The Quiet Undertow [Andrew McMillan]

(The moment after the team qualified for the World Cup when Juan Cuadrado, who attends our church when he’s in town, leads the whole team in giving Jesus all the glory.)

Colombia’s national soccer team just qualified for the World Cup in Russia!!!

When we first traveled to Medellin in 1994, Colombia also made it to the World Cup, but the team was under the influence of Pablo Escobar.

He “invited” the team to his farm to party with expensive girls. No one dared to decline the invitation. The narco money paid for the best trainers and facilities. When Don Pablo spoke, the team jumped, but they jumped into the fire. The team lost in the first round and a player was killed when he returned to Medellin because he made an autogoal.

Things have changed. Now the team is under a new influence. Juan Guillermo, one of our pastors on the team, meets with half of the team members by Skype twice a week. Most play in other countries but come together for the national games, and that is when they invite Juan to be with them in the hotel three days before the matches. I have accompanied Juan twice to minister to the players and go to the game.

Someone has to do it!

But Juan is the team’s unofficial pastor.

Pablo’s power was offering sex, money or bullets in the back of the head. But real power is the quiet influence over the heart. He didn’t have that.

Pablo’s power was like the noise of a jet ski buzzing around on the surface, but Juan’s power is more like the undertow, silent and strong. The undertow of the Holy Spirit is pulling this country to Christ.

I think it is amazing that the national team once under the influence of Don Pablo is now under the influence of my friend who is under the influence of love.

About Team McMillan:

In 1994, the McMillan family traveled to the kidnapping, murder, and drug capital of the western hemisphere to plant a church and a foundation. God thought Medellin, Colombia a good place to raise a family. And turns out He was right (as He usually is). It became a very large family: The church, Comunidad (Community), is now the largest church in Medellin with over 8,000 members, the Foundation, Viento Fresco, cares for over 150 high-risk children, and a non-profit coffee shop, New Hearts Cafe, serves cups of caffeine and the love of Jesus to thousands of college students.

God is doing so much in Medellin, and we write about here on the Teammcmillan.org blog!