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Cuento tan viejo como el tiempo: La verdad sobre el transgénero

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Por Lisa* 

Mi hermano casado de 37 años con cinco hijos menores de nueve años me envió un correo electrónico hace unos meses anunciando sus planes de convertirse en mujer. Su esposa lo está animando a la transición.

La disforia de género solía estar justo al lado de la esquizofrenia en el DSM-V (el manual de diagnóstico utilizado por los psiquiatras). Esto tiene mucho sentido dado que mi hermano está reclamando que una mujer vive dentro de su cuerpo. Con el fin de dejarla salir, no sólo debe usar vestidos, tacones, y maquillaje, también debe comenzar a tomar hormonas femeninas para transformar su cuerpo en el de una mujer. 

El verdadero yo

Lo que me preocupa aún más que el declive de mi hermano en salud mental es que innumerables personas a su alrededor han decidido simplemente “amarlo y apoyarlo” en su “viaje”. Si él estaba afirmando que él creía que un extranjero o un viajero del tiempo vivía dentro de su cuerpo, podrían no ser tan de apoyo. Pero debido a que es 2019 y la negación de la realidad cuando se trata de género es culturalmente de moda, la gente va con él. Están aterrorizados de que los llamen intolerantes. Dicen cosas como: “Si él nos dice que ella es su ‘verdadero yo’, ¿quiénes somos nosotros para discutir”? 

Ah, sí… el “verdadero yo”, un mantra de una generación. No importa adónde vayas, no puedes escapar de él. Libros, programas de televisión, subtítulos de Instagram y memes de Internet sugieren que todos podemos alcanzar mayores niveles de salud y paz a través de una comprensión más profunda y la expresión de nuestro “verdadero yo”. 

En la época había algo llamado realismo moral, una cosmovisión que enfatizaba el pecado humano y la debilidad. Figuras bíblicas como David y Moisés fueron vistas como grandes líderes que también estaban profundamente viciados. Agustín y los primeros padres de la iglesia hablaron sobre la depravación del pecado y la necesidad de gracia. Entonces alrededor del siglo XVIII el realismo moral encontró a su rival en el romanticismo moral. Románticos como Jean-Jacques Rousseau empezaron a hablar de la bondad inherente del hombre. 

Avance rápido a 1946 cuando el rabino Liebman publicó su libro Paz de la mente. El libro instó a las personas hacia una nueva moralidad basada en la idea de que nunca debes reprimir ninguna parte de ti mismo como pecador. En su lugar, debes “amarte” y no tener miedo de tus impulsos ocultos. El libro se convirtió en un best seller del New York Times durante 58 semanas. Los psicólogos humanistas corrieron con él, argumentando que el problema principal para los seres humanos ya no era el pecado, sino más bien el hecho de que no estábamos aceptando exactamente como Dios nos hizo. Esta línea de pensamiento condujo al advenimiento del movimiento de autoestima en 1969. El núcleo de ese movimiento se transformó en lo que el autor Charles Taylor llama “la cultura de la autenticidad”. 

La creencia central de la cultura de la autenticidad es la siguiente:

En el centro de cada uno de nosotros hay una Figura Dorada conocida como “el verdadero yo”. Siempre se puede confiar en el verdadero yo. Sabes que lo que estás haciendo es correcto cuando sientes una paz interior (o shalom) dentro de tu verdadero yo. Sabes que lo que estás haciendo está mal si no sientes esa paz.

Debido a que el verdadero yo es inherentemente bueno, no hay pecado que se encuentre en él. El pecado ahora se encuentra sólo en las estructuras externas de la sociedad que buscan reprimir el verdadero yo. 

En su libro ‘El camino a carácter’, David Brooks explica que las generaciones mayores creían que el desarrollo del carácter venía luchando contra los deseos del verdadero yo. Rasgos como el desinterés y el sacrificio se consideraban más admirables. Las generaciones más jóvenes, en cambio, creen que el rasgo más admirable es la autoexpresión radical. 

Por lo tanto, los pasos hacia la “nueva salvación” que promueven las generaciones más jóvenes incluyen 

  • renunciar a cualquier lucha anterior que haya tenido contra su verdadero yo, 
  • dejar que su verdadero yo emerja plenamente sin culpa o vergüenza (ambos son construcciones de sistemas religiosos antiguos y obsoletos), 
  • • adoptar un nuevo vocabulario en el que palabras como “pecado” y “mal” ahora se refieren a las estructuras externas de la sociedad que te hicieron dudar de tu verdadero yo en primer lugar. (Los nuevos “males” son la religión organizada y cualquier sistema de pensamiento que busque oprimir a los débiles o marginados, como la pobreza, el racismo, la misoginia o cualquier cosa que sea anti-LGBTQ.) 

