News & Updates.

In March we have seen Kingdom advancement across Uruguay. The week before everything shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders and members from six churches gathered in Tranqueras for the beginning of the third year of the College of Prayer in Uruguay. Our friends Jon Mitchell and Hiram Sostre came and facilitated the weekend Module and were greatly used by God. There was never so much anticipation going into the weekend.  The week before the Module, we received many messages of people telling us of their excitement about what was coming. Their previous engagements had whet their appetite, and they didn't know exactly what was coming, but they knew Jesus' presence would be manifested. God met His people in deep and powerful ways during those two days. One impactful moment was a breakthrough lament. Nationwide, Uruguayans experience deep depression and discouragement, high suicide and divorce rates, shattered families, and deep emotional wounds, often with no place to honestly grieve. Timbrel and I recognized the lament immediately and discerned it as the group began to release their tears. It was gurgling out of people's souls as they wept for their country. It was beautiful, and as people processed, they were able to give their laments to God. There were high moments of worship, anointed teaching, deep repentance, and the people left empowered to reach a lost world through what is becoming a revived church.

After several years of ministry in Brazil, we have officially launched our first Hub Campus in São Paulo. Approximately 35 key church leaders were mentored and trained for 3 full days and were empowered to go out and launch College of Prayer Regional Campuses throughout the country. The evening sessions were open to the public. Over the next few months 9 new Campuses will be launching from São Paulo to the southern part of the country. ​Key leaders part of this Hub Campus include Pastor Zé Frietas, our National Coordinator in Brazil, his wife Glaucia Frietas, and Beatrice Koopmann.

Thank you for your prayers for the recent College of Prayer at our Tranqueras, Uruguay Campus that was held January 4-5! Here’s some highlights of what we saw God do:

• Pastoral couples and ministry leaders were so receptive to the teaching and very tender during times of response.
• It was a weekend of seeing God activate prayer among families as they were led in actually praying together. There is no way to estimate the kingdom impact that comes from agreement in prayer among families!
• College of Prayer leaders Jimbo and Timbrel Hull both taught. Jimbo taught on Death to Self, Alive to Love and Timbrel taught on Healing Wounds. We saw Jesus redeem many painful memories. It was a heavy morning on Saturday, but God ministered deeply to people. It hurts so much to relive those tragic moments, but God removed many stings of death that had landed so deeply in peoples hearts. The message on Death to Self paved the way to complete openness to God’s healing hand. 
• We continue to be amazed at how the host church for this College of Prayer Campus has been impacted as they ingest and apply what they have learned from College of Prayer to their already existing model of ministry/discipleship. Worship leaders knelt as they sang and shared testimonies about surrendering in worship first and enjoying God’s presence. Ministry leaders shared stories with Luis about how God has begun to speak through them, giving even shy leaders capacity to minister specifically to others with the prayers that God gave them 

We praise God for all He is doing through the College of Prayer both in Tranqueras and throughout Uruguay. 

The following report is from Pastor Ricardo Renteria who helped launch a College of Prayer Campus in Mexico City, MX, July 13-14.

What a blessing to have been part of the first College of Prayer Campus to launch in the Mexico City metropolitan area. This took place in Gethsemane Church of the Nazarene in Cuautitlan Izcalli. Over 80 pastors and church leaders attended the Module.

God’s manifest presence was there and the Holy Spirit worked in a very powerful way! Several people testified during the Sunday morning service of how God touched their lives and how blessed they were with everything that took place during the two-day Module. People were also challenged to seek God and His manifest presence and be filled with the Holy Spirit and hear His voice. 

I praise God that I was able to be part of the launch by leading worship and teaching in the church where I began my ministry many years ago. Praise God for the work He began here, and we pray that God will continue to work and touch the lives of churches in this region.

The following report is from Rev. Jimbo Hull, a missionary in Montevideo, Uruguay who participated on the team leading this launch.

Pastors and church leaders from 9 churches around Uruguay gathered in Tranqueras in the northern part of the country to launch the College of Prayer in its 60th country. This launch was an answer to 5 years of specific prayers for Uruguay to open. God’s timing, as usual, is always right. We praise God that Rev Luis Calderon (Regional Director for Latin America) was able to be here and God used him tremendously. During the weekend we saw hurting people enter into the Presence of God, and God’s love leading healing their pain.

