The Calm After The Storm

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. 

Our first trip

Our first trip will include:

• 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.

These trips always bring with them ample opportunities to meet new people, share about CEC, teach, preach (often spontaneously), and in general, make many new connections while maintaining existing relationships.  As is typical in Mexico, especially within the Christian community, mi casa es su casa, or my home is your home is the standard treatment - we are taken in like family and enjoy wonderful fellowship at each stop.  This first trip will take almost three weeks.

Manitoba (August 14-September 8) & Oaxaca (September 12-29)

Days after returning back to San Carlos, I'll be heading on the road to spend close to a month on Manitoba, and then upon return, taking another trip down south to follow up on contacts we have in one of the southern most states, Oaxaca, where we have connections with some churches down there, from where students have come, and where we also have a long-standing adjunct teacher.  This will, Lord willing, bring us to the end of September, back in San Carlos for the fall season and its activities here onsite.

As always, your prayers are greatly appreciated!  Here's a few things to keep in mind specifically for this upcoming season:

• 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.

It would seem that the calm after the storm is also the calm before the storm of upcoming activities and opportunities.  Thank you for your continued prayers!  ¡Dios les bendiga!

The Class of 2026

Just over a week ago we said farewell to our students. On one hand, 15 weeks seems to stretch out for a long time, especially as energy levels slowly wear down from the long and intense days. But as the end approaches, one asks, How did we get here so fast? What is always amazing, though, is seeing the slow yet steady changes in each one of the students' lives. "Your labor is not in vain..." yet it is not our labor primarily but His work in them. This is the class of 2026 and here are some highlights of God's workings in their lives.  

The graduating class together with the full-time staff.

I had the chance to mentor a young man who actually had already attended CEC many years ago - the five-year-old son of a young couple. Vicente is the first second-generation alumni, his parents having attended in 2011 (the 2nd year of CEC) together with this two sisters. Though he was young, he had fond memories of CEC and those who were leaders at the time (including our founding director who has since passed away, Howard.)  This was one year before I started with CEC, so I didn't know them at the time, but since then as we've made trips to visit past students, I have come to know both his parents and Vicente himself over the past few years. 

While having hit some struggles in his faith in the recent past, God placed it on Vicente's heart to return to CEC, this time as a student himself - something he had wanted to do since the very first time he came. One of the things that quickly became clear as I got to know Vicente more, was how God had been working on him even as a child - the convictions that he had even as an eight-year-old, for example - his desire to serve the Lord even at that early age. Though his later-teenage years had some bumps and bruises, he experienced a type of re-awakening during his time of CEC.  The maturity in his faith - his genuine care and concern for others during the course, wanting to see others grow and step out in their faith - struck me as it is not something that one typically sees from a 20-year-old, let alone even others more advanced in years. Vicente was the first to begin clearing dirty dishes from the tables (we had to tell him at times to sit back and enjoy other people's company...) and also one of the first to cheer his fellow classmates on as they took on new challenges such as preaching for the first time. 

He himself is a deep thinker, and this would perhaps at times get him into trouble, but it was during one of our conversations, and later as he prepared to preach for the first time on life in the Spirit, in Romans 8, that a palpable peace came over him as he grasped more deeply the life we have in the Spirit as opposed to the life (even the Christian life) tried to be lived in the flesh.  This was just one example where it was exciting to witness the truths of the Word sink deep into his heart, taking root.  Still a very young man who is discerning where God might take him, pray for Vicente as he seeks God's direction in his life.

Another student who comes to mind when I think of God's transformational work in the lives of the students over these past months comes from the same church, located in Tecuala, Nayarit - two states down to the south from San Carlos.  We've actually stayed at Uriel's place a number of times over the years, his father being a pastor who has been deeply connected with CEC.  Their home lies just off of the main highway that we take on many of our promotional tours down south.  His father has plugged us into the local community to share about CEC with a number of the churches in the area.  So, it was a pleasure to have these two, Vicente, Uriel, and, Uriel's sister, Karen attend this year.

Vicente together with Uriel (on the right).

What struck me the most about Uriel was, being a very quiet and reserved individual, the transformation that took place as he opened up to the group around him and in taking on new challenges such as preaching for the first time.  It was not only this, though, but also how God really was at work in his heart.  He was heard to read the first half of the course simply because he was quite reserved, quiet, and guarded.  As he shared later on, though, he was led to some points where he was tempted to leave.  For many, in one way or another, the fact that you have to engage with the community around you (one of the priorities of CEC) can create moments of crisis, where you have to either respond or run.  Some choose to run, but Uriel, guided by some people whom God had placed in his life, chose to stay and grow, experiencing an openness and brokenness that perhaps he had not experienced before.  I had the chance of interviewing him in video at the end of the course (later I'll put together some highlight videos with some of the student's testimony...) and as Uriel shared about his experience of the course, he couldn't hold back the emotion as he reflected on God's work in his life.  In his own words, he shared, "I thought I was OK...there were things, though, that one doesn't see until one is put to the test....I thought, 'I can change,' but it was impossible...yet something within me told me to just stay, to just continue on."  

The transformation that came through the time, from beginning to end, was perhaps subtle, but at the same time, evident in so many little ways - like the steady growth of a tree.  From engaging more freely and naturally with his classmates, to sharing his vision for ministry as he returns home to help serve more intentionally in his local church through things like preaching, the Uriel we met on day one became a very different Uriel on the final week.  We are thankful for these glimpses into their lives, knowing that we only see a small amount of what God really does in their lives and hearts.  

Now as the students find themselves in a new "classroom," one outside of the familiarity and relative comfort of CEC, we invite you to continue to pray for them together with us.  One of the encouragements we send them away with is the promise of Philippians 1:6, which says, "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."  CEC itself was not the "magic ingredient" or catalyst for change in their lives, but God's work in them during this time - and He will continue to work in them as they continue to learn to yield their lives to Him.  

