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July 1989 Newsletter
COLOMBIAN CHRISTIAN MISSION
Dale and Jeanie Meade
In the jungle and prairie of Southeastern Colombia
Volume 17, Issue 7 July, 1989
(PHOTO)
What? You mean those stars were supposed to go on the pictures.
VBS'S
June is always our month for VBS's. This year, during the month of June, we had four weeks of VBS. We drove more than 3,000 miles. I made about 100 presentations to different age groups during the month. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and the kids. VBS is always a happy time when adults stoop down to lift up the children. But they find themselves lifted up by the interaction with the kids. So it was with us. We began the month planning to share some things about Colombia. But in the end the children shared their innocent zest for life with us. We found that our fatigue faded as we became infected with their enthusiasm. Is it hard to do four straight weeks of VBS? Not really. In fact time passed so quickly it even seemed too short. It was always kind of sad when the last day came and we had to say goodbye to all of our new found friends. But June is over and it is time to look ahead. And there is plenty to keep us busy this summer.
TRIP TO COLOMBIA
Since teaching at KCC will keep us out of Colombia for more than one year, we need to go back to renew our visas. But to make a trip so expensive just for that reason would not be the best of stewardship. God opened the door for us to take a work crew back with us this summer. In conjunction with Teen Mission, we will be taking about 20 teenagers and their sponsors into Colombia for a summer work crew.
We plan to leave on July 27th for Columbus, Ohio, and from there on into Colombia. We will be building a church building for the rapidly growing church in Compartir, a section of the Southeastern Bogota. Everything is in order for the trip, except for one thing. We have the people, the tools and the challenge, but we are lacking funds with which to work. Building plans have been approved and the site is prepared. But there is less than $1,000 in the building fund. We have estimated that it would take about $15,000 to finish the building. It would cost about half of that amount to get it under roof. We are faced with a situation where everything is in place for this giant push forward, but there are few funds to place in the hands of our builders.
Perhaps you have always been interested in helping provide a church building for a mission church. Or maybe you have dreamed of going on such a work crew and have been unable to do so. Now is your opportunity to make a difference in Colombia this summer. You can put the building materials on the site so that the willing workers can do what they are going to Colombia to do. Any funds sent for this purpose will be used immediately for the building in Colombia. Please help provide for the growing church in one of the world's more critical fields.
GOOD BYE GOOD FRIEND
We have been in Colombia for a long time now. So long in fact that there have been many changes among the leaders of our supporting churches. Missions committees have changed and ministers have come and gone. In fact no church still has the same minister as when we first went to Colombia 16 years ago.
But one of the longer serving ministers was brother Jim Emond, at Union Christian Church, in Hodgenvillle, Kentucky. It was always a pleasure to go back and visit the brethren there and work with Brother Jim. we traditionally lead their pre-Easter revival and I would spend a great deal of time calling with brother Jim.
Before this least year's meeting, we heard some disquieting news; Jim Emond had cancer. When we arrived, he seemed to be "back to normal." The cancer, it appeared, was in remission. The church there had been most kind to him. He had continued to work through the difficult days of his treatment, to the best of his ability. As we did our calling, I talked with him at length about his point of view concerning the meaning of life. He expressed no bitterness. He was realistic but he tempered that with a guarded optimism. He was ready to go when God called him home, but anxious to work while he remained here. I asked him what his prayer was, at this point in his life. It took no time for him to form an answer. "I want to go out with my boots on, whenever that might be." As it turned out, it was only three months later that we received the news, brother Jim had passed away. We received the call on a Saturday night. I had speaking dated for the next Sunday and a VBS starting on Monday, so I could not go down for his funeral. I grieved for him and felt for his widow and grown children. They buried him on Father's Day. We will all miss him. But he got his wish. He was able to serve in God's Kingdom until the last few weeks of his life here on earth. A caring church had given him that opportunity. But as Christians, we really never need to say goodbye. So brother Jim, let me say we have enjoyed knowing you. We will keenly feel this time of separation. But we will be seeing you again someday. Thank you for enriching our lives with yours.
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Brother Jim Emond and family