On Canadian turf again...

Well, we've made it back to Canada!
It is pretty cold here, but its good to be back.
We arrived in Toronto, ON Saturday at about 8:30pm, after about 7 hours in the air. The flights were good, gracias a Dios, and now we're getting ready this afternoon to head off to a couple days of debrief in Guelph, ON. Im looking forward to some solid sessions on the transition we'll have to face adjusting back into Canadian culture, having some last incredible times with the team and also the awesome food at the retreat center. Its gonna be a good time.
Debrief ends July 9th, and then Im heading out to BC for a short vacation with my family at the lake out there. I'll be back in Calgary July 19 or 20th...which seems so far away, but will come fAsT!
I wont have much internet until I get back to Calgary...so until then...enjoy the sun! :)

ps. My June & July newsletters are going to be combined. So, I will be sending out a bit longer of a letter later in the month. Stay tuned!

An update on the Dominican Republic partnership...

Back in early November, our STINT team joined the first Panamanian missions project to the Dominican Republic to help with movements of evangelism and discipleship on the campus there (Universidad Autonomo de Santo Domingo, or UASD). Panama has a partnership commitment with that country, much the same as Canada has a partnership with Panama, and a promise to help provide training & extra help in the form of missions teams or stinters.
During our 10 days there, we were filmed almost 24/7, as there was a film team there capturing footage for a Reality tv show about our trip. This movie is to serve as a model to the rest of Central America on how to do a Missions project, as well as an encouragement tool to other countries.
They have just finished the trailer and have posted it on YouTube - I cant wait to see the finished product!!!
Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrAhkJ1-Fsc

Also, there are plans to have another Panamanian missions project to the Dominican Republic in 2010, from Feb 13-28. Please be praying for this even now...that God would be working so much in the Panamanian students' hearts for them to come, for their support raising & all the details associated with large trips like this.
Its exciting, Panama is becoming a sending nation!!!

The final stretch

Today is June 20th. Really, where did June go!?! Each month this year has seemingly passed by faster and faster. And now, reality is setting in that we leave EXACTLY 2 WEEKS from TODAY. OH MY GOODNESS.

The Panama Project students and staff left on Monday and Thursday, respectively. I am amazed at how fast it flew by. We saw God work in many ways, new relationships formed, and had a pile of fun. June 1-4th was spent on campus with the project students, wrapping up, and then we concluded our time with the Commitment Dinner on June 4th (more to come in my June newsletter!!!! stay tuned). Then the weekend was spent in El Valle for some Rest & Refocus, and the next week was spent in the Jungle of Cocle doing whats called Missions Experience. The team headed out to work in 2 communities, helping local families in the day doing common tasks, and then showing the Jesus Film, coupled with personal testimonies at night.

Unfortunately, I had to stay home from Missions Experience. I had gotten sick the second week of project, and thought I was better, but then got super sick again the first week of June. So, we decided since I wasnt totally better yet and the living conditions arent the best in the Jungle that I should stay home. I definitely had mixed feelings about that decision. But, God knows why and thats what really matters.

It was a good week spent reflecting on our STINT year, the project & the future at home, heading to both UTP & Univ de Panama weekly meetings, doing admin for the project and hanging out with Raquel and our good friends Andrea and Jose Andres Santana.

And then, we headed out to Debrief with the project from Fri, June 12-Wed June 17. What an awesome way to end the project, as we relaxed, celebrated what God did over the time and prepared for re-entry back into Canada with the students. We also had some stellar staff debrief, which was good to conclude our time together.

And, NOW... basically we're wrapping up loose ends, closing out relationships, saying long Panamanian goodbyes, moving out, processing the year, saying more goodbyes... It's the final leg!

Its definitely a mixture of feelings these days. Sometimes Im super excited about coming home, and other days I dread it. I get excited for prospects of hanging out with people I love; for hearing about people's lives and sharing all the Lord has done in mine this past year; for having normalcy and routine... well sort of... ; and for seeking the Lord's will in my next life steps. On the other hand, parts of me will be sad to leave Panama: To say goodbye to the ministry we spent so many countless hours in prayer, planning, and on campus to build; my incredible team; the real friendships we've begun to form with the staff, students and friends; the familiarness of life here; and the warm weather (hahaha).

Needless to say, its gonna be an interesting 2 weeks as we wrap up here. Whatever state my roller coaster emotions choose to take me on a ride for in the next month or so, I pray that my heart and mind is first and always focused on the Lord and how I can minister to the people around me.

Over my reflection times in the past week, I was really challenged to do 3 things: to fix my eyes on Jesus first and foremost, to trust that He has a great plan for my life (although I really have not even a vague idea what my future looks like) and to ask Him for things, as He wants to give us good gifts.

Heb 12:2 " fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith..."

Amidst all the unknowns that lie ahead I find peace and comfort in really trusting in Jesus to be my all. To be my joy and my hope... my reason for living life when I go home, whatever season I may be entering into.

