In the town of San Marcos, which is located on the savanna about an hour from Monteria, Pastor Jenobel takes his cellphone out to the open-air patio and props it up, making it visible to two other people who have gathered there coming from rural areas nearby. Together, they are taking the Introduction to the Old Testament course that is part of the Certificate in Old Testament. In the rural area, many people don’t have internet access, so the pastor makes his phone available so that others can take the class with him. They connect to the class and are able to see and hear what is presented and participate in class discussions. As they are outdoors, when they activate the microphone to speak, you can often hear the chickens clucking in the background, as they wander around the patio area. Not your typical classroom, but it works!
Julio with Pastor Jenobel during a visit last year to San Marcos
In the town of San Carlos, Angel, another participant in the Introduction to Old Testament didn’t have internet at his home, but he wanted to be a part of the course. He found an Internet cafe in his community where he can go and connect to the online class. Thanks to this space he is able to participate in this learning with other participants from around the region.
Pastor Franklin in El Hato has been able to get internet installed in his home, which is not readily available in this area. In order to enable others to take the class, he is able to hook up his computer to his tv and invite the 6 other participants in this community to join him. This has allowed people to study in the course, who otherwise would not have been able to.
In the municipality of Sabanalarga, in the Puerto Colombia neighborhood, Pastor Wilson and his wife Luz Marina are both taking the course. Again, because most people there don’t have internet they have been able to get it via satellite, this family has opened up their home so that 6 others are able to take the course.
Some of the students who are taking the course in the coastal region
These are just a few examples of how people in the coastal regions of Colombia are finding creative and communal ways to make it possible for online learning to happen. In total this week, there are 75 students who have begun the certificate program. Praise God for this participation. Praise God for the ways they have overcome challenging circumstances to be able to study. Pray for them as they continue to engage in learning over the course of this year.
