El Salvador
Cecilia has been serving as a full-time missionary in El Salvador since Dec 2011.
Prayer Requests:
- For the Lord to give me creativity as I work with kids and women.
- For Yasmina and Guadalupe who have come from down town to help
- For health! I have been really sick strong antibiotics in the form of needles, also struggling with tendinitis and back pain
- For the Mission President Ramon to acquire the piece of land for me build a place to live and to do ministry. Pray that he would not rest until he has done all that is in his power to do.
- For the remaining monthly support needed
- For the women’s Bible Study – spiritual protection
Previous Updates:
September 2011 Update:
A lot has been happening for Cecilia in the last month and she is thankful to God for his faithfulness. She is also thankful to all those who pray for her as she has had to take several important steps this month in preparation for her soon coming departure (less then 3 months left) and your encouragement has meant a lot to her! Due to a generous offer of a rent free place to live starting in October Cecilia has been able to give notice at both her job and apartment and soon will be able to devote her full attention to raising support and preparing for her return to El Salvador. Her father's foot surgery was successful and the doctors only had to amputate a single toe instead of his whole foot as was originally though might be necessary. He is currently recuperating and hoping to gain enough strength to return to Canada for much needed heart surgery. Her monthly support commitments are now at 24.5% but need to be at 90% before she can leave. Cecilia also has a fundraiser dinner and auction coming up at Cedar Grove on October 21st. If you would like to either attend or help out with this event please contact Joeybeth Wilson at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. "> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more details.
August 2011 Update:
Cecilia recently volunteered for Cedar Grove’s Pandamania VBS program and was blessed to see three of her nephews and one of her nieces attend. They had a wonderful time and some even expressed a desire to come to Church with Cecilia. Cecilia continues in faith to prepare for a November departure. Her monthly support commitments are now at 16.29% but need to be at 90% before she can leave. As well she is hoping for a committed prayer team of at least 100 people who will pray for her regularly, if not daily. Cecilia also has several exciting fundraisers in the works. If you would like to either attend or help out with these events please contact Joeybeth Wilson at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. "> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more details.
August 2011 Prayer Requests:
- A strong support team, both spirtually and financially. If the Lord would be leading you to partner with Cecilia in either of these two areas please contact her advocates James and Joeybeth Wilson at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. "> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
-Opportunities to share with people, both at Cedar Grove and other Churches, about her heart for El Salvador.
-As the Lord opens doors for Cecilia to travel and visit other churches, that people will help in tangible ways such as giving her rides or perhaps letting her use their vehicle.
July 2011 Update:
Cecilia is continuing to prepare for her return to El Salvador in November. The process has required a lot of work and planning however through it she has experinced the Lord's prescence in new ways that have caused her to grow and mature in different areas of her life. She is still in the early stage of raising a support team, both spiritually and financially.
July 2011 Prayer Requests:
- For Cecilia's father, Miguel, as he has been having serious health problems
- For Cecilia's good friend in El Salvador, Nineth, who has had to undergo intensive surgery due to a life threating illness but is still very sick and also now owes thousands of dollars in medical bills
May Update 2011:
Cecilia has now been back in Canada for 6 months after her vision trip to El Salvador. She has found full-time employment which has been an answer to prayer and is preparing to go as a career missionary to El Salvador. In El Salvador she will be living in a rural community called Tutultepeque (approx. population = 10,000) which is the community she grew up in as a child. To her knowledge she will be the only missionary worker this community has ever had and her plans include pioneering kid's and women's ministries.
Cecilia has set a tentative departure date of November.
May 2011 Prayer Requests:
- His favour as there is a possibility of getting my own piece of land in which I can build a place to live and to do ministry in El Salvador
- Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit as I walk in obedience to His calling in my life and for an extra measure of His love and peace in my heart
- Wisdom for doctors as I take care of medical issues and His favour and provision through
- Please pray for me as I embark on this journey of building my support team for full-time ministry in El Salvador!
November Update 2010:
Cecilia has just returned from her vision trip to El Salvador and feels that God is leading her back to full-time ministry in El Salvador, specifically her home town that she grew up in.
She has had many opportunities to share her faith and God's Word with people there. Sometimes this was in preaching when she did not feel ready to do so.
During her time in El Salvador, Cecilia spent a lot of time working with street kid's ministry but does not see herself working with this ministry full-time when she returns, though she is open to the Lord's leading. She finds herself very drawn to friendship evangelism.
November 2010 Prayer Requests:
- To find a job here in Canada
- Guidance and leading as to when she is to return to El Salvador
- That she would use her time in Canada wisely and work on some personal goals and disciplines
- Be sensitive to God's guiding in choosing a mission's organization to go with, if any at all
- Wisdom and discernment as she looks for ways of serving while here in Canada
October Update:
Cecilia has recently been dealing with a bad cold and other physical illnesses but is starting to feel much better. She has been working and visiting different ministries within El Salvador in order to seek direction as to where God would have her serve long-term in the future. Cecilia is in her last month in El Salvador and will return on October 27th. She has been specifically working with a street kids ministry in El Salvador and has been getting to know a handful of kids, trying to help them get off the streets. This has involved taking the kids twice a week to a place where they are able to shower, have a meal, and play some games. Many of these kids are addicted to glue and crack which can make working with them very challenging.
October Prayer requests:
- Prayer for the street kids Cecilia has been working with
- Protection as she searches out ministry opportunities in unsafe areas downtown
- Wisdom and discernment as she explores and visits possible opportunities in her home town
- Prayer for her father's health as he is very sick. Also pray for emotional strength for Cecilia in this.
- Continued prayer for Candelero Kids in Bolivia
- Prayer that Cecilia will find a job when she returns on October 27th
Cecilia's Ministry in Bolivia:
Cecilia was working in Tarija, Bolivia where she is served with the Evangelical Free Church of Canada Mission (EFCCM). She was involved in ministries which target street children, women and needy families in the community of Tarija.
Cecilia assisted two missionary women, Merle Hogman and Heather MacKnee who run a ministry out of a coffee shop as well as through the local church to street children and their families. Cecilia has a particular passion to reach Latin American women and children with the Love of Christ. She quickly became involved in ministry after being in Bolivia a relatively short period of time.
Bolivia is the poorest country in South America with a popultion of 9,247,816. The community of Tarija has a population of 170,900.
A scripture that has been significant to Cecilia is Matthew 12:21 "In His name the nations will put their hope."
Please keep Cecilia in your prayers as the Lord brings her to mind.
~ If you would like to be added to Cecilia's email list and receive regular monthly updates please speak to Sharon van Dijk or email
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
">
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.