You're probably familiar with the phrase, "the devil is in the details..." especially if you're the one putting the plans together! Often things aren't as simple as they may seem and hidden surprises spring up out of nowhere in those details never imagined. Yet for a Christian, it seems all too often that it's in the details where God shows up. Sometimes they are called "coincidences" yet how many coincidences does it take until something can no longer be called a coincidence??
Yesterday was one of the days full of "coincidences" where God continued to show up in the details. We set out early in the morning, myself together with one set of my adopted Mexican parents (Omar & Christina whom a number of you have had the privilege to meet) for a town about 200km from San Carlos, up the coast, called Bahía de Kino. Omar & Christian had lived there a number of years ago and they wanted to take me there to find and meet some pastors with the purpose of sharing the vision of the school, something that we are wanting to do more intentionally this year, especially closer to home, here in the state of Sonora. We hit the road with no particular destination other than arriving specifically at this town, to ask around for the local churches and meet the pastors.
On the way we passed through a small town, maybe 500 people or so and decided to ask around for a local evangelical congregation. "Coincidentally," the first person we saw "happened" to be the nephew of the pastor and pointed across the street from the store he was at to the pastor's house. The pastor, "happened" to know one of our teachers well who lived less than an hour away and belong to the denomination (Calvary Chapel) of one of our other teachers, also knowing him well. So after sharing a little about "this school in San Carlos," the connections were quickly made to the people we had in common, and as it turned out he had already been to one of our conferences a couple of years back at CEC. It indeed is a small world.
Receiving some direction from this pastor, we arrived at our destination and located a pastor of the same denomination who obviously knew very well the same teacher who has taught with us over the years. We also sought out the church Omar & Christina had been apart of many years ago only to find the pastor who is in charge now is the brother-in-law of the person whom they knew from many years ago. A careful review of the history and a catching up of where every is and has been serving then took place over a cup of coffee. This was then followed up by a visit to another pastor who, as it turns out, knows well not only our director, but the founder of our mission (BMSLA), and had been a part of a church plant where one of our other teachers is now the full-time pastor. (If I've lost you, you now have a thorough understanding of how the mennonite game works!)
All of this to say that, God often shows up in these details, having worked things out long before, and as we just move forward in obedience, we find that He has put things together in ways that only He can. It's neat to make these connections and be able to share first hand with these pastors the vision for CEC, and to see their enthusiasm for the opportunities that CEC provides. It seems to happen more often than not that we as Christians, no matter how close or far they may live away, we find that we are all connected, not just spiritually, but even our paths form this spider-web of connections that only God can and continues to weave together.
I suppose in one sense we may have "failed" at making new connections, but we were in every way encouraged knowing that God had led us to the people we needed to meet. We rejoice in these connections that are "re-discovered" and strengthened as we work together for the same goal, serving the same God. It's still early, but we are thinking about and praying for the next group of students for 2020. We plan for a maximum of 15 students for the first year course, and an additional 10 for the followup course (which will be the first time it is offered.)
Thanks for your prayers and continue to pray not only for the students who recently returned to their homes but those over the years who have been faithfully serving the Lord following their time at CEC. Pray also for those who may be discouraged and for those who are not walking faithfully with the Lord at this time.
!Dios les bendiga!