Curacao (MNN) — Curacao is an island off the coast of
Venezuela. Its naming legend stems from
scurvy-stricken sailors who were left to die on the island. By eating the
indigenous citrus fruits, they recovered. Because of the healing, the island was named
Curacao (from the Latin: curatio = cure).
Today, healing continues, but of a spiritual kind. Grace Ministries International sent Pastor
Carlos and Denise Brunk to take over outreach there after missionaries Cliff
and Betty Lee retired.
Carlos originally studied to be an engineer but felt called
to the ministry. He trained at Grace
Bible College and assumed the pastorate of Grace Bible Church in 1991.
The team began an intensive discipleship and training program
at the church. Carlos pastored the Grace church in Curacao for nine years, and
after training other men for the ministry he felt the Lord leading him to
establish other Grace churches in the Netherlands.
One young man who was led to believe on the Lord Jesus as
Savior (also an electrical engineer) became a serious student of the Word and eventually
became the pastor of the church when the Brunks left.
The indigenous work continues, although GMI no longer has a
missionary presence on the island. While
Dutch is the official language, the common language is Papiamento, so the team
continues to work with the national church especially in providing Papiamento
literature.
Together, they co-pastor a church in a community in Holland
where several thousand immigrants from Curacao live.
GMI’s Sam Vinton will spend three days with them at the end
of March on the way back from Congo.
Please pray for these believers as they are involved in a program
of reaching their community with the Gospel.
