Reaching the Unreached

Of the four main Indigenous people groups that inhabit the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Colombia, we have been able to make contact with three of these groups. Each of them is distinct in its own way, but at the core, they are very similar in their spiritual beliefs and separation from the outside world. In an effort to remain pure and pleasing to the “Mother,” they have separated themselves from the outside world. This means that many of these people do not speak any language other than their native tongue.

When the mission team first arrived in Colombia a few years ago, led by AGMA, Bro Craig Benner, and Bro Harold Stewart, the mission was to put Audio Bibles into the hands of the Kogui people. They had just recently finished the New Testament translation of the Bible into their native tongue. This is an incredible feat. The Holy Bible is the first written document in their language. Since the beginning, they have been solely an oral culture. That being said, a written Bible doesn’t serve them very much. But when the mission team learned that they had already gone through the effort of recording the Bible and that we could purchase solar-powered Audio Bibles, we knew the mission was clear: do whatever it takes to get Audio Bibles into the hands of this “unreached people group.” Many of you readers have given to this effort in some way or another.

We started out by bringing Bibles over, hoping and praying to somehow make contact with this unreached tribe. We had no idea who, where, or when. All we knew was that God’s heart is for every man, woman, boy, and girl to have His Holy Word. If God is willing, then He will orchestrate it.

The time arrived to go to Colombia with Bibles, prayers, and hope. The rest of this story can be told at another time, but just know that, in miraculous ways, God put the team in contact with the very Kogui man and his family who were leading the charge in the Bible translation.

Now, after several trips to Colombia, eye clinics, and miraculously being welcomed into a closed-off mountain Kogui community, three of their witch doctors and spiritual leaders have walked away with smiles and Audio Bibles.

On September 18, 2026, the team, consisting of Bro. Craig Benner, Bro. Harold Stewart, Bro Easton Stewart, Bro. Derek Rich, and myself, Jacob Hill, arrived in Santa Marta, Colombia, with 249 more Audio Bibles for the Kogui people. But we had greater desires than simply visiting our Kogui brothers and sisters in Christ.

We wanted to be able to make new contact with some of the other “unreached” people groups in these mountains, namely the Wiwa and the Arhuaco people.

We are still amazed at how God brought His Word to the Kogui people. What started out as fewer than 300 believers has, in just a short time, grown to more than 600 Kogui Christians because the life-changing Word of God arrived to them in the form of an Audio Bible.

We made our first stop to drop off the Audio Bibles and have a service with some of the Kogui believers. After visiting for a while, we had to move on to the other side of the mountain range, where we were praying for an encounter with the Wiwa people.

To this point, the Wiwa people are still in the same situation that the Kogui people were in at the beginning: no Bible, no written language, and very few Christians.

Through a Kankuamo brother, who has dedicated his life to reaching the Wiwa people, we were able to meet some of these very few Christians. One of them was a teacher in a local community school that goes to the fifth grade.

This encounter brought us great joy because we discovered that there had been some progress made toward a Wiwa Bible. This brother himself had played a small part in it, but it had been a few years since he had been involved. He gave us the names of some others who had worked as part of the team. Based on his knowledge we left with the understanding that there was a written copy of the New Testament, but it was not ready to be used. Another big hurdle in front of us was the recording and producing of an audio bible.

This had truly been a divine appointment. Each of us left that meeting feeling energized with hope for the Wiwa people, knowing that they were “this close” to having their very own Bible. This is vital for these communities, since less than 15% of them speak any language other than their native tongue.

We woke up the next morning praying for the future of the Wiwa people and for the opportunity to get a Bible into their hands.

We met up with our Kankuamo brother again and had a time of devotion with the Wiwa children whom he and his wife house during the week so that they can attend school. Anytime a family wants their children to attend school past the fifth grade, they have to send them down out of the mountain. And there is our friend, waiting for the opportunity to house them and teach them about the Savior.

After spending time with these beautiful children in his care, we were visited at his house by another Wiwa brother, who had also been a part of the Bible translation team.

This encounter would reveal to us much more than we had dreamed. He told us of a woman missionary, Dorothy Hoppe, who had worked with him and some others to get the Word of God into the Wiwa language.

We are praising God for the work that she accomplished. Under her leadership, a small team of three Wiwa men was able to get the New Testament (except for Revelation) and Genesis translated. We found out that they were able to print 100 Bibles. We even had the opportunity to hear as a young 17 year old Wiwa boy read a portion for us. Obviously, these Bibles are not being widely used at this time, but they were printed with hope for the future generation who will learn to read.

They were also able to get Genesis and the New Testament (except for Revelation) recorded in an audio file. This is a huge advancement for the faith of the Wiwa people.

This brother still presses on with the translation, now working through 1 Chronicles as he has time. He wants nothing more than to finish the work and see the Gospel spread throughout the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta, Colombia.

We rejoiced in finding him. God brought us in at the right time, put us in the right place, and connected us with the right man.

What started out as a trip hoping to meet with some Wiwa people, without thinking that they would have a Bible anytime soon, became a meeting with one of the translators himself and the realization that they are so close to having the life-giving Word of God.

The next step is to order Audio Bibles, bring in some form of social service, such as a dental clinic or eye clinic, and find a way to gain access to these closed-off communities through legitimate humanitarian efforts.

Please pray for us as we move forward. We need divine favor with the people, finances to make it all happen, and the leading and anointing of the Holy Spirit.

I trust you have the same desire to see the Word of God in all the world as we do. If that’s the case, we invite you to partner with us financially. We are looking for monthly partners for the furtherance of the Gospel, as well as one-time donations toward the purchase of Audio Bibles and providing humanitarian aid that will open doors.