Colonia Tovar

Newsletter #13
Cassandra Klingenberg

Last Wednesday, the pastors Ceferino and Graciela Quintero, took the team to Colonia Tovar. Colonia Tovar is a little piece of old Germany lost in the Venezuelan cloud forest. This tidy and scenic town of red-tile-roof cabins lies scattered on a mountainside in the Cordillera de la Costa, about 60km west of Caracas (Lonely Planet).

People here don’t seem to travel much. If young couples in the church are able to take a honeymoon, Colonia Tovar is a popular vacation destination, even though it’s only a couple hours away. We have discovered that few people from the church have ever visited Angel Falls (the world’s highest waterfall), Margarita (one of the most well-known island destinations in the Caribbean), or Merida (a hiker’s paradise nestled in the Andean peaks).

For the Quintero’s children, Luz (12) and Brian (8), it was their first time to visit Colonia Tovar. In fact, it may have been their first vacation ever. They were so excited to leave that they woke up at 5:00am and couldn’t fall back to sleep. During our ascent up the mountain, Brain peered out the window the entire time. When we arrived, we walked around looking at souvenir shops and eating the local favorites. Brian’s eyes grew huge as his gaze fell upon a bright red, caramel apple. Although we stayed only a few hours, Brian and Luz had the time of their life.


Why hasn’t the congregation of Shalom seen much of Venezuela, a country boasting five diverse eco-systems? It may be that few people own a car of their own. Although a tank of gas costs only $1.00, a taxi to Colonia Tovar runs between $200-300. Public transportation is more economical, but also very time consuming. The 30 mile trip to Caracas costs $2.00 by bus, but could take up to two hours. With the average income ranging from $10-25 a day, it could be that traveling is a luxury and can’t often be afforded.

Ceferino has spoken about a need for a church van. While he doesn’t own a car of his own, he is more concerned about getting a van for the church than himself. The purpose of the van would be to assist missionaries, pick up visitors from the airport, and continue outreach in the barrios. But in the meantime, irregardless of cost, the Shalom congregation continues to bless us with their time and generosity.
Prayer requests:
English classes that are starting this week
Renewed focus in ministering to the people here

Praises:
Kirsten's family was able to visit and bless our team in many ways