Caravan of Hope Mobilizes Churches

Story by Debra Anderson

In a week filled with faith, fellowship and fervent evangelism, the Potomac Conference’s annual Caravan of Hope proved to be a resounding success, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of its participants. With the resonating theme, “Jesus, Your Hope,” the caravan brought together churches, members and special guests for a spiritually enriching experience that impacted the Potomac community.

Rafael Soto, Hispanic Ministries director for Potomac, shared the primary objective of the caravan, stating, “We want our members to be actively engaged in sharing the love of Jesus in their churches and in their communities. We want them to be excited about doing their part to ‘Move Beyond the Walls’ and save souls for Christ.” This mission to mobilize churches to actively preach the gospel of Jesus was at the forefront of the caravan’s goals.

During the caravan, which journeyed through 10 churches within the conference, a total of 57 churches united to offer their support to the evangelistic campaign. The caravan impact was demonstrated by 300 baptisms throughout the week, serving as a testament to the powerful message of hope and salvation. Forty-five percent of the people baptized were under the age of 22.

The caravan was further enriched by the presence of preacher Felipe Garibo from Mexico, who delivered inspiring sermons throughout the event. Additionally, special guest singer Edith Aravena from Chile sang nightly as attendees celebrated their faith.

Other caravans took place in 2021 with evangelist Alejandro Bullón, followed by another successful iteration in 2022 with evangelist Jose Rojas, specifically targeting young people. The 2023 caravan aimed to unite everyone, fostering a sense of collective mobilization and deepening the bonds of faith within the Potomac community.

Soto emphasized the importance of involving young people in evangelism, stating, “In the future, we plan to organize another caravan targeting this vital demographic. In Potomac, we seek to engage and empower our youth to preach and teach the gospel.”

As anticipation builds for the future, the Potomac Conference is already planning a special caravan for the fall of 2024, as it will be one of the events to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Potomac Conference. With another successful caravan in the books and exciting plans for the future underway, leaders say the conference continues to shine as a beacon of hope and faith in the community. The message of Jesus, the bonds of brotherhood and the joy of service remain at the heart of this annual tradition, inspiring all who participate to be messengers of hope in their communities and beyond.