Prayers for clarity in processing the year would be great, closing our time well, even for good re-entry and safety... but more than that - I ask that you would also pray with me over these weeks that both of us would make this Heb 12:2 verse our focus - Keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. So that no matter what we face in our lives, we will be ready, faithful, and obedient to his calling. And, because as much as I'm in love with the fact that Jesus has made this my desire, I so long for it to be yours as well... gracias y los quiero mucho.

Marellene

This past weekend on project was spent in El Valle, at a Rest & Refocus weekend. It was super relaxing and refreshing! As we refocused, we remembered some of the things God did on the campus cycle. As a part of that, we had to come up with a cool story about how we saw God working during our time on the campus.

My story is about a girl named Marellene.

One Monday Dorrie and I went sharing in the Business Administration faculty, and we met a first year named Marellene. We talked a bit and then shared the Gospel with her. She was already a Christian, so we finished talking and set up a follow up meeting to discuss more about the Holy Spirit the same time the next week. Our week flew by, and Sunday night I texted her to remind her of our meeting the next day. She did remember, and said she would be there to meet us. To be honest, I was skeptical that she'd show up, as she didnt seem very interested, and the track record in Panama for students who show up is pretty small...

But, regardless of this thought, Dorrie & I showed up at our meeting place right on time that Monday morning. AND, Marellene TOTALLY CAME!!! I was SO excited!!!! This was the second time this year that I've been able to see a student come to a follow up meeting!
Then, we sat down to meet, and I was able to do the meeting ALL in Spanish. That in itself was ultra encouraging, as language has been a challenge for me all year. It was also really humbling to see how God used my weakness (language wise) to still help teach Marellene some Biblical truths. I am so thankful to have had this experience while project has been here.

2 Cor 12:9 - "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."

Snapshots of Project....

Panama Project: what an awesome time!!! Its been insane as we try to balance an intense schedule with our normal life here in Panama. However, I absolutely am loving it and having a blast ministering on campus alongside my team and the other Canadians in other faculties/campuses. God has blessed me with an awesome team in the Business faculty that I've been able to work with over the past month.

My team! L-R: Lisa, Mona, Andres, Kathleen and I!

Overall, on project, we minister on the University campus for 4 weeks in total. That sure isnt a lot of time, so we've created a 'strategy' to maximize our focus and work there:

Week 1: Focus on evangelism, or helping students discover a relationship with Jesus (through Initiative evangelism, classroom talks, outreaches etc)

Week 2: Focus on evangelism and also beginning to build into the students we've seen come to Christ in the previous week (help them experience Jesus in their lives). This is done through follow up meetings, a precoursor to personal discipleship

Week 3: Focus on the building into students through follow up meetings, and helping inspire them to go out & reach others for Christ (preparing them to get involved in reaching their campus through involvement with Vida Estudiantil and also to reach their friends, family, country and ultimately world)

Week 4: Focus on inspiring the students to go out and reach others for Christ, through involvement with Vida Estudiantil and equipping them to share their faith while growing in their personal relationship with Christ.

Weeks one & two were super encouraging, as our team was able to organize and hold 7 different outreach classroom talks, and exposed about 140 students to the gospel. Out of those students, 98 indicated decisions to accept Christ into their hearts!!! Praise GOD! So, as a result of these decisions, this past week was spent meeting up with students who indicated such decisions to build them in their new faith. We were able to have about 10 follow up meetings with interested students, which is amazing!!! In the past it has been a challenge to have such meetings, as students simply aren't interested or forget. Its been a real answer to prayer to see such attendance and interest!

One of our classroom talks in the Business Faculty
Mona & Lisa with some girls from the Business Faculty we met through classroom talks...we're hoping to do follow-up with them!

As we look ahead to this upcoming week, we're preparing for a Commitment Dinner on June 4th. So, both the days prior and also at this dinner we will be challenging key Panamanian students, either from this year or our month on project , to commit to 4 things:
1. Walk with God in Obedience
2. Personal Evangelism & Discipleship
3. Involvement in Vida Estudiantil
4. Help fulfill the Great Commission in this Generation
We’re praying 40 students will make this commitment, and get hooked up with Panamanian staff to help build the Vida Estudiantil movement here. Please join us in praying for these students!

On another note...each Friday night we've been having whats called "Noche de Connexion," or Connection Night. Its a time for Panamanian students from each campus to come together (along with our Canadian team) for some fellowship, worship and crazy fun times. Below are some pics of the games we've played...

Psalm 72:19 - "Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does MARVELOUS deeds."

Project so far...

The past two weeks have been a flurry of activity, with the Canadians here on Panama Project 2009! This project is for University students across Canada to come down and partner with the Panamanian ministry in doing evangelism & discipleship, to both help the ministry here and also train them so they can reach their campuses more effectively back in Canada.

Last week (May 5-9) we had a training week for the Canadian students. Wednesday & Thursday were spent hearing sessions on topics such as how to have a quiet time, how to construct a personal testimony, how to share the gospel and how to live the Spirit Filled Life (and so many more...). Training is so important, as the concepts are basic for all Christians (its good for us all to know how to share our faith etc), and are very transferrable, meaning the students will use the concepts here in their ministry on Panamanian campuses and also when they return back to their Universities to Canada. The week finished off with a morning sharing their faith on campus, an amazing race across Panama City, and a tour of the Panama Canal, Causeway and the market on Saturday.

