CR is Growing!-Apr 2019

“You eat an elephant one bite at a time!” has been my motto for the past couple of years.  The past couple of years have tested me with constant changes and new responsibilities. I have needed an easy motto and the simple, time-tested, riddle, “How do you eat an elephant?” provided. 

When I feel overwhelmed with the changes and responsibilities, I empathize with the seemingly impossible task of eating an elephant!   The answer reminds me to break everything down to very small and manageable tasks.   Also, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”, reminds me that my Savior, Jesus Christ, gives me the strength to break intimidating projects down, and He also gives me the strength to actually complete the projects.
Celebrate Recovery has been busy!  In less than 10 weeks, starting on December 1, 2018, CR launched three new arms of ministry in Calvary Chapel Rosarito:

1. Broken Chains (December 1, 2018),
2. The Landing (January 17, 2019), and
3. Creation Station (February 5, 2019).

Broken Chains is Celebrate Recovery’s fellowship for bikers to find healing and hope in Jesus Christ.  The healing and hope in Jesus Christ comes from biblical Salvation and being set free from hurts, habits and hang-ups.  I was privileged to be the chase truck driver for the first ride.   In addition to driving, the chase truck driver is responsible for having the first aid kit, snacks, and water, in the truck.
The Landing, mentioned in February’s prayer letter, is geared toward Junior High and High School aged students. The Landing ministry is God’s answer to five years of prayer.
Creation Station is CR’s biblically based children’s ministry.  Creation Station replaced our Tuesday night Child Care.  Our Tuesday night Child Care gave the children’s’ parents respite knowing their children were lovingly cared for.  The parents’ respite let them concentrate on finding hope and healing in Jesus Christ at their Celebrate Recovery Step Studies.  The healing and hope in Jesus Christ comes from biblical Salvation.
God is faithful to His ministries:

• Shawn Cullen has come alongside me to be my Ministry Leader Assistant;
• Jody Gonzales, my Office Assistant, will be leaving the Recovery Ministry. God is moving her into other areas of ministry at Calvary Chapel Rosarito.
• Lorena Lucas has stepped up to become my new Office Assistant

God is good!   My TEAM and I are so grateful to have Shawn and Lorena with us on this great adventure.

                       Lorena not only serves with but is also a dear friend 

Shawn came to Celebrate Recovery as a retired firefighter.   He had turned to opioids to deal with physical pain.  Unfortunately, Shawn became addicted to the drugs to hide his deep emotional pain. God worked through Celebrate Recovery to enable Shawn to deal with the trauma he had ignored for many years while serving as a firefighter.   Ignoring the trauma left him battling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Today, Shawn walks free in his Salvation in Jesus Christ and serves wholeheartedly with our Celebrate Recovery TEAM. 

                         Shawn sharing his testimony at Celebrate Recovery

Shawn’s story is just one of the many where people are being set free from their hurts, habits and hang-ups.

We teach our Celebrate Recovery participants that 2 things are most important:

1. Learning to love God with all our hearts, and
2. Encouraging them to listen to what God says in his Word.

The CR participants have learned that, when we love Christ, his Word becomes a shining light that guides our daily activities and, in turn, leads us to the foot of the cross for healing and wholeness.

My trip to Canada was AWESOME!  God blessed incredibly with:

• Time with my family, and
• Talking to people in small groups and large groups about Celebrate Recovery Summer has captured this Nana's heart

I had time for my grandsons Tucker and Sawyer while my daughter, Rebekah, and her husband, Eric, welcomed Summer Jeanne into the world.   Summer Jeanne is our precious new treasure straight from God Himself!

                                    Summer has captured my heart

Luke 16:9 (NLT) reads, “Use your worldly resources to benefit others.”   The best use of your money is to use it to present the Gospel of Christ clearly and then let the Holy Spirit convict.   I happen to have one of the best jobs in the world!   I point people to Christ using the Celebrate Recovery program as a tool to bring them into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.   I had opportunities to share what God is doing in Mexico through Celebrate Recovery with several groups in Canada.  God used those opportunities to share to bring on board new ministry partners. Fund raising for the Mexico Recovery Ministry is a time to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. I had a great time sharing what God is doing in Mexico at the Women's Breakfast at Morinville Alliance Church.

                      Mexico cuisine and theme at the Women's Breakfast

Thank you for your continued prayers and generous gifts towards the Recovery Ministry. We thank God for the Prayer Warriors and the Giving Warriors who are the backbone of this ministry.  We also thank you, His Prayer Warriors and the Giving Warriors, for putting His conviction on your hearts into action.   At Celebrate Recovery, we know that God always provides for His own.

In His Service,

Cheryl