Jim & Jeanne Berryhill

Missionaries in Venezuela

Berryhill Update

Septembef 2007

Jeanne and I are now in Bogotá, Colombia involved in new ministries. We arrived in June and began searching for a house to live in. The laws here are such that it is difficult to rent property without a permanent visa and Colombian identification card, but God opened doors for us to rent a house. It's about ½ the size of our last house in Venezuela, but large for local standards. We had to sell our furniture in Venezuela so that we could purchase items in Colombia. About the time we were liquidating our possessions the Venezuelan currency was devalued. The money that we had received for the furniture was not sufficient to purchase all items we need even though the house is smaller. We have purchased sufficient items to live comfortably and we were loaned some items until a returning missionary family arrives. That gives us time to purchase items slowly.

As of this date we have been unable to sell our vehicle in Venezuela and are therefore moving around in taxis and walking. One week, being involved in VBS activities, we spent almost $200 in taxis! Our hope is that we will be able to sell the vehicle in Venezuela so that we can purchase some type of transportation in the near future.

We are working in a local church helping the Pastor, a medical doctor, with counseling couples, teaching classes and preaching. In the last two months the church has had a phenomenal growth rate. The church has been forced to start a children's church in order to accommodate the adults in the sanctuary for the preaching services. In the SS class we teach the benches are full and each week we bring in plastic chairs for the overflow. The Pastor has written a letter to local authorities inquiring as to the possibility of purchasing some municipal property near the church so that we can begin a building project. His vision is to build a small complex that would not only house the church, but also give us room for a Christian school and medical clinic.

People in the city are very open to the Gospel right now. Bogotá is bulging at the seams these days as thousands and perhaps more than a million people have moved to the city to escape the war zone with the FARC guerrilla group. These refugees are open to the Lord and the Word. We are also looking into the possibility of starting a Bible Institute in the Church. There are a number of people in the church who are interested in learning more about the Bible and improving their walk with the Lord. I will be the director of the Institute and responsible for the classes. As you may remember, we had a small Bible Institute in Venezuela with the church in Puerto Ayacucho. The material we used there was on video tape (VHS). The material was left in Venezuela for those who were studying. The pastor in Puerto Ayacucho is carrying on the B.I. ministry. The method for teaching will be different in Bogotá and we are expecting a good number of students.

As you probably know the security for Americans in Colombia is precarious. The level of security has improved greatly over the last few years and kidnappings and murder rates are down. However, for US citizens extra precautions are taken. We were fortunate to receive a security class from one of the few missions still working in the country. We learned much and are practicing what we were taught. Our house is in an acceptable neighborhood and we take a number of precautions to be cautious in house and on the street. There are neighborhoods where the only acceptable reason to be in the area is ministry. Most of the pastors we work with are conscious of the fact that we must take extra precautions and not be in certain neighborhoods after dark nor on a regular basis (ie. Having Bible studies on the same day and at the same time over a period of time.). it is necessary for us to take extra precautions for those in the house, also. We are much more aware of our surroundings these days, but up until now we feel fairly safe.

We are grateful for your interest and support. We recognize that we have been lax in our efforts to keep in contact. Please pray for our new ministries, for wisdom to help and encourage the couples we counsel, safety, the sale of our goods and visas to continue on in Colombia. Please note that our email address has changed. We would love to hear from you.

Jim

Note: the church in Amarillo, TX, where the Berryhills receive support has moved. The new address is:
Faith Baptist Church
7603 SW 77th Avenue
Amarillo, TX 79119
(806) 373-7162
faithbc@clearwire.net

Contact Information for James and Jeanne.

Learn more about Jim and Jeanne Berryhill at Chapter 8-Jim Berryhill of TO CALL A NATION, The story of God's call to the Pemon Indian Nation of Southeast Venezuela by Robert Nosker and Donna Poole.