This week was the first week on campus!!! (Mon-Fri, May 11-15). It definitely was not what I expected at all, as I ended up getting sick with a sinus infection/cold over the weekend, which made me stay home & rest both Monday & Tuesday. However, my team made the trek to campus each day, and began our work in the Faculty of Business Administration and Accounting (Facultad de Administracion de Empresas y Contabilidad, FAECO).
My team is: Me, Andres (co-leader), Maria Jose, Lisa and Kathleen. Pictures to come...

And, some crazy things happened that first morning...as the team stepped out to go sharing, a couple profs approached them, seeing they clearly werent from Panama, to ask what they were doing there. After some dialog on our purpose on being on campus, the team met with the student in charge of the student club, and an influential professor in the faculty. And then, they organized a meeting with the dean of the business faculty the next day, to discuss ways we from Vida Estudiantil, could partner with the faculty to give helpful talks to the students (such as how to receive better grades at university, which ties the academic side, into the spiritual side of their lives.).
The meeting with the dean took place on Tuesday, and was incredible. So many doors were opened for us to enter into the classrooms and give talks to many 2nd, 3rd and 4th years next week (May 18-22). At first they wanted us to give 8 talks per day, at one hour each...whoa. But, after discussing a bit more, it was decided that we'd hold about 4 talks in the morning, each day next week. Thats an incredible outreach opportunity, as many classes have atleast 40 students in them...so, the potential gospel presentations could be as many as 4 talks*5 days*40 students per class = 400 students! WHOA.

My STINT teammates are leading teams at UTP, Santiago and in the Architucture/Law faculties...and they too have seen God work in crazy ways this week! Check out their blogs for some cool stories.

Ps. 66:3a - "Say to God 'how awesome are your deeds! So great is your power..."

Please be praying for our team, as we organize details for these talks, and also come up with strategies to follow up with the interested students. Follow up is so key to helping students really understand the Gospel and getting them hooked in with Vida Estudiantil, an environment they can grow in their faith.

Today is the day

Today is the day that will begin a "different" life for us over the next 6 weeks.

From May 5-June 15, a group of 17 Canadian students are coming down to Panama to do ministry a long side us in whats called Panama Project. And, 3 staff from Canada are coming down to help lead the project...and they arrive tonight, just in time for some staff orientation to start tomorrow. I cant believe its time for the Canadians to come already!!

Here's how project is split up:
May 5-10 --Student orientation and training
May 11-June 4 -- Campus Cycle: 4 weeks are spent on campus, doing evangelism & discipleship. We'll have 2 teams at Univ de Panama, 1 at UTP and 1 in Santiago. Each of us STINTers will be leading or co-leading one of these teams.
June 5-7 --Rest & Relaxation weekend
June 7-12 -- Missions Experience: A week of serving the people in Panama's interior
June 12-15 --Debrief: A project review, time for reflection and to make some future faith goals.

This project is the same 6 week trip like the one I came on in 2007. It definitely changed my life, as I grew closer with the Lord, gained a larger heart for campus ministry, formed many lasting relationships and it ultimately was the catalyst in my decision to serve here for a year.

In short, Project is one impacting & amazing time.

If you could be praying for the Canadian students, our team & the staff from Canada over these 6 weeks that'd be stellar! And, especially for this upcoming orientation week, as we'll be in sessions and training from 8:30am-9pm each day...its gonna be a long but awesome week.

Some huge blessin' went on

1 Sam 12:24 - "But be sure to fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you."

One day per month, we have a Day Alone with God (DAWG), to read our Bibles, pray, worship and generally spend time with the Lord. Its also a huge refuelling day, as at times, you can feel dry when always doing ministry.

This past Friday we had our April DAWG. It was so refreshing and I enjoyed it immensely. God was able to show me numerous things from His Word over the 8 or so hours we hung out together, and among the items was this 1 Sam 12:24 verse. I really liked it, as it talks about being obedient to God (fear of the Lord is equated to obedience), serving Him faithfully and also meditating on the sweet stuff He's done in your life.

Sometimes we dont take enough time to really consider our blessings from the Lord and genuinely thank Him for those. Atleast I know I dont. When good things happen, sometimes I only give God half the credit He's actually due. I enjoy the moment, but dont necessarily allow God to enjoy it with me. I want to get better at viewing everything as a great thing He's done for me.

On the topic of great things God has done, our Visa Renewal trip to El Salvador was a HUGE one!!!

To give a bit of background, to live here in Panama we either need tourist visas, which are good for 90 days, or we need to go through the extensive and expensive immigration system to get temporary one year visas. We decided to go with tourist visas, cause they were cheaper and we had to leave the country for Dominican Rep project, Christmas etc. So, with our tourist visas expiring on the 17th of April, we knew we had to leave. We looked into El Salvador, as Raquel and Juan Carlos both have family there. God totally provided us with cheap $22 each way flights, and we were able to be hosted by Raquel's family in San Salvador.

