So Much To Catch Up On...
Greetings from Mexico! It seems like not to long
ago when we compiled a newsletter and yet, reality tells us this is not
the case. How quickly time passes. Since delving into details would make
this update far too long, we've condensed our past 6 months and
are focusing on some of the many highlights we've experienced since our
last Talk'O together!
December 2017
- Saw us host our 2nd annual Transformados Christmas Posada. We had a
great turnout of children, youth and their families. We sang Christmas
Carols (with the help of some of our musically gifted youth), played
table games, ate delicious pozole, had some friendly competitions, had a
local church youth group present the 3 Trees Skit, gave a clear gospel
presentation and ended the night with, you guessed it, a piñata. These
posadas are one of the ways we are attempting to get to know the parents
and families of our Transformados youth. It was encouraging to receive
positive feedback from attendees who shared that they were touched by
the message and appreciate Transformados and the work we are doing with
their children. One mother told us that she was very impressed because
"...that was how a real posada should be, with a family friendly
atmosphere and good fellowship." We continue to pray that God will use
the seeds planted during this night to draw these youth and their
families to Him.
During Christmas break we hosted a 3 day
elementary basketball camp. We shared the story of Joseph during
our water break devotionals. It's surprising, how few Bible Stories
these children and youth know. For this reason, we made sure to leave
them hanging and curious to hear what happened next. This kept them
engaged in the story and we were able to talk about the truth that God
has a good plan for our lives, even when things are difficult. We
challenged them to live their lives for God, just like Joseph did.
Anthony and Phil had the opportunity to take some
of our Transformados youth on a hiking/camping trip to the top of Sierra
de La Laguna (the highest peak in Baja Sur) during Christmas vacation.
We hope to make this an annual trip because it provides opportunities to
deepen relationships, have good spiritual conversations and enjoy the
beauty of God's amazing creation.
January 2018
- Every January, all of the TEAM missionaries in Mexico get together
for our annual retreat. Conference is one of the highlights for us and
this year was no exception as fun, fellowship, sharing, planning and
relaxation were enjoyed by all.
February 2018 - Was an exciting month for us
because 2 of our Transformados youth shared that they had made decisions
to accept Jesus as their personal Saviour! How exciting it has been to
see God bring to life, the seeds that we've been planting over the past 4
years. Both of these young men have a lot of good questions and we are
praying that their spiritual interest and hunger will continue to grow.
They like to hang out at our house and this has enabled us to have good,
spiritual conversations. They attend church with us when they can, one
being quite regular and since both of them love playing guitar, it has
been exciting to give them opportunities to use their gifts for God's
glory. Both have played for the Christmas Posada, our youth Praise &
Worship nights and twice now, one of them has helped Karlene lead music
during Sunday morning worship at El Faro.
March 2018 - The highlight of this month was the
annual Easter Camp that our friends and teammates organize and host out
at Rancho El Camino. Since we've been here, Anthony has been involved
every year and Karlene has given some behind the scenes help
when needed. Last year we took 9 Transformados youth to camp (including 4
MK's) and this year 21 attended (including 5 MK's & 3 El Faro youth
who also take part in Transformados youth nights)!!! Seeing God move
and work in their hearts was amazing! I (Karlene) remember, with
fondness, serving at Riverside Bible Camp as a cabin leader from the
time I was 14 until the age of 21. As I've gotten older, the idea of
camping and roughing it has grown less and less appealing. So you can
imagine the surprise (mine included) when I announced to my hubby and
our teammates, that because we had such a large group of Transformados
youth going, I had decided to listen to God's gentle nudging and say yes
to roughing it at the ranch for a week to have the opportunity to
further deepen relationships and pour into the lives of our youth. I am
so thankful I did. God blessed me with the opportunity to invest in an
amazing group of high school students who were incredibly patient with
my Spanish and super excited to be at camp. I had some good spiritual
conversations with the Transformados girls in my tent, which helped to
build relationships and had a ton of fun hanging with my team and
checking in on other Transformados youth throughout the week. The
highlight for us was having 5 of our youth share at campfire about how
thankful they are for Transformados and that God made it possible for
them to attend camp. 3 of these youth have yet to make decisions to
follow Christ, 1 had just shared with us in February that he had made
this decision and the 5th, gave his life to Christ the second night of
camp! We've shared about this young man in the past. Remember the youth
we took to The Case For Christ movie, who said he was an atheist
but after the movie, said he had a lot to think about? This is the same
young man who showed up at our house some weeks later saying he now
believed that God exists but when presented with the decision before
him, said he needed more time to think. We asked you to pray for him and
God has been at work!
