John Jairo Leal and Susana Castro are ordained pastors in the Colombia Missionary District and have served as pastors and church planters in Medellin. John is currently director of Community Church Planting with Impact Latin America. Susana is coordinator of the Healthy Leaders Development pillar in Latin America. She mentors the mission district leaders in Costa Rica, 360 Mission District and Honduras, and serves as a mentor for pastors of the Camino de Vida IML churches in Colombia. John Jairo and Susana’s passion is to develop leaders who spread the gospel with words and deeds of love.
Children: Isabella, Valentina, Alejandro (nephew)
Pray For
- the whole family to maintain healthy rhythms amid multiple tasks
- their children to know God more fully and love Him with all their being
- much fruit in the development of healthy leaders at the local, district and area levels
- leaders to experience deep connections with God and one another through pastoral care groups
- the expansion of the Community Church Planting movement as God opens doors and prepares hearts
Recent Heartbeat Articles
Crossing the Globe – Spreading the Gospel
Nearly a century ago, in 1928, Massayoshi “Daniel” Nishizumi, a Free Methodist pastor from Japan, embarked on a remarkable mission. He moved to the other side of the world as a missionary to Brazil, preaching to Japanese people who had immigrated to Brazil. But he was...
Continuous Learning: A Blessing for God’s Church
“I don't have time. I don't have money. I’m too old.” These are excuses people often use to stop learning. Pastora Mariana Mafla, the mission district leader in Ecuador, believes continuous formation is a duty and a necessity for every person in the church. Despite...
Cooking in Solidarity
Argentina is in the midst of a deteriorating economic situation. Inflation rose more than 175% this past year. Currently, more than 50% of the population lives below the poverty line. Many families are experiencing increased food insecurity as their wages are no...
Champions of God’s Peace
“The Missionary Graveyard” – is the name some use for Uruguay, a small, secular and atheistic country in South America. Many missionaries have left Uruguay frustrated by the hard hearts of the people. However, nothing is impossible for the Lord of the Harvest! God is...