The Morales Family
The Morales Family
The Morales family is now excited to serve the Lord in Colombia, a place where Ricardo’s training and shepherding experience is greatly needed.
The Morales family is now excited to serve the Lord in Colombia, a place where Ricardo’s training and shepherding experience is greatly needed.

Ricardo Morales – Missionary to Columbia
Ricardo is a native of Bogotá, Colombia (South America), and the Lord brought him to the Master’s Seminary where he completed an M.Div. (2010) and a Th.M. (2012). Vonna is originally from Oregon, and she earned her master’s degree in Biblical Counseling from The Master’s University (2008). Ricardo and Vonna met while Ricardo was finishing Seminary, and they share a passion to serve their Savior and advance the Kingdom of God. In January 2012, they were blessed with a daughter (Viviana Grace). From 2012 to 2017, Ricardo shepherded a Hispanic Church plant in Santa Clarita, California.
Ministry Need and Emphasis
Though plagued by wars and violence for almost a century, Colombia’s greatest need is not just political peace, but the power of God (the gospel) to change the hearts of its people. Colombia is a predominately Catholic country that in recent years has been flooded with false teaching, particularly influenced by the charismatic movement. Spiritual experiences, good works, and financial giving are peddled as the means of salvation. Though hungry for the truth, most Colombian pastors shepherd with a very rudimentary understanding of the gospel and have never had any formal biblical training. Their faith is not established on the right interpretation of Scripture, but on emotions and spiritual “fads.” This reality makes pastors and their congregations easy targets of false teachers.
Observing the consequences of this fiery attack on the gospel and the church has motivated Ricardo to work alongside Fernando Jaimes to establish a TMAI (The Masters Academy International) training center in Colombia. The mission statement of TMAI sums up the Morales’ reason for going to Colombia: “TMAI is committed to fulfilling the Great Commission by training indigenous church leaders to be approved pastor-teachers, able to equip their churches to make biblically sound disciples.”

Goals and Prayer Requests
- Ricardo’s single and most important goal is to train and equip pastors and lay-people in the Word of God. Please pray for God’s grace and wisdom as he feeds his soul with Scripture to fulfill this role.
- Please pray for Ricardo and the team he will be working with, as they seek to fulfill all the requirements for the Colombian Training Center to be established and approved by TMAI.
- Working alongside the local church is paramount to accomplish the biblical model of teaching and equipping disciples. Please pray for the Morales family as they join and serve in Comunidad de Gracia Bogotá (a church plant Fernando Jaimes is helping establish).
- Please pray for Vonna and Viviana Grace to quickly adapt to the Colombian culture.
Ministry Update, December 2025
- Ricardo’s preaching series on 1 John has confronted many people’s previously-held ideas of works-based salvation.
- During Wednesday evening Bible Study and Sunday School for adults, Richard Clinton has been teaching Fundamentals of the Faith.
- We continue meeting 1:1 with people needing Biblical counseling for their marriages, personal problems and trials.
- In October, Ricardo traveled to Bogotá for The Masters Academy International regional meeting, and then we were a part of the annual Baluarte de la Verdad (Pillar of Truth) conference hosted by our sister church in Cali. In November, Ricardo returned to Bogotá for the annual Colombian “Shepherd’s Conference” hosted by our sister church in Bogotá.
- We enjoyed a visit from Pastor David Robles, our regional Grace Ministries International shepherd.
- We also enjoyed visits from pastor Carlos Montoya, co-founder of the TMAI seminary in Honduras, and pastor Hernan Sierra and a group from his church (also from Honduras).
- A developer’s firm has purchased multiple buildings near where we currently meet. One of them is a one-story, 5,900 ft2, property that the church can afford and that we believe will be suitable for our needs (in particular, it is on a main road with good parking, close to public transportation, with a large room for our main service and good options for children’s classrooms).
- The owners have received multiple offers on the property, yet they have lowered the lease price (significantly under market value) so that we can afford it.
Prayer Requests
- As we write this report, the lease for the new building has not yet been signed. Please pray that the LORD may confirm that this is His will, or that we may accept a closed door with gratitude and trust in His providence.
- The property will need some remodeling, so please pray that the LORD may provide the resources and man-power to do it.
- In the last quarter, the church body has doubled their financial giving without being asked. Please pray that the church may continue giving faithfully so that we can honor the LORD with this new commitment, and that we may be good stewards of His money.
- Please pray for our church application to obtain non-profit status with the Colombian government
- Please pray for Luis & Diana Silva to be able to join us in ministry
