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