Pray also for us as staff as we set out to plan the rest of this year including other conferences as well as trips to visit students and make new connections with churches.  ¡Dios les bendiga!

12 Disciples

As one month quickly turns into the next month and one year into the next, we find ourselves once again at the doorsteps of another CEC school term, after a one-year hiatus, looking forward to a group of 12 disciples, looking forward for Monday to arrive.

Since my last update, we finished off the year with two major events - one being hosting Millar College of the Bible (Pambrun, SK campus), where ten students spent a week and a half here at CEC in a cross-cultural missions module.  A number of hours were spent in the classroom with various teachers looking at the challenges and realities of what cross-cultural missions look like.  We also spent time off-site at some local churches and ministries, getting a small taste of what it looks like to be and interact in a cross-cultural setting, hearing from those on the ground, and experiencing some of the challenges that one faces in a new culture and a different language than one's own.  

The Millar group of students on one of their off-site ministry experiences.

From there, in mid-November, we hosted our yearly fall conference where one of our regular adjunct teachers, Beto Ramirez, came in and shared about keeping ourselves grounded in Christ through His Word amidst a society that is increasingly turning away from Biblical principals and a Biblical worldview.  About 25 people from the area, including some of our alumni, spent a couple of days with us.

CEC Conference - Nov/25

These events capped off a unique year, where we didn't have our regular course in January, but one full of great opportunities such as these, and many others both on and offsite.  Perhaps what has stuck out the most is how we were able to see firsthand not only the need but also the hunger for God's Word, not just with our on-site programming, but especially as we had more time to invest offsite.  As December rolled around, we were pleasantly surprised to see a number of applications roll in for this year's program, two of which came from one of the churches we first made contact with this last September, when Guillermo and myself took our trip down south.  That church in particular expressed a deep interest in us returning to their area to spend more time teaching in the future.  

By the time Christmas rolled around, we already had eight students registered, probably the earliest we have ever had such a large number of students.  Now as we get the final preparations under way, we have our 12 disciples packing their bags and planning to arrive this coming Sunday.  They come from a number of different states: Sonora, Baja California, Nayarit, and Zacatecas, from places we've been working with for a long time now, and some, as I have already mentioned, from new contacts that have been recently made.  It is encouraging to see the ministry of CEC grow in its reach simply because it affirms the vision for ministry that God has placed on our hearts to do.  As we've learned from 2025, our plans may not play out as we hope they would, but we can still rest in God's leading in our lives and in this ministry as we step into this new year, and this new season.

So, we ask for your prayers for these coming 15 weeks, our final day being May 1st.  12 students, 15 weeks, many opportunities (and challenges!) await us.  

• Pray for our team as we navigate everything from the details to the bigger situations we will face in the coming days.  
• Pray for myself as I get back into teaching some of these materials that have been sitting on the shelf for a couple of years.  
• Pray also for each one of the students, that they would be receptive to God's working in their lives over these next months.  

AND, thank you for your continued prayers for myself and for this ministry!  ¡Dios les bendiga!

Open Doors

Many miles (and many days!) have been covered since the last update - there's lots that has happened!  But during that time I was able to connect with many of you, spending a large part of August up in Manitoba, and then several weeks on the road where I travelled down to the southern-most coast of Mexico together with my coworker, Guillermo.  Yes, it's the same Guillermo who I wrote about previously, who got significantly sick on our previous trip to the neighbouring state of Chihuahua.  As I shared in the last blogpost, without a doubt, the experience, as he sat in the hospital for ten days, had quite the opposite effect from discouraging any future outings - if anything, it served to inspire a renewed vision for the urgency of the work at hand, wherever and however that might look, as God continues to lead.  That was certainly the case over the last month as we took off in the CEC-mobile, a little four-door Corolla, that travelled many miles throughout Mexico, over the course of nearly three weeks this past September.  In about ten different stops over nineteen days we saw God continue to open doors in ways that we honestly, didn't expect - and we look forward to how He will continue to connect us with people and churches hungry for His Word, all across Mexico.  

Click on the map to see our route, and the places we visited.

Here are some highlights from this trip together:

Over the course of those 5,000 kilometres traveled, we were able to visit some of our alumni, Leoncio being one of them, who studied in CEC in 2016.  He lives in Mazatlán, our first stop on the trip, together with his wife and three children.  It had been a number of years since I had last seen him, but he continues to pastor a little church that meets in a recently constructed building made of pallets with a tin roof.  Leoncio hasn't changed a bit.  He continues to passionately and boldly preach the Word both to his congregation and as he's out on the road during the day making deliveries of the product that his wife daily prepares in their house - refried beans (a Mexican staple!)  Through this home-business, they are able to provide for their family and it also enables him to have the freedom to continue to serve in ministry, the routes he takes daily themselves serving as opportunities to minister to people throughout the day.  He regularly goes to different areas in the city, sharing openly the Gospel; they also have started a children's ministry where they regularly provide a meal and biblical teaching to children in the community where they serve.  If you spent just five minutes with Leoncio, even without knowing the language, his love both for God and for others would be more than obvious.  It is so encouraging to see, even after all of these years, how many of our students, like Leoncio, continue to minister faithfully, in spite of whatever difficult circumstances they have gone through.  This was just our first stop.

Leoncio (left), together with his family, the congregation, and Guillermo (back, centre).

Our next night (don't worry, I won't go through every single stop!) came about through a young man who had studied English at the Consiervos program that has run out of CEC the previous year.  David, whose dad is the pastor of a church in Tepic, Nayarit, had invited us to come and present CEC in their church.  What quickly came to realize the incredible work that God has done through them over the years, through a man who had never had the pastorate in his sights, but whom God has used to help reach far into the neighbouring mountains, the Huichol people (one of the many indigenous people-groups in Mexico).  We met with one of those communities, a group of people who many years earlier had had to leave their homes and re-established themselves close to the city, now with a thriving and growing Christian church.  We had the chance to share with them the ministry of CEC with some of their church leaders, several of whom expressed a sincere desire to continue to grow through study.  We left greatly encouraged seeing not only the work that David and his dad were involved with (even partnering extensively with a number of Mennonite believers from the state of Durango) but also seeing how God lead us to these thriving communities at the heart of some of Mexico's indigenous people-groups.

