Wilson Family Missions- November Update

Greetings from Ecuador!  It is now November and we have gotten quite settled here in Quito, Ecuador.  We are really enjoying our home.  I can honestly say, I feel at home here.  Things are also going really well at the school.  As in all things, there are issues, but God is faithful.  The kids are really enjoying the school.  They have adapted very quickly to our life here.  Carolina has faced some difficulties, but as I'm sure most of you know, she is a trooper and presses in and does her job extremely well.  I'm so proud of her!  Please keep her in your prayers.  For me, I love my classes and all the opportunities to share, challenge and encourage my students to go deeper in God.  It is not easy, but it is only my job to pursue intimacy with God and then release the passion for Him before my students.  It is the Holy Spirit's job to draw them.  (You can see the pictures of my 4 classes here in this post).  Please keep my students in prayer.  I have great expectation that God is going to do great and mighty things in their lives throughout this year.

Apologetics Class

New Testament Survey

Aplogetics Class

New Testament Survey

There are a few exciting things that have taken place for me personally at AAI.  About a month ago, I had a female student (also a volleyball player) come to my class with a torn muscle in her arm.  She was in a lot of pain when she came to my class 3rd period.  She had shared with me that a few other teachers prayed for her and she was so excited because she was able to move her arm a little and felt God was doing something.  So, at the beginning of my class I invited any student who had faith that God could heal her arm to gather around her, lay their hands on her and begin to pray.  I stated prior to praying, "wouldn't it be an incredible testimony if you were able to play volleyball today?"  We prayed and she was overwhelmed by the presence of the Holy Spirit.  After class I asked her, "How is your arm feeling?"  She stood up and began to move her arm in a full throwing motion.  She had no pain and was completely healed.  She said, "I always thought healing was something we hear about just in the Bible.  I never expected to see it happen and never thought it would happen to me."  God is so good.  I have so much hope and expectation for more supernatural healings to take place in my class, at AAI and in Ecuador.  Please pray for an increase of the anointing of the Holy Spirit in my life, specifically in the supernatural. 

Another thing I'm excited to share is that I have started a worship group with some male students.  Every Wednesday the high school has discipleship groups.  There are many groups, all with a different activity/focus (like basketball, soccer, martial arts, board games, etc).  I chose to have a Worship focused group and I have 9 young men who signed up to be a part of it.  I am very excited to see how God will develop this ministry.  I pray for great opportunities to pour into the lives of these young men both spiritually and musically and challenge them to live lives of worship all the days of their lives.

That should about do it.  A few areas to be praying for:
- Please be praying for us as a family to go to deeper levels with the Lord, for an increase and spiritual awakening in the lives of the staff and leadership of the school and for the lives of our students to be changed and transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Increase of the anointing of the Holy Spirit in my life in worship and the supernatural.
- Finances- things are quite expensive here.  Pray for divine provision from the Lord.
- Carolina's family- please keep them in prayer.  My father-in-law is quite sick with emphysema.  Each lung is only functioning at 20%.  Also pray for his salvation, along with many others in Carolina's family.
- Finding a home church- We have been to quite a few churches and are still looking to find the place God has for us.  Pray that God will clearly show us!  

To close, THANK YOU to all who are supporting us in prayer and/or financially!  It is such a blessing to know we have family in the body of Christ lifting us up and supporting us every step of the way.  If you would like join in partnership with us financially, click HERE!

Lord bless you all!  We look forward to sharing more with you about all the things God is doing in and through our lives here in Ecuador.  Thank you and we love you!!!

Caleb, Carolina and kids!!!

PS...the volcano Cotopaxi is still quite active.  It could erupt any time, but we're praying God's grace (favor & blessing) over us.  We're not fearful, but know it could wreak a lot of havoc in the lives of many people here.  Thank you for your prayers!!!

Wilson Family Missions- September Update

Greetings from Quito, Ecuador!  

(Here's the volcano Cotopaxi that erupted last month.  Yes,we're ok)

It’s been 2 months since we left South Bend to begin ministry here in Quito, Ecuador.  We are so happy to be here, but these past 2 months have been trying times for us as a family, but God has been faithful every step of the way.  Here's a quick recap:

July 1^st:

Upon arriving, we hit the ground running.  We found out that our living arrangements had fallen through and that we were going to have to begin searching for a place to live. We also had (and still have) a lot of paper work to get done.  As we began looking for a place to live, everything we found was at least double the price what we had planned on paying.  We searched well over a month and came to the conclusion that we would just have to pay those prices since there was nothing else (over $1,100).  To make a long story short, 3 days before our container was delivered, God blessed us with a wonderful place for much less than all the other places and it was the first place that met all our wants and needs.  God is so good. 