Sin embargo, el filósofo británico del siglo XIX John Stuart Mill dijo que el punto de la vida era luchar todos los días para “sacrificar el verdadero yo en el altar del cuidado y la preocupación por los demás”. Esto se hace logrando una serie de pequeñas victorias internas contra nuestros propios deseos porque sabes que actuar sobre ellas podría resultar en consecuencias negativas para los demás. Incluso si actuar sobre nuestros impulsos no se siente como si estuviera haciendo ningún daño en el momento, podría estar afectando negativamente a innumerables generaciones venideras. Por lo tanto, construimos el carácter por mil actos desinteresados de moderación que nadie ve. 

Pero en los Estados Unidos del siglo XXI, esta línea de pensamiento no computa. No aplaudimos a la gente por moderación; aplaudimos a la gente por tirar la moderación. De ahí que los cientos de seguidores de Instagram ahora le den a mi hermano un “corazón” para el anunciado que es una mujer. 

El problema lógico con esto es que si un hombre ha de ser “apoyado y celebrado” mientras se embarca en su viaje para convertirse en mujer, ¿no se debe celebrar a todos mientras continúan por el camino hacia su verdadero yo? ¿No debería alentarse a la mujer casada cuando se vuelve a conectar con su verdadero yo en los brazos de otro hombre? Nuestra cultura diría que sí, y los libros escritos sobre esto se han convertido en best sellers. 

Si eliminamos el concepto de naturaleza del pecado y reconocemos que todo el mundo es intrínsecamente bueno, realmente no hay impulso contra el que se deba luchar. Nunca. El adicto al porno también puede explorar su adicción. El alcohólico y el usuario de heroína también. ¿Y qué hay del pedófilo? ¿Qué hacemos con el hombre que dice que su verdadero yo se ha sentido atraído por los niños pequeños desde que llegó a la pubertad? 

Mi hermano y mi cuñada estarían de acuerdo en que no deberíamos tolerar ningún comportamiento que “causara daño a los demás”. Argumentarían que la persona trans no está dañando a nadie cambiando de género. Así que vamos a considerar ese argumento. ¿Mi hermano, que ha sido hombre durante más de tres décadas, convertirse repentinamente en mujer no sería realmente perjudicial para nadie? 

Supongo que eso depende de tu definición de dañino. ¿Es perjudicial interrumpir la salud mental, emocional y física de todos los miembros de tu familia, tanto inmediatos como extendidos, durante meses y probablemente años por venir? ¿Es perjudicial criar a cinco niños pequeños en un estado de confusión psicológica en el que la persona que pensaban que era una cosa es ahora otra, una en la que sus padres se transforman de una pareja heterosexual a una pareja homosexual justo delante de sus ojos? ¿Es perjudicial para un esposo que prometió amar y apreciar a su esposa abandonar todas las responsabilidades como el hombre que pensaba que se casó? ¿Es perjudicial para un padre de cinco años cometer una forma lenta de suicidio cuando comienza a desaparecer y una nueva criatura (completa con un nombre diferente) toma su lugar? 

Mi hermano alto, guapo y musculoso comenzó a tomar hormonas femeninas fuertes que lo transformaron en una persona diferente. Su vello facial dejó de crecer. En su lugar, creció pechos. Como parte de su “transición social” comenzó a usar vestidos, pelucas, tacones y maquillaje en público. Tendrá que permanecer con hormonas femeninas hasta el día en que muera. Se niega a responder a su antiguo nombre, Josh. Dice que Josh está muerto. Incluso hubo algún tipo de “ceremonia de entierro” simbólica para despedirse de Josh de una vez por todas. 

La mejor manera de describir lo que sucede cuando un ser querido decide intercambiar géneros es la siguiente: es como si alguien asesina a tu ser querido, y entonces el asesino se enoja mucho si no dejas que tomen el lugar de la víctima en tu familia. 

Y si realmente creemos que apoyar a la gente en su camino hacia su “verdadero yo” es mejor, ¿cómo crees que nuestra sociedad se verá como una década a partir de ahora? 