It was such a great thing to even just be there. To see the country; taste the DELICIOUS food (namely pupusas); to visit Raquel's uncle's beach house; to go to the beach; to see a Panamanian friend who is on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ there; to hang out with the American STINT team who is serving in San Salvador with Vida Estudiantil; to visit a volcano; and to drink the best coffee at a shop since my last Starbucks in August. It was such a great 4 day trip - there was some huge blessing going on. And, all from our loving Heavenly Father. Thanks God.

Photos: Top - Two STINT teams from Panama & El Salvador

Middle - The beach we visited

Bottom - At the top of a volcano with Raquel's grandma, Mama Ethel.

what commission!?

God often uses simple things to bring joy to my heart. This was one of those times:
Friday night we had our bi-weekly "Noche de Conexion" (Connection Night) with students from all 3 Universities we work at. This week, we handed out a questionnaire for the students to fill out, with a few simple questions. Some of the questions were: What is the vision of Vida Estudiantil? How has Vida Estudiantil helped me in my Christian walk? And, what can I be doing to help fulfill the Great Commission in my generation?
One of the students, who accepted Christ the end of March and has just recently gotten involved, read the third question and was like, "What Commission!? What are you talking about?" We told him it was the great commission Jesus talked about in Matt 28:18-20. He responded with, "I need to look this up." So, he went, grabbed a Bible and read the passage. His next comment was, "Interesting. You learn something new each day," and then continued to fill out the questionnaire.
His enthousiasm was encouraging and it reminded me of times when I've learned or understood something new in God's Word - its really EXCITING!

the past, present & future few days

This week we've had Vida Estudiantil frosh tables set up in 3 different faculties, the Science, Law and Architecture faculties.

Today, while I was at the science table, a guy, Toddy came up and asked me what Vida Estudiantil was. I told him some info on it, and then he said he knew someone on staff, but couldnt remember the name. I named off one current staff member, Toddy said no, that wasnt him, and then I mentioned Leopoldo, the former campus director of VE. As soon as I mentioned Leopoldo, Toddy's face it up. He continued to explaine how a few years back in Colon, Leopoldo had really encouraged his father to follow hard after God and was a real inspiration to their family. He also said how they lost contact with Leopoldo, but still hold a special place for him in their hearts, because of his encouragement. This conversation really reminded me that God really does work in His own timing, and we just need to be faithful in serving Him although we may not immediately see visible results or fruit. Leopoldo probably had no idea his encouraging words back in Colon would impact a family for many years to come.

Thursdays also mean we have the Weekly Vida Estudiantil Meeting from 12:30-2! This week we saw about 25-30 people there. It was awesome, as most of the students were in their first year or were friends of students already involved. There were lots of new faces - Praise God!!!

Tomorrow we head off for a 4 day trip to El Salvador. Every 90 days we have to leave the country, as our Visas expire and we want to stay legal in Panama :). We're gonna be staying with Raquel's grandma, are planning on seeing a Panamanian friend living there and the US STINT team in San Salvador. It should be fun!

On another note, we headed out last week on a conference for Semana Santa (Holy Week) from Apr 9-12, with the Crusade church here, La Comunidad. Here are a couple pics from the weekend in Boquete, Chiriqui.

Day #1: Oliver, a Crusade staff member, sharing a morning devotion before the main session

Our team overlooking beautiful Boquete!

Day #4, Sunday - we had some baptisms!!! 13 Panamanians got baptized in the pool.

Have some faith

The end of March and beginning of April means Frosh preparations and time spent connecting with students on campus. Frosh week is the first week of classes on campus, and is where we aim to reach first year students with the gospel and also the vision of Vida Estudiantil. If we can reach first years, they have another 4-5 years to grow in their faith, transform their campus and be equipped to change the world!!

March 23-27 was the first week of classes on the Universidad Tecnologica de Panama (UTP) campus, and we had the chance to set up an info table and Soularium outreach tool in the lobby area of the main building. Many students engaged in spiritual conversations with us through the Soularium pictures and signed up to receive more info as well as weekly Bible Studies. After hearing what the vision of VE was, one first year student, Michael, told Raquel and I he was praying to God to find a group of Christian students on campus, and then he found us! Marielena, one of the Panamanians who works on UTP, got to meet a student named Jesus. They talked, she shared the gospel with him, and he accepted God into his heart. He stopped by the info table each day after that, and also came to church on Sunday. It was so encouraging to see such interested students that are hungry to learn more about God.

Mar 30-Apr 3 was the frosh week on the Universidad de Panama campus. We had the opportunity to enter some first year classes in faculties of law, arquitecture and sciences. We described what Vida Estudiantil was, and invited the students out to the weekly meeting held every Thursday. Our frosh activities will continue over the next couple weeks, connecting with students next week and setting up info tables and using Soularium the week after.

