Gabriela's Story

Gabriela Lopez, a native Colombian, is the founder
of El Camino Children's Home in Palmira,
Colombia, South America. Currently, it is home to
almost 50 children.

The “Former” Gabriela

In November 1989 Gabriela was a very unhappy
woman. She was working in the drug business and
said these interesting words, "Lord, if you are real,
change my life." The Lord not only heard her words, but literally changed her life.
Two weeks later, she was arrested in Miami, and God began the
“changing process” in her life at a federal prison in Virginia. It was there that
Gabriela gave her life to the Lord. Over the next three years, she began to
experience some of the happiest days of her life. Gabriela says she began a new
life, where the Lord allowed her to educate herself. She will tell you that with
Jesus in her heart, she was able to love her life even thought she was behind bars.
When the sentence of three years was coming to an end, she was in the process
of accepting a deportation back to Colombia. However, the Lord had another
phase of her training that was about to be revealed. Government agents tried to
convince her to become an informant and work for them. She refused, saying that
"my Jesus will help me." Help her He did! In December of 1992, she was given
the holidays to think about their offer – to become an informant or be deported.

Gabriela’s New Life on Cape Cod

Jesus put her in touch with Pastor Steve Johnson of Living Waters Christian
Center and she began to attend church there. In February of 1993, Gabriela
was scheduled for a deportation hearing. Through the church the Lord provided
her some new allies that would help her to appeal for a hearing. For the next five
years, Gabriela served the community of Cape Cod in such a way that she began
to touch many lives. She completed her probation from prison, one of the few
individuals to ever do so. She volunteered in the hospital where she prayed for
patients. She paid her taxes and had her own cleaning business. She continued to
be involved with God's work, and the Lord met her with TWO “Stays of
Deportation” which is VERY RARE. Gabriela had and opportunity to win her
appeal and was positioning herself for a major victory when what seemed like
disaster struck. The immigration laws changed after the Oklahoma bombing
incident thus doing away with her avenue of appeal which would result in an
automatic deportation back to Colombia. The consequences would be that
Gabriela would never be able to come back to the United States again. Dignity
was given to her by Living Waters Christian Center – prior to her departure, she
was ordained as a licensed missionary to Colombia.

Gabriela’s Return to Colombia.

Once again, her goal was to follow the plans of the Lord. The steps were laid out
forher and she began to serve the Lord in a country that had been ravaged with
much violence by the drug cartels. Killings were commonplace. However, the
churches began to come together in prayer and partner with each other to change
their chaotic country. Gabriela found the opportunity to lead bible studies and
reach out to the community of Palmira, a city some 18 miles outside of Cali. She
met others who shared the same passion and the Lord began to put a burden in
her heart for the children. She and another couple from the church she was
attending opened up a home for the children called "El Jordan de Rio” (The Little
Jordan River) Another lady gave them a 2 bedroom home and for the next year
Gabriela would sleep in a closet and help to serve the needs of these little children.
She made clothes, cooked their meals and pointed them to Jesus. The home grew
to over 23 children. Due to the small accommodations, the children were sleeping
two to a bed and had to rely on learning about the provision of God through
prayer.Food was donated and all laundry was done by hand. The Love of Jesus
prevailed and was evident in His gracious provision.

El Camino is Founded

All of this was the beginning of an even
greater mission that the Lord had for
Gabriela. In April of 2000, an Evangelist
from Living Waters and Word of Life
Chapel in Iowa and with whom Gabriela
once lived when she was on Cape Cod
was used by the Lord to answer her prayers for help. Eugene Butterfield and
his wife fulfilled the recurring dream that the Lord would give her and visited
her cramped home which was filled with an overwhelming degree of love and
warmth. Evangelist Butterfield recognized the need and very quickly brought
back the word to Pastor Steve and to the congregation of Living Waters as
well as to his son, Paul Butterfield, Pastor of Word of Life Chapel. A follow-
up trip was scheduled for August of 2000. This team would be a joint venture
from Iowa and Massachusetts. Among the supplies sent to Gabriela was 24
brand new pair of shoes, dresses and pants of all different sizes. The people
that Gabriela had once blessed were now blessing her by helping to meet her
needs with the Children’s Home. Individuals began to see the need of
Colombians and the need for a larger place for the children. Pastor Johnson
felt the tugging of the Holy Spirit directing them to purchase a facility where
children could have adequate space and the ministry needs for the area could
be met.Evangelist Eugene Butterfield and Pastor Paul Butterfield were equally
moved upon by the Holy Spirit to help provide for the needs of the children.
Through their faith the Lord has been meeting and providing their needs.

In December of 2000 Gabriela moved out of the original house where Sari
continued to operate El Jordan de Rio. Gabriela and three of the children
moved into a new facility on 2-1/2 acres of land. The gated residence has
two buildings, a swimming pool, and lots of beautiful flowers and fruit trees.
Gabriela has founded El Camino Children’s Home on Christ’s love. It is a
refuge for children who have been abused, neglected and abandoned.She is
pouring out her life to give children a chance to live a fruitful life and to know
Jesus Christ. She is a woman of prayer who totally trusts God for her provision.
He has never forsaken her or failed her and thus, she is dedicated and devoted
to Him and serves Him faithfully with the joy He has placed in her heart.
Gabriela had become a victim of a very cruel law. She was rejected by the
U.S. Government but not by the Lord who has restored her dignity. This
restoration began from the day she said, "God, if you are real, change my life"
The Lord has changed her life and has used her to change lives of all those
who know her.