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September 1986 Newsletter
COLOMBIAN CHRISTIAN MISSION
Dale and Jeanie Meade
In the jungle and prairie of Southeastern Colombia
Volume 14, Issue 9 September, 1986
BACK TO SCHOOL
Here in Colombia, the school year begins in early February. Due to that, and curriculum problems, we have never put our kids into the local school system. Each one has studied here at home for a year or two. Then a small missionary school was started and they have studied there since.
That means it is the beginning of our school year down here too. Susy and Alex started with the rest of the missionary kids here in town. But once again the problem of education has cropped up with Wendy. The little missionary school just goes through sixth grade. Wendy is in seventh. As a result, we again have a child studying here at home.
Each morning Susy and Alex get ready, pack their lunches, and head off to school. Wendy, in the mean time, heads up to her room where we have set up a make-shift desk. Her course is by correspondence so she basically works alone. Jeanie oversees her work and gives her the tests. She tries to explain anything that Wendy does not understand. Then, every few weeks, a fat bundle of papers is sent off to the school in Florida.
So even though it is in a somewhat unorthodox fashion, our children have gone back to school at the same time as their stateside friends. We will continue to see that they receive their education in this fashion for the rest of this term. While they miss out on some of the advantages of public school in the States, they also miss out on some of the disadvantages, such as the widespread use and acceptance of profanity and drugs.
So the return to the classroom for our children here in Colombia, is an enjoyable time as they adapt to new and different circumstances. Because of their unique situation their horizons are broadened. In the end they probably gain far more than they lose.
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL
Ever since our return to Colombia, I have been involved in getting all of our papers in order. As you remember, we wrestled with similar red tape when leaving Colombia two years ago. Now we are involved in the opposite process. It has been 8 months now and we still have not finished, but we are nearing the end of a long and tedious process. We are getting everything in order to live and work in Colombia for this next term.
This time, the paper work has been even longer than normal because an unusual number of documents have expired. They include everything from my driver's license to my pilot's license. In the legal realm everything from passports to visas were up for renewal. As a result, each week since our return to Colombia, I have been making trips to Bogota. All of the paperwork in this country has to be done in Bogota. I had hoped to be done long before now. But it seems like every paper takes far more trips and time than anticipated. In fact, I was sure that by now I would have finished. But all I can tell you for sure is that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. This week I am scheduled to pick up our new visas. We are awaiting the specified date to pick up driver's license and national ID cards. So it appears that before too long I will once again be in charge of my own schedule. Perhaps then I can spend more time in the work of our calling and less time in line at some government office.
In the mean time, I have been spending a fair amount of time here in Villavicencio. I accepted the job of interim Sunday school superintendent. That job will soon be over, but it has given me the opportunity to get things organized and running more smoothly here in town. My time there will be over soon. Hopefully the two will coincide so that I will be free to begin traveling to the country churches again.
It is true that there are many monotonous aspects to our work here. But there is a great deal of challenge and opportunity as well. We trust the Lord to work all things for the good of His plan for the work here in Colombia. The political situation still is very tense and recent events have not helped. So we continue to look to the Lord for His guidance and protection. We look to you for continued prayer and financial support. And we strive to make the most of the time we have for the Lord's kingdom here in Colombia.