Every school season comes to a surprising end. Of course we know it's coming, but it goes from 14 hour days, with constant attention to schedules, activities, classes, the students, etc. to a sudden peace and quiet that comes over the campus. In the beginning, the first few days, it feels somewhat normal, as we are used to our students heading out on the weekend. But the weekend just turns into one week, then two. The break is always welcome as our tanks are pretty empty by the end - it is not a sustainable pace for longterm, but then it isn't meant to be either. The students themselves are squeezing out the time from their lives and ministries to be here, and we seek to make the most of it together with them. So, the change of pace is more than welcome.
After some time resting, along with catching up on a long list of things that have been patiently waiting for my time and attention, it takes some getting used to the new pace - lots to do, but not with the same daily, pressing urgency that those 15 weeks brought. Evaluations. Updates (I was able to redo the website - check it out here!) Plans. We work on mapping out the rest of the year which includes events such as conferences, trips to recruit students as well as efforts to keep in touch with students both virtually and in-person as well. We get a chance to catch our breath - which sometimes takes longer than others. This year is perhaps one of those times and so I'm thankful for this stretch to be able to have some time to regroup, plug away at things, and have some time to prepare for the next couple of months, which, as it turns out, will be fairly busy and intense. It will include participating in a youth camp this coming weekend, a trip down to central Mexico, a trip up to Manitoba, and finally a trip down to the southern part of Mexico. All of this will bring me to the end of September, when events start kicking off here, on-site.
Apologetics Youth Camp - July 11-15
This came together rather quickly, organized by one of the adjunct teachers who has participated in CEC for a number of years now. (He is also one of the main leaders who organizes the missions course Consiervos I have mentioned previously, which I have helped with in the past.) This weekend event will be for youth and university aged young adults who are facing incredible pressure from the world in an age of relativism. About 25 young people will be attending from Saturday to Wednesday. I'll have the chance to share in a couple of classes together with a number of others as well. Please pray for me as I share and pray for each of the youth/young people in attendance. A couple of our CEC alumni will be attending the camp as well.
Recruitment/Visiting Trips - July 25-August 11
As in the past, we are making plans to head down south, this time on two separate trips, to connect with alumni in other parts of Mexico, and also to continue to grow new/existing relationships with churches in an effort to continue to recruit new students. We are seeing that it takes time to build trust with churches, but we are also seeing that God continues to open doors as new opportunities grow into more opportunities.
An example of this is a church we will return to in Loreta, Zacatecas, a church we visited for the first time last year. We had two students come from this church, and in our brief visit there last year, their invited us to come back and share an extended workshop/conference with them. We will be visiting them on this first trip, an opportunity to meet up with these two alumni, and be able to share some teaching with the church as well. Our goal is always two-fold: first and foremost, to be a blessing where we can, bringing biblical teaching; second, to "whet the appetite" of potential students to come to CEC in the future.
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| Our first trip |
- Tecuala, Nayarit: visiting a pastor who has sent a number of students in the past, including three who attended this previous year.
- Tepic, Nayarit: visiting a pastor whom we have recently gotten to know and who has connections to indigenous churchs where they have done mission work for a number of years.
- Guadalajara, Jalisco: connecting with some past students as well as several pastors we have come to know over the years.
- La Palma, Michoacan: through Guillermo's family connections, a meeting has been arranged to meet with an alliance of pastors in the area.
- Atotonilco, Jalisco: an opportunity to connect with a number of our past students who have come from the area as a kind of an alumni-retreat.
- Loreto, Zacatecas: the church I mentioned above, where two students came from this past school season, and where we will have an opportunity to spend a couple of days in conferences.
- This upcoming apologetics youthcamp: that God would use both my teaching time and the entire weekend to encourage these young people in their faith.
- Safety and guidance for the upcoming trips: we continue to see God's hand at work and pray that He would continue to lead us.
- For each opportunity, planned or sponateous, that comes up along the way, that. God would use each opportunity and that He would sustain us and guide us through each one.
