MEDELLÍN, COLOMBIA – Driven from their ancestral lands in Chocó, Colombia’s Embera people have long battled poverty and displacement fueled by drug cartels and decades of violence. Now, a spark of hope is emerging through the faith of an American missionary couple, helping families rebuild their lives and preserve their culture, one handcrafted bead at a time.
Missionaries Travis and Beth Burkhalter first served indigenous groups deep in the Amazon jungle before moving to Medellín to work with the Embera. Today, many Embera families crowd into Niquitauo — a poor, often dangerous neighborhood even locals try to avoid. Travis gave this CBN News reporter a tour of their people group’s neighborhood.
“This is the only place they can find to live that are small, they share a bathroom and bedroom, and they pay by the day,” said Travis. “It costs six dollars a day to live in (this) room. So, that’s $180 dollars a month, which is a lot of money.”
That daily rent affords them little more than what’s called inquilinatos — cramped, unfurnished rooms with no kitchen, barely enough space for eight people to sleep on mats or scraps of cardboard.
Many Embera families live in perpetual survival mode, waking each day uncertain whether they’ll be able to afford rent or feed their children. In their culture, children eat last, and basic hygiene often falls by the wayside, leading to widespread malnutrition and preventable illnesses.
Travis and Beth visit the inquilinatos several times a week. During a recent visit, parents approached Travis, asking him to pray for their sick children, many of whom suffer or die from treatable diseases, while traditional beliefs in animism and the spirit world offer no cure.
“The one mom who asked us for prayer, the first one – her husband is actually a shaman, a witch doctor – so it’s just ironic and cool that she recognized that maybe we have more power than her own husband that he uses,” said Travis.
During the day, many mothers leave to beg on the streets, trying to earn money. Their children are sent to Casa Embera — a safe space created by Travis and Beth, where Embera kids can gather before school to watch TV, eat a nutritious breakfast, and learn the local Spanish language. There, they also hear the hope of the Gospel.
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“Because of the stress, the moms have to get up early,” said Beth. “They have to go out into the street where they beg all day. They come home late at night, and sometimes their husbands are drunk and will beat them. There’s a lot of violence, family violence. Then the kids, I think, feel that pressure as well, feel the stress – it’s difficult, even the kids who come to our ministry house because sometimes they come, and they just want to sleep in the morning. They don’t want to do their schoolwork because they’ve been up all night begging on the streets with their parents.”
Filled with love and a deep desire to share the Gospel, Travis learned their language — Embera Katío of Alto Andagueda — becoming one of the few outsiders able to speak it. The language has no written form and contains no words for concepts like gratitude, faith, or salvation. So Travis works with translators to create Bible stories in their language, sharing with them stories like the baptism of Jesus.
Embera women typically beg or sell their native jewelry to tourists — a hard life with little stability. About four years ago, Beth Burkhalter saw an opportunity to help pave a path to more dignified work.
“Well, what if I help them come up with some cute designs, and if they could just sell one pair of earrings, they could make enough to pay for their daily rent, and their daily food. That was like my basic goal,” Beth explained.
That idea sparked the Embera Bead Project — packaging handmade jewelry to sell worldwide, helping families fight poverty and restore hope one bead at a time.
“We know that God has given this space, all these things we’re doing, so we can share the gospel. We hope more people come to faith in Christ. Our dream is to plant a church amongst our people group, to build believers and make disciples among them,” said Beth.
Casa Embera isn’t just a shelter for these people, it’s a lifeline. They’re empowered through education, crucial health and hygiene classes. The missionaries, working hand-in-hand with local churches, fulfill their shared desire to offer abundant life to those often overlooked.
“We’re fully funded by the International Mission Board (IMB), and we’re grateful for them, and for those who give to the Southern Baptist Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Cooperative Program. We’re also super grateful for Send Relief,” Beth said.
Today, the Burkhalters continue navigating the complex visa process — a constant hurdle in their years of dedicated service. Still, their commitment remains unwavering as they offer a heartfelt challenge to others:
“I wish every believer could come and just spend a day here — to walk around, see the people, feel our love for them, and see their needs,” said Travis. “Not just the poverty, but the spiritual needs, the sickness — to simply be a part of their lives, even for just a day.”
What began with small acts of kindness is now transforming an entire community. Through the language of love, faith, and a few simple beads, a forgotten people are finding their place in God’s story.