Bueno, el número de “otros parientes” (personas que se identifican como mitad humanas, mitad de otras especies) está creciendo. Un hombre llamado John que se identifica como un zorro ahora está solicitando derechos legales especiales que se adaptarán a sus necesidades como animal. Sorprendentemente (o tal vez no tan sorprendentemente), un porcentaje significativo de “otros parientes” también identifican como. Por lo tanto, el argumento se hace fácilmente de que, si usted apoya los derechos de las personas transgéneras, usted tiene que apoyar otros derechos de la familia. Después de todo, ¿quiénes somos nosotros para decir cuál es el verdadero yo de alguien? Y al igual que los individuos transgéneros, muchos otros parientes ahora están teniendo cirugía para parecerse cada vez más al animal o entidad con el que se identifican. 

Si usted puede cambiar legalmente el sexo biológico en su licencia de conducir, lógica dice que se le debe permitir cambiar legalmente cualquier otro rasgo que te gusta porque USTED y usted solo conocen su verdadera identidad. Así es como terminamos con Martina Big y Michael Eurwen de Alemania. La pareja ha sido sometida a muchas rondas de inyecciones de Melanotan, una hormona sintética que hace que la piel sea más oscura. ¿por qué? Porque, aunque la realidad nos diría que ambos son caucásicos, se identifican personalmente como africanos. 

Si Google Martina Big, te darás cuenta de que no parece estar bien. Aparte de los intentos de Martina de volverse negra, también ha tenido 23 implantes mamarios (ahora tiene una talla 32 S). ¿Debería la gente seguir con los delirios de Martina porque sólo ella puede conocer su verdadero yo? ¿O la gente debería tratar de conseguirle a Martina la ayuda de salud mental que obviamente necesita? Hago la misma pregunta a los del círculo de amigos de mi hermano. 

Aprovechando el transgénero

En lugar de ayudarlo a obtener ayuda real, la gente continúa “apoyándolo” a medida que se adentra en su delirio. Esto incluye a muchos terapeutas bien intencionados. Pero ¿por qué un terapeuta le diría a un hombre que ha tenido una historia de travestismo que lleve esa compulsión a su extremo más lejano transformando su cuerpo en el de una mujer? Porque hay mucho dinero conduciendo medicinas trans.

Después de que la investigación médica trans concluyó en Europa a principios de la década de 2000, los médicos de esas clínicas se inundaron en los Estados Unidos sabiendo que podían hacer una matanza financiera vendiendo un nuevo “tratamiento” para el problema psiquiátrico de la disforia de género. (Si no has estudiado la historia de la medicina trans, Google Paul McHugh, el médico de Johns Hopkins que estuvo a cargo del primer programa de cirugía de reasignación de sexo en los Estados Unidos.) 

Una vez que estudies la historia de la medicina trans, descubrirás que cualquier disidente de la práctica fue silenciado sistemáticamente. Esto incluye a respetados profesores y médicos de la Ivy League como McHugh, quienes dijeron que ir de la manera de un paciente era mucho más dañino que útil. Lo que comenzó como dos clínicas (una en cualquiera de las costas) que recomendó a las personas con disforia de género avanzar más en sus fantasías tomando hormonas entre sexos ahora se ha expandido a 50 clínicas en los EE.UU., todos los cuales están cobrando pagos masivos de seguros.

(Esté atento a nuestro número de marzo para leer la Parte 2 de este artículo.)

*El autor de este verdadero relato, una esposa y una madre, desea permanecer en el anonimato. Se han cambiado los nombres de esta cuenta.

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My Journey: Finding God’s Refuge During Wartime

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Living and serving in a foreign land involves adjusting to new cultures, languages, and realities. Over my thirty years as a missionary, I’ve faced these challenges in multiple countries and languages. Yet, none of my experiences could have prepared me for the realities of war—its impact on life, ministry, and faith. 

I had lived in Ukraine full time for thirteen years when the initial invasion occurred in 2014. The conflict was terrifying but distant from me; over time, I learned to navigate the stress of the threat of violence and the uncertainty that seemed to linger everywhere. But everything changed on February 23, 2022, with the full-scale invasion. Ukraine entered a dark chapter with an unknowable future, and so did I.

… everything changed on February 23, 2022, with the full-scale invasion. Ukraine entered a dark chapter with an unknowable future, and so did I

I spent the first few months of war in the United States. While physically “safe,” my heart remained with Ukraine. I wanted to be with the INSTE community, neighbors, and other loved ones who had become my family, not just because of my love and concern for them but because there is power in presence; there is a powerful ministry of simply being with others in their suffering. Just as God promises in Psalm 91:15 (NIV), “I will be with him in trouble,” I felt compelled to personify that presence for Ukrainians.