As I reflected on all these activities and had a quiet time on campus yesterday, I came across a word that summed it all up: faith, as seen in this verse:
1 Tim 1:4b - "...advancing God's work - which is done by faith."
I couldnt help but think that our faith in God, that He'll accomplish exactly what He wants to, and will always be at work through His Spirit in the hearts of man, is the backbone of our ministry. Sometimes we may see a lot of fruit on campus, in the form of really excited students or those who accept Jesus as their saviour. Other times, it may be such hard work, seem like everyone is apathetic and like nothing is happening. Regardless of what we may be visibly seeing or feeling, we need to have faith that God is doing things and moving in people's hearts.
Isa 55: 9-11 - "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so it is with my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

The info table and Soularium board at UTP; talking with students

The team at the UTP tableWelcome sign for 2009 year at Universidad de Panama

More Laborers

Quiet time reading, Mon Feb 16: Ps 9, Matt 9, 2 Kings 6-8
Journal entry:
Matt 9:36-37 -" When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.' "

I remember reading this passage on that Monday, and praying both for my heart (for an increase in compassion for others who are lost), and also for others, that they would be sent out into the harvest fields.

Then, last Tuesday, at staff meeting, we got to hear from three different people, two from South America and one Panamanian about joining to work the harvest fields. Marquis is a student who was involved with the Vida Estudiantil ministry in Santiago, and just accepted the offer to do a one year internship on campus there (kind of like what I'm doing here, but within his own country). He is finishing off his university thesis until August, then will support raise for a couple months, and hopefully be on campus by late this year. It was pretty exciting hearing how God had impacted his life through Vida Estudiantil and how he wants to not only serve God this year, but also the rest of his life. Another man, Edgar, also shared how he is considering joining Leadership Impact group here in Panama. He shared with us during the meeting how he and his family were in the US, but then lost everything. They only had their suitcases and a few things when they came down here, and now he wants to serve God with his whole heart. And, thirdly, there was Patricia. She is a geology prof at the Universidad Tecnologica who is considering joining staff with Campus Crusade too (unfortunately, I didnt catch much of her testimony...my spanish translation was too slow, haha).
I left the meeting feeling very encouraged that God is indeed at work, and IS raising people up to work in his harvest fields...especially the harvest fields here in Panama. There is such a great need, both here and around the world!!!

"Jesus said to them, 'My Father is ALWAYS at his work to this very day, and I too am working." John 5:17
"Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together." Psalm 34:3

'I' is for Idalisis and Incredible

This week has looked a little different than all the other ones. The university semester is on a short break, and regular classes begin again on Mar 23 (UTP) and Mar 30 (Univ de Panama). So, we've been doing a variety of Canadian summer project and frosh preparations, and our monthly day alone with God. Here's some highlights from the week, from Monday & Wednesday:

Monday - Juan Carlos, Derek, Raquel and I left the city to visit the Vida Estudiantil crew in Santiago. We went to do some initial Canadian project preparations with the staff member there, Duby, and also to pray over the campus.
While we were waiting on campus that night for students to come to a prayer walk around the campus, a girl walked up to us. I immediately recognized her, although she was new to the VE movement out there. IDALISIS!!! Wow. Lindsey, Raquel and I had initially talked with her, and her two friends on the Univ de Panama campus in Panama City while we were evangelizing (see Oct 21st blog post). And since then, she moved to Santiago, and is neighbours with one of the VE students, Cielo, who invited her out to VE. Idalisis decided to further check out VE, and is now actively involved. It was incredible to watch her face and hear her words as she told Raquel and I how she has grown in her walk with the Lord since October. She said she feels a lot more peaceful and has changed much since the fall. She definitely had changed since October, as I could visibly see that peace and change, in her mannerisms and overall outlook even as we talked. Praise God who orchestrated our initial meeting in Oct and used that short conversation to transform Idalisis' life!!!

Wednesday - Today was our Day Alone with God (DAWG). Once a month we get a day to spend solely with God, doing such things as reading and meditating on the Word, praying, reading Christian books, etc. This day is pretty vital, as its so important to refresh oneself in the Lord, especially as we're always ministering to others and pouring ourselves out into them.
I started reading 2 Thess that day. 2 Thess 1:8-10 really stuck out:
"He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you."
This scripture passage left me with a bitter-sweet taste in my mouth. My heart felt so heavy for those who don't know Him. Imagine that: being subject to eternal destruction and separation from God. There cant be anything worse than that - being punished with destruction and apart from everything that is good, that is God. This is a motivation in itself for the urgency of sharing the Gospel!!! On the other hand, my heart was hopeful and excited, as I thought about what it would be like to marvel at God. Thats what we get to do, friends! I'd encourage you to meditate upon that a bit this next upcoming week. That day is gonna be incredible!

You Just Never Know

God never ceases to amaze and surprise me. I just never know what He's gonna do next, what He will teach me or how exactly He is gonna work. And, I like that.
Like on Tuesday, Mar 3. Steve, Juan Carlos and I set out to take pictures of the campus and some students for a STINT video to be sent to Canada. We ended up meeting up with one of Steve's disciples, Joel, and took some pictures with him and two of his friends. This photo-shoot evolved into a gospel presentation, and both Abdiel and Karleen, two law students at the Universidad de Panama, accepted Jesus as their Saviour.
And today. I hung out with my friend Brooke, and we toured Casco Viejo (old quarter of Panama City, that has amazing architecture). We ended up talking with a lady named Mary Jo, walked amongst the buildings with her and conversed over some delicious gelato. Brooke and I were able to be a blessing to her, share our faith in a very relational way and talk about spiritual things in a laid back manner. Neither of us expected to meet her and be able to be such a tangible representation of Jesus and His love to her.

