Special News in 5 Update (Back in Colombia and Santiago news)

Hope you enjoy a special edition of the News in 5 (see video above). We updated the blog a few weeks back, prior to our departure for Colombia. We are now safely back in Colombia and should be heading to Santa Marta by the end of the month.

Our ABWE partners, Jon and Holly Boyd arrived in Santa Marta on February 9th, so please be in prayer as they begin the initial 'scouting and surveying'. All families need to find permanent housing before mid April, so please be praying for that as well.

We also received news regarding Santiago yesterday. The doctor read all of his exams to Alfredo and Juana and kept saying things like, "Wow, wonderful, excellent." By the time she had read the last report she was crying and said, "I don't know how but your son is completely healed of his cancer! Be praying for this woman (she is an agnostic) and Alfredo and Juana have had many opportunities to share Christ with her. Alfredo also found out that her parents live in Santa Marta now, so we will definitely be following up on them as well!

We will send you out another update when we have arrived in Santa Marta in the next few weeks. In the meantime please continue to pray. Satan is presenting much opposition to our departure and we are more certain then ever that God want's us to plant a strong gospel preaching church in the coast!

News in 5 January 2010

What if you could make a meaningful impact in a foreign country and never actually go there? What if your involvement provided eternal results and you never had to invest a single penny? Would you be interested in having an impact like that?

We will be arriving in our new location within Colombia (Santa Marta) to begin a new church planting effort and we would like to ask for your help and participation in reaching Colombians with the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Believing that it is the Holy Spirit who convicts and brings people to an understanding of their need for a Savior, we as a church planting team want to make prayer a top priority. We will be inviting non-believing Colombians to evangelistic Bible studies and we need you to pray specifically for their salvation.

Will you partner with us in impacting Colombia with the gospel? If you are interested in receiving brief emails with names of Colombians who are participating in an evangelistic Bible study, here is how you can be involved:

1. Send us an email (colombiacarters@abwe.cc) and inform us of your interest and we will add you to our “IMPACT Team” list so you receive these emails.
2. Be looking for emails with the title “IMPACT Team” in the subject line.
3. Take a few minutes to pray, by name, that God would work in these people’s lives so that their eyes would be opened to the good news of the gospel.
4. If you want to take a real challenge, pray at the specified times when we as a team are having an evangelistic Bible study (we will include the dates and times).

Example of an IMPACT Team email:
From: Scott and Laura Carter [mailto:colombiacarters@abwe.cc]
Sent: Monday, January 25, 2010 12:01 PM
To: you@youremailaddress.com
Subject: IMPACT Team (01-25-10 Prayer Requests)

Please be in prayer for the following:
1. Ricardo Andres salvation.
2. Laura will be meeting tonight with Angelica Gonzalez @7pm eastern time to share the gospel w/her.
3. Scott has an evangelistic Bible study tom. night @9AM eastern time w/the following people:
a. Maria Bulla
b. Jose Alejandro
c. Maya Lopez
d. Eduardo and Gloria Jimenez

We look forward to hearing back from you!

December 2009

Make a Wish

By Laura Carter

How do you feel about New Years Resolutions? Are you like me in that you love a fresh start? Or have you tried and failed enough that you would rather not even make a list this year? Do you see this time of year as a hopeful time or rather a time to just continue fighting your bad habits? Do you really believe that 2010 could be an amazing year of growth and change in your life? Or are you giving up before you even begin?

Let me encourage you to make a wish this year! Most of us think that the word wish means to hope for something that is nearly impossible. Yet according to Webster the word wish is: “a thing or object desired”. So what is it that you desire for 2010? How do you figure out what to wish for? If you are like me you can think of a hundred things that you would like to work on in your own personal life. But what one thing would be the most important, the most beneficial?

I would like to share a few thoughts with you that the Lord has brought to my mind as I try to decide what wish or desire do I need to have for the year ahead. I re-read Psalm 1 just recently and was amazed at how the theme is so fitting for this idea of starting off right in 2010. Verse 1 says,

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.”

Did you know that the word blessed means the happy condition brought about by obedience? Think about that for a moment. Think of the peace and the tranquility and the trusting calmness that comes when we are being obedient to God. Could you describe the majority of your past year in that way? I know that I could not. Would I like to describe next year that way? You betcha! Is it possible? Let’s read on in verse 2,

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law he
meditates day and night.”

It is possible if we are making our wish, our desire, to be the Lord and his Word. Was your focus on knowing the Lord better last year? Or was that just a side-note, an item to cross off on the 'to do' list each day? I know that I want my delight to be on 'knowing my Savior more and more each day, literally'. If I make that my desire, verse 3 tells me that there are some results to my faithfulness:

"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."

I love to picture a huge weeping willow tree blowing in the wind when I read this verse. It is a healthy, prosperous tree. This tree can withstand any storm as well as provide shade or food for man or animal. It is reliable, trustworthy, and a strong tree. You are firm and trustin the Lord in whatever situation comes up in your life. You are bearing fruits that God uses to grow and bless others. Whatever you do that is according to God's plan will prosper. But if you do not make the Lord your desire, there are results for that choice too. But they are not things that I would wish for and I dont' think you would either. Verses 4-6 say;

"Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish."

