Friday, February 22, 2019

The Thiessen Talk'O - Winter 2019


The Thiessen Talk'O 

Sharing The Love of God in La Paz, BCS, Mexico

                     Missionaries To Mexico, Serving With TEAM & Associate Missionaries with EMC
Mexico Here We Come!!!
Well...our first home assignment has not gone like we planned but it has reminded us that,
"we can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." Prov. 16:9

These past 6 months have stretched us in many ways. Our hope and desire was to be in Canada for only 3 - 4 months but medical concerns, having to raise more support and waiting for specialist appointments and test results have kept us here longer then expected. It's been a difficult chapter marked by waiting and living in limbo while our hearts have longed to return home to the Transformados ministry and all the youth we've come to know and love in Mexico.

God's been teaching us patience in the waiting, trust amidst the unknowns, that He is in control and we are not, to be thankful for the gift of unexpected blessings, the importance of not being so focused on the destination that we miss the journey and the joy of making memories. Even though this season has been a whirlwind marked by the struggle to understand His purpose and plan, the thread of peace that comes from trusting God's sovereignty, has been woven throughout the journey.

Now God's timing says we have the green light to return to Mexico and for this we are incredibly excited and thankful!!! We appreciate all the prayers and support that have got us to this point!

Here's an update on things we've asked you to pray about and our next steps over the coming weeks.

Since it didn't work for us to return in November, we set our sights on the beginning of January. Unfortunately, when collecting our medicals, the Doctor told us she had concerns about Anthony's latest blood test. His elevated bilirubin levels started us on another round of tests, exams, MRI's and appointments. We ended up being here to celebrate Christmas and New Years with family, an unexpected blessing, and then Anthony traveled to Edmonton for his specialist appointment on January 9th. He was given a list of diseases/syndromes he could have and was asked to do more tests and scans to enable the Doctor to give a final diagnosis.

At the same time, we made the decision to re-apply for our Alberta Health Care. We've been without it for the past 2 years because they now consider us non-residents even though the Federal Government considers us residents and we pay our Canadian Taxes every year. ABHC rules state that you have to be in country for 6 months every year, to qualify. Not having it meant our TEAM medical insurance premiums were higher and we had to pay upfront for all medical stuff done here in Canada. With these unexpected medical concerns keeping us here for 6 months, we decided to re-apply and were very thankful when it was re-instated.

We finally received a diagnosis the second week of February and we praise God that Anthony's condition is simply a hereditary, non-life threatening syndrome that does not require treatment! Thank you for praying for him and his health!


Thank you for praying for our monthly support needs as well! With a couple little tweaks to the budget, the reinstatement of our ABHC, some increases in giving by present supporters, new monthly partners added and generous one-time gifts, God has answered!!! We are once again, fully funded for the coming year and have been given the financial green light to head back to Mexico! We are incredibly blessed to have such an amazing support network!!! Being the recipients of God's provision, through His people, is humbling, heartwarming and encouraging. It reminds us that we are not alone, that we could not be doing what God has called us to do if it wasn't for all the people and churches standing with us and fulfilling this important role in God's Kingdom work in Mexico! To everyone who prays for us, to everyone who encourages us through emails, notes, cards, care packages, to everyone who financially supports us, thank you, thank you, thank you. It doesn't seem enough to say and yet our hearts are forever grateful!

Receiving the medical and financial green lights from TEAM, made it possible for us to look at purchasing tickets for our return. After much prayer and conversation, we came to a creative decision. Monday, Februrary 11th, Anthony flew back to La Paz in order to keep Transformados running while our teammates attend a missions conference in the US. Karlene remained behind to give Josiah and Keyana the opportunity to finish basketball with their school teams. Our children knew that, when they started playing, they would probably not be able to finish the season. Had we been able to leave in December or January, this would have been the case. But when looking to purchase tickets we realized they were only 2-3 weeks away from divisionals and zones. With it being this close, we felt it was important to give them the opportunity to finish so they don't leave feeling things are undone or wishing they could have stayed to the end of the basketball season. Our desire is to help our kids transition as well as possible and sometimes that means minimizing regrets by giving opportunity to say goodbyes and enabling our kids to finish well. If all goes as planned, Karlene, Josiah and Keyana look forward to joining Anthony in La Paz by the beginning of March.
Urgent Prayer Request Update