David (front), his dad (left), Guillermo, and myself.

Our next two stops featured pastors/churches that we had visited the previous year, but in both situations we saw the doors that were already open, swing open even wider.  Specifically in one, we had intentions of visiting a second pastor in the immediate area whom we had met last year.  Unfortunately, we had misplaced his contact information and were not able to communicate with him, so our plan was to seek him out once again.  As we arrived to our destination (the same contact we had last year, who had connected us with this other pastor previously) we heard about some unfortunate circumstances that had taken place to this other pastor - the one we had lost the contact information for.  However, our hosts began to share about how they had recently made some inroads to two local pastors alliances in the region, how God had been opening up doors to them.  They presented this opportunity to us, inviting us to return and connect with these alliances, and (as would become a familiar tune during this trip) spend more time in the area preparing some mini-conferences for these pastors/churches.  Our original plans of connecting with that other pastor were effectively "foiled" however, they were replaced but something far greater than what we had originally anticipated.  We began to see that the doors were opening not only to share about the ministry of CEC, but to become more involved on the road, on-site at these churches.

One of the churches we visited, just outside of Guadalajara, Jalisco.

On our way to the furthest point we would visit, the southern coast of Oaxaca, we found an even greater openness.  We spent two jam-packed days visiting and participating in four church services, the first one being at 6am, Saturday morning, in this small, rural church where the people started filing in, almost a hundred in all (and this was a "smaller" number than normal).  We typically were given the opportunity to preach, as well as share about CEC's ministry and the opportunity to study in the coming year.  As we interacted with the people and particularly some of the pastors in the area, we quickly saw not only the need, but even more so the desire to receive help, specifically in biblical teaching.  Our host (who is himself a pastor, the father of one of our full-time staff members here in CEC) put the offer plainly on the table: we will provide the facilities, the accommodations for the people, prepare meals, and even compensate for travel costs: just come and teach!  All of this to say, the opportunities seemingly abounded in this trip, more than we had anticipated.

One of these churches, who received some Bibles that we were able to bring with us, thanks to some generous donors.  Resources like these are harder to find in the southern part of Mexico as opposed to areas closer to the northern border.

From there our journey took us back to an area we know very well, where we have had a number of students attend over the years, and a place that is almost like a home away from home already, with how warmly we are received by the church community there.  Some of our past students, through a recent youth retreat, made contact with a couple of churches within a few hours of their church, who were very interested in hearing more about the ministry of CEC as well.  This led us to a couple of our last stops, to new churches whom we had never had contact with before, one of which urged us as well to come back in the future, to spend more time with them, and to share some more extensive teaching with them, not to mention people who were interested in attending CEC's program in the new year.  

All in all, both Guillermo and myself, were elated with these new, opening doors, and excited to see where these lead us as we move forward.  It seems over the past couple of years specifically, in thinking about the ministry of CEC, God as slowly been opening more and more doors, providing more connections, with more people, and more opportunities, not just onsite in San Carlos, but beyond as well.  We reflected as we made the trip back home on how we sensed a hunger for God's Word and a desire for help, especially as we travelled further south - the precise kind of support that CEC seeks to offer in collaborating with the churches in Mexico through biblical teaching.  We see that He has led us specifically to these kinds of places, and we are grateful to be a part of it.

As I write this, we continue to make our plans for next year, with applications already coming in for January.  Also, in a couple of days I will head up to Phoenix to pick up a group coming from Millar college of the Bible, SK, who will be spending a week and a half at CEC while we host a transcultural missions module.  Beyond that, we are also looking forward to a conference the beginning of November as well as a six-week, Saturday night study in Ephesians, hosted by Guillermo, here onsite.  This year will quickly come to a close with just enough time to catch our breath before we run headlong into January and the new course.  

Thanks for your continued prayers for myself, and for this ministry here.  I am thankful for this opportunity to serve, and for the many ways that God continues to work amongst us, through this ministry, and in the lives of the students who have come through CEC.  ¡Dios les bendiga a cada uno de ustedes!  May God bless each and every one of you!

A Quick Update: Guillermo, Alumni Retreat, and a Trip

Guillermo is back home and we are anticipating around 25 people as we get ready for an alumni retreat over the next four days, not to mention I'm thinking about packing my bags for a trip up north this coming weekend, as soon as the retreat is done...

GUILLERMO

We are so thankful to have him back home with us, in recuperation with a good bill of health.  It has been a learning experience, seeing God's provision throughout.  And that provision has gone far beyond the finances that have come in and even beyond the health that he is currently enjoying: I was witness to God's provision of peace and joy regardless of any outcome.  How did I see it?  The joy and peace that Guillermo had throughout the entire time, whether in the hospital or at home.  There is a kind of faith that goes beyond hoping for what God can do for us to just a faith in who God is regardless of any outcome.  This is the kind of faith that I could see in Guillermo throughout this entire time.  Of course that does not mean that we are not grateful for all that God has done throughout all this!  It's just to say that we are grateful that we can trust Him in whatever way that He works, knowing that He will do what is best, and whether that means continuing in service here in this life, or finally being with Him, all things work together for the good of those who love Him (Rom 8:28).  This is what Guillermo constantly expressed throughout this whole, monthlong ordeal...a testimony to God's goodness and faithfulness throughout - something that we have seen over the years in many ways, even as we have walked through some difficult circumstances as a CEC team.