Also this month, we threw a good-bye party for one of our older youth.
He has been with us since the beginning of Transformados but is
now attending flight school in another state of Mexico. His dream of
becoming a pilot is being realized and we are super excited for him but
he is greatly missed! Please pray for him to find a Bible teaching
church to attend and Christian friends to encourage him in his
relationship with Jesus.
April 2018 - I (Karlene) was incredibly blessed
to attend a THRIVE ladies retreat for cross-cultural workers in Puerta
Vallarta. THRIVE is an amazing ministry who's vision is: "to be global
leaders, providing expertise and setting excellent standards of care for
Global Women..." One of the ways they do this is by hosting 4 day
retreats, around the world, at a fraction of the cost, making it
possible and affordable for women to attend. Their "retreats allow
women, serving cross-culturally, to get away from their demanding work
for...rest, renewal and refreshment..." I went feeling exhausted and
spiritually dry. I was incredibly encouraged by the spirit-led worship
and messages! The love, acceptance and understanding I received from my
small group leaders and members was amazing! God used scripture to
powerfully speak truth into my mind and heart and the self-care options
left me feeling wholly cared for. It was an amazing experience and I
would love for every woman serving cross-culturally, to have the
opportunity to attend one of these retreats! THRIVE is able to
offer these retreats because of the generous donations they receive from
their supporters who know the value and importance of rest, renewal and
refreshment for cross-cultural workers. I would encourage you to check
out the link below and consider supporting THRIVE in the awesome Kingdom
work they are doing!
Also
this month, we had a missionary family, who travels via catamaran
offering member care to cross-cultural workers, anchor in La Paz to
spend some time with us. They got involved with some of our
Transformados activities, watched our kids for us, talked and listened
and prayed with us and took us out on the ocean for a day of rest and
relaxation. We appreciated their presence, help, encouragement and
friendship.
May 2018 - We managed to get away for a long
weekend this month to have our annual Transformados Team Planning
retreat. We took part in 2 evenings of team building exercises with our
member care reps and new, future teammates, prayed, discerned, planned,
worshiped and had fun together. We are blessed to serve alongside great
teammates who've also become great friends.
We continue to have our home open for youth to drop in and visit and a
highlight this month was having Octavio, who was back in La Paz for a
week, over for lunch and an afternoon of games. Octavio gave his life to
Christ last summer and has spent this past year attending University in
Guadalajara. We keep connected through Whatsapp and are trying to
encourage him from afar in his relationship with Christ. He is doing
well and we pray that he will find a group of believers with whom he can
fellowship. TEAM recently featured his story online and we encourage
you to read it! You can find it at the link below:
June/July 2018 -
On June 26th, Anthony had knee surgery. The good news is that his
ligaments and meniscus are okay. The bad news is the Doctor found that
he is missing the cartilage on the back of his knee cap. He performed a
procedure to help provide some cushion there but depending on how
Anthony cares for his knee, will determine how many years this fix will
last. 3 weeks later he is still on crutches and will be for at least
another 2 weeks. It has been somewhat discouraging for him and means he
needs to give up playing basketball at an intense level. We are
continuing to pray for his healing and recovery and that somewhere down
the road, he can still enjoy playing for fun with our Transformados
youth.
We are entering our busiest season of ministry as a team and are
planning, prepping and gearing up for 3 weeks of basketball camp
starting July 23rd. This year we have expanded from 4 day to 5 day
camps. We don't have a team coming to help with the elementary week,
however, we are super excited that God provided financial support so our
new teammates (who will be joining us sometime in November) can come on
a short-term trip as a family to assist us in putting on the first week
of camp! We are also looking forward to having a short-term team from
Cedarville University with us again for our Jr. and Sr. High weeks. It
is always a tremendous joy and blessing to have them partner with us in
this ministry!
5.5 Years in Mexico and Our First Home Assignment
June marked 5.5 years for us in Mexico! We
spent 1 year in Guadalajara attending language school and now we've been
serving in La Paz for 4.5 years. 3 of these years have been spent
starting and growing Transformados! The road has been difficult at times
and the challenges many, but God continues to show His faithfulness at
each step of the journey!
