While everyone celebrated July 4th in the U.S., I celebrated 50 years since I was commissioned in the service of the King of Kings. At my commissioning, there was a banner above where I knelt that read Whatever It Takes. This was from a message given the previous year by our beloved Bill Gillam, to me “my uncle Bill.” I clearly understood the cost of taking up the cross of Jesus Christ was “whatever it takes”. “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:20-21 KJV
July 1971, I began ministry in Medellín, Colombia, at the age of 21. God gave me the opportunity to serve with my parents for a brief six months before God called my father Home on 24th February, 1972. My father never missed an opportunity to share Jesus and left me a great example to follow.
From Colombia, I joined a team (and was the only young person) pioneering the work in Spain in 1973. I spent sixteen years in Spain, a very hard terrain for spiritual harvest.
In 1986, I began the translation of Hebrew grammar into Spanish, the two volumes of William S. LaSor’s Handbook of Biblical Hebrew; work completed in 1989. In July 1986, I taught Biblical Hebrew at the Biblical Seminary of Colombia, translating for six-eight hours a day as well as teaching for two and half hours. During the summers of 1987-1989, I joyfully returned to Colombia to teach. God lead me to leave Spain in 1989, and in 1990, I joined the seminary faculty full time. During the joy of twenty-six years of teaching, I saw God form leaders for the church in Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, and Spain.
God brought me into the prison ministry in 1991 during the reign of the death culture in Medellín. In 1992, a Bible institute was established in the most notorious prison in Latin America, for the praise of His glory. The challenges were innumerable in the midst of dangerous times in Colombia. However, God built His church behind bars nationwide. More than fifty ex-prisoners became pastors and evangelists, and twenty-three churches were raised up by these once former criminals.
The Holy Spirit enables me to do Whatever It Takes to follow Jesus through death threats, injustices, loss, and sorrow as described by John Newton in Amazing Grace:
Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
Please pray for the completion of my autobiography with Gregg Lewis. I tell God’s larger story in my life and ministry. My sole goal in life is to live for the praise of His glory and to bring others to know Jesus and the abundant life He gives.
I enter my 51st year of ministry, my year of jubilee with great anticipation, fulfilling the task God entrusted to me. God keeps me in active service for Him! I rejoice over the high calling upon my life. My greatest joy is seeing a person respond to Jesus’ love and enter into a personal relationship with Him.
Extract from Jeannine Brabon's Autumn 2021 OMS UK Prayer Letter.
For access to the full letter please email info-uk@onemissionsociety.org
