Missionary Gas

It was the mid-semester break, so we decided to have a couple of days away from the city. These kind of trips give me butterflies in my stomach: you’re not sure of where you’re going, where you’ll stay, nor how safe it’ll be. We arrived at the bus terminal where buses and the like aggressively tout for travellers, trying to persuade you to buy a ticket to who knows where. We got a small bus for Guatapé (pronounced Guah-ta-pay) which soon filled up and then someone got on with 35 buckets. The area we headed for is renown for its lakes, granite monolith and the ex-home of that most infamous drug baron, Pablo Escobar. After 2 hours we were the last people on the bus and arrived in a small town which was hot and deserted. Feeling somewhat conspicuous we walked to the main square, sat in a shaded restaurant and enlisted the waiter’s help. Things worked out really well and we soon got a quiet hotel room overlooking the waters. The locals were welcoming, mo...

Teachers in the Seminary fall into two categories: permanent and visiting. The visitors are either potential lecturers or retired ones. One of the retirees, Jack Voelkel has just returned to Arizona after a couple of months teaching. He previously worked in the Seminary for 10 years in the 90s and recently had the task of clearing out his old office. It meant I inherited a number of musty files, lithographed sheets and faded booklets. Amongst them are one or two important documents, for Jack had specialized in missions, especially those in Peru and Colombia. It felt as if someone was passing on original writings from the reformation. We have little congregational detail of the reformed church at Knox’s time, for records have disappeared. The annoying thing is that in South America, and on missions boards, no one seems to realize that the same process is happening today. The first generation of believers have passed on, with little recorded. Written accounts of churches are rare. Histor...

It’s a funny old world in the Seminary. In fact my neighbour has just written a book called, “El humor en el Antiguo Testamento” (Humour in the Old Testament). And recently one of our charismatic teachers had me smiling all day when she announced we should all fast on a particular occasion, not realizing it was the cook’s last day before retirement. Then the authoritarianism of the place never ceases to enliven things. Letters arrive on minor matters with signatures that look like those on a Bill of Rights. Communications are sent calling meetings with no explanation, as if everyone were a subversive. Terse emails go out keeping offenders right. And consultation is so rare that a colleague commented about leaving her mind at the Seminary gates. The interesting thing is the effect it has on you. The products of authoritarianism are a loss of team-work and increased individualism. Exactly the kind of thing that Latin Americans are famous for. And everyone just kee...

In explaining why unfortunately she won't be staying on here, Fiona Christie wrote in her prayer letter, "because life is so intense, the colours so bright, the noises so loud, the pain so profound, the violence so extreme, that I feel a bit battered by it all." Of course It's not just Colombia that creates that feeling of being hit by a colourful battering ram. Donnie Smith has told me how he feels an immediate tension when leaving the Seminary for Lima's streets. To try and give you a sensation of what it's like, on a couple of occasions I hid my video camera in a rolled up umbrella and left it running while walking along our local main street. The link's below. Olwen arrives back this evening - hurrah! Nine students have been told to stop attending classes for defaulting on payments - aghhh! And last night only one person was murdered in the city - the lowest for 6 months. Photo: In your face - Abel and his one arm Link: http:...

With Olwen away life is quiet. So it was unusual to find myself at two events where the organizers ran out of seating. There was the opening of the Ludoteca children's centre in an area saturated with social problems. The new building provides a safe environment for the youngsters to enjoy being children and to appreciate God's love. Money was kindly given from Scotland, especially through the Sunday Schools, to support the project. A YouTube video gives you a sense of the event (see link below). The other seat-shortage occasion was at the Hora 25 Theatre where University students were performing. Built like a compact amphitheatre it has only 60 seats. But the ticket lady, a substantial do-what-I-say Caribbean woman, just kept selling tickets. So the extra 40 customers had to squeeze onto aisle steps or sit at the edge of the stage. We watched a 2 hour 20 min performance without a break. What was the drawing power? The ancient Greek ...