In 2002, through the efforts of Justapaz, the Colombian Mennonite peace and justice organization, First Mennonite Church became a sister church to a Lutheran congregation, El Divino Redentor, in Bucaramanga, Colombia, South America. In 2003, during an MCC fact finding tour in Bogota, a member of First Mennonite visited the congregation in Bucaramanga. Since then, there have been several visitors to and from Colombia. The local outreach efforts of El Divino Redentor are extensive and far-reaching, involving providing food and housing for the hundreds of families displaced by the ongoing war in Colombia. Despite obstacles of distance and language, the two churches maintain regular communication and interaction, by internet, phone, and personal visits, each congregation providing support for the other, each remembering the other in prayer and love, both acknowledging the unity we have in faith.

For volunteer opportunities, contact the Colombia Task Force at First Mennonite through Ruth Soltzfus at 217-356-0504 or by writing melville77@hotmail.com.

Photo Album - El Divino Redentor in Bucaramanga, Colombia