Returning to Ukraine in October 2022 meant facing new unsettling realities. Air raid sirens, missile strikes, and weaponized drones are part of daily life. Psalm 91:5 promises, “You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,” yet living this truth is challenging. In 2024, attack drones or missiles filled Ukrainian skies every single day and night. Fear is a natural response to danger, yet courage is trusting God despite fear. For me, each step forward, even with a lump in my throat, is an act of faith.

One of many buildings bombed by Russian forces

Psalm 91’s promise that God is “with us in trouble” anchors me, helping reconcile the tension between “not fearing” and “doing things afraid.” Fear doesn’t disqualify us from obedience; it’s often the very place where we find God’s will and experience His presence in profound ways.

My main ministry has always been equipping leaders through INSTE Global Bible College, but my focus has shifted during the war. In this season the Lord has allowed me to minister to humanitarian needs of Ukrainians with the help of Open Bible sponsors and a wide network of friends and ministry partners. For independent teen orphans, we’ve provided power banks and lamps for long nights without electricity.

PTSD manual translated and distributed to Ukrainians

Other times, we’ve purchased medicine for sick neighbors and helped seniors pay for medical procedures. For those along the frontlines, we’ve sent financial aid, clothing, and prayers. We have also translated, printed, and distributed thousands of booklets that teach how to deal with PTSD.

While others deliver large-scale humanitarian aid, my role is one of smaller, personal acts of kindness. In the market, I look for “Holy Spirit nudges” and find struggling grandmothers to bless with money for food, blessing them and reminding them that God sees their need. Each of these actions, though small, serves as a tangible reminder of God’s love and light in dark times.

The human cost of war is staggering. Food insecurity, disrupted education systems, and loss of electricity are all daily problems. Families have been displaced and torn apart, some with children attending school in other countries, others with family members on the frontlines, missing in action, prisoners of war, or buried in a grave. Communities have been shattered and the trajectory of so many lives forever altered. Over the years we have had thousands of INSTE students throughout Ukraine; many of their lives have been dramatically changed by this war. 

I witness incredible resilience in the defenders who are outnumbered and outgunned on the front lines, the mothers holding families together, and the children navigating unimaginable loss

Despite this, I witness incredible resilience in the defenders who are outnumbered and outgunned on the front lines, the mothers holding families together, and the children navigating unimaginable loss, including a normal childhood. Their resilience reflects the truth that God has not abandoned them. In their stories, I see glimmers of hope – reminders that even in the darkest times, Light shines. Their resilience inspires me.

It has been difficult to deal with the capture of my godson, Max, a nineteen-year-old soldier, by enemy forces. The pain of not knowing his fate is immense. We pray for his soul. Every Ukrainian has their “Max,” someone whose unknown future brings unbearable heartache. 

As I reflect on these years of war, I’m reminded of how deeply it has reshaped my life, my understanding of compassion, and my faith. War has tested me in ways I never expected, but it has also deepened my faith.

Psalm 91 continues to be a comfort: not a promise of an easy way, but of God’s presence. It is in His refuge that I find strength to minister and to believe for His promises. And it is there, even in wartime, that I have found God’s refuge.


About the Author

Tammy Swailes

Tammy Swailes is passionate about cross-cultural Christian education, so working with INSTE Bible College to disciple and equip leaders throughout Europe and beyond is a great fit! Tammy has lived in Europe since 1999 – first in Hungary and now Ukraine. Before that, she was in Japan, as well as Spokane, Washington. She now serves as INSTE regional director in Europe, assisting INSTE programs in five languages. Tammy has her undergraduate degrees in both Missions and Christian Education, and a MA in Intercultural Studies. Photography, good coffee, multi-cultural experiences, and the family’s Yorkie are some of Tammy’s favorite things. 

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Forever a New Creation: How God Led Me from Refugee Roots to a Life of Mission 

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The diaspora of the Tai Dam refugees in 1975 to Des Moines, Iowa, fueled a first generation of Tai Dam Americans adapting to new ways of life, blending language, culture, and embracing the numerous opportunities in the US. I was part of that first generation. Three years after my parents’ settlement in Iowa, I was born and became the first in my family to acquire an American education and step into a church. We were blessed to have Christian sponsors who helped us transition from our homeland to America.