August:

The same weekend that our container arrived to our home, both Joaquin and Milena became very sick and had to be hospitalized.  They had an intestinal virus and were so dehydrated from vomiting that they had to get IV’s.  They were there 4 days.  That was an extremely eventful weekend, but we’re so grateful to the Lord that the kids were ok.  The doctor said if we would have waited until the next day to bring them to the hospital, it would have been really bad situation. 

Immediately after that weekend, we began a month long orientation at the school.  It has been very busy trying to move in, work full time (all day meetings) and prepare for school to begin, but we’re getting there.    

September 1-4:

Tuesday we had our open house at AAI, as classes began on Wed.  We have been so busy with school meetings, that we’re not completely prepared to teach, but we’ll get there.  We’re really excited to finally be able to begin ministry here with the students.  I’m also very excited because I had the chance to lead worship for our staff communion time and Wed-Fri for our school’s opening Spiritual Emphasis Week (video of first day at AAI  it shows me leading worship at the end of the vid).  There are many students who do not have an intimate relationship with Christ.  Please pray with me for my students that I will have this year.  Pray that God’s presence & truth will pierce their hearts as they are exposed to the Word of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit.    

Finally, we want to thank all who have supported us financially and those who have committed to continue supporting us.  Your partnership is greatly appreciated.  Your prayers, financial support and love bring such an assurance that we are not alone.  May the Lord bless you.  We love and miss you all, but are so grateful and blessed to be living out God’s plan for our lives.  Though nothing has gone smoothly in this transition, God has seen us through and proven Himself faithful every step of the way.  We look forward to sharing great testimonies with you as the year gets underway.  We love you all!

In Him,

Caleb, Carolina, Joaquin & Milena

PS…We are still currently without internet at home, which makes communication more difficult.  My plan is to send out monthly/bi-monthly updates of all that God is doing. 

Wilson Family Missions- 2015 (part I)

It was a Sunday night back in 1994 when I stood in the back of the sanctuary at Calvary Temple crying out to God, “What do You want me to do?” “Where do You want me to go?” I was desperate for a response, but totally unprepared for the response the Lord would give.  I heard Him say, “South America, South America, South America”.  I thought, “South America…where’s that?”  I didn’t know a single Spanish speaking person, much less anyone from South America.  It was a bit confusing, but God had everything under control. It was soon after that the Lord brought a family of Ecuadorians into my life, which is where my journey to South America began.

Now 20 years later, my family and I will be stepping out and into the calling of the Lord for our lives in this season. My passion and purpose in South America is “to touch a generation of young people for Christ through Worship and the Word.” 

Therefore, in June, 2015, we will be moving to Quito, Ecuador to begin our lives as missionaries. The doors have opened for us to teach & serve in ministry for 3 years at a Christian-American school called the “Alliance Academy International”.  This is not a new job opportunity, but an open door to minister the gospel to a very diverse group of young people from over 30 nations. I will be a Bible teacher in the High School and discipling students, as well as pursue my vision to develop a worship-training center to impact the city of Quito and beyond.  Carolina will serve as a primary teacher and Joaquin and Milena will study there also.  This is such an amazing opportunity and entry point for us to minister.  I truly see this as just the beginning of many fruitful years of ministry in Ecuador & South America.  Whatever the timeframe, we just want to live faithful, obedient lives to the Lord and the calling He has for our lives. 

As we prepare to go, we recognize the great need and desire to have those who have loved, cared for and invested into our lives over the years to be part of this next portion of our journey.  Some of you I’ve known all my life and others we have just recently met.  Some of you we see all the time and others we haven’t seen in years as God has lead us in different directions.  Regardless, everyone of you hold a special place in our hearts and history and we want to share in this journey with you.  Having spoken with other missionaries and heard them share about the importance of partnerships, we want to ask you to prayerfully consider partnering with us on our journey & ministry.  You may ask, “What do mean by ‘partner’?”  Well, that is what we ask you to pray about.  On this journey, as it is for all believers, we know that God is our source and our trust is completely in Him.  But, we also know the importance of the body of Christ.  Prayer, encouragement, financial resources, connections, etc are all specific needs in a partnership.  So, we would like to ask that you please take some time to look over the following list and pray about how the Lord would have you partner with us as we step into this new and exciting chapter of our lives.  We love and appreciate you all.  May the Lord richly bless each and every one of you and we pray that you too would dream God’s big dreams for your lives!   Love always!

