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April 1987 Newsletter
COLOMBIAN CHRISTIAN MISSION
Dale and Jeanie Meade
In the jungle and prairie of Southeastern Colombia
Volume 15, Issue 4 April, 1987
SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Here in Colombia, the school year has gotten under way. School here starts in early February and runs through late November. Our Christian day school is filled to absolute capacity of 180 students. Since we do not have enough support to make the school free, we charge tuition. Then to help the very poor, we try to offer scholarships. Last year, generous supporters of our work here in Colombia, provided an education for 12 children. All came from very poor families and most would have never been able to afford the education in any other way. They are grateful for the help. After so many years of false promises from politicians, a genuine scholarship with no strings attached, seemed almost too good to be true.
As a result we had far more applications for scholarships this year than we had available. In an optimistic gesture I authorized the granting of 20 scholarships. At the current exchange rate, it takes about eight dollars per month to provide a full scholarship for a Colombian student.
As with last year, if you wish to sponsor a child, send your donation either in a monthly installments, or in one lump sum. But please remember to mark each check "scholarship fund." That will prevent the money from being confused and mixed up with our regular operating funds.
Again this year, together with you, we hope to provide the opportunity of a lifetime to a young Colombian student. We will provide the opportunity to study there.
EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS
During our last furlough, we spoke with many of you about our long-range plans. The one obstacle that loomed on the horizon was that of the education for our children. We live in a town that is very much backward by American standards. There is no school here that is at all comparable to an American one. That, more than anything else seemed to be a limiting factor for our continued work here in the jungle prairie region of Colombia.
With the small missionary school that had been started, we felt that we would be able to make it through this term. It only goes through grade school and Wendy is already on correspondence. But we felt she could handle that. Then during our next furlough, we anticipated making the decision on what to do after that time. But some problems have come up that are confusing the issue.
Susy and Alex have had some problems at the little missionary school. The missionary who runs it has become more involved with a local church here in town and with one of the Indian tribes. As a result, he has been trying to squeeze the students. That is, he has cut out much of the review and tried to do two days work in one. Our children have not been doing as well with the added pressure.
As a result, we have been force to consider other options available to us. Among them are: Using correspondence for all of the kids. That would mean we would have to spend a great deal teaching them here at home. Another option would be sending them to a boarding school. Another possibility would be sending Jeanie back to the States with the kids for the school year. Both of the final two plans would split up the family, something that none of us would like. The final solution would be the hiring of an intern to spend one whole year with us and to teach the kids as well as English in the Christian day school. But such a person could well be hard to find. We may continue to send them to the little school here. But under the present conditions, that would be the least advantageous for the kids.
UPS AND DOWNS
Since the work crew has left, we have continued to work on the church building in Bogota. The biggest problem so far has been that it is up (in Bogota, high in the mountains) and I am down (living in the plains), nearly one hundred miles away. The torturous mountain road makes that 100 mile trip into an all day ordeal.
As a result I have been having a lot of ups and downs lately. Each week, and sometimes even twice a week, I pack my bags and head for Bogota. While there I oversee the construction, approve expenditures, and make the decisions about how the building should be finished. I have meetings with the builders, the architect, and the building committee. I hear complaints from everyone about the columns needed to support the second story, the size of the kitchen, and the slow pace of the work. I also spend some time simply admiring the progress and the size of the new sanctuary. I take some time to dream about the growth that it will permit us.
Without any unforeseen delays, my ups and downs will be over in a couple of more weeks. At that time we will pour the slab. After that construction will come to a halt (we will have run out of money) and will begin using the unfinished building for church services.