We've been asking you to pray that God would grant us access again to the Jr. High basketball court in our neighbourhood. As we've shared, in our previous newsletters, we've used this court for the past 3 years with the blessing and invitation of the community president and the directors of the school. Unfortunately, this past September, on the decision of one Official in the Education department, this privilege was taken away from us. We don't understand why but based on his demeanor and comments during a meeting with our teammate, we wonder if this isn't a case of religious persecution. After countless conversations, phone calls, office visits and jumping through every hoop Transformados was advised to jump through, our teammates submitted documents, 200 petitions from supporting parents and community members and a formal request asking for permission to once again use the court. Then we waited and prayed. Unfortunately, we have received word that our request was denied. We've been told to wait until this Official is out of office and then reapply. This news has been disheartening to say the least. We continue to be thankful and grateful for the invitation of the local elementary school director to use their court for all of our basketball clubs. He's told us we are welcome to stay as long as we want. This is a wonderful blessing and yet we struggle with the size of the court and hoops and the age of the backboards. While we can't do anything about the court, we are working with the director to make improvements in the other two areas but its slow going. We've put in an official request to have evening access to our local community basketball court, but it was recently renovated and now due to politics, is locked until further notice. It also doesn't have a roof which makes it virtually impossible to use on Saturday mornings or during the summer when we run morning camps.

This has been a discouraging turn of events but we have been encouraged to see the level of parental and community support Transformados has. While we thank God for His present provision, we are praying for a better alternative. Whether it means speeding up the needed improvements at the elementary school, or gaining permission to use the community court or a change of heart granting us the return to our former place, we know that God will continue to provide. None of this has taken Him by surprise. We recognize that this might be His way of encouraging us to step out in faith and pursue the dream of having our own Transformados property with a youth centre and basketball courts. We don't know what God has planned but we know He has a plan and that it is a good plan. Please pray with us for wisdom, discernment, patience, trust and courage as we seek God's will for the future of Transformados! We want to be in step with His leading, not running ahead or lagging behind. This is His ministry and we don't want to get in the way of what He wants to accomplish. Our desire is to simply be vessels that He can use to fulfill His plan for Transformados. Thank you for your prayers thus far. We ask that you continue to lift up this request in prayer and together we will look forward to what God is going to do!
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You...

We have been so blessed and so loved during our home assignment. Thank you to everyone who has poured into our lives during this season. Thank you for the holiday trailer to live in before the snow flew, to both sets of our parents for putting us up in their homes, for the vehicle to drive and the fuel to operate it, groceries, childcare, numerous coffee visits, gift cards, invites to homes and fellowship over meals, listening ears, encouraging hugs, laughter and fun and even shared tears, invites for our children to be a part of your children's lives, rides to school, opportunities to share about Transformados, genuine interest and good questions, games nights, hosting us on overnight trips, prayers, prayer times and shared worship, continued support, increased support, new supporters, one time supporters, thoughtful gifts and discounts, shared family times, renewed friendships, new friendships and loving farewells. For all of this and more, we are incredibly grateful and eternally thankful! It is such a wonderful gift to be loved and cared for by an amazing network of people. To all of you who have blessed us so immensely, we say thank you. Our prayer is that God will in turn bless you for the help and encouragement you have been to us and may He continue to use you to touch the lives of countless others!