So, what will your wish be? I hope and pray that as you read through Psalm 1 and think about your New Year's Resolutions, that you will make your relationship with Jesus Christ your top priority. I know that for me I am encouraged by the thoughts of peace and delight that can describe my life when I am faithfully seeking after him. Will you make Jesus your wish this year?


Return tickets purchased!

By Scott Carter


We praise God that he has provided above and beyond all of our expectations! We have been "career missionaries", since 2004 and God never ceases to amaze us in the way he uses people and churches to not only provide for our financial needs but to remind us on a regular basis that he is in control and we are simply his servants whom he sends to accomplish his will. What an awesome God we serve!

We are currently just under 99% of our monthly needed support ($77 remaining)! We have purchased tickets and will be returning to Colombia on February 2, 2010. God has also seen fit to provide additional finances, so that we will be able to pay the costs of renewing our visas and cover the cost of shipping our furniture, etc. from the Bogota area to the Colombian coast.

Thank you to all of you who have given financially and especially thank you to those of you who have prayed for God's provision. We truly feel loved by you and are reminded of the fact that we are going exactly where he wants us to go and at his appointed time, not our own.









Santiago Update

By Scott Carter


First of all, thank you to everyone who has asked us throughout the year about the health of Santiago Medina (see April Update), the son of our Colombian coworkers, Alfredo and Juana Medina. Santiago was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma earlier this year and just finished his last round of chemotherapy in November and has also completed several rounds of radiation treatment.


After finishing chemo and prior to the radiation treatment exams were done and they were told that only a small amount remained in his neck and that his spleen, stomach and chest were all clear. We recently received the following words from Alfredo:

"We just had the appointment with the oncologist in order to do all of the exams (to see if Santiago is clear of cancer), thinking that this week we would have to hospitalize Santiago, but the doctor surprised us, she thinks that we should do nothing at this time so that Santiago's Christmas in not ruined. She asked us to return the first week of January for all of the final exams and at least for now we get a break..."

Please continue to pray for the Medina family. This has been a difficult year for them and they are anxious to get an all clear in the coming weeks.

Philippines Trip/Santiago Update

All I have to say after my trip to the Philippines is "wow, what an experience"! I believe I spoke around 12 times in a span of 4 days! I say 'I believe' because to be honest it was a total blur and I lost my voice due to a cold after the first main session! But what a joy!

My travel companion for the week was a very good friend, Jerry McManus, from one of our supporting churches in New Jersey, Victory Bible. Victory Bible Church and one of our individual supporters provided the funds for this trip and both Jerry and I thank them both for their giving towards this amazing, once in a lifetime experience. I'm glad I had Jerry to share the experience with and I know God stretched him a lot as well.

We left on a Monday and went to bed Wednesday morning at 3:00AM and had "only" been traveling around 24hrs straight. Travel for the most part was without incident and Jerry and I joked at the end of the trip that the only form of transportation that we did not use on our trip was a train. We traveled by: plane, bus, taxi, jeepney, motorcycle sidecar, and boat. A few Filipinos wanted us to ride one of the bike taxis but we determined we didn't want to kill a 15 year old trying to peddle 2 fat white guys up-hill on a bike!



I learned sooooo much from the Filipino believers there and I am so glad that I went and that Jerry was able to accompany me. What a joy it was to not only be able to share God's Word with them but to learn from their lives and the way they do ministry. I'd like to challenge you with just a few things I learned about missions that I hope will be an encouragement and a challenge to you as well.


1. Their understanding of 'true sacrifice' and 'counting the cost'. I had one college student tell me he didn't have any other way to give more (I say more because he was already giving as much as possible) towards missions but he felt that if he skipped a few meals a month and ate even more rice than normal, he would have more to give to his local church and missions. We have no idea often times what it means to 'sacrifice' for the cause of Christ.

2. Their understanding of the importance of prayer. Jerry and I participated in a prayer meeting and I wish you could have seen their 'prayer list'. They spent time corporately in prayer for the salvation of lost family, friends and co-workers and missionaries around the world. They told us two very important things. First, they felt that their times of corporate prayer should be more about emphasizing the salvation of lost people than 'health related' prayer requests. That's not to say they don't pray for those things they just choose not to spend the majority of their time as a church focusing on those things, as they are all about reaching lost people and seeing them discipled for Christ. Secondly, they are financially unable to support as many missionaries as they would like, but they still view these people as 'their missionaries' and pray regularly and fervently for them. Yet they don't feel that prayer is the 'least' they can do but rather 'the most they can do', regardless if they are able to help financially or not.

3. Their missions budget exceeds their overall church budget. They see missions (reaching lost people both locally and internationally) as not something that 'we do' but rather a mindset of 'everything we do is about sharing Christ'.

There is much for us to learn regarding missions from our brothers and sisters in Asia and South America. After all, they are the ones sending the most missionaries around the world these days! Just a few things for you and me to think about...