" ...keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy." 1 Pet 3:25 Message
You just never know, so be ready.

A little Kuna village called Icandi...part 2 of 2

For the rest of our days, our team split into three groups, each one with a Kuna translator and went to meet some families to help them with their household chores. On Monday, Derek and I went with Pastor Lino, and met 2 different families. We got to serve them practically, sweeping their dirt floors, helping gather firewood, rock babies to sleep in hammocks, grind corn and carry plantains to the hut. My favourite thing I got to do help a mom out by rocking a precious little baby girl to sleep in a hammock. She looked so peaceful as we both swung together.

Derek and I carrying plantains...they were surprisingly heavy!!

On Tuesday, Steve, Raquel and I went out with Pastor Artemio to simply talk with the families, learning about their lives, sharing ours and engaging in some spiritual conversations. I was impacted by the second house we visited, and the comment the lady made to us. We were talking and somehow the topic of travelling came up. We shared that we were from Canada, she said she didn’t want to travel to Panama City, and then she said that we must have a lot of money as we are able to travel. The first thought in my head was ‘well, actually, we don’t,’, and I immediately shared my opinion with Steve. He responded back with, ‘well, we kinda do.’ That really got me thinking, as the perspective totally depends on who your comparison audience is. Compared to the typical Canadian white collar worker, we as missionaries don’t make a lot of money. But, compared to the many people here in Panama and especially in the Kuna village where living is very primitive, we have so much. Wow. As that continued to circulate in my head, the Spirit led me to this verse:
“...from everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12:48b
I have been given much, and as a result have a lot of responsibility. And, with the amount I’ve been entrusted, much will be expected of me. I pray that God would give me wisdom and knowledge to use and invest all he has given and entrusted me, time, talent and treasure wise.

On Tuesday night, we also got to present the Magdalena film, which is similar to the Jesus film, but from a woman’s perspective. About 175 men, women and children came out, and our team also got to do some dramas, as well as share our testimonies. Pastor Lino gave a gospel message at the end of the film as well.

Derek sharing his testimony (3 way translation style: english --> spanish--> kuna) before the Magdalena film.

Showing the Magdalena film

It was cool to see how God used our simple presence in the village. The pastors had been talking with the Silahs (men) in charge of the village in regards to building a church. Two months ago these discussions had begun, and then a month ago the Silahs had said no. However, with our visit, the Silahs saw a demonstration of the commitment of support to the village, and how the missionaries are dedicated to serving the Icandi people. And, in the Silah council meeting they had on Tuesday night, they said yes to the church again and the construction date was bumped up to start Mar 15!

Walking through the village with the kids

Overall, I pray that our presence and ministry in the village would somehow bring the Kuna people there a step closer to knowing Jesus as their saviour. They are a people whobelieve in God, but not in Jesus, thinking salvation is based on works only. Please pray for spiritual transformation in this village, that their spiritual eyes would be opened, the church construction and for the weekly visits the Pastors make.

Bye, Icandi!!! The view of the village as we left on Wednesday afternoon.

To see more pictures, click this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=221939&id=618945586&l=800c9

A little Kuna village called Icandi...Part 1 of 2

Incredible, touching, impacting, and eye-opening are a few words I would use to describe the adventure we embarked on from Sun, Feb 22 - Wed, Feb 25.
Our team got to go on what’s called a Missions Experience, where we live and serve a remote community in Panama for a few days. For this trip, we got to go to a remote Kuna Indian Village, called Icandi, along with Todd & Marielena Tillinghast and three local missionaries to the area, Pastors Lino, Artemio and Lazaro (they've been ministering in the village for a while and their relationships with the people allowed us permission to come to the community).

Our trip started out with a 2.5 hour bus ride from Panama City, to a small town called Bayano, situated beside a large brackish lake. We unloaded all our stuff and waited to load our boat, as the village was another 45 minutes by boat across the lake. The boat wasn’t what I expected at all, as it was a dugout canoe with a small motor on the back. It definitely served its purpose well and we set out on the water.

View of the Icandi Kuna Village from the lake

As we approached where our village was, little people began appearing from what seemed like nowhere, and ran down the hill to meet us. As we unloaded our bags, many of the Kuna people (kids included!) whisked them away, carrying them to our then unknown accommodation. We ended up staying in a large hut, owned by a Kuna lady by the name of Flor, who is the woman leader of the village. She graciously opened up space for us, while some of her family moved into the kitchen for our stay. The men of the village helped us set up our hammocks and mosquito nets, Steve and Lindsey went off to cook dinner in the new kitchen consisting of a open fire pit, and many Kuna 'supervisors', wondering what in the world they were cooking.

Each day began bright and early at about 5:30. On Monday and Tuesday, we got to help with a Woman's Bible Study, and also met and served families in tangible ways.
Each time Pastors Lino and Artemio visit the village, they had been hosting Bible Studies for the women, as during the day, the men are off hunting or fishing. This visit, they were able to arrange the meetings again and so we got to help out with it. Over the two days, Marielena, Lindsey Raquel and I got to share our testimonies with them, and then pastor Artemio shared a Bible message.

