Tomorrow Is (Was) Graduation

This morning a reminder pops on my laptop: Tomorrow is CEC's Graduation.  Five weeks have already past since the hard decision was made to send the students home, but it seems more like five months with CEC feeling like a distant memory.

I had the opportunity to chat with one of the students yesterday who was going through a difficult time himself, wading through the uncertainty that is facing just about everyone these days.  Missing the regular meeting of his church family, he now finds himself working outside of his hometown, spending the week on the road, and being even more isolated from anything that is remotely close to "normal."  His isn't the only story of those who are struggling post-CEC; in and of itself, leaving CEC can be a challenge as one gets back to life and ministry after all that has been experienced here.  As we've been in contact with the students, we hear how others have faced difficult circumstances as well.

Others, though, seem to be isolated from all that is going on in the world.  One such case is Raul and his wife Sofía.  They live in a rural area in the south of Mexico, in the state of Veracruz.  Their weekly routine consists of walking through the surrounding mountains to share Bible studies to some of the local ethnic communities, of which Raul speaks their ethnic tongue.  These isolated communities are thankfully far-removed from all that is going on elsewhere, and Raul with his family are able to continue to make the several-hour trek on foot to these places several times a week.  In a sense, they have been able to return to their normal life and routine, rising early every morning to work, arriving back in the afternoon to head out and take care of the local church congregation or make the trek to the nearby villages they visit; most of their evenings are occupied with some form of ministry but every time I've talked to them, they are doing well and are encouraged, always positive, and making the most of every opportunity in front of them.

Raul & Sofía and their two boys.  The whole family makes the trek on foot several hours, several times a week to neighbouring villages for Bible studies.

Between job uncertainty, drastic changes in how to take part in ministry, isolation, and also the "shock" of leaving CEC, much has contributed to the struggles for some of the students (I think we can all identify with any number of these things...)  At the same time, in a very real sense, they, like all of us, have the opportunity to put into practice the things that they know, including many of the things learned during their time at CEC - in a sense they are on the training field now.  The communion that they experienced here in CEC (times in the desert spent with God or the group devotional times, etc.) doesn't depend on the school, or whether or not we are together, but ultimately on God and His unfailing presence in our lives.  God's sovereignty and control have not come into question either, though circumstances might seem to portray a different reality.  In the end, and this is something that we want the students to grasp while they are here at CEC, nothing experienced during their time here is dependant on CEC but solely on God Himself.  The circumstances look different, perhaps even drastically so, but He remains the same, wherever they are, as does every promise in His Word.  These circumstances we find ourselves in just might help all of us to more fully rest in His promises where under other circumstances, we actually "rested" in other things.

The students continue to need our prayers, but we know that God continues to be at work in their lives.  Thanks, as always, for your continued prayers and support.  I'm able to carry on with a number of responsibilities that I haven't had time for otherwise - some promotional material that we have badly needed so that when we are ready to get the word out for next year, we'll be ready to go, and things like that.  Staying in touch with the students is also easy to do with the many methods available.  God bless each one of you!  ¡Dios les bendiga!