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News from the President
April 2008
It’s always great to revisit your roots.
I had the chance to do that recently when I spent a week assisting Azusa Pacific University’s Mexico Outreach program. For nearly 40 years, APU has led short-term mission trips into northern Mexico. Beginning from a small group of 30 or so, Mexico Outreach has expanded dramatically. Over the two weeks around Easter, over 4,000 young people and adults served hundreds of churches and communities throughout the Mexicali Valley (in the eastern desert) and the metro Ensenada area (alongside the Pacific coast).
My first encounter with Mexico Outreach was in the spring of 1988, when Ridge Burns recruited me to be his worship leader while he spoke to over 3,000 short termers at our base camp. It was there that I first heard about the vision of CSM. “What if we could replicate the great things APU does with short-term missions here in Mexico, but in the United States and Canada?” Ridge asked. “What if we could show U.S. and Canadian young people and adults that, in addition to what they can do in countries like Mexico, cross-cultural, international mission and ministry opportunities exist within our own borders?“
Well, what if? That was the seed that became the creation of the Center for Student Missions in June of 1988. I had the privilege of serving on the original board of directors, helping as a volunteer host in Los Angeles (our first and only site at the time), later helping to launch (with Kyle) CSM’s Chicago site, and in 1996, succeeding Ridge as president of CSM when he was called to take the reins at Forest Home Camp and Conference Center.
So twenty years had passed since my initial week with Mexico Outreach! I had a much easier job this time—camp dean. My role was to make sure the group leaders for our base camp of 1,200 had what they needed to be effective, take care of any small problems before they became big ones, visit the groups at their ministry sites to both troubleshoot and encourage, and otherwise enjoy the ministry that was happening all over the valley. We had a great set of groups and group leaders, so it was Easy Street for me.
The most encouraging thing about the reconnection was to see how Mexico Outreach has stayed true to its values, many of which we incorporated into CSM’s ethos. Values like long-term relationships with ministry sites, respect for the culture, adjusting ministry priorities to the real needs and interests of our Mexican hosts, and trying to be good neighbors and guests throughout the week—which can be a challenge when you are leaving a 1,200-person “footprint.” There were groups and group leaders who I met in 1988 and are still connected with the same churches and communities for these twenty years. One night, we invited our church and community hosts to join us for dinner and our evening chapel, and over 150 attended. We quickly arranged for an interpreter so that the evening program could be fully enjoyed by everyone present.
All in all, it was a great time of reconnection to an impressive ministry, great people, and the roots of CSM’s beginnings. It’s amazing what God has grown out of Ridge’s initial dreams… and much of that has to do with your ongoing friendship, prayers, and financial support. THANK YOU for your help in the growth and development of CSM’s ministry! And here’s to the next twenty years of ministry adventure.
Blessings,
Noel Becchetti, President
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