For many children of the Christians in Colombia, attending college is an impossible dream. Many were born into poor families and normally would never have even been able to dream of attending university. When the family turned to Christ and became Christians, in most cases the children also become Christians and begin to excel in life and they often begin to dream the impossible dream; of attending college and becoming a professional. Christ improves the lot of the family in the spiritual, social, and economic realms, but often in one generation this is not enough to enable the children who have grown up in the church to attend college. The economic realities are simply too harsh.
In recent years, we have attempted to step in and help these young people realize their dreams. We have offered college scholarships to dedicated young people who have grown up in and are faithful to the church. We have always carefully guided these young people to make sure that they remain strong in their faith as they study in a secular world to become the Christian professionals of tomorrow. The program has allowed dozens of Christian young people to study and we already have several graduates who are working in their chosen profession as dedicated Christians. They provide a moral direction to the country and they provide both economic and social benefits to the church as they tithe and use their skills in church leadership.
This program has never been self-sustaining. We have never received sufficient donations to cover the program and have carried it to a large degree from our general fund.The recent recession has affected the one-time offerings and even some church support that has enabled us to maintain this program. As a result, for the last year or so, we have not been able to accept new applications for scholarships and even the scholarships for the three current students we have are in jeopardy. We cannot sustain them with a deficit spending.
While our primary work has always been evangelism and church planting with a secondary emphasis on leadership training and Christian education, we have also always been very concerned about the social well-being of the Christian community and the special needs presented by natural disasters, illness, and the effects of severe poverty. We have always tried to help when we could in these situations. At this present time we have a significant deficit in our college scholarship fund. If we are unable to secure special donations to cover this program, we will be forced to end this only opportunity for many Christian young people. Please consider helping us to help these fine Christian young people to dream and then realize their “impossible dream” of attending college and becoming a Christian professional. Please consider making a special donation to our college scholarship fund. God will bless you for your generosity and bless some young person in Colombia through your Christian love and concern.