Mike & Meredith Dunbar, the first folks in The City Church sent out on international mission, send regular updates from their new home in Bogata, Colombia. In addition to both teaching classes, immersing themselves in the city, and getting involved with local families, Mike is the high school principal and Meredith is helping the school nurse. It's an honor to see The City Church's people expanding their mission from Fort Worth into other parts of the world, on a long-term basis. And it's a joy for those of us remaining in Fort Worth to support Mike and Meredith, in prayers, finances, and other support, as an extension of our own body.
In addition their blog, we post updates as we get them: unedited, straight from their experiences in South America.
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Update #1: 07.28.2010
hey family and friends!
i wanted to send a quick update about our first week in colombia. please feel free to share this email with more friends and family! i don´t seem to have everyone´s correct email address. please forgive me. i hope to maybe post this email on our blog sometime soon (merandmike.com). right now, mike is in an administrator meeting with his boss and i have been researching the computer documents for my health class. although this school tends to have less resources available, god is still faithful to provide help and encouragement for teaching through other´s past work and experience.
we have enjoyed our time here so much. i am just so grateful that the lord sent us here. bogota is such a neat city. we are really excited to learn the spanish language and how to adapt and live in a different, but amazing culture.
a funny story: we were able to join a pick-up ultimate frisbee game in the mirandela plaza parque near where we are living. it was alot of fun and we hope to continue to build relationships with this group of college students that play each weekend. mike set his glasses underneath one of the goal markers (someone´s t-shirt) and they got stepped on. the glasses were all bent out of shape. so we went to the mall and visited 4 vision stores in order to get his glasses adjusted just right. we did not want to be too picky with each worker that was helping us. so we said muchas gracias and went to the next store for some more help. his glasses are still a little crooked.
everyone here has been so welcoming. the el camino academy community is amazing and such a blessing. not only is everyone helpful with our specific professions, the school environment is one of spiritual encouragement. it has been so fun to get to know the new staff over meals and walks.
we think we have solidified an apartment and should be able to move some stuff in by the end of this week, lord willing.
yesterday we went to DAS to get our cedula (identification card). we had to get our finger pricked to identify our blood type and then get our picture taken and finger prints. it was raining so hard and they usually take your pass-port like photos outside. but because it was raining to photographer moved his photo station to the nearest bus stop and set up his studio under the bus stop roof. pretty funny looking. but praise the lord, everything with the paperwork went smoothly.
the food here is amazing...so many choices for fruit and juices. i love it. trying to figure out the best way to exercise here. if all else fails, we have p90x!
mike and i went to a spanish speaking church last sunday and are looking forward to visiting other churches as well. we want to get plugged into a community soon.
there is so much more i could say and i know i am forgetting alot, but that was a quick (but lengthy email) update. thanks for taking the time to read this. we look forward to staying in touch with yall and love yall very much. we are praying for yall back in the states and are thankful for your prayers. please continue to pray for our time in the word each day with our savior, ability to learn spanish, adapting to the culture, figuring out transportation, relationships with our co-workers, and for opportunities to share the Truth with others.
i wanted to send a quick update about our first week in colombia. please feel free to share this email with more friends and family! i don´t seem to have everyone´s correct email address. please forgive me. i hope to maybe post this email on our blog sometime soon (merandmike.com). right now, mike is in an administrator meeting with his boss and i have been researching the computer documents for my health class. although this school tends to have less resources available, god is still faithful to provide help and encouragement for teaching through other´s past work and experience.
we have enjoyed our time here so much. i am just so grateful that the lord sent us here. bogota is such a neat city. we are really excited to learn the spanish language and how to adapt and live in a different, but amazing culture.
a funny story: we were able to join a pick-up ultimate frisbee game in the mirandela plaza parque near where we are living. it was alot of fun and we hope to continue to build relationships with this group of college students that play each weekend. mike set his glasses underneath one of the goal markers (someone´s t-shirt) and they got stepped on. the glasses were all bent out of shape. so we went to the mall and visited 4 vision stores in order to get his glasses adjusted just right. we did not want to be too picky with each worker that was helping us. so we said muchas gracias and went to the next store for some more help. his glasses are still a little crooked.
everyone here has been so welcoming. the el camino academy community is amazing and such a blessing. not only is everyone helpful with our specific professions, the school environment is one of spiritual encouragement. it has been so fun to get to know the new staff over meals and walks.
we think we have solidified an apartment and should be able to move some stuff in by the end of this week, lord willing.
yesterday we went to DAS to get our cedula (identification card). we had to get our finger pricked to identify our blood type and then get our picture taken and finger prints. it was raining so hard and they usually take your pass-port like photos outside. but because it was raining to photographer moved his photo station to the nearest bus stop and set up his studio under the bus stop roof. pretty funny looking. but praise the lord, everything with the paperwork went smoothly.
the food here is amazing...so many choices for fruit and juices. i love it. trying to figure out the best way to exercise here. if all else fails, we have p90x!
mike and i went to a spanish speaking church last sunday and are looking forward to visiting other churches as well. we want to get plugged into a community soon.
there is so much more i could say and i know i am forgetting alot, but that was a quick (but lengthy email) update. thanks for taking the time to read this. we look forward to staying in touch with yall and love yall very much. we are praying for yall back in the states and are thankful for your prayers. please continue to pray for our time in the word each day with our savior, ability to learn spanish, adapting to the culture, figuring out transportation, relationships with our co-workers, and for opportunities to share the Truth with others.
we would love to hear back from yall about how yall are doing, what is new and how we can pray for yall! (make sure you just reply back to us...unless you want everyone to read your response)
*M&M*
*M&M*
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Update #2: 08.12.2010
friends and family-
a quick update from me in bogotà:
my health class yesterday went better than the day before. the kids were more responsive to my activities, and i got to have lunch with a few of my students too! praise the lord.
today and tomorrow i am spending the whole day in the nurse`s office with sol (the colombian nurse). i love caring for the little kids...from runny noses, to sore throats, to potty accidents in their clothes. i am learning alot and we are teaching each other spanish/english.
today there was a car bombing in the center of town around 7th and 66th. we live at 46th and 187th. i just want to share a story with you about how the lord is in control. a lady that works at ECA told me a story (in spanish) today about a miracle she experienced. yesterday the lord told her to start praying hard for her husband (but she did not know why). she started praying. her husband came home from work and said that he was really tired. so he went to bed early so he could go back into work early the next morning (which was this morning). so this morning, as he was getting ready to go to work, his wife (the lady that i spoke with) felt the holy spirit telling her that her husband needed to rest a little longer and show up to work later in the morning. so he listened to her. about 5 minutes after their conversation this morning, they turned on the tv to watch the news. the top story on the news was about a car bombing that occured by the FARC this morning at 530 right in front of the building that her husband works in. the windows were blown out and 6 people were injured and taken to the hospital. the holy spirit spoke clearly to her in order for her husband to be safe. isn´t that an amazing story of a miracle (milagro!). god is so good and he is in control. i glorify him for this!
we are all safe here, the event did not happen close to us and the government is working against this terrorist group.
god is teaching me, growing me, strengthing my relationship with him, etc by being here in colombia and working at ECA. (please be praying for the same things in mike, as he is in a new role with many responsibilities)
this morning after my conversation with this lady, i was reading daniel 2:22-23
22 He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.
23 I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers:
You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king."
how great is our god!
Please let me know how we can be praying for yall. Hope to keep in touch and talk soon.
Love, Mer
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