Doug’s Colombia Testimony

Don asked me at lunch on our first day what I thought. My answer was WOW!

I had never done anything like this before. It was a very big step outside of my comfort zone. I always felt that I would “set” God back if I tried to speak with others. I also worried about traveling to a country about which I had heard many bad things.

I want to tell you that none of my preconceived views of Columbia turned out to be true. Columbia is much different than what most of us might image. I never felt in any danger in Columbia. The people of Columbia are great. Everywhere we went we were treated like family. I am so proud to call the Columbians I met my friends. Each of the churches our team worked with was amazing. Their love of Christ, their worship, their prayer and their knowledge of the bible was an inspiration to me.

What I remember most is how God is in control and if I take the first step he will guide me. All week I saw God working. I just needed to show up. Before our first day on the streets I was studying the Bible much like one would for a final exam when I realized that I could not do it on my own. I closed my Bible and said to God that he would need to take control if he wanted me to be his voice when I shared my testimony and the Gospel. I learned that by taking a step in faith that God would do the hard part. God put words in my mouth when I needed them. My testimony and Gospel presentations would change as if God knew the words the person I was talking to needed to hear.

It seemed that God picked the people that I talked to just for me. For example, a man named Angel told me that he was encouraged by my testimony when I talked about going through a divorce and struggling with pride before knowing God. Angle came up to me later that day at the daily worship service and thanked me, and told me that he was going to try and make his marriage work. I was amazed that I went 4,000 miles and ended up talking to the specific people I talked with. Each of us who made the trip had similar stories of how it seemed that God placed us in front of the people we each talked with.

Take the first step and let God guide you! You will be blessed like you never have been before.

Doug Hurtig