PRAYER
  • Although our request was denied, we know God is still at work. Please continue to pray that He will provide a better solution for our basketball court situation. We know He can open access to the court again if He so chooses. However, we also realize that He might be preparing and calling us to something even better! Please pray with us for wisdom, discernment, patience, trust and courage as we seek God's will for the future of Transformados.
  • This season of waiting and living in limbo has been difficult for us. We are excited to get back to Transformados but we are also sad to leave and to say goodbyes again. Please continue to pray for strength, patience, faith and trust in God's timing. Pray especially for our children. Being here longer then expected increases those tug of war, torn between 2 places they love, feelings. Pray that they will feel they have finished their time here well so they are better able to handle another move. Pray that we will have the love, compassion, insight, patience and wisdom needed to help them navigate goodbyes, loss, change and transition.
  • Pray for us as we are apart during this time. Pray for Anthony as he leads the Transformados ministries by himself and for Karlene as she is single parenting, packing and preparing their return. Pray for our adjustment back to life in Mexico and the busy schedule of ministry.
  • Pray for our teammates who are in the US for 2 weeks attending a missions conference. Pray that they will find time to rest and relax and refresh after many months of leading Transformados without us and the heavy workload that was for them.
  • Continue to pray for our Transformados youth who have given their lives to Christ. Pray that their spiritual hunger will grow and that their faith will deepen. Pray they will 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 love these youth.
  • Please pray for Octavio who is away attending University. Pray that he will find a Bible teaching church to attend and Christian friends to encourage him in his personal relationship with Jesus. Pray that we can find ways to disciple him from afar and when he is home during school breaks.
  • 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 our new teammates 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.
  • Please continue to pray for complete healing for Anthony's knee. It has still not fully recovered. This concerns and frustrates Anthony as the pain and diminished mobility prevents him from being as active as he would like to be.
  • Please continue to pray for complete healing for Karlene's hip. Even though it has improved a bit with physio it is still giving her problems.
  • 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 in Mexico 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.
     PRAISE
    ...that all our medical appointments are finished and we've received medical and financial clearance to return to Mexico!
    ...that Anthony was given a diagnosis that isn't life threatening and doesn't require treatment.
    ...for everyone whom God has used to help us get back to full support! We are humbled, blessed and thankful to have an amazing network of people and churches standing with us!
    ...for the many people who have loved and cared for us so well during our home assignment.
    ...for the new teammates who are on their way to join us in La Paz. We have a family and a single woman who are joining our team and another lady who is coming to serve short-term.
    ...for the amazing growth we have seen in our basketball clubs. More children and youth means more to reach with God's truth!

    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 :)


Tuesday, November 27, 2018

The Thiessen Talk'O - Summer/Fall 2018

The Thiessen Talk'O 

                     
                              Sharing The Love of God in La Paz, BCS, Mexico

       Missionaries To Mexico, Serving With TEAM & Associate Missionaries with EMC
Summer Happenings

Summer 2018 has come and gone, but what a great summer it was! This year, with the help of many, we were able to run three weeks of 5 day basketball camps for Elementary, Jr. High and High School. God provided financial support so our new teammates (who hope to join us in January) could come on a short-term trip as a family to assist us in putting on the first week of camp! It was great to have extra helping hands especially with 46 children in attendance! At our Jr. High camp we had 36 campers and 23 at our High School week! We were incredibly thankful to have another amazing short-term team from Cedarville University help us with these 2 weeks! Not only did they run and organize camp, but once again, they blessed Transformados through their servant hearts, Bibles and Basketballs for the youth and by raising extra money for more team uniforms!

All our camps took place from 9am - 12noon every day. During water-break, we shared the gospel through bible stories, testimonies, object lessons and devotionals using "The Story" coloured basketball! In the evenings we had community outreach events in our Transformados Centre and invited the campers to bring their families to enjoy ice cream sundaes, crafts, games, snacks and fellowship. Each week ended with awards night where campers received certificates, basketballs for good attendance and medals for 1st, 2nd & 3rd place teams.

One of the highlights this year was having many of our older Transformados youth help out by being leaders for the younger camps. What a joy it was to see the teens we've been working with for the past 3 years pour into the next generation of Transformados! Having them serve in this capacity gave us further opportunities to share the gospel because they were required to attend prayer and devotion time each morning before camp.

Remember Octavio? We shared his story of how he came to faith in a previous newsletter. (If you didn't get to read his story check it out here: "How Basketball Reached a Teenage Atheist.") It was a huge highlight to have him come back as a leader this summer and share his testimony with the younger campers! How exciting to see this young man, who gave his life to Christ last summer during basketball camp, return and share his story with other Transformados youth! He spoke about recognizing his need, asking Jesus to be his Saviour and the difference this decision has made in his life! Seeing things come full circle was a tremendously beautiful moment for all of us!

Fall Happenings

Our first home assignment has been busy and blessed! As we shared in our last newsletter, June marked 5.5 years for us in Mexico! TEAM (our sending agency) requires that missionaries have home assignments throughout their years of service. There are specific objectives and hoops we have to jump through in order to return to Mexico, so unlike our previous short visits home, this time we have to be in Canada longer to complete all the necessary requirements.