Marielena sharing her testimony at the Women's Bible Study

It was incredible to see how many kids there were in the village! They were pretty much constantly around us, clinging to us and clearly vying for love and attention most of them didn’t receive from their parents. During the women’s Bible Studies, we got to sing some songs with the kids, play games and teach them a Bible Story. It was touching to hear them often singing “Jesus, yo te amo...” (Jesus I love you...) long into the night after each day.

Playing games with the kids

Raquel and I with some of our new "ANAI" (friends): Griseliana, Cecilia, Anaeliana, and Pinelia

Circulation...

Sometimes there are just too many things circulating in my head to blog about just one thing. This is the case today. I planned on posting something new today, but when I sat down to write, no one event or topic really jumped out at me. So, here are a few things to read about:

1. Last Saturday, we had the 2nd annual Vida Estudiantil Valentines Day party (or Dia del Amor y Amistad, Day of Love & Friendship as its called here). We played some games, ate some great food and heard a talk from Oliver and Zulma. Oliver works on the UTP campus here, and he and Zulma have been dating for almost a year now. Since our group was primarily composed of singles, they got to share with us how God can really use this state of singleness to work in us, draw us closer to Himself, and prepare us for the future. They also shared on relationships in general, whether romantic or not, and how to construct successful ones.

2. I've been learning a lot about Peace lately. A couple of meaningful verses have been:
Col 3:15 - 'Let the PEACE of Christ rule in your hearts...and be thankful.'
Phil 4:6-7 - 'Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the PEACE of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.'
Isa 26:3-4 - 'You will keep in perfect PEACE those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord is the Rock eternal.'
Rom 8:6b - '...but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and PEACE.'
I noticed some correlations here, namely between peace and thankfulness, and how peace is in our hearts and minds. Its a conscious choice to be thankful, and we have to both think on peace and believe it in our hearts. I think what gives me the most peace is fully trusting in the Lord, that no matter what is going on, He has good plans for me, loves me and is in control. Especially as I look forward to next year after STINT, and have no clear idea what that may look like. At times it looks daunting, but I can be at peace with it, as He is so trustworthy with my life.

3. This Sunday, after church, our STINT team is heading out on a Missions Trip to the Darien Jungle. We will be working in a Kuna Indian Village there. This will for sure be an incredible experience, as we'll be sleeping in hammocks with mosquito nets, aren't allowed to bring many of our daily toiletry necessities (only a tooth brush, towel, and bar of soap...nothing else!) and will be doing some acts of service ministry for the people. If you could pray for safety and that God would move powerfully in this village, that'd be awesome!!! More updates will come....

Above: Playing a game at the Valentines day party

Below: Oliver and Zulma sharing some relationship wisdom with us

A simple surprise...

I received this link in my inbox on Friday:
http://ccci.org/locations/americas/panama/panama-to-dominican-republic.aspx

Its talking about the trip we took to the Dominican Republic in November. Its a cool little surprise & encouragement that we made the national Campus Crusade for Christ news!! GO PANAMA!

25 random things...PANAMA edition

In the past week, Facebook notes have lately been dominated by “25 Random Things About Me” tags. I already posted a note on random things about myself, and thought it would be fun to do a random list of things from Panama and my life here. Here we go...

1. The public transportation here is old school buses, called "Diablo Rojo's" (Red Devils). I have a whole new perspective on crowded transportation after taking the bus at rush hour some days.
2. On the topic of buses, sometimes there are people who board the bus to sell various items. Everything they sell is $0.25 (or 'veinticinco centavos,'). Everyone on the bus knows this too, but after each item, they still say the price. For example, "mint gum, $0.25; scissors, $0.25; pens, $0.25; nail clippers, $0.25; mirror, $0.25...". They don’t ever get tired of saying 'veinticinco centavos.' I laugh in my head at them sometimes.
3. Salsa and Merengue music is pretty stellar.
4. Movies are $3.25 or $4. SWEEEET! But, they are a couple months behind Canada showings...
5. Going to the Rey, the grocery store here is always an adventure. Sometimes they just don’t have items they had yesterday. One time, Raquel went to buy milk. They didnt have any, and then when she tried again in 2 days, and they still didnt have any. Items also switch places, so it can be a hunt trying to find what you want. Its kinda fun.
6. The houses around our apartment have a lot of dogs. Once one dog starts barking, the rest follow. We call this our “dog choir.”
7. One typical food here is Ceviche. It is raw fish with lemon juice and spices. It is amazing.
8. For some reason, chips, pop and ice cream are at 99% of events. Pop is a BIG thing here.
9. Watch out for random holes in sidewalks or uneven pavement on the roads!
10. Traffic baffles me here. Some days it flows really good and other days it takes forever to go to the same place.
11. Last week, the ‘Viejitos,” (the old people) protested and shut down one of the major roads just outside the University, called Transistmica. Protests are common.
12. January till March is dry season. And the grass actually gets brown!
13. I’m quite accustomed to wearing jeans during the day.
14. If any food is left out, these little tiny, almost microscopic ants get into it. There are swarms of them. I will NOT miss them when I get back to Canada.
15. We attend a church called “La Comunidad,” which has about 45 people attending.
16. We work on 3 campuses: Universidad de Panama, Universidad Tecnologica de Panama and Interamericana.
17. Taxi drivers can choose whether or not they want to take you somewhere, based on their moods, traffic, the place you’re going and time of day. There’s no real rhyme or reason though.
18. My favourite taxi ride was when we got to act out a soap opera with our driver. He used to be an actor and so loved improvising. We got to learn about his family and also share the Gospel with him, which was so cool!
19. McCafe, a small coffee shop in McDonalds is the closest thing we have to Starbucks.
20. I am a band groupie. Our team along with Laura, Andrea, Gabriela, and Josue are all fans of our friend’s Christian band, “Jose Andres y La Banda.”
21. Food in the cafeteria in school usually consists of rice, chicken or beef, and pasta. For dessert there is flan or rice pudding. To drink, there is juice we call “chicha.” It is a special treat if there are vegetables or salad there.
22. Sometimes during the day, there are guys with push carts walking through the neighbourhood streets selling things. They scream out, “EMPANADAS DE POLLO!” or “EMPANADAS DE CARNE!” Derek does the greatest impression of them.
23. There are many, many stray cats by the guys apartment.
24. A lot of the houses here have metal gates, barred windows and doors.
25. Panamanian greeting: girls and girls, as well as girls and guys greet with a kiss on the cheek and maybe a hug (depending on how well you know the person). Guys and guys greet with a handshake. I’m going to miss this when I go back to Canada!!!

