Ready...Set...

Monday, January 23rd has loomed on the horizon, where everything must be ready to GO! Of course the majority of things are in place, teachers are set, students are confirmed, preparations are being made on site, our staff has all come together. Yet, perhaps more than any other year, I don't know that I feel ready (though I'm not sure if I ever do completely!) There are, of course, the usual uncertainties - Who are our students? How will they respond? What will the challenges be this year? Then there are the new uncertainties with Howard's (our director) health slowly, slowly improving, though he still a long way to go; this means, though, that both he and his wife, at this point, will largely be out of the picture for the next while course. We are grateful that both he and his wife Susan were able to make the trip from Canada and are now at home here in San Carlos, already seeing fruits of the care he is receiving here - we continue to pray for his recovery.

We are encouraged with the team of staff that we have in place this year. It includes the help of some new participants, Jake and Ingrid who come from my home church outside of Winkler, Manitoba. We have already been impacted by them, the meal invitations, the projects that are underway, their hearts for the school, and the ways that they are looking forward to contribute to CEC this school season. They will be helping in various roles, filling in some of the gaps left by the absence of others as well as contributing to the ministry with the students, both being Spanish speakers.

We are encouraged, too, with the eight students we have confirmed for this year's course. We have a bit more of a mature group this year, the majority being in their 30's and 40's (one 19 year old, and another who is a retired school teacher, the only female this year). Many come from backgrounds that were involved with various addictions but have come to know the Lord and are now serving in some form in different ministries or churches. Most come from the state of Sonora, with one exception - a young many who is from Honduras yet came up through Mexico a number of years ago with the goal of getting to the US only to come to know the Lord and settle down in the state of Chihuahua.

Every year is so distinct and different - it is difficult to even imagine what each season will bring. We have learned over the years to try to not come with too many expectations - we come with plans and ideas, things that have worked and others that haven't, making adjustments. Yet at the end of the day there still is this sense of, Are we ready? Do we know what's coming? Of course we don't and the "planner" in me wrestles with that! So, we meet, we pray, we plan, and we wait to see how God will work in our own lives and in the lives of each of the students. That's of course where you all come in as well! We invite you to pray for our students and for us as staff as we start a new school season, this coming Monday, January 23rd. Some things you can specifically pray for me would be:

* As I teach, though I have taught these classes before, each year is distinct as I find I myself have changed and learned new things; especially in the first group of classes, Spiritual Disciplines, I want to reflect what I've been learning and experiencing with those in these classes.

* Peace in the midst of uncertainty - as a "planner" and chronic worrier, this is perhaps an ongoing prayer request!

Thanks again for your continued prayers for myself and for the ministry of CEC. It is greatly, greatly appreciated! I'll keep you updated with how our school season progresses and introduce some of the students along the way as we get to know them. ¡Dios les bendiga!

¡Feliz Navidad From San Carlos!

As this year so quickly draws to a close, I wanted to thank each one of you for your ongoing participation in all that goes on down here in San Carlos!  Your prayers and your generosity continue to spur us onward in what God is doing here in Mexico, especially through CEC and the many students whom we've been able to get to know over the years.

Many continue to ask how Howard Dyck, our director, is doing - he is continuing to fight, though it has been very much an uphill battle and likely will remain so for a while.  The family is working hard to bring him down here back to Mexico, as this familiar setting will significantly help in his recovery, Lord willing. One of the hurdles is the cost involved in transportation - if you would like to contribute, please visit:  https://gofund.me/028ccecf.  Your continued prayers are greatly appreciated in his recovery!

Others have asked if we plan to carry on with our school year this coming year.  The interesting part is that we were already planning for Howard and Susan to not be around for a significant part of this coming course as they were required to be in Canada for six months, bringing them back halfway through the course - and this was all already in place before any of these health complications arose.  Thankfully, we have a great team in place of fellow administrators and teachers who were and are prepared to move ahead this coming January, though, without doubt, a heavy heart.  We are grateful at the interest there is and the students who have already confirmed - not only for the first year course but the second year as well.  We begin in one month, Lord willing, the 23rd of January!  It is just around the corner and we covet your prayers as we prepare.  Specifically pray for those students whom the Lord would have be a part of CEC 2023.  It is often a challenge to set aside the time and make arrangements to be here - there are often many obstacles, but these too become opportunities to see God's faithfulness in their lives.  It is looking like a good group of students is slowly but surely coming together.

