The Last to Leave: Front-Line Workers in Colombia
The sound of gunfire and explosions was terrifyingly familiar. As a coalition of Marxist guerrillas and drug-cartel operatives overran their town, Sofia waited for the return of her husband, Luis, early one morning in March 2024.
Luis, a missionary and pastor who ministered to villagers deep in the Colombian jungle, had taken a boat full of 30 Christians to a location safe from the violence occurring in their village. The Christians had climbed into the borrowed boat with nothing but the few possessions they could carry. “God, take care of us,” Luis prayed as they pulled away from the bank. “Clear the way for us to go with no danger.”
Sofia watched the boat and her husband disappear down the river. “I have God, a powerful God,” she recalled thinking at the time. “I know that under his wings I am OK. He will protect me.”
Luis eventually returned for his wife and five children, helping them into the boat. As the sun rose and they made their way to the relative safety of another town, their home and possessions had already been destroyed by the Marxist guerrillas, who oppose the spread of the gospel and instead crave power and wealth.
This was the second time in less than five years that Luis and Sofia had lost everything for the sake of the gospel. The areas where they minister, in Colombia’s “red zones,” are controlled by militant groups rather than the government. The red zones are notorious for violence between the competing groups and between the groups and government forces. Worship, evangelism and travel are dangerous in these areas, as guerrillas seek to control all aspects of villagers’ lives.
After the March 2024 attack, Luis and Sofia wondered how they would feed their family, find shelter and continue to proclaim the gospel in the red zones. Then Luis received a phone call from a pastor who had helped his family years earlier. He invited Luis and his family to a pastors’ conference where he could receive comfort and encouragement in the company of others who serve the Lord in the red zones. With grateful hearts, Luis and his family accepted the invitation. “[These front-line workers] are like angels coming from heaven,” Luis said. “They met needs that I didn’t think could ever be met. I praise God and bless them.”
Luis and Sofia are resolute about what has sustained them. “It is a passion for the souls,” Luis said. “There are so many people who are lost.”
“It is worth serving the Lord,” Sofia added. “Three years ago I was more scared of death, but now I am not scared of death. I trust in the Lord. ‘For me, to die is gain’; that is what Paul said. So what is the worst that can happen? That I gain?”
Luis and Sofia have relocated their family to a new town. And they remain committed to planting churches and reaching the people in Colombia’s red zones, including the guerrillas who have opposed them, with the Good News of Jesus Christ. They request prayer for God’s provision, for “opportunities to go to the places where the gospel is needed,” and for wisdom about the steps necessary to continue their work.
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