Hero: Jésus Eduardo Ortiz

Our first encounter was in Mexico City. We were guests of a former Mexican congresswoman and her husband who was a former cabinet member in the government of Mexico’s President Felipe Calderón. This couple had invited WinShape International to partner with them in presenting some business conferences in Mexico City.

My first impression of Jésus was that this bald, jovial, loud Colombian was so full of self-confidence that I was not going to enjoy his presentation about his work with young people. You know how you sometimes form an opinion of someone before you ever listen to them and learn about them and their passions for helping others. Well, I was wrong because I was mesmerized by the stories he told of young people who were destitute and living on the streets of Bogotá and how their lives were changed by hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Jésus Eduardo and his wife, Marcela, established a nonprofit, Operation Reconciliation, that provides financial resources for their ministries. Jésus has a captivating testimony of how God brought him out of a life of addiction and nonsense to follow Jesus Christ and serve Him instead of himself.

In Colombia, as in most developing countries, students are separated into those who will pursue a curriculum to prepare them for university studies and those who will not have an opportunity to do any college work when they finish high school. Jésus has committed his life and his family resources to develop programs that equip these students who reach a dead end in getting prepared for their livelihoods. For many years he and his family have worked in public and private high schools to introduce a curriculum that teaches business principles and entrepreneurship.

I have traveled many times to Colombia over the past 18 years to witness first-hand how these extra-curricula training programs provided by Operation Reconciliation have helped shape the future for thousands of young people in Bogota.

Jésus has led efforts to use round table discussion of 40-character principles that are grounded in the Bible in businesses, manufacturing plants, hospitals, and schools. Some of the most successful round tables have been with the Colombian military forces and in the Colombian prison system. His work has spread into many other South and Central American and Caribbean countries. I could write pages on the life changes that have taken place in police forces, national justice systems and in the marketplace.

For many years Jésus has also been working with children and youth who are living on the streets of major cities in Colombia. Many of them suffer from drug addiction, and through the grace of God, Operation Reconciliation has helped them to overcome their addictions, receive coaching and mentoring, and find a job to provide housing, food, and clothing for themselves.

Our grandson, Collin, traveled with me on one of my trips to Colombia. While I was leading conferences for businesspeople, Jésus had some of his reformed young men entertain Collin. In a phone call to Collin’s mother, she asked what Collin was doing and who was taking care of him while I was teaching. Neither Collin nor I wanted to inform his mother that he was in the care of former drug addicts! However, these young men all walk with the Lord, and I would have trusted any of my grandchildren with them.

Early on in our friendship, I asked Jésus Eduardo about the mission of his family. The first words out of his mouth were: “Make money to use it for Jesus Christ.” I have watched this family for the past 17 years, and I can testify that they do not use their wealth on themselves, but they steward all their resources (time, talent, experience, money, and hospitality) to glorify the Lord.

 If I had any influence in nominating someone for a Nobel Peace Prize, I would nominate Jésus Eduardo Ortiz. But you know it is much more important that when Jésus passes from earth and arrives in heaven, the Lord is going to say, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”