HIGHLIGHTS

It seems that I'm in a little bit of a calm between the storms as this fall has been quite busy.  Here are some highlights from the past couple of months:

Bethel Church Group

We don't receive many groups from outside of Mexico as that is not our primary ministry focus.  However, Bethel Church, located just outside of Winkler, MB, has sent a group before.  My parents led this team which was was supposed to come during the covid pandemic but for obvious reasons had to postpone their trip till this year.  They came this year, however, armed with hearts for service - all 24 of them - and left their impact not only here at the school but with a local church ministry that has a significant ministry in their surrounding, troubled neighbourhood.  The group poured cement, laid block, and served at the church's children's ministry - and they did it well outside of their comfort zone.  Laying block and mixing cement are not commonplace skills for us Canadians, like they are for many down here in Mexico, not to mention the significance of a language barrier.  As the saying goes, though, actions speak louder than words and perhaps that holds true to an even greater extent when there are very few words that you can share!  One of the Mexican workers on the project told Rafael, one of the church's leaders (whom many of you know and have personally met when he accompanied me with his family to Canada a few years ago) that he was greatly impacted by the team's dedication and effort as they took their time to work alongside them, of all the other things they could be doing or places they could go - it left a deep impression on him.  In the end, their actions spoke volumes, communicating how we are serving God together and caring for one another, even when words fail due to language barriers.  

Consiervos Missions Training Program

It was no small feat for the Bethel group of 24 to find space in CEC's facilities because during that time there was also a group of 25 or so students/staff with the Consiervos cross-cultural training program - we had a full house!  Consiervos spent just over two months in an intensive training course aimed at equipping lay-missions workers to serve along side cross-cultural missions teams.  Two of our previous CEC students were a part of this course and it was a pleasure to continue to interact with them and encourage them in their walk as they consider serving in missions work.  The program runs very similarly to CEC's program and featured 20 different missionaries participating in classes during this time.  It is a relatively new program, this being only its 2nd time running.  It complements our training program in many ways and actually fills part of the vision that CEC has had, having a "3rd year" program that focusses in missions.  It is a great experience to collaborate together with others in this way, and I have enjoyed greatly being able to be a part of this program as well.

CEC 2023

With all of this said, it has been a busy fall season, and the busiest is yet to come!  Please pray for us as a school and as a staff as we navigate these difficult times.  It seems that over the years we have had to work through some significant health issues within our full-time staff - in a sense this is not new, but each one comes with its own set of challenges and discouragements.  We pray for Howard's return to San Carlos and for his recovery!  Thanks, as always, for your continued prayers!  I am grateful for each one of you.  ¡Dios les bendiga and feliz navidad!

When Things Just Don't Work Out

Why? If we had the answer to that question...or even put a quarter away every time this question came up, we probably wouldn't have to worry about retirement, would we?  This question can rise up in the smallest of things as well as in large things alike. Take, for example, a couple of weeks ago when myself and another teacher were planning to head out one weekend to visit a church conference a fair distance away where we would be able to share with a number of churches about CEC; yet, as I'm getting ready to leave, my car just doesn't start (btw, it started the next day without issues!). This turned out to be the nail in the coffin, though, as we had been tracking a large tropical storm that was supposed to be arriving about the same time as we were in that very area. So, as I call my coworker and tell him my car doesn't start, he tells me about this list of things that are impeding his ability to leave - my car was only confirming that, for whatever reason, we were not make this trip, as much as we were looking forward to it.

Bigger things? Well, it looks like every year we are surprised by things unforseen. This year is no exception (I think I say this every year!) For someone who's job is to plan, and who's nature is to have everything under control, this constantly presents a great challenge, but one where every year I see how things work out in ways that only God can manage. Seeing and knowing this, however, doesn't make the journey itself easy.