ALUMNI RETREAT

We are glad to have Guillermo back, and we are looking forward to approximately 15 of our alumni (together with their spouses and some children - about 25 in total) joining us over the next four days.  Our goals during this Wednesday to Saturday are to enjoy once again their company, hearing from them about their lives and ministries, and hopefully encouraging them in the ups and downs that inevitably happen.  During some class and reflection time we will be looking at the life of Elijah, who himself experienced (in a short period) almost simultaneous highs and lows.  Through it all, though, even in the face of immense opposition and apparent failure, God's Word and God's purposes continued forward.  This is what gives us hope, even in the midst of trials or (apparent) failures - even when we are at the end of our rope.  There is no moment when God's plan does not carry forward - and we are privileged to be a part of this plan, even in our weakness and frailty.  Pray for this time together with the students, that it would be encouraging to each one of them!

TRIP TO MB

The day after it's finished I'll be heading up to enjoy several weeks up in Manitoba - and looking forward to see many of you over the next while before coming back to a fairly busy fall season with events and other trips planned.  Once again I want to express, and this comes on behalf of Guillermo and his family as well, so much appreciation for all the love and support that came this way throughout the last month - they were an overwhelming expression of God's love and grace.  God bless each one of you.  Don't forget to keep us in your prayers over the next four days of this alumni retreat... ¡Dios les bendiga!

When Things Don't Go As Planned...

Sometimes open doors look more like walls.

Our adventure began almost three weeks ago, with plans to spend two weeks in the neighbouring state of Chihuahua, following up on a number of opportunities that had presented themselves from a previous trip to this area last November.  God has been opening doors with new churches and new pastors primarily through alumni from that area and we made the trip, Guillermo, my coworker and I, together with another alumni here from the area who decided to tag along just a couple of days before departure.  Our plan was to connect with some of the churches we had visited previously, taking advantage of some conferences and church-alliance meetings to present CEC as well as making new connections.

Our "CEC" vehicle as it crosses through a mountain range that borders Sonora and Chihuahua - scenery that is very different from that in San Carlos...a welcome, brief change.

Our adventures took a turn of their own on the very first day as my coworker, Guillermo, already began to feel off.  This led to an emergency room visit that very first night, where he was diagnosed with an infection and given antibiotics to treat it.  To make a longer story short, he kept dealing with various symptoms on and off through the days that followed to the point where a pastor couple at one of the pastor's alliance meetings that we attended arranged for him to have a checkup with a specialist that same day, to diagnose more accurately what was going on.  In the end, they were a God-send, us being in a foreign city trying to navigate as best we could these health issues.  It was at this appointment that the specialist based on what he was seeing, urged immediate hospitalization.  As it turned out, the infection that Guillermo had been dealing with was more serious than originally diagnosed and this began a ten-day journey of trying different antibiotics and treatments that finally starting showing favourable results several days in.

Our plans?  Well, the first evidence of God's providence came in the fact that Manuel, the alumni who joined us on this trip last minute, had, in fact, joined us on this trip.  He became an even more valuable asset as he could accompany me on our previously arranged engagements while Guillermo was either resting or during the time when he was hospitalized (and his wife Carmen, who had come later to assist Guillermo).  Manuel shared on a number of occasions about his own experiences at CEC and how it had helped him in the church plant that he has been pastoring now for a number of years.  I'm not sure how we would have done it if he had not been along with us to help navigate all that came up during this time.

Our Hospital Stay

I could say, one one hand, that in spite of these unexpected circumstances, we were still able to complete most of our previously made engagements, thanks to someone like Manuel who was able to assist in Guillermo's absence, but this wouldn't capture the full picture.  It wasn't just in spite of these circumstances but actually because of them, we were able to make more and to make much more meaningful connections than we would have been able to make otherwise.

The couple I mentioned earlier, Luis and Monica, are pastors of a small and growing church that meets in their Christian book store Bendiciones, or "Blessings."  They were in fact a huge blessing in many, many ways, making and paying for that initial appointment, and as well as connecting us with a number of different people in the area (not to mention bringing us food almost daily, offering their home to stay in, blessing us with books and resources as we left, among other things).  The hospital we were at was not cheap, to say the least, but it was there that Guillermo was receiving the care that he needed, especially considering how complicated this situation ended up becoming due to his medical condition.  Within a couple of days of being there, wondering how the bill was going to be paid, Guillermo and Carmen were receiving donations from people whom they had never met - pastors in the area who had heard about their situation and were not only praying for them but also helping financially to cover the significant hospitalization costs.  Our final full day in Chihuahua, this couple, Luis and Monica, even arranged for a 15 minute Christian radio interview for myself regarding CEC - an opportunity to get the word out to a far greater audience that we could have imagined when we first set out.

Monica and her husband Luis, one of the many new connections we made in Chihuahua

We experienced God's faithfulness and His provisions in many, many ways.  For Guillermo specifically, as he sat patiently in his hospital room for those ten, at times, long days, he spoke frequently of experiencing God's goodness and faithfulness.  And it was a sense that he felt strongly not just because of the amazing love and support that was shown in so many ways or because of the new opportunities that were coming our way through this experience, but just simply because he sensed so vividly and personally God's goodness and faithfulness.  He frequently shared how God is always good and faithful - we just don't often realize it and it takes circumstances like this for us to become more intimately aware of it.  And it does not have to do with whether we are sick or well, whether we have all that we need or not - God simply is good and faithful at all times, no matter what happens, no matter the outcome.  It was because of this, that despite the discouraging lack of advancement that we saw at times, Guillermo was more and more convinced of God's faithfulness throughout this whole process.

One of several rainbows out of the hospital window following one of the many days of rain that we enjoyed during our stay in Chihuahua.

As we look back we can see so many ways in which God shows His love and favour towards us - thank you to the many people who were faithfully praying for Guillermo and his recovery.  Thanks also to many who generously helped out to cover the hefty medical costs that have been incurred along the way.  But we are also thankful to God and praise Him for how He has used what on the surface might look like a major interruption of our ("good") plans and ideas, to bring about something far better than what we could have (or would have...) planned on our own.  "All things work for the good to those who love God" (Rom 8:28) rings so true, and that includes even things such as sickness.  What appeared to be a "wall" in the way of our plans turned out to be a doorway far bigger than we could have imagined to bring about more and deeper connections than we could have planned on our own.

