As we drove south from Bogota, the Andes rose steeply on either side of the highway. Before arriving in Colombia, I expected to see a land ravaged by drugs and violence. Instead, as I peered through the window of our minibus, I saw a peaceful mountain river meandering its way through the valley below us. “This is truly a majestic place,” I thought to myself.
Our minibus passed through many checkpoints controlled by the Colombian Army – each one was a reminder of the 40 years of pain and violence caused by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). After a five-hour drive, we arrived safely at our destination in the Colombian jungle.
Later in the day, our team met with Colombian evangelists who were preparing to distribute Bibles and Christian literature to the FARC guerrillas. Together, we formed a production line and loaded boxes one-by-one into the truck that would transport the books.
Before the truck departed for its long journey into the mountains, I spoke with one of the evangelists. Henry was a humble man – small in stature, but strong in faith. However, it wasn’t always this way. Henry told me that he used to be a FARC guerrilla. He had killed many people and done many terrible things.
Henry came to know Jesus through another evangelist who was committed to taking the Gospel to the FARC guerrillas. In Jesus, he found forgiveness and freedom from the terrible deeds that he had committed. He found hope for a future of peace for Colombia. He abandoned the FARC and committed his life to Jesus.
Now, Henry is a wanted man – when a guerrilla abandons the FARC, he can be killed for his betrayal. Yet Henry continues to take the Gospel to the FARC guerillas, risking his life for his faith.
“It’s very dangerous,” he told me. “I am very scared every time I leave in my truck. But I trust God that this is what he wants me to do.”
As I reflect on my time in Colombia, I remember the bravery of Colombia’s evangelists. People like Henry risk their lives to take the Gospel into the most dangerous areas of Colombia – to the FARC guerrillas. These guys want their persecutors to know the love of God and to see that in Jesus there is hope for the people of Colombia. After meeting men like Henry, I am starting to understand what Jesus meant when he told us to love our enemies.
Underground Reality: Colombia is a four-part DVD that will take you on a journey through the villages, prisons and jungles of Colombia to see the power of the Gospel in one of the most violent countries in the world. It is not due for release in Australia until early 2010.
