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February 1988 Newsletter
COLOMBIAN CHRISTIAN MISSION
Dale and Jeanie Meade
In the jungle and prairie of Southeastern Colombia
Volume 16, Issue 2 February, 1988
AMAZING GRACE
In so many circumstances, we have seen the Lord's hand as He has protected and guided us. We have also seen Him heal people in a miraculous ways as we have prayed to Him. One such instance occurred this month.
But before I tell you about it, I need to explain a few things. Here in Colombia there is no medical malpractice. The doctors have very little concept of service. They usually become doctors in order to get rich. And they are not shy about telling you that. So as a result, on a weekend or holiday, it is very dangerous to get sick. No doctors staff the hospitals. None can be reached in case of an emergency. If you have the misfortune of getting sick or having an accident on a weekend, that is your tough luck.
Now back to my story. It was a holiday weekend. Since most of the Colombians get drunk, the churches often plan an outing to offer an alternative to the brethren. This holiday weekend was no exception. The church in Dinamarca went to the river to fish and swim. The ladies all took chickens to pluck and roast on the shore. The children played in the sand and the shallow water. Some of the men were fishing with nets. As the net made a sweep, one person was stationed at the rapids to block the escape of any fish trying to flee up river. On this particular sweep, a recently baptized believer named Carlos was stationed at the escape route. Unfortunately, this sweep scared a large stingray from the sandy bottom. In the murky water, Carlos did not see it coming until it was too late. The stingray stung him in the stomach with its 6 inch spear. With his liver pierced, Carlos collapsed into the river. The brethren pulled him from the water and carried him into town.
Now a stingray leaves a very dangerous injury whenever and wherever it strikes. But in the stomach, it is nearly always fatal. The people of the town all jeered and said that he was being punished for becoming a Christian. The Christians gathered around and prayed. A passing car brought him into town. But is was a holiday weekend. At the hospital they refused to even receive him. After all, no doctors were around, why have him die there. Finally the allowed us to leave him on a stretcher in the hallway. All of the nurses said that he would not make it through the night. We went looking for a doctor. All afternoon we tried to locate one. By late evening it was evident, Carlos would have to be left in the Lord's care. Again the church gathered to pray for him.
On Sunday an intern arrived at the hospital. He checked over Carlos, who had surprised the nurses by making it through the night. But after looking him over and taking an X-ray, the young intern simply shook his head and said that there was nothing he could do either. Carlos was too gravely injured. As he walked away, he also commented that it would be a miracle if Carlos lived through the day. Again the church gathered to pray and watch. By the next morning the doctors began to return. The first one in was incredulous. "A miracle" were his only words as he heard the story and checked the wound. Later more doctors arrived and all were amazed. But since Carlos had already passed the crisis point, they were of the opinion that it would be better not to operate. The fact that Carlos had no money might have helped then reach that decision. We (you and I) paid for the drugs he needed. He stayed with the Christians in town for a while. Now he is back out in the little town of Dinamarca. The townsfolk were amazed to see him arrive. Rumors already had him dead and buried. God does work in marvelous ways.
GRADE CARDS
As the year ends, we do a statistical analysis of our work. We want to know whether things are moving forward or backwards. So as the year drew to a close, we began to gather and analyze the data. We ask each church to keep detailed numbers on attendance, baptisms, etc. During December we gather all of the information. Then in January we add it all up and compare things with the previous year.
This was a good year. Not one of our best, but still a good year. We had 87 baptisms during the year. That brings us to over one thousand in 15 years. We had a growth rate of 21% for the year. That is about our average. We have averaged 20% or better for every term here in Colombia. Of course some years have been better and some worse. But we have set 20% for our goal and we usually meet or surpass it.
We have surpassed another goal during this past year. Church growth studies indicate that mission work must have over 500 active, baptized members and around 2,000 in attendance in order to be self-sustaining. Any fewer and the group will generally disappear if the missionaries pull out. This year, for the first time, we surpassed that goal. While we cannot be assured of having a self-sustaining work. We have certainly come one step closer.
Mark Stringer, due to his heart condition is spending more time writing and teaching. The violence and insecurity here in the prairie/jungle region has forced me to do the same. This is probably a much needed step. For if we have had one glaring short coming as missionaries, it is that we have spent too much time doing what the Colombian brethren could do. In our desire to see the work grow, we have spent too much time doing the actual calling and winning of people. As a result we have often not trained them as we should. This means that we have had a high loss rate. We have also always had decreases in attendance during our furloughs. So we are working hard to correct his short coming during this term.
The future here is so uncertain. There are rumblings of war and threats from the cocaine mafia. We certainly don't know how much longer God will give us to finish the job at hand. So we are thankful when we meet out goals and see progress. We are thankful for the Lord's guidance and protection during these troubled times. We are also grateful for your prayers and support as we strive to do our best for His kingdom, as long as the Lord gives us the privilege of working here.