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August 1985 Newsletter
COLOMBIAN CHRISTIAN MISSION
Dale and Jeanie Meade
In the jungle and prairie of Southeastern Colombia
Volume 13, Issue 8 August, 1985
TO COLOMBIA AND BACK
In order to accept the offer to teach missions at KCC for one semester, we had to return to Colombia to renew our visas. Even with the trip there was no absolute guarantee that a new visa would be granted. We prayed hard and asked for the Lord's guidance. Everything seemed to be pointing towards accepting the offer to teach short term as the missionary in residence at KCC. So we prayed hard that the Lord works things out for us and we made plans to leave the States on the first of August. We bought our tickets and began to pack our bags. The date rolled around quickly because of the busy schedule that we kept during the month of July.
The last day of July arrived and we have everything ready. Tickets were in hand. Suitcases stood packed and waiting. We said our prayers that night and tried to turn all of the worries over to the Lord. We awoke extra early the next morning and I loaded the car while Jeanie got the kids ready. The wagon was packed and so one of the children into the front with us. We headed for Cleveland Hopkins Airport. After a one hour drive, we parked the car in a lot and shuttled by bus to the terminal. No porters were in sight so I began to shoulder our bags and barrels and carry them towards the check in counter. Soon we were done with that task and we headed for the gate. There we settled down for a relaxing wait. The plane was there so we boarded and took off on time. The first leg of the trip took us to Atlanta, Georgia. There we had to switch planes. After another short lay-over we were again boarding another plane on our way to Miami. This flight was a little late in taking off and we began to wonder is the time in Miami would allow them to switch the luggage. As it turned out, the plane that was to take us to Bogota had not yet arrived. So the short stop in Miami turned into a two and one half hour delay. Even then time passed rapidly and we were soon on the last leg of our trip. During this flight I began to become concerned with Customs in Bogota. We had heard that they were giving people a lot of trouble. We did not have all that much, but in Colombia that is not always a reason to take comfort. Upon arriving in Bogota, we passed through immigration with no hitch. We claimed our baggage and got into line. As usual everything moved at a snail's pace. We slowly scooted the 3 suitcases, 1 trunk, and 3 barrels towards the counter. When our turn came I lifted it all up to the counter and opened everything up. The customs official began to look through the tightly packed luggage and ask what we were carrying. I told him it was basically books and clothes. When suitcase after suitcase bore me out, he soon tired of looking and signed us out. We had no difficulty whatsoever. God had opened the doors for us. The Stringers were waiting for us, so it was off to their house. Now we were to face the major problem of renewing our visa in such a short time: Colombian government paperwork.
Our stay in Bogota was beneficial in that it gave us time to talk things over with Mark Stringer. He gave us the first realization of how far things had deteriorated in one year, politically speaking. Then we headed down the mountain road for Villavicencio. They had down a lot of work on the road since last year and so the trip was not so bad. Once in Villavicencio we began to unpack some of the furniture. That made the empty house more livable. Sunday we visited with the church there. We were amazed at the progress that they had made in the same short time. They had nearly 300 present. Five more were baptized that Sunday. For the very first time the church had made genuine progress in our absence. Our years of leadership training had finally begun to pay off. Evening service was also well-attended.
The next morning, we began our paperwork. Everything went smoothly, as we had expected in the first office. Then with some trepidation, we headed for the next office. This was the paper that had taken almost a month to get last year and had nearly delayed our departure. What would it be like this year? I said another prayer and went inside. I was much surprised to see to see that they had installed a computer system. I handed in my papers and told them what I needed. With a few minutes on his keyboard, the attendant had found all of our past records. In less than one hour we had our tax clearance and were on our way back up to their version of the FBI to get a legal clearance. By noon we had everything applied for and we were assured that it would be ready the next day. Jeanie went back home with the kids and I headed to a meeting with the Colombian leaders. They had all come into town for the monthly meeting. There I began to hear the stories of spiritual victories on one hand and death threats from the guerrillas on the other. All of them were glad to see us, yet they recommended that I no longer travel out into the countryside. It would simply be too dangerous. I had hoped to visit some of the churches but they convinced me otherwise. The meeting lasted two days and was very beneficial. But it left me with a heavy burden for the Colombian Church. It is growing by leaps and bounds, but there are serious threats of increased persecution. Please pray for them during these trying days.
We then picked up our last papers and began to make preoperational to head back up to Bogota. During our last day in Villavicencio, we visited with as many of the Christians as possible. We also made arrangements for someone to take care of the house and plane. We drove the car back up to Bogota so as to leave it with Mark. We had a one day wait in Bogota. It was a restful day and helped to make the long trip easier. The next morning, after only ten days in Colombia, we were ready to fly back to the States. We caught a cab to the airport the next morning and passed through immigration without a hitch. The ride back to the States was as smooth as clockwork. After passing through customs in the USA we boarded the next plane for Cleveland. By late evening we were landing. Our car was till there and started easily. By nine o'clock we were back in Rittman. Nobody thought that we could do it so quickly. Even I had wondered if it would be possible. I had never known anyone to get their paperwork done so quickly. Truly God had worked for us.
We are now looking forward to teaching this fall at KCC. I want to make this part of our ministry worthwhile. Please pray for us that all is well so that we can return to Colombia in January. The brethren there need all of the help they can get in these trying and dangerous times.