a testimony today

Today is Sunday, and Sundays mean going to La Comunidad, our church here in Panama!!!
I really enjoy the services, as they have a good mix of meet and greet, testimony time, awesome praise and worship, prayer and a solid message.
During testimony time, anyone from the congregation can go up and share something that happened in their week, related to God's work in their lives or the lives of others. Today, Mari (wife of Leonzo, the National Director of Campus Crusade for Christ here in Panama) shared with us a really cool story. She told how she was on her way to a meeting, and was reading over her notes on the bus. A lady who was sitting next to her saw her notes, and began to ask her about them. They began to talk, and Mari was able to share the Gospel with her....and, the lady prayed to receive Christ!!! COOL. And, just as Mari was sharing this story with us, the lady who accepted the Lord, walked into the church service!
After Mari finished her story, the worship team began another set. As I stood up, I glanced over and saw the woman, still seated, with tears rolling down her cheeks. I dont know exactly why she was crying, but I'm pretty sure it was a special God moment in her life.

Holiday Highlights

"In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world - just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God's grace." Col 1:6
How cool is that, that the Gospel is growing throughout the ENTIRE world, and is continuously doing so!? I was really hit with this statement, as I travelled to different locations during my holiday time. God was at work at each one of the places we visited, and it was cool to catch a glimpse of this work.

The first place was here in Panama. My family came to visit me for a few days, and we went on a tour of the Gamboa rainforest. Another lady named Kathy, who works in Puerto Rico and visits Panama frequently came with us on the tour as well. As we were hiking throughout the rainforest, her and I started talking a bit. She began asking me questions about why Im in Panama and what I do here. I shared with her that I work with students on the University campus and talk with them about God. She asked a few more questions, as to what that entailed, and I was able to share with her what talking about God means by describing a simple coles notes version of the gospel. God really orchestrated that conversation and it was really cool to think that no matter where we are, whether on vacation, working or just going about our daily lives, God's hand is always at work in the hearts of people.

We also took a team vacation for a few days to the lovely town of Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica. This town is located on the Caribbean coast, has a very island-y feel to it and is host to many foreign, surfing oriented visitors. One day we visited a coffee shop in the town, Caribeans Coffee, and met its owner, Paul. As we talked with him, Paul shared with us how he and his wife initially moved to the town as missionaries, and when their term ended, they felt led to stay and open up the coffee shop. They envisioned using the shop as a casual place where they could share the love of Jesus with those who visit, both in indirect and observable ways. It was incredible to hear Paul's heart to share truth with the people of Puerto Viejo, and how the shop was being used as a light in the town. This meeting was a sweet example of God's work places where we often least expect it. I left the town feeling very encouraged that God is at work in so many ways and so many places.

On another note, here are some more of my holiday highlights:
1. Spending some rich times with my family, both talking and doing things together
2. Touring Panama City with my parents and sister, including the Monkey Island tour, which took us in a boat up the Panama Canal to see real live monkeys!
3. Walking and talking on the beach with Nadine, Evan, Toni, and Dawn
4. Visiting and taking SO MANY pictures of the astounding architecture in Havana, Cuba
5. Snorkelling in the Bay of Pigs, Cuba

A whole new look

Happy 2009! To celebrate this new year, mr. blog got a makeover. It was fun trying to pick out templates that matched my feeling for the year and work down here in Panama...and I finally arrived at this one. It feels serene and I simply liked it (however, I dont quite understand the 'il primo' and 'il secondo,'...why are those random italian words there? Apparently they cant be removed. I tried. Too bad they werent in spanish. )

Any comments on the new look?