It was 13 years ago, on May 13th, that my little Honda Civic hatchback was loaded up with whatever necessary items I had to begin a 3 day road trip down to San Carlos, Mexico. It would be the 2nd time that I would make the trek, the first one having taken place only 5 months earlier on a short-term missions trip with the then-running Crosscurrent Discipleship school from Winkler Bible Camp. I was at a place of transition in my life, not really sure what was next. First the opportunity for that missions trip with Crosscurrent came up, and then an opportunity to return for a longer period to the same missions center that I visited earlier in San Carlos, called Casa de Esperanza.
Well, that was 13 years ago...and what started as a four month commitment has become an "annually-renewing" adventure. You ever wonder to yourself, "How did I get here?" I've asked this myself many times, though only in a positive sense, amazed and how God has correlated everything as only He can, to bring me to where I am today. I would never have imagined the privilege to be able to do what I am doing, teaching at a Bible/Discipleship school, in Mexico of all places.
Yet perhaps the greatest thing is not even so much what I'm able to do and be a part of, but to see how God has used the very journey to shape me. There have been times where I've wondered if God has sent me to Mexico not so much for what I would do for Him but for what He would do in me. I have learned a lot about myself, perhaps as much through error as success, and all along I have seen His patient work within me. Sometimes I think that God places an awful lot of confidence in us, much more than we deserve, and patiently draws the best out of us. (Even as I say this, I know that another 13 years won't even come close to completing this task!) But I am thankful to see His goodness and faithfulness. Each step has been significant, from the language, culture, and connections that I made during the first five years at Casa de Esperanza, to the new frontiers explored in a classroom here at CEC. Being given the opportunity to teach was perhaps a desire hidden very deep within me, one that I barely recognized myself; even if I would have acknowledged it, fear would have kept me from even giving it a chance. Yet the opportunities presented themselves and slowly I found myself in a place of discovering something I really enjoy and am blessed by.
However, the greatest blessing here at CEC has been the opportunity to be a part of something that seeks to transmit to the students who come some of the basic questions of what it means to be a Christian. Discussions about what to teach go far beyond What subjects do we cover? to How do we draw the students into a more deeper and vibrant life of discipleship? This question cannot be asked without considering what it actually means for my own life. And these questions cannot be asked without them making some kind of affect on our own lives. For our students and for ourselves, it goes far beyond what we ought to know, to Who we know and what that looks like in our lives.
So, in summary, (and thanks for listening to these reflective ramblings...) I thank God for these 13 years and for so many of you who have made it possible, not only to be out here, but by your prayers, that this time here has had a profound affect on my life, and by God's grace on the lives of others as well. Here's to another 13! ¡Dios les bendiga!
