Colombian Christian Mission

COLOMBIAN CHRISTIAN MISSION
Dale and Jeanie Meade
In the jungle and prairie of Southeastern Colombia
Volume 12, Issue 3 March, 1984

LET'S DO MORE IN 84

About one year ago we began making our initial plans for the 1984 work crew. These crews have always been an important part of the work here in Colombia from the very beginning. They serve three major purposes. First they provide some important patrimony for the missionary effort. Previous projects have included everything from offices to out houses. Secondly they provide a valuable form of communication between the supporting churches and the missionaries. Members of the supporting churches in the States can come down and see first hand what is actually being done on the mission field. The participants can go back home and share what they have seen. They can offer a candid view of the missionary, his life, and work. Finally they provide a way in which a Christian from the States can come and be involved in the work. The work crew always has an evangelistic outreach. This may come from street meetings which we hold, bilingual church services, or just the testimony offered by a bunch of people that believe so strongly in their Christian faith that they are willing to give themselves for the spreading of the gospel. This year's work crew fulfilled all three goals in an exceptional way. It has to be ranked as one of the best ever.
After our initial planning, we were somewhat slow at getting information out to all the churches. It seemed like time went by so fast that before we realized it, the time for the work crew was upon us. At that late date, all we could do was pray to the Lord and ask Him to provide a work crew. We put out the information and then waited to see what would happen. The early ways seemed to offer little hope. The cut off date approached and there were too few people for a viable crew. For a while it seemed like we would have to call it off for the first time in ten years. Then, as we considered that glum prospect, the Orrville church came through with a pledge to send three crew members. That gave us the minimum number and the definite plans were possible. The State-side organizer, Dr. Don Miller and the Building for God International, began to contact airlines and make reservations. $2,000.00 was sent down for buying material and other needed items such as foam mattresses. Due to the late date, we would not find out the names of the members until their arrival.
The project for this year was a second story on the office that the work crew built two years ago. The second floor would provide one large bedroom (12' x 15') that would serve as a storage room while we are on furlough. Also included would be a bathroom and a 3' extension of a present bedroom. Since the missionary house serves as everything from a hotel to a Bible Institute, the enlarged upstairs will provide more privacy for the family. I contracted a poured slab to unite the office and the house. We wanted to have that done before the work crew arrived. It was started the day after Christmas in order the have the scaffolding out of the way before the work crew started. Everything went well except for the fact that the rains continued to fall long after the dry season should have started. The house seemed to flood on a daily basis, turning the dust into a sticky past that was then tracked all over. The excitement of waiting for the work crew made the dirty house seem more bearable.
The big day arrived and I headed for Bogota to meet them. We left early so as to get there in time for church. It was the first time that I had been able to attend a Sunday service at the Bogota church. Mark had been trying some innovative ideas and I wanted to see how they were working out. After church it was basically waiting for the work crew to arrive. The singular event took place at 8:45. It took nearly an hour to get them all through customs and to Mark's house using a jeep and a small car. That evening, the devotions were a joyful reunion and a time of thanksgiving. The next morning I headed for the bus station and hired one of the local busses to bring us over the mountain to Villavicencio. We were lucky to get a driver who was careful and also willing to stop for pictures. We arrived shortly after noon. We rented an empty house and the work crew settled in.
From then on it was a flurry of activity. The walls of the addition went up and the wall of the house came down. The plumbers and electricians were installing pipes and conduits just as quick as a course of blocks was laid up. This year the project was big enough in size that all could work without getting in each other's way. I spent a great deal of my time running downtown to get things that were needed for the construction. As soon as I would get back from one trip, there would be another list of things for the next trip. In the spare moments, when the car was not occupied, Jeanie would take the ladies out for groceries. In a matter of days the walls were up and we were ready to take our first side trip.
I had arranged with Wycliffe Bible translators for a tour of their base. We began with a DC-3 flight out to Loma Linda. There we were met by a missionary who led the tour. We had lunch in the dining hall and after that the tour continued. Our work crew got to see many projects that had been built by other work crews. The day went well and soon it was time to head back to Villavicencio. The next day, Saturday it was back to building. Sunday we took the day off. In the morning we had a bilingual Sunday School. All of the work crew participated. It was a rewarding time for Christians from both sides of the Caribbean. For the afternoon we had a walking tour of Villavicencio with a stop in the local tourist trap. That guy was so happy to see them that when I tried to buy a couple of carved owls, the owner gave them to me! He looks forward to each work crew almost as much as we do.
On Monday it was back to work. Soon the building was under roof. The electrical and plumbing installations were completed. Doors and windows were in. During this time, during ten minute intervals, when the car was not hauling materials, one of the members installed a burglar alarm. We tested it out and it was soon the envy of the neighborhood. I could have lined up thirty customers in a minute. The next day we took a trip to a nearby salt mine. Salt is processed much in the way that it has been for centuries. After that we went to a local rice mill that is fairly modern. The next day was one of tying up loose ends and getting ready to head back to Bogota.
By this time everyone was tired from the ten day effort. They had dome what seemed impossible. They had laid 1,200 blocks, poured several yards on concrete, plumbed and wired a 12' by 13' building, and left it under roof. All the neighbors were amazed. Several wanted to know how the gringos could get so much done in such a short time. Now it was time for sight-seeing. I contracted a bus that would no only take us to Bogota but would also take us to a water fall and the salt cathedral. It was an all day trip that finished up with a stop in a favorite ice cream parlor. That evening we stayed at Mark Stringers house. The next day we all headed down town. We visited the Gold Museum and many other tourist sights in the Capitol. For the afternoon we made the rounds of the tourist shops.
The next morning it was back out to the airport. It was a madhouse as we packed up and began hauling fifteen people, luggage, and souvenirs to the airport. Then it was time to pass through immigration. We said our goodbyes. We had enjoyed the two weeks very much. The camaraderie and fellowship were great. It was a spiritually uplifting time for us. It was a lonely trip back to Villavicencio. I hired some nationals to put up the stucco. Jeanie and I will install the ceiling, floors, and tile the bathroom. That work is well under way and by the time you read this, we should be enjoying the new addition. The work crew has always done a lot, but for our blessing and for the work crew in Colombia, they came back to do more in '84.