There was major breakthrough for every pastor and church leader that attended. The mentoring, training, and equipping of pastors and church leaders to reach a lost world through a revived church is coming to fruition in Uruguay! The day following the College of Prayer Module, we attended a weekly church service and saw a pastor who had attended. He had encountered the manifest presence of Christ in high worship, deep repentance, forgiveness of sins, deliverance of strongholds, filling of the Holy Spirit, and was empowered to serve. There was a marked difference in the way he ministered to his church. We’ve been there in these churches many times before and that day was different. God’s manifest presence was there. The people attending the church service, most of whom were not a part of the College of Prayer Module, were lead to a fresh encounter with Christ and it was beautiful. Almost every one of the nearly 400 people in the church service were at the altar weeping before the Lord, receiving His love, for about a third of the service time. There was a marked difference because that pastor had attended the College of Prayer and his life was transformed in the presence of Christ, and now he was leading his people into the presence of Christ. Glory to God!

The following report is from Pastor Ricardo Rinteria, who participated on the team leading this launch.

On May 15-17 a new College of Prayer Campus was launched in Guadalajara. For 3 days we gathered at Iglesia Alianza Cristiana Príncipe de Paz, which is on the top floor of a building. It is literally an “Upper Room" and God showed up in that Upper Room! Our team, led by Rev. Luis Calderon (Regional Director for Latin America), along with a group of more than 7 churches represented, experienced a fresh encounter with God. Here are some highlights:

• During the mornings we held a College of Prayer Advanced Leadership Training (ALT) with a group of about 20 church leaders. We had great times of worship and teaching from Luis and Pastor Joshua Bencomo from El Paso, TX. All the people at the ALT experienced God in powerful ways. We felt God’s manifest presence and His Holy Spirit working in our hearts as we were there. Each of those attending were empowered to launch new College of Prayer Campuses. There were 8 commitments made to start College of Prayer Campuses around Guadalajara and Mexico City, some as early as July! Praise the Lord!
  
• In the evenings we had the Campus launch with Module 1, Lord, Teach us to Pray! More than 100 people gathered to worship and learn about prayer. 
  
• God manifested Himself in powerful ways: people repented, there were reconciliations in families, healings, a time of hearing God’s voice, worship,  and intercession. God’s Spirit was moving and touching the lives of everyone there!
  
• The last night concluded with teens being prayed over, and then they prayed for healing for the adults! Pastor Luis said, “These teens aren’t the future of the church, they are the PRESENT!” God used these teens to lift up others in prayer. There was also a time to pray for pastors, missionaries, and other church leaders. Attendees came beside them and lifted their arms like Aaron and Hur did for Moses. This was very meaningful for both pastors and the church. 

On a personal note, I felt privileged to lead worship during these times. I thank and praise God for giving me this wonderful opportunity. Praise God for what He started here in Guadalajara! It’s exciting to know that He will continue the work here and soon in Mexico City! Mexico belongs to Jesus Christ! Hallelujah!

​We are grateful and excited to announce that Rev. Luis Calderon has accepted an offer to become our Regional Director for Latin America. Luis and his wife Ximena have been a growing part of our ministry for the last two years. It is evident that God's favor and anointing is on them. Throughout the last two years, our ministry among Spanish-speaking countries and people groups has exploded. Luis has been a critical part of launching the College of Prayer in Honduras, Cuba, Ecuador, and other areas. In his role as Regional Director for Latin America, Luis will oversee campus development in the Caribbean, Central America, South America, Mexico, and among Spanish-speaking groups in the U.S. and Canada.

A Honduras native, Luis, graduated from the Pastoral Ministries program at Seminario Bíblico Alianza in 1988. For close to three decades, Luis has served as a Pastor in New York, Florida, and in other states along the east coast. He's had oversight for christian education, discipleship, young adults, pastoral care, and missions ministries. He enjoys teaching and helping pastors to develop their vision for the local church. Luis is passionate about mentoring, training, and equipping pastors and leaders to revive the church.

If you plan to catch Luis outside of his ministry with the College of Prayer, count on finding him fishing at the closest beach or watching a soccer game at home with his wife Ximena. He deeply loves his children, Gabriela and Josue, and his grandchild, Joel.

​​To reach Luis, please email him at luiscalderon@collegeofprayer.org or call him at (407) 766-3437.