So, moving right along, I just want to give you a quick recap of things going on over the past little while and things coming up. Here's a quick summary:
CONFERENCE
The week I got back from MB (beginning of November) we had a week of conferences, one running Monday to Wednesday on the theme of Living An Authentic Christian Life and from Thursday to Saturday where the author of a curriculum we've made a lot of use of called Firm Foundations presented it to pastors and people involved in ministry in their churches. Between the two conferences we had about 50+ participants here all week and were blessed to be able to be a part of building up and encouraging men and women from the local churches.TEAM FROM BC
A couple of weeks ago we had the opportunity to host a team from a supporting church in British Columbia. I had the pleasure of getting to know a number of them two years ago, right at the beginning of my time here at CEC, when they last came down. They came down with just over 20 people and got an incredible amount of work done, painting, building cabinets, various welding projects, and did some major work in landscaping a little garden with a fire pit with a wonderful ambiance to chat with someone or spend some time with the Lord. Thanks a tonne to the incredible group of people who came down and not only got so much done but were a huge encouragement to us!PREPARATIONS FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR
Just last week we got together as the full-time staff to hash through plans for the coming school year. We are looking forward to about a dozen or so students who are interested at this point, some already more or less confirmed. This is a huge blessing as often in the past at this time we have even wondered whether there would more than a handful of students! We as a staff are excited for what God has in store. We are encouraged as team and sensing a real unity as we approach this year. Keep us as well as the students in your prayers as we continue to lay out the groundwork for this coming school year.PREPARING CLASS MATERIAL
This has been my major focus over the past couple of weeks as I've got two classes I'm focussing on at this point, one I taught last year - Music Ministry and a new one (for me) that I have the privilege of taking on this year, Spiritual Disciplines. It has been a humbling and inspiring walk through a number of the spiritual disciplines. I think I'm pretty lucky to be able to just spend these days studying, spending time with God, and getting a sense for what He wants to speak through these classes. As is often the case, He seems to have things to say to me first, before I even think about what to share in the class. Actually, over the past year or more I've been sensing His call to a much deeper relationship with Him, something that requires an investment of our time, our focus. But God meets us powerfully when we open ourselves up to Him and that's really the essence of the spiritual disciplines, isn't it? I'm excited to be able to share that with the students and pray that they will hunger and thirst for a deeper relationship with the Lord. Pray for me as I continue to study and prepare!BMC GROUP COMING!
I'm excited for my church, the Blumenort Mennonite Church to be sending a team out arriving here shortly after Christmas and spending just over a week down here. We're putting together the schedule, finding places for them to serve and to get to know not just the ministry but some of the students who have come through school, so that can get a feel for what God is doing here in Mexico through this ministry. I am very much looking forward to seeing them here! Pray for this time, that they would be encouraged, and that God would lead us to all the places where we can be His hands, His feet, His voice, and whatever He needs!That's about it for now. Time is cruising by and between the preparation, the group coming, and whatever else lies between, the school year will be here before we know it. We covet your prayers in all of this! ¡Dios les bendiga!