One of the biggest things that we are facing this year concerns our director and his wife, Howard and Susan, who took off for Canada where they need to spend six months for various reasons - this, however only brings them back at the beginning of March, well into our school season. With no other option, we were already preparing ourselves to be without our director and his wife as we prepare and begin our next season of CEC. This has now only been compounded by, as many of you have known and have been praying for, a diagnosis for some fairly serious health conditions that surfaced in Howard over the past couple of months resulting from the West Nile virus. Thankfully he is at home with his wife, in Canada, recuperating, however he is continuing to deal with some serious symptoms from the virus.  Thankfully they will have time in Canada over the next months in recuperation, but more than anything, your continued prayers are coveted as there are no treatments for West Nile itself - we just continue to pray that he would find healing and relief from the present symptoms that he is experiencing.  Once again, thanks to those who have been praying!

In all of these things, we ask, Why? What is going on? What are you working out, God? And so we plan as best we can, knowing that many of the difficult things in the past (I think of serious health issues that have struck some of our past staff members, and even with the death of Jose Luis a year ago...) have brought about fruit and experiences in trusting God that have perhaps been more powerful learning experiences than if everything had just gone "as we planned."

UPCOMING YEAR

Since I got back from being on the road for most of the summer, things have not slowed down at all. We had a great time connecting with past students and making new connections with new churches over this summer.  (Here's a pic of a reunion from some of our students in the state of Jalisco.)

L to R: Guillermo (staff), Alexis (2019), Ketzia (2021), Ruth (2022), Jacqui (2022), Joel (2018).

In addition to connecting with some of our past students we were able to meet personally some new pastors from some new areas for some potential new students in the coming years.  Many are already expressing interest in coming to CEC this coming January - keep praying that God would draw those whom He wants with us for 2023! As we face staffing changes (both our directors, and as some of our full-time staff not being able to come for the entire session) we look to see how these needs will be covered. We are preparing as well for our second year - an additional load, especially on teachers, but we look forward to reconnecting with alumni for two months, in March and April. Pray for students, that they would be able to get away for this time once again and be encouraged as they continue on in their ministries. All of that to say, plans are coming together and we are excited for another season!

BONDSERVANTS - CONSIERVOS

At present there are six students onsite for a missions training course called Consiervos, or, Bondservants. It is a 10-week preparation for those who would like to serve in a cross-cultural, missionary setting. The director of the program was sharing how over 20 different missionaries will be involved during this time as they share from their experience to encourage these participants as they prepare for serving in missions in the near future. Two of the students were with is at CEC earlier this year, so it is a great opportunity to continue to connect with them over these two months.

OTHER UPCOMING PLANS

In just over a week, 10 bible school students from Millar College of the Bible in Saskatchewan will spend a week and a half onsite with us for a missions module that we are hosting. Some of the same teachers involved in Consiervos will stay on to help these young Bible school students be challenged and encouraged to become involved in missions wherever and however God might lead them. Pray for this time as we lead them, and that God would use it significantly in their lives, especially as they can experience, even if just briefly, what it is like to be in a different culture. Two weeks later a group of 24 will arrive from Bethel church by Winkler, Manitoba, headed by my parents, for a week of serving both here at CEC as well as in the community, for just over a week.

These experiences bring me back to my first experience here in Mexico, a ten-day experience that has now "strechted out" to 15 years and counting. It seems that, in God's hands, things have a way of working out in unexpected ways, even if they are, at times, un-comfortable or not what we would have chosen. It was not that I didn't "choose" to come to Mexico, but it was not in my plans.  More specifically, I didn't really have any plans at the time! In the end God always shows His faithfulness and His wisdom as He works things out in His way. Every unknown becomes another avenue for learning to trust in Him - something I have to keep telling myself from time to time as this nagging question of Why? keeps resurfacing.

Thanks for your continued prayers and support! They are never taken for granted. ¡Dios les bendiga!