'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!