My name is Fanny Cano. In 2009, I was supposed to go to Canada and volunteer at a Christian camp. However, because of a misunderstanding (due to my poor English) people at the Canadian migration office thought I was there to work. Unable to explain my real purpose, the immigration officer deported me. I was 19 years old at that time.

I was back in Mexico City the following day after my deportation from Canada. Feeling humiliated, I didn’t want to go back home to Tabasco, southeast of Mexico, a 16 hour bus ride. Thanks to a friend who knew the Caldwells, I ended up at Los Domos, a place that would change my life.

 At first I thought it would be just a quick stop before going back to Canada, which was my plan. The days past and soon I realized that being at Los Domos was going to be a huge challenge, which I wasn’t prepared for; the cold weather, the food, facing loneliness, practicing a language I barely spoke, exercising different habits like waking up at 7:00 am and working till 6:00 pm… But being in the mountains and in the woods surrounded by nature, just me and God, was healing. That was the moment where I believe I met God. I was able to hear Him in the wind, through each storm at night. I felt scared but I knew God was there in the middle of the storm as He was with His disciples.

Suddenly I started to enjoyed it, my relationship with God developed more than ever, and without noticing it, I had found a new family; David and Karen became like parents to me. They set up a Godly example of what the family I would like to raise someday would look like. I found spiritual support in them, guidance, and love for the children’s ministry, camp. Seeing them believing in me made me believe in myself, and I wanted to learn more about this ministry and share with everyone back home.

12 years later, we are still friends; more than that, we are family. Their lives and ministry changed mine. David has blessed my state (Tabasco) visiting it a couple of times, sharing his faith and knowledge with different churches down here. I can’t be more blessed with the change of plans God had for me back then in 2009.

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Fanny lives in Tabasco, Mexico with her husband and young son and are expecting another son soon.

Camps International Presents Project Lighthouse: Expanding the Los Domos Training Base to Spread God’s Light Across Mexico

A lighthouse safely guides ships at sea so that they can continue on their journey. Our heart is to guide and disciple the next generation of church leadership so that they can be lighthouses in their own communities all across Mexico.

It’s with this passion and vision that we look for ways to reach more churches to assist them in the development of their own camps.

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Blog post written by Karen Caldwell

We are so grateful for your interest in our family and our ministry here in Mexico. Because of your faithful support and friendship, we’ve been able to develop Christian camps and train leaders who can use camp to build stronger relationships in their churches in Mexico.

We could not have done it without you.

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We were without power and internet at Los Domos due to an Act of God. Our electrical system was hit with lightning over two weeks ago and we also lost internet completely at the time (it was hardly working at all even before that and still is having serious issues). Monday evening, I hooked up a temporary system that got provisional power back to my office area and re-energized the internet equipment.

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(This is a true-to-life event recorded by Cherith Mitchell)

One time, someone told me about the ordeal they had while renewing their American passport in the US. They had to go all the way to the Post Office to fill out the application. Fifteen minute drive, they said. Both ways, they said. A whole lunch break wasted, they said.

I laugh, not because I don’t understand the frustration, but because I do. Quite well. In fact, too well. Renewing passports is one of those necessary evils missionaries have to go through to stay in the country they’ve adopted as their own. Unless you’re lucky enough to still be dealing with visas, in which case, you’re in for an even more “enjoyable” treat in your country of residence.

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One of my favorite memories as a kid is the feeling I would get when we’d all line up along the road after opening the gate for the pickup trucks with kids and counselors coming to camp. Knowing that we’d done it. We’d worked as hard as we possibly could and we’d pulled it off: camp.

I know those moments shaped me, the hard work and commitment my parents taught us as they strove to share the tool of Christian camping with the country of Mexico.

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Camps International is excited to share with you the developments that are occurring through Christian camping. Thank you for being apart of the great work our volunteers are doing to share Christ and disciple His children. We need your help to get the word out about the incredible tool that camps are for the Church. We need able-bodied volunteers to speak up and share with the world what Camps International is all about. Will you help?

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