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"Can we get in?"

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Dear Friends , "What’s going on? Colombia ( a little late) May 25, 2011



"What’s going on? Can we get in?" I ask Olga the teacher who had invited me to share in her class. Olga replied, "The students are on strike, the mayor paid a company a month to sweep the floors, clean the bathrooms, the cafeteria, etc. in the schools. and they have not done it. And to the surprise of everyone a group of students are calling a strike in protest and not letting the school function today . Guess we will have to forget about your two presentations. Sorry,"CIMG1985 (Medium).JPG

Here are a few of the upper class high school students who have therefore taken it on to close the school for a day to get the mayor's attention. The signs say, "For our space", "We want our cafeteria". To the far left is Ebertys with Olga next to her.



"Well, how about we go have some coffee at that little shop across the street?" suggested Ebertys, the friend who had set up the presentation. "Sure, that sounds good," I responded. “Why don’t you show Olga the pictures and tell her the stories right here at the table?" added Ebertys. "Are you sure?" I responded. "Sure - you have the pictures here," said Ebertys.



Letting my coffee get cold I shared the presentation with Olga, encouraged by Ebertys from time to time. When I finished I drank my cold coffee and ate my delicious Colombian pastry. Olga said, "That was a really good sharing. Since you have the pictures on a flash drive could you copy them to my flash drive, so I could show my students? My students have to see these pictures and hear these stories. We live in Barranca and don’t even know that kind of thing has been happening here. Thanks so much for sharing this with me!"



“Sure, I would be glad to put them on your flash drive." I answered. Ebertys has set up 9 of the 19 presentation I have done so far.



"Colombian President Santos is surprising us all beyond our imagination, I can hardly believe it. We all thought he was going to be like President Uribe, aggressive, refusing to dialogue with his neighbors Venezuela’s President Chavez, or Ecuador's president Correa. And now Santos is even saying he is going to dialogue with the guerrillas. He has uncovered some scandals that probably are even connected to Uribe." remarked a friend. I added, "The Lord always surprises us by the people he uses."


The minister of Agriculture Roberts, who was close friends with Uribe, is now going to jail for corruption. Uribe has said, "It is a shame; Roberts was a good person. Santos and I are no longer friends. I disagree with what he is doing." Santos has even recognized that there is a war going on in Colombia. This recognition will give government help to many poor farmers who before were just out in the cold to fend for themselves to get the medical help for their war injuries". Such has been the response of Francisco and of many of my Colombian friends who are in the know. Francisco added, “Guns have never worked to bring peace to Colombia; dialogue is the only way."



Pray for President Santos that God would guide him and that he would have the courage to continue to do the things that make for peace in Colombia.



Thank you for your prayers for me too,



Peace, Jim

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