said something that marked us deeply: “Keep taking Jesus out of your churches and bringing Him to the streets.”
This work was directed by the Youth Department of the Colombian Union and the local youth, with the participation of the GC Welfare Department Director, the Colombian Union Welfare Department Director, the Colombian Union Health Department Director, and Pastor Boanerges, a Medical Missionary.