Colombian Christian Mission

Helping the Blind to See

Even though our primary focus is evangelism and church planting, we have always worked to make the lives of the new Christians better.

We all enjoy our natural senses, most of the time with little thought or appreciation. The ability to see the beauty around us or hear the giggles of a child are some of the true riches we share in this life. To not have the use of those faculties is something we often do not even think of until we lose them or they are diminished or threatened in some way. The person who is deaf or blind loses out on so many special blessings and even finds the basic necessities of life to be something they struggle with. That is true here in America where life is relatively easy and where persons with some physical limitation have so much help and special consideration. People with physical limitations in Colombia are not seen in the same way as they are here in the U.S. They have often been forced to beg or live off of the begrudged largess of family.

As a result, in Colombia we have always made a special effort to help those with disabilities. We help them find training and education to make life more productive and enjoyable. This has included paying for rehabilitation and specialized job training. We have helped the deaf and blind to find jobs or develop their own business as a way of earning money. We began the first deaf church in Colombia in an attempt to open the doorway to salvation to them as a critical first step. We have purchased and taken to Colombia the folding canes for the blind, a luxury to them that is not available in the country. We have brought in specialists to educate the teachers at Colegio Peniel on dealing with learning disabilities.

One recent project has been to provide a Braille Bible for a blind Christian. Luis has been blind for more than thirty years. We purchased a cassette Bible for him to listen to, but it was not the same as reading the Bible for himself. He could not look up a verse or easily find it again after he had once heard it. In spite of being a Christian for many years, in many ways he had failed to grow and mature as a Christian. Two years ago we began the process of securing a Braille Bible in Spanish for him.

First, we secured the New Testament to make sure he would actually read and use it. He devoured it and nearly wore it out as he read and reread God’s Word for the first time. He would laugh and jokingly say “That guy named Paul really beats you over the head doesn’t he?” He began to show real spiritual growth after reading through the New Testament several time and asked about getting the Old Testament as well. Seeing how he used and enjoyed reading the New Testament in his first two years of having access to it, we secured the Old Testament for him this year. He has been diligently reading it and is now into the Prophets.

Even though our primary focus is evangelism and church planting, we have always worked to make the lives of the new Christians better in any way we can. Our benevolent fund provides for things such as folding canes for the blind, the special ministries and job training for the deaf, and micro loans for poor Christians to begin a small business from which they can earn a dignified living. If you would like to help with this special ministry, please fill out the coupon and send your love offering. You will be helping “the blind to see” and “the deaf to hear” in a very literal way as you provide for special needs for those among us with special challenges in life.

The Gift of a Lifetime: Education

Now that we’re coming up on the holiday season it’s time to start thinking about Christmas gifts. We all enjoy giving gifts to those we love, but let’s not forget this season to think about those less fortunate than ourselves. Sponsoring a child in Colombia is a great way to give the gift of a lifetime, make a difference in the life of a poor Colombian child by giving them the hope of a brighter future. This program is perfect for Sunday School classes, small groups, church Christmas programs, women’s groups, children’s church or for special family Christmas gifts. We have one gentleman that sponsors a child in each of his grandchildren’s names for a Christmas present. We also have a few families that forgo the typical gift exchange and sponsor a few students instead.you would like to sponsor the same student again this year let us know as soon as possible before we assign them to another sponsor. If you would like to become a new student sponsor, we can send you some information about our scholarship program. We have brochures and a video that explains the scholarship program in detail and shows you the school and the ministry you’ll be supporting. Join our Colegio Peniel Scholarship Progam and make a difference in the life of a poor child in Colombia this holiday season. For more information visit supportCCM.com or contact us: Susy@supportCCM.com or at: PO Box 95, Rittman, OH 44270.

If you have not yet received your student packet and you wanted to support your student again let me know, we may have not received your RSVP card.

We have a video about Colegio Peniel if you would like one to show to help raise funds for this project, just let us know and we’ll send it off. SusyMorris@supportCCM.com

Sponsor a Teacher

We have great teachers at Colegio Peniel. This year through our Sponsor a Teacher program we are trying to raise support to be able to give each of our teachers a bonus at the end of the year. We are trying to raise $500 for each teacher or $9,000 total. They give up a lot of benefits and economic gain to work at Colegio Peniel. Help up thank them and show them that we appreciate all that they do in providing a quality Christian education for the poor children of Colombia and teaching them about Jesus.

Colombian Christian Mission
Post Office Box 95
Rittman, OH 44270-0095