It encourages us as we move forward - we know our plans will continue to be "modified" as God sees fit, but we know that He will continue to be faithful and good, no matter how those plans might change.  We look forward to an alumni retreat in three weeks - pray for those plans as we prepare for a time of refreshment and encouragement for each one who attends.  Once again, thanks for praying for us on this journey and for the support that has come in so many ways. ¡Dios les bendiga a cada uno de ustedes!  God bless each one of you!

Urgent Prayer Request For My Coworker, Guillermo

EN ESPANOL ABAJO...

Shortly I'll write a more indepth update, as too much time has passed by since the last one.  In the meantime, however, I wanted to share with you a particular concern with regards to my coworker, Guillermo who is currently in the hospital battling an infection that has been difficult to treat so far.

We were on a promotional tour, visiting churches in the neighbouring state of Chihuahua when, to make a longer story short, we eventually brought Guillermo in because of some ongoing and worsening health issues.  He's been dealing with several infections that have been difficult to treat and has been in the hospital for several days now (since Thursday evening).  Several different antibiotics have helped but not taken care of the infection.  Fortunately the new treatment which they began yesterday evening seems to be working well.

Guillermo and his wife Carmen

Please continue to pray for him, for his healing.  Also pray for provisions as the hospital stay has been costly, especially with the specialized care that he has needed.  If anyone is interested in helping them out financially, please let me know and I can get the information to you.  We are hoping that within several more days he will be on the mend and heading out, though it could easily be another five or six days here in the hospital.

Thanks to all who are prayer!  ¡Dios les bendiga!

En breve les escribiré una actualización más detallada, ya que ha pasado demasiado tiempo desde la última. Mientras tanto, quería compartir con ustedes una preocupación particular con respecto a mi compañero de ministerio, Guillermo, quien se encuentra hospitalizado con una infección que ha sido difícil de tratar.

Estábamos en una gira promocional, visitando iglesias en el vecino estado de Chihuahua, cuando, para resumir, finalmente trajimos a Guillermo debido a algunos problemas de salud persistentes que empeoraban. Ha estado lidiando con varias infecciones difíciles de tratar y lleva varios días hospitalizado (desde el jueves por la noche). Varios antibióticos le han ayudado, pero no han aliviado la infección. Afortunadamente, el nuevo tratamiento que comenzaron ayer por la noche parece estar funcionando bien.

Guillermo y su esposa, Carmen

Por favor, sigan orando por él y por su sanidad. También oren por provisiones, ya que la hospitalización ha sido costosa, especialmente por la atención especializada que ha necesitado. Si alguien está interesado en ayudarlo económicamente, por favor, avísenme y les haré llegar la información.  Esperamos que en unos días mas, se reacciona bien al tratamiento, y luego de recuperacion, lo pueda ser darde alta, aunque fácilmente podrían pasar otros cinco o seis días mas en el hospital en total.

¡Gracias a todos por sus oraciones!  ¡Dios les bendiga!

Divine Appointments

As I shared in the last post, sometimes our plans don't work out as we had hoped - that of course being the case this year with not having students during this season.  Sometimes, though, our plans work out far better than we could have hoped.  Both, we trust, are because of God's guiding hand, leaning on His providential care and seeing how He works things out in ways far better (yes, often different!) than what we had in mind.  These past few weeks are an example of this.

CONFERENCE

Two weeks ago we were preparing to receive about 20 people who were arriving for a week-long conference.  One of the teachers, a new one, in fact, who was scheduled to teach during CEC on the Panorama of the Bible, still came.  Instead of sharing with a group of CEC students, however, we opened it up to those who wanted to come in for a conference.  With a mix between alumni and leaders from the area both near and further away, we spent five days running a marathon through the Bible, led by Henk Kaemingk, director of a YWAM base in the neighbouring state of Chihuahua.  We had met him earlier has he taught in the Consiervos missions course and also while visiting their YWAM base last year on a recruitment trip to Chihuahua.  Henk has worked as a missionary here in Mexico for over 30 years and masterfully led us through 20 hours of teaching on the Kingdom of God and how through Christ, God is restoring His Kingdom through His followers.  Madly taking notes to keep up with his pace, we were blessed by his teaching and the perspective he brought on the singular story of the Bible culminating in Christ.

The conference participants on the final day.

During our last evening we had a time of fellowship on the beach sharing communion together.

These times serve as a unique opportunity to reconnect with past-students (we had nine alumni attend) as well as continue in and make new connections with people in the community.  One of the pastors from Guaymas who has hosted students for their weekend ministry came with one of the leaders of his church.  One of our alumni brought with him a pastor from neighbouring Empalme who, though he could only make it for one day, left deeply impacted and excited about sharing CEC with the other pastors in his community who are a part of an alliance of pastors, of which he is in a leadership position.  This lead to another encounter which just took place last week.

VISITATIONS AND RECRUITMENT

This pastor, Jose Luis, invited us to his home early last week, to share mutually about both our ministries, but also primarily just to enjoy each other's company and get to know each other more.  As is so often the case here in Mexico, their home is opened up and we are obliged to enjoy not just a cup of coffee together but a full-course breakfast featuring fried potatoes with machaca (a dried meat) and beans followed a hearty helping of freshly cooked (and delicious!) shrimp.  There are no options to go hungry!  What we were most blessed with by this time, however, was the connection as well as the desire to work together with CEC in the future, whether in attending and promoting events, or spreading the word about our course among the local pastors.  As I mentioned before, he is part of the leadership of the local alliance of pastors and so we were grateful for opportunities such as this to connect with strategic people in the area, not just to promote the ministry of CEC but share with him our desire to continue to partner with local churches, coming alongside them ultimately to serve them.

That takes me to another outing that I had together with my colleague, Guillermo, just this past weekend.  We set out to meet up with two pastor couples who had come to CEC a number of years ago, and were still faithfully serving in their communities.

