Missionary Gas

Seeing Colombia through the eyes of first time visitors is interesting, but through grandchildren’s eyes it’s fascinating. They cut straight through to what pleases or frightens. Breakfast this morning was interjected with cries of “more mango”. They run around in vest and pants in the ever warm climate. And sing-song words like gracias, buenos días, and chao soon enter their vocabulary. Freed from Health and Safety Regulations they ride in cars without seat belts, clamber on brightly-coloured but not safety-protected swings and join in the melee of a world where people are more important than rules. Of course there’s a downside. The see-saw doesn’t have a moulded seat bottom for it’s just a swinging log. Cockroaches and mosquitoes are realities; wandering peacocks ever so big. And adults loudly coo over youngsters with red hair. But it’s a small price to pay to have your mind so expanded that it will never be the same. I wonder what God feels like when he sees our

Although most of my work is teaching, an additional enjoyable job is that of supervising final year students' projects. This year I've 4 new groups. One is looking at the effect of the reformation on Luther's music, another is doing a study of Lazarus' resurrection and comparing it with the portrayal by artists, a third group is examining the legality of Jesus' trials before the Jews and Pilate, and the last topic is that of the grace of God in John Calvin´s life and writings. The most worthwhile thing students can do during their time in the Seminary is detailed work on the Bible and after that, learning from the Reformation. This grounding should make them effective ministers, but more importantly, people who enjoy a supernatural peace. Olwen, Rebecca and the girls plus friend Lynn are to arrive in the next few days: it’s uncertain when because wee Abigail has chickenpox . Photo: Whether life crashes or not, you need a supernatural peace

As a foreigner you're vulnerable, and once you leave the Seminary gates you wonder what will happen to you. Comfortingly, the Bible says such odd bods are under God´s special protection. On Saturday morning I went into the carpenter´s next door as I needed some wood. The workshop lies behind locked railings, guarded by a barking dog and does little business. The carpenter found the right wood, cut a couple of pieces for me, and refused to take any money. In the afternoon I decided to visit an art exhibition in the city centre. When I got there it had already closed for the day. But the doorman said, "Just come on in" and turned on the lights, leaving me to wander around at my leisure. It´s what theologians call the common grace of God, or simply put, natural human kindness. And it makes you say, thank you, Lord, and thank you, fellow humans. Photo: God's interesting world in Medellín - peacock feathers

I'd to travel to Colombia on my own, as daughter Liz was soon to give birth to Julia and Olwen had remained behind. Such a journey forces me to talk to different people. I met a young Bogotano with a red bandana round his head whose passion in life is street art. That's graffiti on walls, but his was an artistic and legal version. His mother sells motorbikes and he never told me what his daytime job was. We're hoping to meet again this weekend. Then there was one of the lowest paid people in the Medellín airport hotel, who was digging up weeds. I soon found that his passion in life is Christ and he was listening to a sermon on a small pocket radio. He smiles a lot. And finally there was the man who drove me to the Seminary: a fine Christian gentleman. He's a first generation believer so the old ways die hard: instead of "Gosh", "Really" or "Wow", he regularly comes out with "Ave Maria!". The Psalmist writes abo