The Road to Barranquilla

The rain lashes our windshield as we travel from Cartagena to Barranquilla, on the hot and humid coast of Colombia. Soldiers stay inside their checkpoint huts and simply wave us through. By the time we reach Barranquilla, the rain has stopped. The object of our visit is a small Reformed church that has contacted our partner CDA asking for help to run their Christian school.

Pastor Edgar

Pastor Edgar greets us very warmly. He is a Jew whose grandparents came from Crete. He teaches philosophy, mathematics and logic at the Barranquilla University (7,000 students) while pastoring his church. He speaks of a love for the writings of Herman Bavinck, Louis Berkhof, and Cornelius VanTil among many others. He is a warm and delightful brother. In response to our questions, he tells us that he teaches at the university from a clear biblical point of view. The students are fascinated by his unique perspective relative to the secular viewpoints taken by the other professors. The university has tried to remove him, but he has consistently been voted the best professor at the university by the students. Some of his students have become Christians, including one of the elders in his small church (35 people) who is now a professor of Chemical engineering. Sadly, we have heard since returning to Canada that he is now under death threat. Please join us in petitioning the Lord concerning the well-being of Pastor Edgar.

The Christian School

We uncover an amazing story of dedication. Four of the members of the church are using their incomes to support 15 volunteers who are teaching at John Calvin Christian School (no, that isn’t a spelling mistake). The school was started 4 years ago in the IDP (Internally Displaced People) zone on the outskirts of Barranquilla. Here refugees from the wars live in squalid conditions very similar to what we have seen in Cartagena and Bogota. Pastor Edgar and members of his church are using some primitive facilities to run a school with 150 children. Over 80% of the children come from the homes of the IDP. We are moved by the self-sacrifice of the staff and their supporters. The children are well-mannered and talk about how God has richly blessed them. Given the lack of funds, the facilities, materials and even the training of the teachers are inadequate. We are asked to partner with CDA as well as this local group of Christians in running this school. We are delighted to hear that they have also started a church at the school facility and that a number of parents of children attending the school have joined. Although the community they are reaching out to is a very dangerous one, and various local paramilitary members are discreetly pointed out to us, they are being recognized for their acts of love and have been asked to head a local community group (a big step, they tell us). Many people in the area are expressing an interest in the Gospel.

A New Project (Budget for 2006, in addition to sponsorship, $58,650 CDN / $48,450 US)

The Word & Deed Canada board has agreed to take on this new project. In the near future, we will be looking for 170 new child sponsors as well as money for capital improvements to the school facilities and purchase of rental properties. Our partner, CDA, will ensure that all standards are met. If the Lord blesses the work, we hope to implement a medical clinic because there are none in the area and we are told that many die for want of medical aid. We also hope to offer other services such as the Helping Hands ministry (see accompanying article) which are currently being offered in Bogota and Cartagena.

So far I’ve mentioned Word & Deed, CDA and the local church members in Barranquilla, but given God’s blessing, we need one more key person to join the team – YOU. Please give us a call.