                                                                                 Caleb, Carolina, Joaquin & Milena

Partnership Areas: Please prayerfully consider how you can partner with us in light of the needs listed below.  If it is your desire to partner with us, please visit: www.wilsonfamilymissions.com or contact us at:  calebwilson1980@gmail.com

- Preparing to Move:

-       Prayer that we sell our home quickly for the price we’re asking!

     Raise money to ship our belongings. (Cost: $10,000 -Things are 2-3 times the cost of what they are here, so it benefits us to take our things.)

- Life in Ecuador:

-       Every person who serves at the school goes as a missionary and must raise support.  The school gives a small stipend, but not near enough to live month to month.  We need a minimum of $2,000 p/month in financial support to meet our monthly expenses!  

(ex. 50 people at $40/mo =$2K, about $1.33 p/day)

-       Prayer that my paperwork for residency & citizenship run smoothly and quickly. 

-       Prayer that we quickly find a quality, affordable home.   (Housing is quite expensive, especially when compared to South Bend cost of living.)

-       Prayer for health and protection over our family! 

- Ministry in Ecuador

-       Prayer for favor & divine connections as we prepare for & begin life & ministry in Ecuador. 

-       Prayer for the power & presence of the Holy Spirit to work in and through us as a family to touch the lives of many people for God’s kingdom!

For more information: www.wilsonfamilymissions.com

 

True Power

Last night in the midst of a powerful time of worship, I sensed the Lord speaking to me very clearly about a few things.  I heard the question, “what distinguishes me and sets me apart as a Christian from the rest of the world and other religions?”  As I pondered that question, the first thing that came to my mind was “POWER”.  As I thought a little more, the Lord clarified a few things and gave me three distinct responses, which I would like to share and dissect a little.

·      Power of Our Message!  This includes the gospel & our testimony of Jesus in our lives.  The Bible says there is power in the gospel of Jesus & our testimony to transform & change lives.  Our message is not a bunch of fancy words, it is full of life changing power! 

·      Power of Our Love!  How we treat people all around us…our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, people we don’t like and even those that could be considered enemies.  Are we living out Christ’s command to “love one another”?  Paul says it doesn’t matter what we do, if we don’t have love we’re nothing.  (1 Cor 13)

·      Power of the Holy Spirit in our lives!  This is the supernatural active in our lives.  Jesus said we would receive POWER when the Holy Spirit comes upon us (Acts 1:8) and that we would even do greater things than Him.  Jesus commanded us to go and heal the sick and said that signs & wonders would follow us as we go. 

As I thought about those three things something very interesting hit me.  The common denominator in all three is power, but the power of the Holy Spirit operating in our lives through signs & wonders has a unique purpose.  It is to prove that our message & our love is REAL & TRUE!  Jesus time and again performed miracles to prove that what He was saying was true.  In fact, Jesus didn’t begin his ministry until He was filled with the Holy Spirit.  Jesus had the message & had love, but needed the power of the Holy Spirit actively working in his life to fulfill God’s purpose for his life.  With miracles, Jesus silenced & confused his critics, demonstrated God’s love to those in need and opened the floodgates of repentance & salvation. It was the crucial piece for Jesus, so how much more for us?  God is calling us to walk in all three areas.  They are inseparable.  We must move ahead, carrying the message of Jesus wherever we go, in love and power so that the world can see & know that Jesus is the only way, the only truth and the only life!    

Hola Argentina!