TEAM (our sending agency) requires that missionaries have home
assignments during their years of service. Their policy is fairly
flexible and to date we have been able to travel back to Canada a few
times to share in our supporting churches, to re-connect with family and
friends as well as attend weddings, medical appointments and look after
homeschooling needs. However, these times back in Canada have only ever
been ministry leaves of not more than 4 or 5 weeks. A home assignment
is different because there are specific objectives and hoops we have to
jump through in order to return to the field. This means that a longer
period of time, to complete all the requirements, is usually needed.
The Home Assignment Policy for TEAM is:
4.1 In order to engage God's provision for personal and professional
health and ministry effectiveness, each missionary must take periods of
home assignment for the following purposes:
4.1.1 To maintain an appropriate relationship with the sending church,
the extended family and the wider community of believers among whom he
or she is privileged to be a part.
4.1.2 To ensure adequate prayer and financial support for the next season of ministry
4.1.3 To engage in appropriate education and/or personal development for the purpose of enhancing effectiveness in ministry
4.1.4 To be renewed physically, emotionally, spiritually and
relationally as well as to attend to any specific physical and/or
emotional needs of the family
We have some specific plans for all of the above and our hope and prayer
is that we can accomplish these objectives in 3 months. The longer we
are away from the field, the harder the transition and adjustment is for
our family, our absence puts a lot of extra work and stress on our
teammates and our leaving disrupts not only our children's
schooling/activities but also the relationship building and spiritual
mentoring we've been doing with our Transformados youth. However, we
have talked with our Ministry Area leader, who is in agreement, that we
should leave it open ended to make sure that we can finish all that is
required and not return to the field exhausted.
Some of the biggest hurdles we need to overcome are having and passing
extensive medicals, completing numerous interviews with TEAM head office
personale/member care and increasing our level of support.
We plan to fly back to Canada, August 4th and are hoping we can return
to Mexico in November. Please pray for us in this time of uprooting and
transitioning, saying goodbyes again, packing, traveling, trying to find
a new normal, living out of a suitcase for some months....and the list
goes on. It's going to be a busy month of ministry leading up to our
departure and we already feel overwhelmed with all that needs to be done
before we can leave. Please pray that our absence won't negatively
affect the relationships we've been building here or cause the youth to
feel we are abandoning them. Pray for strength for our teammates as they
carry the ministry of Transformados on their own for some months. Pray
that we will be able to accomplish all that is required of us during our
home assignment, along with having some time to rest and refresh before
returning. Pray for our family, especially our children. Disruption,
change and transition are difficult and the constant push-pull of living
between two worlds is a big struggle for them. Pray for peace as we
trust God with the future and all the unknowns it holds.
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One Final Note Of Thanks...
We are so incredibly blessed to have you standing with us through
financial and prayer support. We recognize that it would be impossible
to continue serving here without this. Your prayers, your support, your
sacrifices, your emails, your cards, your visits, your care packages,
these are all blessings that we do not take lightly or for-granted. It
is humbling to be on the receiving end of the outpouring of love from
the Body of Christ. We pray and hope that we are found faithful in
passing on this love to those we've been called to serve.
When we first arrived in Mexico, we were fully supported. We have now
been here for 5.5 years and with the addition of renting the
Transformados Centre, the loss of our Alberta Health Care* which has
caused our monthly health insurance premiums to increase substantially, a
20% government hike in gas/fuel prices and a rental increase for our
house, we are facing the reality of being under supported. As we head
back to Canada, on home assignment, we are presently at 91%. Since TEAM
requires us to be 100% funded before we can return to Mexico, we are
hoping and praying that God will help us raise the remaining 9% in a
timely manner!!!
Our desire is to keep serving here in Mexico with Transformados and we
are trusting God to provide for us as He has in the past. We know His
mercies are new every morning and great is His faithfulness! Please join
us in prayer regarding this situation.
*(Alberta
Health Care has a policy where they will only allow Missionaries to be
gone a total of 4 years and will reinstate AHC only when we return to
permanently live in Canada.)
PRAYER
- Please
pray for our 3 weeks of summer Basketball camps! Pray that God will
impact the lives of those who attend. Pray that He will open the minds
and hearts, of each camper, to hear His Truth. Pray for us as we clearly
present the Gospel each day during water break. Pray for salvation and
life transformation! Pray for safety and protection and a whole lot of
fun! Pray for energy and patience for us as leaders and unity as a team.
Pray for those who are coming to serve alongside us. Pray for our
Transformados students, who will be helping as coaches during camp, that
God will grow the faith of those who have made commitments and that He
will draw those who haven't, to the place where they recognize their
need for Him.
