I want to start by declaring how good, faithful and loving our God is! He never leaves us or forsakes us and His mercies are new every morning. Cling to Him, my brothers and sisters, everyday! Passionately pursue Him. Faithfully walk with Him. Surrender your heart and life to Him. He is our source of life.
MARCH SEW RECAP:
2 weeks ago today we started our Spring SEW (Spiritual Emphasis Week). We did something we had never done before and that was an All School SEW (Elementary & Secondary). The only thing we didn't do together were the messages. It was an amazing experience and something we may do again next year.
A few of the highlights:
- We had a few amazing people give of their time to set and run sound, set & run lights, run the media and do a very profesional video recording of the whole event each day. Everything was done with such excellence and with an attitude of worship. Thank you Pablo Novillo, Ricky Miranda and Hillary Overholser (part of the missions team). (You can check the videos out on my FB page)
- Our time in praise and worship was extra special having Elementary with us this year. They bring such passion and sincerity when they worship the Lord. It's a beautiful sight and hopefully a challenge and encouragement for all of Secondary.
- The theme the Lord gave me for Secondary was "King of My Heart." The Lord began to put specific messages on my heart going back to last Summer. By the beginning of November, I had all the messages and spent a lot of time praying and seeking the Lord about how He wanted me to communicate these messages. I knew He was calling me to be bold and to declare the truth of His word unashamedly and I believe I did that. I finished SEW in complete peace and joy knowing that I was faithful and pleasing to the Lord. It is my prayer that the seeds of the Gospel will bear much fruit as the Holy Spirit works in their hearts and lives.
MINISTRY UPDATES:
- Internship: In January, I had the awesome privilege and blessing of having CJ Hock come down for 3 weeks to do a ministry internship with me here at AAI. He is graduating in May from Asbury Theological Seminary and felt the Lord leading Him here for his internship. Having him here was such a blessing for me and my family. The kids felt like they got a new big brother and he was amazing with them. While CJ was here, he had the opportunity to teach in a chapel service, sit in on various Bible classes, lead in worship and work with the Student Worship Band. It was an amazing and encouraging time with my little brother.
- Student Worship Band: The team of students this year has been amazing. They are such a great group and I love them so much. Please pray for them. I can see that some are struggling in their faith, others are battling complacency and one is dealing with their identity. Pray that they will completely surrender their hearts & lives into the loving arms of the Father.
- Deep Discipleship: This year has been tough. The groups as a whole are struggling with complacency and lukewarmness. They come to group time and I can visually see it all over them. They could talk all day about social issues, but hardly have anything to say when we talk about the Lord. I'm praying and believing for breakthrough for them, but it really is pervasive throughout the whole school. We need an awakening and a breakthrough in a HUGE way! Pray that the Holy Spirit will show me how to speak to them.
- Venezuelan Outreach: Last Summer I asked the Lord to open the doors to be able to minister to the Venezuelan people flooding into Ecuador due to the poverty and suffering taking place in their home country. The Lord began opening doors to simply bless people on the streets, but around mid-November the Lord spoke to me and told me to do something for Venezuelans at Christmas time. Thinking about our resources, I thought maybe we could bless a few families. 2 days later I spoke with my dad and he told me the Lord had spoken to him about blessing Venezuelan families for Christmas here in Ecuador. To keep it short, my dad was able to raise and bring $5,000, which enabled us to bless 30 needy families with a traditional Venezuelan meal, $10 p/child for Christmas gifts, $100 p/family and $10 to give away to someone else in need. Each child received a stuffed animal that had been donated by people in the AAI community. Tons of clothes were also donated and every family left with a huge trash bag full of clothes. AAI also allowed us to use the school facilities free of charge to host the event. Carolina was the organizational guru of the event and had everything so well planned and prepared. We had a great group of volunteers and to top it off I had the opportunity to share the gospel with the people and see most of them respond with hungry hearts. This was one of the most amazing ministry events I have ever been a part of. God is so good and faithful.
- Venezuelan Sunday Ministry: As a result of this event, we felt the need to continue ministering to the people on Sunday's. Though I believe the people are hungry for more of God, they work every day and have a hard time taking time away from selling on the street. We have a few people show up, but not what we had hoped for. Please pray for the Venezuelan people. Pray that they will see the need to gather together and worship the Lord. Pray that they will know, recognize and trust that God is their provider and that as they seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness that all their needs will be met. Pray that we will have discernment for next steps in ministering to these wonderful people.
FAMILY UPDATES:
- Carolina and I are doing amazing. I love her more than ever and know God has given her to me. I see the Lord working more and more in our hearts to love Him and one another more fully and deeply. We are pursuing to surrender our will to Him and seek His will and purpose for our lives. We need His guidance and wisdom as we seek Him for the future, but know He is faithful and our trust is in Him.
- The kids are doing great. Both are doing well in school and growing in Jesus. Things are pretty busy because Joaquin made the HS JV team as a 6th grader. He is having a great time and learning a lot, but having to learn to be a student athlete now. Milena is in Jr. Praise Crew and is enjoying that as well. We want to find a place where she can develop in dance because she loves it so much. I can see her worshipping the Lord in dance as she gets older.
PRAYER REQUEST:
- Please pray that our hearts will be set more and more on fire for Jesus and that we will all be flame carriers wherever we go.
- Please pray for God's continual protection and provision over our lives.
- Please pray for God's wisdom as minister in the present, but seek His face for the future.
Thank you all for your love and support. As always, we could not be here without your prayers and financial support. We are truly blessed and grateful for your faithfulness. (For anyone who would like to partner with us financially, you can do so through Radiant Church. Wilson Family Missions Financial Support)
May the Lord richly bless you and overflow in and through you all the days of your lives. We love you and thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
Love always,
Caleb, Carolina, Joaquin & Milena
