by Javier Márquez
A couple of weeks ago, when I called José and Pastor Victor from Oasis Formation and Leadership Church, they told me that the church had not been able to carry out any of its activities throughout the entire week because of a curfew. Criminal groups had forced the cities of Barranquilla and Soledad to close businesses and stay home that weekend.
These kinds of situations may seem strange or surprising to people who are unfamiliar with certain contexts in South America, but they are a reality experienced by local communities and the church. A week later, everything returned to normal, and the church was able to resume its work in the community.
José served this summer as one of Mosaic Mennonite Conference’s Summer Ambassadors. This year marked an important expansion of the Ambassadors program, with José among the first group of Ambassadors to serve in placements outside the United States. His placement at Oasis helped strengthen a ministry that has already been developing for several years.
The church is currently offering a season of activities for young people, including music, reflection through film forums, and sports. This work is not being carried out by José alone, but by a group of young people who are very active in the church and are serving their community with a message of peace.
One of their recent projects was a soccer tournament. The young people from the church, together with their pastor, organized the one-day competition, with ten teams registering to participate. Most of the participants were not young people from the church, but the tournament created an opportunity to promote peaceful coexistence in the neighborhoods. These activities are organized with the purpose of sharing a Christian message with the community and inviting people to become part of the church.
Each week, the young people visit one another to read the Bible and pray together. On Saturdays, they meet to plan activities and then go out into the community to carry them out.
In this sense, the Ambassadors program served as an encouragement and catalyst for a ministry that has been developing for several years. It helped strengthen a group of young people who are going through their own process of growth and are beginning to establish themselves in universities and workplaces. At the same time, they continue to maintain a relationship with the church, participating in its activities and taking leadership in organizing them.
José’s presence this summer is one way Mosaic is investing in young leaders while also learning from the leadership and ministry already taking place in its communities beyond the United States.
Javier Márquez
Javier Márquez is Associate for Community Cultivation and Leadership Development. He is an Anabaptist Colombian pacifist and poet. He is based in Bogota, Colombia.
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The opinions expressed in articles posted on Mosaic’s website are those of the author and may not reflect the official policy of Mosaic Conference. Mosaic is a large conference, crossing ethnicities, geographies, generations, theologies, and politics. Each person can only speak for themselves; no one can represent “the conference.” May God give us the grace to hear what the Spirit is speaking to us through people with whom we disagree and the humility and courage to love one another even when those disagreements can’t be bridged.
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