Barranquilla is the port city of Colombia and traditionally has been a very important commercial center. In the past much of Colombia's industry was located in Barranquilla. It is a very hot city.
Brethren missionaries established a work in Barranquilla in the early 1970s. That initial work has grown and today there are several churches in the city and in outlying towns such as Galapa, Malambo and Caracoli. The Colombians who have worked there have done a great job of evangelizing and planting new churches.
Barranquilla
First Brethren Assembly in Barranquilla, on Carrera 22.
Rafael and Saul Sanchez
Two of the first men in the church (brothers) and still very active
Willie and Marta Leal. Saved as kids in the 1970s.
Galapa
In the mid 1970s camps and conferences were initiated in a big old rambling house in the town of Galapa just to the west of Barranquilla. The house was then called the Casa Blanca (White House) and then renamed the Casa Grande (Big House.) It is owned and administered by the Baptists and today with its additional dormitories, dining room and outside Kiosk can house up to 500 people at a time. What great memories we have of people being saved, taught the Bible and young people being channeled into Christian Service at the Casa Grande.
Beautiful old tree in the grounds of the Casa Grande
Some time in the late 1970s the Brethren missionaries In Barranquilla purchased a farm to use as a Camp site on the main road just before entering the town of Galapa. The Finca Emmaus still holds regular camps and conferences and the work of building into lives of people continues. I will be sharing at an Elders and Workers Retreat at the Finca (farm) the first weekend of July. What memories we have of great times at the Finca Emmaus of teaching the Colombian believers, and also of times when there was no water in the well and we had to return to the Casa Grande for showers ... and our diet seemed consist of Ñame (pronounced Nyamy) a common root crop on the coast.
Main building at Finca Emmaus
Additional buildings at Finca Emmaus
Main plaza of Galapa
Transport on main street Galapa
Home of Saul and Zully Sanchez, my hosts in Galapa
Saul & Zully Sanchez
Transport on the main street of Caracoli, where Saul is working to establish a new church.
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