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January 1978 Newsletter
COLOMBIAN CHRISTIAN MISSION
Dale and Jeanie Meade
In the jungle and prairie of Southeastern Colombia.
Volume 6, Issue 1 January, 1978
A VERY CLOSE CALL
A motorcycle is an ideal form of transportation for the jungle trails and the country roads of San Jose. It is still useful here in Villavicencio and the prairie, as the article on "A Bigger Circuit" points out. But here there are some definite disadvantages.
In a busy city like Villavicencio (population estimated 200,000) I am well aware of the dangers of riding a motorcycle. Every intersection I come to, I slow down and prepare to brake. Many times this caution has prevented an accident. On a motorcycle, you never have the right-of-way. Yesterday (December 23), the inevitable happened.
I was on my way home at 5:30 a.m. after our radio broadcast. I entered a traffic circle just ahead of a bus. I was traveling at about 15 m.p.h. As I approached the next entrance I cast a wary glance. A car was coming at average speed. I had plenty of time. Besides, he had a stop sign. I continued around the traffic circle. The other driver, seeing the bus behind me decided to run the stop sign and enter the traffic circle just ahead of the bus. He floored the accelerator and lurched forward. As I saw this I poured on the gas. But the little ole Suzuki 100 just didn't have it. I got my leg out of the way just as the Land Rover hit me broadside. I felt the impact and heard the sound of shattering glass and bending metal. The impact threw my motorcycle about 30 ft. The bus was able to brake, I was thrown clear of the Land Rover, and by the grace of God nobody was coming in the lane where I landed.
The next few minutes were all confused. I remember a sharp pain in my shoulder as I staggered off the road. There were a lot of people that came running. Two of them drug the motorcycle off the road. After a few minutes My head began to clear. The driver who had hit me helped me into his car and drove me to the hospital.
The doctor checked me over. There were no broken bones. I had only a badly sprained shoulder, some abrasions on my shoulder arm, and ankle, and a cut on my face. No more. I was treated and released. We went back to pick up the motorcycle. Once there I realized how fortunate I had been. My helmet had been badly grooved and scraped. The two shirts I had worn to protect me from the morning chill had both been torn; but they had kept the extensions from being extensive. Finally, where my leg had been only a few seconds before the wreck, there was the mark of the Land Rover's bumper. The muffler had been completely crushed. The shock absorber behind it was also bent. The frame of the motorcycle was badly twisted. All of the lights (metal parts as well as the lens) had been shattered.
The motorbike is now in a shop where they are hammering and prying away; trying to straighten it up. I'm stiff and sore as I ease around the house. But I thank the Lord for his protection. What could have been very serious, or even fatal, turned out to just be a very close call.
Yes, here in Villavicencio a car would have certain advantages. But they would mainly be for my safety and convenience. Besides, a car costs around $10,000 which we don't have. Hopefully, they will be able to fix the motorbike. It is still useful here in the prairie.
RADIO MINISTRY
"Amanecer con Dios" has been on the air for two months now. From the early indications it is going very well. Two of the people who have written live in places where we have been wanting to start churches. Many have commented that they listen regularly.
We have a provisional "recording studio" set up in the house of a Christian brother. The Colombian brethren are doing all of the preaching and announcing. Several of the churches have even indicated and interest in supporting a Colombian director who could handle scheduling, programming, and recording.
The work crew (which should be in Colombia as you are reading this) will be building a permanent building to provide a sound-proof recording area and a dark room. It will greatly facilitate the recording of radio programs. This will also eliminate chicken, dogs, and kids that regularly form part of the background of our present programs.
Warren Sanders has expressed an interest in putting the program on the air in Ibague and perhaps even in Bogota. These programs could easily be varied for the area in which they are to be used. The beginnings are humble and far from professional; but it is very important that we finally got into this form of mass media communication of the Gospel.