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March 1985 Newsletter
COLOMBIAN CHRISTIAN MISSION
Dale and Jeanie Meade
In the jungle and prairie of Southeastern Colombia
Volume 13, Issue 3 March, 1985
REPORT FROM COLOMBIA
During our furlough, we correspond frequently with Mark Stringer, the other missionary in Colombia. Mark is making monthly visits to Villavicencio in order to check up on things there. We have continued to send money to Colombian in order to pay for the ongoing work in our absence. Mark then reports to us about the way the work has been progressing.
Maybe the best report from Colombia is that every thing had been going well without us. In our line of work, a missionary wants to leave a truly indigenous work behind when his ministry is over. That means that we must develop the leadership to the point that they can continue to grow without us. This is the first year that things have not gone downhill upon our departure. In fact, this time, the churches have continued to grow. They have had thirty-two baptisms since the first of December. That makes us feel like many of the leaders have reached a high level of Christian maturity.
Just as the work in the jungle and prairie region had progressed, the Colombian brethren have been instrumental in opening up a new work. This has been in Bucaramanga. Not only is this a new city, but a new State and geographical area as well. Normally an undertaking of this size would have required a new missionary. But since none were available, we decided to try it by using the Colombian brethren. Things have been going so well that Mark has sent a full time evangelist into the new field. This work could well be a beachhead for opening the door into Venezuela.
So even without us, things have been going well in Colombia. This gives us a large measure of satisfaction. These last twelve years have not been in vain. We have always made a genuine effort to be the best stewards possible of the funds that you have entrusted to us. These reports from Colombia mean that you have accomplished a great deal for the Lord's Church there!
ON THE ROAD
With the melting of the snow and the springing forth of the flowers, we again begin a very busy time of the year for us. After a flurry of activity last Fall, there was a relative lull during the winter months. I still traveled many weekends, but the trips were short. Now with spring we are again on the road a lot. Churches are having faith promise rallies. VBS's are just around the corner. All of this makes for one constant flurry of activity from now on until we begin to pack for our return. During the last month, for example, we have put nearly 2,500 miles on the car. The tempo will only pick up from here on out.
It is a good time of the year, too. The weather is usually good and driving can be a sheer joy. It is a pleasure to visit with so many of you. We appreciate the chance to share with you the way your money and prayers have brought victories in Colombia. We look forward to challenging you to with the possibilities that the future holds. So springtime is special to us, not only because it has been four years since we have seen one, but because it is a new beginning. The land is reawakening. We rejoice with the birds and flowers. We thank God for giving us life and this beautiful creation in which to live. And we thank God for you and what you have meant to us and to many hundreds of people in Colombia. So it is great to be on the road again. We hope to see you soon.
MAILING INSTRUCTIONS
Many people have enthusiastically decided to recycle their Christmas cards and use them to help the Lord's work in Colombia. The response has been nothing short of phenomenal! For the very first time we should have ample supplies for the next year. If the response is as great as it appears at this time, there should be enough to use in Bogota as well. Since many of you are taking on this type of project for the first time, we want to give you more detailed mailing instructions. It is important that the cards be sent this way so as to decrease the likelihood of having them "disappear" before they reach us.
If you have a large number of cards, split them up into smaller boxes. A shoe box is just about the best size. Slightly larger or smaller is all right, but don't let the package get too big. Pack the cards as tightly as possible in the box. This prevents the box from being crushed. Write the return address as well as the destination address on the box. Then wrap the box in heavy brown paper. The addresses should then be written on this outer wrapper as well. Also on this outer wrapper, write the following legend: PRINTED MATERIAL: NO COMMERCIAL VALUE. This is very important if the box is to make it through customs. There is no need to insure it. Next the box should be tied twice in every direction with string or twine. The box is now ready to be taken to the Post Office. It should be sent via surface mail. It will take a while to get there, but that is no problem. If they give you a customs ticket to fill out, declare the package as a gift and then again print out the note: printed material: no commercial value. In this way the box should be passed right through customs and delivered directly to us in Villavicencio. The destination address should be printed out exactly as follows:
Asociacion Colombiana de Iglesias Christianas
Apartado Aereo 27-31
Villavicencio, Meta
Colombia
South America
If you print the address out long-hand, be sure that you cross you seven, like this (7) so that they don't confuse it with a one. That often causes confusion when it is omitted. Again, thanks for your tremendous response to this project. Your cards will be preaching God's word in hundreds of Colombian homes for years to come.