So far we've been able to gain some practical insight/professional development into effectively running large scale basketball camps from our 2 week observation of Clipper Camps at Briercrest College. Our children had the opportunity to attend the camps which they thoroughly enjoyed! It was neat to watch them play in the same gym where I (Karlene) played in College!

We were able to take in a Thiessen family camp-out, enjoyed Thanksgiving with our families and are re-connecting with friends. We've also shared exciting updates at our supporting churches about what God is doing through Transformados! The warm and caring welcomes we continually receive, every time we visit, are always an encouragement. We are incredibly blessed to have such an amazing group of individuals and congregations standing with us in support and prayer!

We've finished the majority of our TEAM interviews, have had extensive medicals and are waiting on a couple medical referrals. Josiah and Keyana are attending school which gives Anthony a break from home schooling and allows them to re-establish former friendships and make new ones. They both had the opportunity to be part of their Jr. High Volleyball teams and enjoyed learning a sport they hadn't played before.

The rest and refreshing part of our home stay has been a bit harder to come by
simply because our normal life routines have been disrupted. We don't really have a place to call our own so change, transition and living in limbo are exhausting and having the kids in school/sports/youth has added to the demands on our time. However, we are trying to find ways to fulfill this home assignment requirement.

Our hope and prayer was to accomplish these objectives in 3 months. Unfortunately, because we are not yet up to full support and still waiting for aspects of our medicals to be completed, our return date of November 4th has now been pushed to sometime in December.

This is not what we wanted because 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. 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 at this point, we are waiting, praying and trusting in God's timing and plan.

We would welcome the opportunity to talk about Transformados with any of you who are interested to know more. Since we still have time here in Canada, we would love to share in your church or over a cup of coffee, about the ways God is using Transformados to bring about life Transformation in Mexico!!!!

If you would like to partner with us financially:
ONLINE

(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.)
(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.
PRAYER
  • Please pray that Karlene will get a date for the last of her medical referral. Please pray that the results will be such that TEAM will pass our medicals.
  • Please pray that God will raise up more financial supporters. TEAM requires us to be at full support before giving us clearance to return to ministry in Mexico.
  • Pray that we can return to Mexico as soon as possible. We are excited to get back! Pray for strength and patience in the waiting and trust in God's timing.
  • Please continue to pray that we will be given permission to once again use the basketball court at the Jr. High School. Our teammates are in the process of submitting documentation, letters and petitions to the governing authorities asking to be able to use the court again.
  • Please pray for all of the children and youth who attended our 3 weeks of summer Basketball camps! Pray that God will continue to use what they saw, heard and learned, to transform their hearts and lives!
  • Pray for our Transformados students, who helped 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.
  • 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.
  • Please pray for complete healing for Anthony's knee.
  • Please pray for complete healing for Karlene's hip. She found out from her physio that the Dr. in Mexico should have ordered a dye MRI to detect the problem she has. After more tests, the physiotherapist determined that she does have the problem he suspected and it is taking time and patience to get it back to its proper function.
  • 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 in Mexico 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.
PRAISE
...for the record attendance at our summer basketball camps, for every person who came and heard the gospel, for safety and protection, energy, patience and team unity!
...for the older Transformados youth who served as leaders and for the opportunity to share God's truth with them through morning devotions/prayer.
...for the opportunity to have our new teammates come and help and for another amazing short-term team from Cedarville University.
...for the amazing growth we have seen in our basketball clubs. More children and youth means more to reach with God's truth!
...for Octavio's life transformation story and willingness to share his testimony with other Transformados youth.
...that we found someone to care for our pets and live in our home while we are away.
...that we made it safely to Canada for our 1st home assignment.
...that Anthony's knee is healing from his surgery in June. It's slow going but he has been able to have some good physio care while here in Canada.
...for God's provision during our home assignment, the warm welcome we have been given at all our supporting churches, the unique experiences we've had, the memories we've made and the re-connecting we've been able to do.
...for our amazing family, friends and supporting churches. We are so incredibly blessed to have people standing with us in financial support and prayer!
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 :)



Urgent Prayer Request - September 2018

The Thiessen Talk'O 

                     
                              Sharing The Love of God in La Paz, BCS, Mexico

       Missionaries To Mexico, Serving With TEAM & Associate Missionaries with EMC
An Urgent Prayer Request

