When Jim, a strawberry farmer from Tiskilwa, Illinois, was asked to join a Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) in Colombia five years ago, he was not thrilled to leave his family, farm work, and church work in his local Mennonite church. But he accepted the call, feeling strongly that the Lord was calling him to do peacemaking work in this war zone.

Starting in 2002 Jim has spend 2-3 month each year helping the CPT team to give protection to 80 farm families in Colombia, because as long as CPTers are presence the Guerillas and Paramilitaries refrain from threating the farmers.

These Colombian farm families face armed checkpoints, death threats, kidnappings, gun battles, and food confiscation. He describes frightening encounters with armed guerrillas and paramilitaries, and inspiring, courageous acts of hope of farmers caught in the middle between warring armed groups.

The presentation is mainly stories from Jim's experience in Colombia, but also includes some stories from other CPT projects.

"I also learned a lot about how awful war is for civilians and soldiers." Jim said, adding," I sense the real urgency for Christians to do something about war. It is amazing what a small group of peacemakers whose beliefs are based in the ways of Jesus can do against the threats of armed groups."

He has a special message of hope for the future, despite the apparent overwhelming power of the war machines of the world. Out of that has come his decision to change occupations and do full time peacemaking work. He spells out how you can begin peacemaking.