Our History
La Fundacion Camino de Emaus (Emmaus Road Foundation) was born at the crossroads where human tragedy intersects with the healing grace of God and the solidarity of the Christian community. It all started in 1991 when Pastors Barbara Wangsness and Natanael Lizarazo were serving Trinity Lutheran Church in Edgemont, South Dakota. On a sad day in July 1991, they were told that their son would not survive complications detected by the doctor in charge of his prenatal care. Their young son died leaving them very grieving and devastated by this loss.
Their grief was shared with the congregation. The small Sunday school class of 12 children asked what they could do to alleviate the loss. The children were asked to raise pennies so that a poor child in Colombia could attend elementary school. The children were very excited. Every month, the children brought their penny-filled benches. In late 1991, the children raised $112.96 and provided the fertile seed for what is now Fundacion Camino Emaus. God used a small group of children, with small resources, in a small congregation, in the small town of Edgemont South Dakota, to bring forth this life-giving global ministry.
As the pennies story was shared with family and friends, other Sunday schools and congregations also began making donations. What started with pennies continued to grow. In addition to scholarships and Christian leadership training, other services were offered, including a Meal a Day for Displaced Children, loans for some families to buy their first home, evangelism initiatives, and technology projects for schools.
These humble beginnings point to a larger promise and story. The promise and story of what God can do with small seeds, the very promise and larger story of empowering generosity. Out of these humble pennies God continues to grow the fruitful harvest of formal education, Christian leadership, transformative immersion experiences, global relationships, holistic services for seniors and environmental responsibility. The fact that we will always value humble pennies does not mean we intend to remain small in our holistic mission scope. Fully aware of our humble beginnings and historical transitions in these 33 years, Fundacion Camino Emaus is a growing tree of many branches, a true catalyst for social change and sustainable growth. The different fields of study our graduates represent, do offer Colombia socially responsible citizens, committed Christian leaders and agents of social change. |
33 years later, hundreds of students have been blessed with scholarships to accomplish their primary, secondary and college education. Major fields of formal education include Preschool Education, Primary Education, Food Services, Environmental Sanitation, Graphic Design, Architecture, Theology, Religious Sciences, Graphic Design, Bilingual Services, Aeronautical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Nursing, Medicine, Systems Engineering, TV and Radio Broadcasting, Logistics and Marketing, Finance and Banking Services, Social Psychology, Marketing and Advertising, Music, Modern Languages, Physical Therapy, Mathematics, Diesel Mechanics, Business Administration, International Business, Chemistry, Biology and many others. As the Foundation continues to serve the broader missionary purposes of God through the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia, we invite all of our friends and mission companions to continue being part of God’s;s mission here in Colombia. Our sincere gratitude to all of you mission companions and, in particular, to the Southeastern Synod of Minnesota for your generosity over the years and for serving as our Fiscal Agent in the United States.