Our summer letter is still in process but there is an urgent, prayer request that we need to share with you. As you know, we are presently in Canada on Home Assignment and are excitedly waiting to get the green light clearance to head back to Mexico. Our teammates are doing an amazing job of carrying on the ministry and we are grateful for their commitment, faithfulness and hard work! This past week, upon arrival at the court, they received some difficult news that has all of us wondering what the future holds for our Transformados ministry. In the words of our teammate, Pattie, here is what has transpired so far:


"Last night when we came to practice at the middle school where we hold all of our basketball clubs and camps, the director pulled Phil into his office to speak with him. Apparently, his boss had informed him that he was concerned about liability issues and so he didn't want us to use the court any more. He gave us through Saturday (today) to use it. The director is supportive of what we are doing and suggested we go to the administrative offices and speak with them to see if we can work something out."

For 3 years, we have been blessed to be able to use the court at this public middle school, free of charge. We have a good relationship with the Directors of the school, who have even given us keys for the gate and permission to use not only the court, but the common area on Saturday nights and even during our summer camps. We realized early on what a blessing this was when a local Pastor exclaimed, "How did you manage to get into a Public School? It's unheard of, it never happens." We are grateful for God's favour and making it possible for us to have access to this school from the time Transformados started until now! God's hand has been in this from the beginning and we know that He will continue to provide.

At this moment, we are not sure what that provision will look like, so we ask you to join with us in prayer for the future of this ministry! Especially in light of the outcome of the meeting with the Director's Boss. This meeting took place on Friday and afterwards our teammates shared the following:


"We wish we had better news for you. Unfortunately, the administrator that Phil met with appeared to have already made up his mind. Phil was told to submit a letter with an official request. However, Phil and the missionary who accompanied him both got the sense that it will likely get buried in piles of paperwork on the desk. We will proceed with the letter and are planning to ask the parents, kids and youth to write letters as well to accompany ours."

This was not the news we were hoping to receive but we continue to pray and trust. Several of the Transformados youth are joining us in praying for this situation and we find this super encouraging and exciting because we know God will use this opportunity to show His power and grow their faith!

We know that while this caught us by surprise, it did not catch Him by surprise so we wait expectantly to see what He will do. As of now, today is our last day to use the basketball court and have access to the school. Parents and members of the community have come forward to show their support and along with our youth, are talking of writing letters and creating a petition in favour of Transformados. Our teammates have been advised to meet with a different, higher level education official to discuss this issue and yesterday afternoon, a community member told Phil that this official is a close family friend. She stated that she is going to put in a good word for Transformados with him in hopes that He will grant us permission and continued access to the school.

This is an unexpected turn of events but we echo the thoughts and words of our teammates when they say:


"One of our dreams for Transformados is that we would eventually have a piece of land we could develop with a court and larger community center for outreach. This situation has made this need seem even more urgent. We have loved partnering with the school but would also love to have a court without restricted access. Perhaps this is the Lord's way of nudging us towards that even more quickly...[With this in mind we've decided as a team to] begin more proactively raising funds towards purchasing land to build our own court and community center. If you feel led to give towards this need, Transformados has an account at TEAM for receiving donations. This is a link for making donations directly to Transformados:
 

Some great news is that our clubs have been growing to the point that we had been discussing needing to split the groups, to work more effectively with each one. We've recently had 29, 28 and 26 at different practices. The growth and need for more groups is a great problem to have."

Physical growth is exciting but it's even more exciting to witness spiritual growth! This past year we've been praying that God would increase the spiritual interest of our youth and it's happening! 4 young men have given their lives to Christ this year and a 5th one made his decision this summer. We have struggled with discouragement over this most recent development with the school, but God is transforming lives through Transformados and we know He has something better in mind for the ministry.

For the time being, please pray that we will be able to find another court within walking distance that has adequate lighting, equipment and availability. This is important since the majority of the youth, who participate, live in our neighbourhood.

Please pray that the letters and petition will demonstrate the community's support of Transformados and that the good word a community member is willing to put in with the higher ranking official will be enough to change the minds of the powers-that-be to grant us continued access to the school.

And if God chooses to use this situation as a springboard toward the purchase of property, then pray that He will bring in the funds necessary to buy and build our own court and community centre.


Thank you for standing with us in prayer! We invite you to look forward with us, in anticipation of all God is going to do!

With Grateful Hearts,
Anthony, Karlene, Josiah and Keyana