Left: Juan & Noemi, students from 2014; Right: Jesús y Maribel, students from 2012

It had been a number of years since I had last visited Juan & Noemi, students from 2014; to see them once again faithfully continuing on after a number of years was encouraging.  While there were noticeable improvements in brick structure that stood in place of the old wood and tar-paper siding building that I remembered from my last visit, what was particularly encouraging was to see how they were involved in several different locations both close by and also up into the mountains a few hours away - just about every evening they are involved serving in one of these locations.  On top of the significant ministry load he has with his wife, he holds down a job so as not to be a burden to the small congregations that he serves.  Juan & Noemi are an example of the type of people we love to come alongside and serve - "front-liners" who are faithfully serving God in any way they can.

Jesús & Maribel are another example of this.  They serve in a remote area heading up into the mountains on the eastern edge of Sonora, seemingly out in the middle of nowhere (about an hour from the town of Alamos, heading down 50 km of pavement that deteriorates into washboard gravel roads.)  From well before their time in CEC (2012) they've been working in this area, Jesús pastoring and Maribel working with children in the area.  During our visit he took us into the church building where they meet and showed us a set of prayer lists, where they pray for those who don't know the Lord, for those who have needs such as problems with their health, and also for "missionaries."  They had started a weekly prayer meeting about five months ago and low-and-behold, both my name and Guillermo's were under that list.  They had been not only praying for us about also prayed that we would come and visit them.  Needless to say, they were very much encouraged by our visit, and we were encouraged to see that we were, unbeknownst to us, an answer to prayer.  That evening before we left, we had the chance to meet with a number of the other pastors and leaders in the area who work in some of the neighbouring communities for a brief introduction and a chance to share about CEC.  One young pastor in particular stood out as he expressed gratitude with tears in his eyes as he shared how he had been praying for an opportunity such as this to study and further prepare himself for the ministry he was already involved in.  We were blessed not only by these experiences, but we were also invited to come back in the future and share some workshops that would help them in their ministry - something that we had already expressed interest in doing but have been looking for "opened doors" such as these.

This brief whirlwind tour, of which I haven't mentioned another contact we made along the way (***see below if you want to read about it,) was just another example of our plans bearing far more fruit than we could have imagined ourselves.  We never know what will come of these contacts, both old and new, but we trust that as we walk forward through open doors, God will continue to lead us according to His plans.  One of our greatest challenges is finding our way to those whom desire and need the type of ministry training that we offer - these couple of days were an answer to those prayers and we look forward to continued opportunities such as these down the road.

Continue to pray for us as we plan for other activities down the road, both onsite as well as offsite, and as we continue to plan/dream about the future ministry of CEC.  Thanks, as always, for your continued prayers!

For those who are interested, we will be hosting an information afternoon here at CEC, at the dining hall, this coming Saturday (March 22nd) at 3:30 where we have invited some of our alumni to share about their ministries since they have left CEC.  

We will record the event for those who cannot be there so that you can watch it later online if you wish.  God bless each one of you...¡Dios les bendiga!

***Guillermo, through another contact he had, got in touch with a pastor in Navojoa that he had heard about previously.  He immediately expressed his gratitude at our arrival having heard about CEC previously.  For some reason, though he had tried to get in contact with us a number of years ago, wasn't able to do so - he had had someone whom he wanted to send.  So, he eagerly listened as we shared about CEC, promising to spread the word amongst the alliance of pastors in Navojoa, inviting us to return at a later date to speak to them collectively.  It wasn't until we arrived at his house, having invited us to lunch together with his family, that I realized I had met him many years before!  As I stepped into his house it slowly came together how I had been there over 10 years ago with a fellow missionary from San Carlos whom I had accompanied to Navojoa for a weekend.  Neither the pastor nor myself had recognized each other, but here we were many years later with our paths crossing once again.

Directed Steps

I've often reflected over the years here at CEC that each year brings a new challenge - something we've never seen before.  This has included things such as facing significant issues with students, major incidents such as one of our teachers suffering a life-threatening stroke, to the passing of members of our leadership (Howard most recently, and Jose Luis several years ago).  Walking through each of these experiences (it seems that without fail, we tend to face at least one such crisis each and every year,) one is tempted to think, "Now we've seen it all."  Just wait for next year!

All of this leads us to this year, and only a short time after having written the recent blogpost, The Countdown to the inauguration, we had to make the very difficult decision to cancel this year's course due to a very low number of applications.  This would be the first time this has happened following CEC's 15 classes that have graduated.  "Now we've seen it all," I'm tempted to say...  But even as I look back on each and every one of those other situations, what was difficult or painful at the time (and may continue to be so in many ways), were times when God's faithfulness was magnified.  They have been learning times, to say the least, and they have been trying times as well.  But they have also been growing times, where God has taken us down new paths, yes, uncomfortable paths, and has brought something about that otherwise would never have taken place.  I remember when Jose Luis had a major stroke which the doctors said he should not have survived.  After two weeks in the hospital he returned to CEC where he faced a long and arduous recovery, surrounded by the help of the student body caring for him in various ways - we witnessed a slow but miraculous recovery, enjoying his company and teaching at CEC for another couple of years until the Lord finally took him home.  Our journey over the past two years with Howard's passing (the founder of CEC) has also been a journey of growth into new chapters.

Each one of these experiences have inadvertently helped to prepare us for each new and unexpected circumstance that continues to come our way, even though in the moment we continue to be surprised by these new curve balls.  Yet the past testifies to Romans 8:28, that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him," though it may not be pleasant to walk through in the moment.  In this light, while it was a difficult decision to make, to cancel this year's course - weighing on each one of our hearts - we also had a God-given sense of peace in making it, knowing that this also was not outside of His control nor His plans.