Well, we arrived safely to Buenos Aires, Argentina on Friday (March 16) around 6am after our overnight flight.  As you can imagine we were exhausted!  Joaquin slept the whole time, as was expected.  He could sleep in the middle of a tornado with no problem...kind of like his dad!  Milena is another story.  She's like her mother...enough said.  hahaha
Anyways, we got through customs easily enough and were greeted by our new & wonderful friend Sherry Grams.  What a wonderful woman.  It took us about 30 min to get to IBRP (the bible institute) and were warmly welcomed by Rocky Grams & a few staff.  The people are very kind & cordial here, as was expected, even if they don't know the answer to your questions (which happens to be the majority of the time).  We got into our very tiny apartment (bi-level, about half the size of a Southmore apartment, if that gives you any idea).  Let's just say, this is the definition of "simple living" for sure, which is A-OK with us.  It's humbling, but makes us truly appreciate to a greater level what we have back home.  The Institute provided us with some beds & a play pen for Milena.  The first night I was so uncomfortable...my back was killing me on Saturday morning.  I got up and said, "God, I can't do this all year, so You're going to have to do a miracle on this bed or on my back...either one."  I've slept well with no pain since.  Don't get me wrong, I'm still uncomfortable, but I'm not waking up with pain. Thank you Jesus!!! 
We spent all day Friday-Sunday trying to get acclimated (cleaning, buying the essentials & fixing up the place a bit).  We had heard things were expensive here, but never imagined it being this expensive.  Everything here is expensive...I mean everything.  Take cheese for example.  My wife is going to have to do without it for the year because she went to buy some and it cost between $10-$15 U.S. for a 16 oz block.  We had to pay $400 for a mini-refrigerator...SERIOUSLY!?!?  So, needless to say, we're not trying to fill up our apartment...we're going to live with the bare minimum this year.  One blessing to note is that a church in Rosario (where I went back in 2010) gave us a bunch of things for the apartment (sheets, towels, blankets, plates, silver ware, cups and a few other things).  That had to save us quite a bit of money.  Thanks to Pastor Miguel, Pastora Silvia  & all our wonderful friends from the church there. 
We went to the church of one of our professors on Sunday and had a wonderful time.  It's very simple, but had wonderful teaching.  It took us forever to find, because like everything else, strong communication here is lacking BIG TIME!  An observation that Carolina & I have noticed in just our few days in being here is that Argentina seems to be way behind the rest of the world, or at least the USA.  We were very surprised by this.  We don't know if it's because they are so passive with everything or just unorganized.  Maybe it's both.  I'm already getting used to the idea that if I ask a question, I won't get an answer right away...or ever.  Regardless, it will take some getting used to, but in the scheme of it all, it's minimal. 
Through everything, we're so excited to be here & are looking forward to all that God has for us this year.  The journey for new discovery has begun.  Please keep us in your prayers.  Lord bless you all. 

Caleb, Carolina, Joaquin & Milena

From Argentina...over & out! 

Power of Addiction

Addiction!  When we hear this word it sparks a whole host of things in our minds.  We usually think of people who are addicted to things like drugs, alcohol or tobacco, but rarely do we put ourselves in this category.  The reality, in my opinion, is that as humans we are inevitably addicted to something in our lives.  Think not? Addiction is simply that thing we cannot do without...that thing we look forward to, long for and would do anything to get.  It calls out to you!  Addiction is not solely isolated to the big 3 (drugs, alcohol & tobacco).  What about food, TV, money, internet, Facebook, shopping, pornography, relationships, self?  The list can go on and on.  What is it in your life?
Here's the thing, I believe we were created to be addicted.  What?  Absolutely, addiction is in the very core of who we are as people.  The problem is that we have become addicted to things that we were not intended to be addicted to.  God designed us to be addicted...but addicted to Him!  This verse is just an example: "Do not be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit" (Eph 5:18).  ie, don't find your pleasure & don't be addicted to earthly, fleshly things, but find your pleasure & addiction in Him!  Are you dependent on Him in all you do?  Do you long for Him & His presence above all else?  Do you continually think about Him?  Do you do whatever it takes to have more of Him?  Do you care more about what He thinks above what you/others think?
As I was spending time seeking the Lord this morning this concept hit me square in the face!  God is calling me to be addicted to Him...nothing else!  When all is said and done, does He have complete & total control in my life?  Do I have complete dependency on Him?  As of this moment, no, He does not!  But the beautiful thing about addiction is that the more we do it, the more we want it, need it & desire it!  "Those who seem to have the greatest measure of God's presence on their lives tend to be the hungriest for more.  There's always more to hunger for." (Bill Johnson- "Face to Face with God")  Today, I pray that the flood gates of heaven would open wide in our lives, that we would hear God calling us to Himself and that we would hunger & thirst for more of His presence.  God, let it rain and allow us to see You face to face as we position ourselves to seek after You.  Amen.

Here are the lyrics to a powerful song by Jesus Culture: Show Me Your Glory
I see the cloud, I step in
I want to see Your glory as Moses did
Flashes of light, rolls of thunder
Pre-Chorus:
Im not afraid
Im not afraid
Chorus:
Show me your glory
Show me your glory
Show me your glory
Show me your glory
Verse 2:
Im awed by your beauty, lost in your eyes
I want to walk in your presence, like Jesus did
Your glory surrounds me, and Im overwhelmed
Bridge:
I long to look on the face of the one that I love
Long to stay in your presence its where I belong