Jerry McManus,
Pastor Errol Parpa (Filipino pastor and Campus Bible Fellowship Director)
and myself

A Brief Update

See the News in 5 Video Online!
www.youtube.com/user/colombiacarters#p/a





Where we've been
We have been all over...and had a wonderful summer! We are so thankful for the time we had with Scott's family in New Jersey. We enjoyed helping with a garage sale, watching a baseball game (Scott and Jackson even got to go see the Phillies-Go Fightin Phils!), playing at parks, and just being together with our cousins, aunts, uncles and grandpop and grandmom.

We were also able to to get down to Washington D.C. to visit some monuments and museums but especially to spend some wonderful time with Laura's brother Mark and his lovely wife Jennifer.

As we left New Jersey towards the middle of September, we spend a week and a half in Ohio with our friends, Dan and Julie Ogg. They were kind enough to let us stay with them during that entire time and they still invited us back afterwards! We enjoyed being with our friends at Grace Community Church (gracecommunity.net) and also our sending church, Faircreek Church (faircreek.org). As always, we were deeply encouraged by our many friends and supporters in the Dayton, Ohio area. At the end of September we continued on to Iowa.


What we need
Please pray with us earnestly in regards to our shortage of monthly support. We desperately desire to return to Colombia in January and we trust that God can bring in the $583.70 of committed monthly support that we still need. We've seen God bring in over $400 in pledged monthly support in the past month and he has reminded us of his faithfulness and has continued to confirm our calling to plant churches on the coast of Colombia.

However, our mission agency, ABWE (abwe.org) requires that we be at 100% before returning to the field (a wise policy btw!). If you desire to partner with us financially, through a tax deductable donation (monthly, quarterly, annual or a one-time gift) send us an email and we will tell you how to do so, or see the right sidebar of this page. Please pray, God is working!

Where we're headed

• We will be in Iowa until Nov. 13
• Scott will be in the Philippines (Bacolod City area) speaking at a Bible Conference for Campus Bible Fellowship. Please pray as he will be preaching/teaching many times during a 9 day trip.
• We will be at our sending church, Faircreek Church (faircreek.org) in Fairborn, OH speaking at the mission's conference on Nov. 15.
• We will be spending a week in the Dayton area, Nov. 16-20.
• Scott will be leading a Good Soil Evangelism & Discipleship Seminar (goodsoil.com) at one of our supporting churches, Immanuel Baptist Church in Arcanum, Ohio, Nov.20-21.
• We will be attending another supporting church, Grace Community Church (gracecommunity.net) on Nov. 22.
• We will be enjoying Thanksgiving in New Jersey with Scott's family during the week of Nov. 23-28.
• We will be at North Valley Baptist Church, Carbondale, PA with college friends James and Andrea Schmidt, who started the church there after graduating from BBC (bbc.edu)
• From there we will be heading back to Iowa, where we will remain until our departure for Colombia, Lord willing at the end of January. (Add or subtract a quick trip by Scott to Colombia to keep visas valid and whatever else God throws our way!)

Santiago Update

As were writing this, we got a phone call from Juana Medina, Santiago's mom. Juana told Laura that he will be going through tests on Friday and Saturday (Oct.16-17) to determine the next steps of treatment. Santiago is doing very well after finishing around 7 months of chemotherapy. He is eating enough food now to make up for his lack of appetite during chemo his mom says. Please continue to pray for them as they try to work through and process all of the emotions and stress that come from having a child battling cancer.

We will post more when we get another update from Alfredo and Juana.

Some Random Pics of our recent travels

News in 5 and Major Santiago Update!

See our latest Video Update by clicking here!






Laura received an email from Juana and in it she informed us of Santiago's test results after 6 months of chemotherapy of his Hodgkins Lymphoma.

Juana told Laura that the results showed that the cancer cells are no longer in his spleen and that they have been greatly reduced in his chest and neck.

The Medina's are encouraged that the treatment appears to be effective so far, but Santiago will still need another 6 months (one week in the hospital, one week home) of treatment.

Please continue to pray for the Medina's and for Santiago.

Please Pray for:

1. Strength of Santiago's body (he is very weak and has trouble walking, etc.)
2. Physical and spiritual strength for Alfredo and Juana.
3. Alfredo as he continues to progress towards turning over ministry and tries to meet all of the other demands on him (constant battles w/the insurance company, etc.)
4. Alfredo and Juana's monthly support. Alfredo is a bit discouraged that he has not been able, due to time constraints, to really go after the contacts he has in Colombia, Dominican Republic, Spain, Peru and other countries.

Pray that God would provide for their financial needs so they can join us and the Boyds in January in planting churches on the coast of Colombia.

Santiago cancer update

by Scott and Laura Carter


At this time we are waiting to hear from Alfredo and Juana regarding the results of this past weekend, to see if the cancer treatments are being effective.

Please continue to pray with us as we are all anxiously awaiting the results.

Thank you to everyone who has been praying and also asking how he is doing. Alfredo and Juana truly covet your prayers during these difficult times.