Just the other day, on what would have been the second day of classes, we met together as the leadership staff to look ahead and see what these next months as well as the rest of the year could hold.  Last year one of the things that we focused on was a team was that CEC is more than just the three-and-a-half month course.  It encompasses the ongoing discipleship and encouragement of the alumni who minister in their homes, churches, and communities.  Through the alumni retreat, conference, and visits, it is a privilege to continue to walk alongside them both in their successes and difficulties.  

Jesús Fernando and Yuleni are an example of this - Jesús Fernando who entered the course as a very timid person just recently shared with us how he has been placed in charge of the men's group in his church.  This comes after he himself has shared how he has had opportunities to witness to his co-workers about God, seeing a difference in him, and as he reads his Bible on the job between tasks.  Prior, he never would have had the confidence to do so, but God has been at work in his life.  Yuleni shares about her new role in children's ministry in the church as well also their plans to reach out to the unchurched children in the area around where they live and work.

Jesús Fernando and Yuleni during their time at CEC.

On the other side, I just got a call from one of our past students who was calling after being incarcerated.  This student's journey has been particularly difficult, even after the time in CEC, but one in which this student also recognizes God's grace even in this circumstance - a chance to devote this time to Him and find his way forward.  What a privilege to walk along side each one of the students, both in their highs as well as their lows.  Who of us does not also have our own highs and lows in our journeys?

As we sat around the table the other day as the CEC leadership, we put into motion some plans for the short term, including taking advantage of one of our teachers who was scheduled to come at the end of February and host a 5 day conference on the very class that he was going to give - Panorama of the Bible.  Other ideas were shared and we will continue to look in the coming days at ways to further develop and build the ministry of CEC outside of our primary course, both on-site and off-site, through mentoring, conferences, visitations, trips, etc., while also looking forward to and preparing for next year.  Please continue to pray for us as we plan and continue the ministry of CEC through different means.  

As Proverbs 16:9 says, "The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps."  We continue to sense and rest in the fact that God will continue His ministry through CEC, that the vision to EQUIP AND TRAIN SERVANT LEADERS (Eph. 2:12) continues to be what guides us.  It may look a little different, especially over the course of the next few months, but we continue to trust that He will continue to direct our steps.  Thank you, as always, and maybe even more during times like these, for your continued support and prayers for myself and for this ministry!  God bless each one of you.  ¡Dios les bendiga!

The Countdown

Ten days to go...  As we just finished counting down the final days of 2024, another countdown begins for us: the 2025 CEC school season.  But before we get into that, let me share some of the highlights of the end of last year:

CONFERENCE: MY HOUSE WILL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER

The final event planned for 2024 took place at the end of November where a local pastor, Jorge Campoy, took us through the biblical and cultural context of the well known passage where Jesus condemns what is happening in the outer courts of the temple, overturning the tables, and citing the familiar Old Testament passage from Isaiah 56:7, "My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations."  He unpacked for us the powerful message of the Gospel, the miracle that God would invite all people to Himself - which was His plan all along - and one that those who were responsible for the Temple during Jesus' time, had completely overlooked.  Jesus Himself takes away all obstacles between us and God the Father - and this invitation was not just for the Jews, but for all people, including us!  

A time of worship before one of the sessions.

Staff and conference participants.

We had about 25 people participate in the two day conference, from various places, different backgrounds, a variety of "theological levels," but each one went away impacted both by Jorge's presentation of the Word, but also by the blessing it is to have received from the Word itself.  Each person we talked to expressed how they were impacted in some way.  It shouldn't be surprising, but when the Word is simply taught, being alive and active, it impacts and transforms.

In the evening we experimented with something that we often do during the CEC course itself: retreating to the beach in the evening to enjoy the sunset and take communion together around a campfire with prayer and worship.  Many reflected on how much they enjoyed this unique experience - a break from the routine, experiencing something familiar like the Lord's Supper in a different setting, and one as beautiful as a San Carlos beach.

Could there be a better setting for communion?

As we reflect on this conference, we are excited as we take up the torch once again, bringing back conferences like this, after having a reprieve of a couple of years without due to the pandemic restrictions at the time.  (This is the second year now that we've returned to doing an event like this...)

The rest of the year (the month of December) has been a time of relative rest, after a busy year with a number of events and outings, with opportunities to take care of different projects that have been on the back burner for a while - things that get pushed off until there is finally time to do them.  Among them included something that I've been working on over the past year and finally came to its conclusion - becoming a Mexican citizen!  It's something I've had in the back of my mind for a long time but finally pursued it this past year, and after a year of paperwork and waiting, I finally was presented my letter, the Carta de Naturalización, this past December.  Some have asked Why? and perhaps in a future post I can expand on that a bit more (or you can ask me personally!)  But in part, along with certain benefits, it has been part of a continued venture into living and truly being here in Mexico.  Mexicans, in general, have such a pride for their country and to make the effort to become a citizen is a way to honor both the people themselves and the country that they take pride in.  (Many are proud that someone would want to become a Mexican alongside them!)  In the end, it is part of a continued effort to always help reach more deeply and live alongside the people that I work with and serve.

CEC 2025

As I mentioned before...10 days to go!  With the beginning of a new year, months of planning now start turning into reality.  We are in the final stages of planning, not to mention confirming students.  It has been slow thus far as far as students being confirmed.  While a number have expressed interest, those who have actually sent in their application forms thus far is less than previous years, at this point.  This isn't the first time we've been at a place like this before, though, with only a little more than a week to go - we are, of course, in Mexico, where many things are spur-of-the-moment.  So there is still time for more students to show interest and hand in their applications.  It is, though, a faith-inducing experience - even if it is not the first time we've gone through this!  So, PRAY together with us for those students that God would bring to us this year.  It is always a big commitment for them to take that step of faith themselves, but our prayer is that their desire to grow deeper in their walk, to learn deeply from the Bible, and their desire to serve, would propel them beyond whatever obstacle might present itself to spend these next four months with us.  Our beginning day of classes is the 20th of January.