Soukham (middle) with her family, circa mid-1980s

Every Sunday, our sponsors would take me, my sister, and several of my cousins to church service at the First Church of the Open Bible. Naomi Young was one of the many people who was significant in my life; she gave me my first Bible. Through the faithfulness of Naomi and others at the church, seeds of faith were planted as I was told about a man named Jesus who died on the cross for me. I was curious, but I did not understand and did not accept Him into my life at that time. Attending church was short-lived, coming to a halt when I was eight years old. The seed that was planted in me could not grow because it was never nourished with Truth at home. My parents and grandmother believed and practiced animism and ancestral worship, which is the veneration and honoring of the dead. Confusion infiltrated my mind, and my desire to attend church ceased. While I abandoned everything that was taught to me in Sunday school, I always kept my Bible in a special place underneath my pillow because something in my heart could not throw it away.

The seed that was planted in me could not grow because it was never nourished with Truth at home.

When I was twenty-two years old, my cousin took me to a Buddhist temple to have my fortune read. There, sitting in front of me, were three monks. One monk opened his notebook, wrote in it, then read to me my childhood, present life, and future life story up to the time I would turn thirty years old. He then shut his notebook and told me, “I am done.” When I asked him, “Why?” he told me only, “I cannot read you anymore.” That same week I went to a card reader and had my fortune read. Again, he read my childhood, present life, and up to the age I would be thirty, then stopped. I told him, “You are the second person that could not read me past thirty; tell me – do I die?” He quickly gathered his cards, saying only, “I cannot tell you.”

Soukham (third from left) and Naomi Young (second from left) with women of Kingdom City Church.

Throughout my adult life in my twenties, I was in an unhealthy, abusive relationship, which led to an alcohol addiction. When I was twenty-six, I became pregnant and had my daughter, Kaylee, on January 31, 2005. God was already working in my life, and I did not know it; He was molding me and reminding me of who He was through the darkest moments of my life. Around that time, I came upon a childhood friend who worked as a cashier at Hy-Vee; she would tell me, “Soukham, God is so good.” Though I resisted, the words she spoke over me resonated in my heart. Not long after, I found myself attending her funeral. Worship and praise were included in the Christian service. I was confused, but a part of me had the desire to know more about the God they said was so good and how through Him there would be no more pain and suffering. When I left the funeral, the Lord continued to reveal Himself to me through divine encounters. In July of 2008, I took a position at Nationwide Insurance where I reconnected with an old high school friend. She invited me to a Thanksgiving potluck at her church, and my walk with the Lord began soon after.

From the Tai Dam little girl who was born in America and met Jesus in an Iowan church, to the woman who is now taking the hope of Christ back to Southeast Asia, His hand has been in every chapter of my story.

I was thirty years old when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. The verse that will remain with me forever is 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (NIV).

Now I understand why the monk and card reader could not read my life past the age of thirty. At that age, I became a new creation because of Jesus Christ, and the enemy no longer had a hold on me! Jesus continued to bless me and my daughter. Amid my pain and struggles, God brought a man into my life, my husband Othone (Pong), who became a father to Kaylee. We got married on September 15, 2010. Together the Lord blessed us with two more children, Isaac and Silas. In 2017, the Lord called us to serve in Iowa at Kingdom Life Church (now Kingdom City Church).

NIN praying for a woman in Southeast Asia. She is the only believer in her family and one of the few believers in her village.

In November 2021, the Lord instilled in Pong’s heart a dream to build a charitable foundation to address needs in the vulnerable communities of Southeast Asia. The foundation would have a Christ-centered vision: to make and equip future disciples, providing them with sustainable resources and empowering them to advance beyond their current situation. Through continuous prayer and the Lord’s guidance, the foundation was born in April 2023 and officially named Nations in Need (NIN). Recently in 2023 and 2024, the Lord took Pong, Kaylee, and three of our brothers, Ap, Peng, and Bay, on trips to Southeast Asia where they built relationships, served the communities, ministered to the people, and spread the good news about Jesus Christ. Today, NIN has branched into multiple communities in Southeast Asia. Through the work of a future center in Southeast Asia, we will expand NIN’s mission and go wherever the Lord leads.

Throughout my whole life God has carried me, even when I didn’t know it. From the Tai Dam little girl who was born in America and met Jesus in an Iowan church, to the woman who is now taking the hope of Christ back to Southeast Asia, His hand has been in every chapter of my story. Whether the next chapter is in America, Southeast Asia, or somewhere else, I will follow Christ, forever His new creation.