- Please
pray for us as we leave August 4th to return to Canada on our first
home assignment. Pray for us now as we are trying to prepare to leave
during the busiest part of our year - basketball summer camps. The to-do
lists are long, the stress is high and we are 1.5 weeks away from our
first camp. Pray for strength in the preparation and for someone to live
in our home and care for our pets while we are away.
- Pray
for us during our home assignment. Pray for strength and comfort in
this time of uprooting and transitioning, saying goodbyes again,
packing, traveling, trying to find a new normal. Please pray that our
absence won't negatively affect the relationships we've been building or
cause the youth to feel we are abandoning them. Pray for strength for
our teammates as they carry the ministry on their own. Pray that we will
be able to accomplish all that is required, during our home assignment,
in a timely fashion, along with having some time to rest and refresh
before returning to Mexico. Pray for our family, especially our
children. Disruption, change and transition are difficult and the
constant push pull of living between two worlds is a big struggle for
them. Pray for peace as we trust God with the future and all the
unknowns it holds.
- Pray
for our 4 Transformados youth who gave their lives to Christ this past
year. Pray that their spiritual hunger will grow and that their faith
will deepen. Pray for them to be wise and strong in the face of
difficult family situations, temptations, peer pressure and more. The
challenges and distractions they face are many. Pray for us as we try to
effectively mentor, disciple and engage with these young men.
- Please
pray for our 2 youth who are away attending University and Flight
School. Pray that they will find Bible teaching churches to attend and
Christian friends to encourage them in their personal relationships with
Jesus.
- Pray
for the many Transformados youth who have heard the truth but still
haven't realized their need for a Saviour and a personal relationship
with Him.
- Pray
for the family that is coming to join Transformados. Pray for them in
this season of planning and support raising. Pray that God will use this
time to prepare their hearts for all that lies ahead, to ready them to
handle the changes and transitions with His peace and strength.
- Pray
for all the youth who attended Easter Camp. Pray that the truth they
heard there will continue to impact and transform their lives.
- Please
pray for healing for Anthony's knee. His recovery process seems slow
(on crutches for almost 5 weeks). Pray for patience and comfort in the
place of discouragement. Pray that the procedure the Doctor performed
will last for many years, that physio will be helpful and that he can
return to playing basketball, for fun, some day.
- Please
continue to pray for our marriage, our children, our family, our
health, our protection, our energy, our continued language growth and
the relationships we are building. We cannot continue to serve here and
serve well without your faithful prayers on our behalf. Pray as the Holy
Spirit leads because He knows our needs, our weaknesses, our struggles
and the challenges we face.
- Please
pray for our dear friend who has been forced to leave the city because
his life has been threatened. Please pray that he will be able to find a
job so that he can move his family. Pray for protection, safety and
God's provision.
PRAISE
...that
Karlene's MRI came back clear, meaning her hip joint is okay! A huge
answer to prayer! She is still having problems with her one leg but is
hopefully that some physiotherapy can help resolve the problem.
...that our prayer for God to increase the spiritual interest of our
Transformados youth is being answered. Since the summer, 3 more youth
have given their lives to Christ!
...for a great Transformados team retreat where we reflected, prayed, discussed and planned for the next year.
...that Anthony's knee surgery went well and hasn't become infected.
...for the times family could visit us this year.
...that there is another family working their way to future full-time
service with Transformados and that their supporters have made it
possible for them to come and help us run our elementary basketball camp
this summer!
...for the youth who are attending church with us and those who are searching and showing interest in spiritual things.
...for the opportunities Karlene has had to share her faith story with her choir mates.
We want to thank you for your continued support and prayers and trust that you have enjoyed reading our latest update!
Until Our Next Talk'O Together,
The Thiessens :)
If you would like to partner with us financially:
ONLINE
TEAM Ways to Give - Canada
(This link
will take you directly to our Canadian donation page. Here you can make
one time donations or ongoing contributions. Choose the options you
want, click "Make Payment" and follow instructions.)
TEAM Ways to Give - US
(This link will take you directly to our US
donation page. Here you can make one time donations or ongoing
contributions. Choose the option you want, click next step and follow
instructions.)
CALL: TEAM Canada 1-800-295-4160
MAIL:
TEAM - Canada
#372-16 Midlake Blvd SE
Calgary, AB T2X 2X7
Our country code is 2400 & our personal account is #110689.
Thank you for considering this important role.
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