Pineda, Juanes

“…and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15)

That was the verse I read when I got baptized back in 2008. By the grace of God, I grew up in a Christian home in Colombia, and after some years of hearing the good news of salvation, I put my faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I was acquainted with the sacred writings in my childhood at an assembly that was started by CMML missionaries, Gary and Vivian Michael. After finishing High School, the Lord took me to the capital of Colombia, Bogotá. There I started my Bachelors degree in Bilingual Education and connected with other CMML missionaries, Sam Killins and Bill Loudon, who poured into my life in different ways, mainly in areas like church planting and Bible teaching. In 2020, I went back to the city where I grew up, Duitama. By that time, the church where I grew up had split up and my parents had gone through a divorce, and I was sad to see how things had changed while I was away. Later on that year, Sam came to visit and encouraged me and another friend to share the gospel, and soon, we had started a new church in Duitama. It was awesome to see God working through the Holy Spirit in my own life and the lives of people around me.

After six months of serving in Duitama, the Lord opened the door for me to do a one-year Bible certificate at Emmaus Bible College where I was further trained in the Scriptures. Simultaneously, I was able to serve at Wauwatosa Bible Chapel in different areas, mainly with the youth and discipleship. The church also helped equip me by sending me to the MOP and Galilee programs, where I was able to learn about the practical aspects of mission work and how to foster strong discipleship. Just as we see in Acts 13:1-3, the members and leaders of Wauwatosa Bible Chapel prayed for direction in my life; and now, they have commended me to serve in my home country of Colombia, where I’ll be involved in disciple-making and church planting as the Lord directs.