Thanks for your continued prayers and support!  As we enter this intense season of walking alongside others, we covet your prayers.  Each year presents its unique challenges and opportunities with each student that comes.  It also presents its own personal challenges - but I look forward to another opportunity to walk together with others as we grow together.  God bless each one of you and thank you!  ¡Dios les bendiga!

Labouring On...

I have to admit, maybe it's my Canadian roots, but one of my favorite times of the year is when I can finally put on a hoodie...unfortunately, hoodie season is far too short, but it is such a welcome reprieve of the intense summer heat that held on exceptionally long this year.  Speaking of reprieves, it seems that this year's "off-season" has been anything but a reprieve, and with cooler temperatures here, it means that another CEC semester is just around the corner.  As our team down here grows with more full-time year round members, in some sense the workload lightens as there are more hands on deck, but it also allows us to expand and cover even more ground - and it seems that that is exactly what has happened this year in particular.  Here's some of the recent highlights:

RECRUITMENT TOUR DOWN SOUTH

My beloved colleague, Guillermo (who lives upstairs from me together with his family), accompanied me on a brief whirl-wind recruitment tour down south, covering a lot of ground over the course of a week and a half.  We visited two churches that have long been connected with CEC as well as two new connections - one being one of our former students from this year, Armando in Guadalajara, and as well as connections through Guillermo's family.

There's always a sense of uncertainty surrounding these trips as we step into both old and new circles, not knowing what fruit will come of it, or even how one will be received (in the new places).  This year was no exception especially with some additional uncertainty regarding the route we had to take, which lead through some areas of unrest at the time.  There is a saying, though, in Mexico - Mi casa es su casa - which means, "My house is your house."  It's more than a saying, though, it is a reality in this warm culture - multiplied ten-fold when you factor in that we are being welcomed into homes of our brothers and sisters in Christ!  It is not only this, though, that stuck out on this trip - the connections we were able to enjoy and make - it was also the invitations that we came across to return, to connect with more churches in the areas we visited, that affirmed any doubt that we may have had in setting out in the first place.  One of the challenges that we often come across on behalf of the school is the challenge of gaining trust with new pastors.  It is understandable to be sure and something that takes time and energy invested in trips like these to build that trust so that they know that we are here to serve them, and help them as well as their members to grow in ways that they will be a blessing both to them and their church as they return.  That is why as different pastors not only opened their doors but invited us back providing themselves as bridges to the neighbouring churches, to share about CEC, not to mention the personal interest in coming to CEC, we were so thankful - God opened doors in each place that we went.  

This was coupled with the opportunity to reconnect with a number of our alumni throughout the trip - always a joy to see them in their home settings, to hear about both their joys and struggles, and hopefully to encourage them as well as they continue on. The picture below took place at one of our stops - an area that has sent students now for a number of years.

A great time with several of our alumni - an impromptu chat over coffee where we could hear from them about some of the challenges that they are facing in ministry and how we can continue to encourage them along the way.  It becomes very evident as we listen to them how they continue to learn and grow in different ways as they head back into their lives and ministry following their time in CEC.

MILLAR COLLEGE MISSIONS MODULE

As we came back, with a short stretch of down-time, we prepared to receive a group of 10 young men and women, all studying currently at Millar School of the Bible, in the BC campus, who came down for a 10 day missions course hosted here at CEC.  The primary goal of this missions module was to not only learn about cross-cultural missions but also be able to experience in some small ways what it might look like to minister in a different culture.  A number of people involved in cross-cultural missions shared various tools for cross-cultural missions from their perspectives and experiences.  Guillermo himself shared in several of the classes about our role in God's plan of Redemption through the Great Commission, a prominent theme during this week and a half highlighting not only what is entailed in effectively carrying it out but also how we are all called to be a part of this mission that reaches to the ends of the earth.  

A familiar scene, only now with classes in English as the students hear from a number of missionaries throughout the week.

An offsite exercise at the local downtown market where the students had an opportunity to try out their newly learned Spanish words and phrases.

The students had an opportunity during our final weekend in the small fishing town of El Choyudo, home to Guillermo and his church, to experience firsthand ministry and interaction in an unfamiliar setting where you don't know the language nor culture.  We had an informal time of fellowship including playing volleyball and a seafood feast prepared by the members of his church; this was followed by a worship service on the beach.  One thing that stood out for this group was the ability to connect and communicate, despite the barriers - a product of the warmth of the Mexican culture but also the grace that is found in connecting with members of the body of Christ, no matter where you are.  The students also left impacted by the testimony of many of the missionaries and local servants such as Pastor Rafael and his wife Marisela in Fatima (whom many of you have heard of or even know personally) and hearing about their years of tireless, dedicated service to the Lord, while seeing, even just for a brief visit, some of the fruits of their labour.  

The students learned and presented a song in Spanish - an impressive undertaking - to the church in El Choyudo.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN...

As I write this, there are a lot of details swirling around in my mind about up and coming events, not the least of which includes our school year just around the corner.  However in the nearer future, we have plans underway for a conference at the end of November, and, even closer at hand, a trip we plan to take tomorrow (Wednesday) to the neighbouring state of Chihuahua.  One of our alumni who completed the second year course two years ago - Abram - has graciously invited us to his home city and connected us not only with his church but a number of pastors and leaders in the area.  We plan to be on the road about a week visiting a number of different places and people with the hopes of continuing to get the word out about CEC.  Please pray for safety as we travel, but also for fruitful interactions as we seek out those who would benefit in their ministries from coming to CEC.

Thanks, as always, for your continued prayers - there are so many plans underway for different activities yet it is exciting to see the ministry of CEC continue to grow.  Perhaps one other thing that stands out from the Millar missions module and also these recruitment trips is how, though we are finding ourselves with a lot of "work" to do these days, there are so many who are also labouring, just as we are, all over the world, not just here in Mexico.  That, of course, includes you as well!  We all have a part to play, but even more so, it is God who is at work in every part of the world, and wherever we go, we find Him there at work as well.  God bless each one of you as you labor on as well!  ¡Dios les bendiga!