Day 13 of isolation has kind of blended into the 12 days that have preceded it. What day is it? I have to routinely check my phone to see. I'm sure most of you can identify with this feeling at some point in a state of self-quarantine. Day 13 is special, though, because it means that only 24 hours remain to freedom. (I honestly can't imagine a prison sentence...though this is probably in no ways a fair comparison.) I have enjoyed many "privileges" such as daily walks on the two-acre property where I am staying or access through internet (and limited phone signal) to people "on the outside." Apart from that, I have enjoyed lots of time to work on some homework assignments still due and read. C. S. Lewis, Bonhoeffer, J. I. Packer, and E. M. Bounds have kept me company, not to mention time spent in the Bible; it has made for a physically and spiritually relaxing time. Now all that remains is to find social refreshment!
On July 8th I crossed over into Canada; tomorrow, July 22nd marks the end of mandatory 14-day quarantine where I look forward to getting out and seeing many of you. (I'll be joining my family for several days of camping!) I'm planning on being in the area (Manitoba) for the next month or so. Plans, of course are hard to make these days. Beyond that month, we will see. A number of our regular activies that would take place over summer and fall are proving to be difficult, if no impossible to carry out. Visiting students, making connections with churches across Mexico, a regular missions module, a conference, and also being part of the missions training program Consiervos are all either cancelled, postponed, or under very tentative plans. We are moving forward as well with connecting with students for the coming winter's CEC class of 2021 - Lord willing, all will be back to some sense of "normal" to be able to move forwar. The time that we have now gives us pause to reflect and evaluate what we are doing, how we are accomplishing it, and what we can do better.
In a recent class that I took online, Teaching and Learning we took a look at how Jesus taught and what it might have been like to be one of His disciples. One question among many that rises up is, How does this translate into the Church today? What does it mean to be a disciple today? One of the overwhelming things that jumped out was how discipleship did not only have to do with how one follows Jesus, it was also something that took place within community. I have often thought about the personal aspect of being a disciple, my relationship with God, and what that looks like. But the fact that the disciples were not isolated, neither from Jesus nor from each other, and how they continued beyond His departure to function in community. What did that discipleship community look like? What does community look like today? What should it or could it look like today? This is of course a loaded question, especially when the possibility of "community" in the large-gathering sense, has been significantly limited. What does community look like mid-covid? But I also wonder, What should a community of disciples look like even when we can get back together as we always did? I'm not advertising for CEC here when I say that I (and we as a staff) have seen the power of community when we come together centred around one goal, or maybe better said, centred around one Person, seeking to grow together and learn from each other. There is encouragement and support that one does not find alone. I'm pretty sure God has designed us this way.
For our students, it always is somewhat of a shock to leave the tight-knit community that is formed during the 14 weeks together - this year that was especially the case when things came to a sudden stop and everyone had to go their own way. In talking with some of them, one could see the difficult transition it was for many. For some it took several weeks to find their rhythm again. In a way, this is to be expected. Perhaps CEC is somewhat of a "high" and it takes time and effort to take away from what one has experienced and figure out how to work it into daily life. But this is part of the learning curve as well. One of our students who lives in the middle of Mexico surprisingly just dropped by my house one day for a visit shortly before I left for Canada. He was one of those who really struggled leaving CEC, not being sure what was next for him. Things weren't much clearer as far as future plans go - he was still trying to figure out what the future might look like for him. But there was a renewed sense of peace in his life, a confidence in God, a reminder of what he had found during his time during CEC.
Perhaps the hardest part is trying to figure out what all of this should look like practically, in our lives. There surely is a time to get away and spend time with God alone. There is immense value in that. But there is also a time to do this with others as well. I can attest to that personally after 13 days of quarantine! I look forward to connecting with many of you. Please continue to pray for our students as they serve wherever they are at. Please also pray for us as we make plans as best we can for the future. Thank you as always for your faithful prayers! ¡Dios les bendiga!
