Russell Stendal
RUSSELL STENDAL
Colombia Para Cristo
Russell Stendal was born in Minneapolis and raised on the mission field in Colombia, South America. He became a missionary jungle pilot at age nineteen.
The terror began on August 14, 1983. Russell, on routine business, landed his plane in a remote Colombian village. Gunfire exploded throughout the town and within minutes Russell’s 142 day ordeal had begun. The guerrilla fighters explained that this was a kidnapping for ransom and that he would be held until the demand for 12 million pesos be met by December 25th, 1983 or “we will kill your son”.
Held at gunpoint deep in the jungle and with little else to do, he began to write. He told the story of his life and kept a record of his experience in the guerilla camp. His “book” became a bridge to the men who held him and now serves as the basis for his incredible true story of how God’s love penetrated a physical and ideological jungle.
Upon his release Russell was involved in evangelistic campaigns across Colombia as well as speaking in the United States and Canada. He began a radio ministry to reach the fighting factions of the internal conflict in Colombia with the Gospel. Galcom has partnered with him to produce a special dual frequency solar powered short wave radio. So far over 48,000 Galcom radios have been deployed in violent areas of Colombia. Galcom and ‘The Voice of the Martyrs’ have helped Russell fly again in Colombia after missionary aviation had been suspended for ten years due to the violence.
At Missions Fest. Vancouver, Allan McGuirl, founder of Galcom, met Russell Stendal at his Missions Fest booth and they began the project to provide 100,000 Gelcom units for Colombia . God is doing great things in Colombia today.
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