About the Author

Soukham Khanthavixay

Soukham Khanthavixay and her husband, Pong, are active members of Kingdom City Church in Des Moines, Iowa. They reside in Pleasant Hill, Iowa, with their three children and two dogs. Soukham is a registered nurse at a local county hospital and also works for Nations in Need (NIN), the ministry her husband founded. Her family and ministry team work together to expand the mission of NIN and spread the gospel. To learn more about Nations in Need, follow them on Facebook or Instagram: @nationsinneed. 

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Joining the Family and Spreading the News 

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Spirit and Truth Church began as a dream amidst the stormy backdrop of January 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges that the world faced, we found ourselves thriving, anchored by the belief that God’s plans always prevail. As we say on our website, we are passionate about helping people “find freedom in the fullness” of both the Spirit and the Word. This foundational vision has carried us through times of uncertainty and propelled us forward. 

Rob Bray preaching a sermon at his Open Bible church plant, Spirit + Truth

Yet, for all our successes, we reached a point where we felt like we were on an island—thriving, yes, but lacking the covering, coaching, counsel, and care that every church needs to flourish long term. In 2022, at the first MOVEMENT conference, God spoke directly to my heart, telling me that Spirit and Truth Church was meant to be part of the Open Bible Church family. This call was a turning point for our ministry. In 2023, I was credentialed through Open Bible Churches, and in February of this year (2024), we became officially affiliated with Open Bible Churches’ Mountain Plains region. Since then, the blessings have been immense.  

For all our successes, we reached a point where we felt like we were on an island.

Being part of Open Bible has been transformative for us. We have received so much investment, training, and support. Open Bible has helped us shore up essential aspects of our ministry: leadership, organization, staffing, budget, facilities, and more. Our growth has been remarkable—we’ve doubled in size, growing from 60 to 120 regular attendees in the past year. This growth, I believe, is a testament to both the godly covering of Open Bible and the Spirit-led outreaches we engage in. Our church has a culture of lifestyle evangelism and hospitality where all our members are witnesses and welcomers. In addition, we have forged strategic partnerships with other ministries. 

One of the most exciting partnerships we have is with Every Heart Tours, a ministry led by fiery, Jesus-loving college students from Michigan. These students come to stay with us for a week at a time, engaging in outdoor worship outreaches and “prophetic treasure hunts.” If you’re unfamiliar with this term, a prophetic treasure hunt is an evangelistic practice where participants ask the Holy Spirit to reveal specific details about people they will meet, and then they go into the community to find these “treasures.” It’s a beautiful, Spirit-led adventure allowing us to partner with God and minister to people in our city in a unique way. We’ve seen so many lives touched and transformed through these treasure hunts. 

What started as a small church plant in Northern Colorado has since grown into a vibrant community reflecting the heart of God for His people.

One of the most powerful testimonies from these outreaches happened this summer (2024). We had a team of prophetic ministers giving specific words to people as we worshipped in Fort Collins Old Town square. We preached the gospel boldly, and by the end of the night eleven people made the decision to be baptized! We walked down to the Poudre River and witnessed the supernatural power of God as they went under the water and came up renewed. It was a moment that felt like the early church, where “the Lord added to their number daily” (Acts 2:47 NIV). 

Participants kneel in prayer as the Spirit + Truth team ministers at an Old Town outreach in partnership with the Every Heart Movement

Of course, ministry isn’t always easy. We’ve faced rejection and opposition. But we hold firm to the truth of Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” The harvest is plentiful, and we’ve seen this reality unfold before our eyes. As we continue to partner with ministries, step out in faith, and preach the gospel, we trust that God will continue to bring more people into His kingdom. 

Our journey with Open Bible has been a testimony to God’s faithfulness. What started as a small church plant in Northern Colorado has since grown into a vibrant community reflecting the heart of God for His people. We remain committed to spreading the good news and making sure outreach and evangelism are at the heart of our ministry. The harvest is ready, Open Bible fam – let’s go bring it in! 

About the Author

Rob Bray

Rob Bray is a marketplace and ministry leader with over a decade of experience in both business and church contexts. He is the founder and lead pastor of Spirit + Truth Church, an Open Bible Church in the Mountain Plains Region. Rob has catalyzed successful companies, grown healthy ministries, and spoken at influential conferences, workshops, and events. Rob’s expertise and passion have made him a trusted advisor and coach for leaders and entrepreneurs seeking breakthroughs in multiple areas including life, marriage, and business. Rob and his wife Bethany live on their homestead in Fort Collins, CO, with their six children: Nehemiah, Nora, Noelle, Neely, Nayla, and Nicholas. In their spare time, they enjoy hiking, paddle boarding, and snowboarding. 

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