The Return to Panama

Im a fan of Donald Miller...

2011-03-07T10:47:00.001-07:00

What story are you telling? from Rhetorik Creative on Vimeo.

And, we're BACK...

2010-06-20T19:50:00.006-06:00

Time simply flies by!!!! We arrived back in Canada Wednesday, June 16th at night, after a long day in the air.

A lot happened since May 30th, my last blog update. Here were some of the highlights:

1. COMMITMENT DINNER, June 3rd - This was the second annual dinner, where Panamanians involved in Vida Estudiantil and those we had worked with on project were invited to a night of food, friends and vision to reach the world. All together, there were about 70 of us, all together for this inspirational night. To start out, Yaremis, an involved student who accepted Christ last year, gave her testimony; Oliver shared the vision of how Vida Estudiantil aims to change the world and Secundina shared some of her heart. Then, Steve gave a challenge to the Panamanians. This challenge was essentially a form of higher commitment in 4 areas:
1. To walk with God in obedience
2. To a life of evangelism and discipleship
3. To involvement in Vida Estudiantil on their respective campus
4. To help complete the Great Commission in this generation.
Each student was given a card with these 4 items on it, and then everyone prayed about the commitment. And, God was working in many hearts!!! After praying, Nayeli, a first year Business student on the National Campus turned to Allison (one of the Canadian students) saying, "I know this commitment may be hard, but I feel like its the next step God wants me to take." It was so exciting to see and hear how students were responding to the Lord's leading in their lives. Overall, we saw about 44 students make this commitment (those from the National, UTP and Santiago campuses).

Above: Oliver sharing how Vida Estudiantil seeks to Change the World with the news of Jesus!

Below: Yaviris, myself and Yaremis - they are involved in Vida Estudiantil at the National campus

2. Rest and Relaxation weekend in El Valle-June 4-6th --This was a time to remember and reflect on the things God had done during the campus cycle part of our trip, as well as rest and refocusing ourselves for the adventure cycle portion. (Unfortunately, I got a bad virus the Friday night, so missed all the Sat & Sun sessions.)

3. Adventure Cycle, June 7-11 - Sancona, Cocle - The team headed up there to work along side Pastor Correa to reach families in the interior, mountainous province of Cocle. This village was different, as there wasnt a lot of alcoholism, and the general outlook of the people was positive. This was because there had already been a missionary visit and a church had been set up there...it was so clear that the Gospel was already at work in the lives of the people (as compared to other villages who had never heard of the Good news of Jesus!). I wasnt able to go on Adventure Cycle, as I was still feeling sick from the weekend...so I headed back to Panama City to rest and prepare a bit for Debrief.

4. Debrief, June 11-13 - This was a time for the students to process what God taught them on the trip and to prepare for life back in Canada. It was very restful and we all enjoyed our last moments together.

I will be sending out a Newsletter with some Project Highlights some time in the next couple weeks - watch your mailboxes :)!! Thanks very much for your partnership and the role you played in reaching Panama with the Good News of Jesus!!!

Prayer Update...

2010-05-30T21:28:00.002-06:00

I updated the prayer requests on the side of my blog, but wanted to further explain a couple items:
1. Commitment Dinner - Thurs, June 3rd. We're inviting Panamanian students who are already involved in Vida Estudiantil or whom we've been working with each week while we've been in Panama. The purpose of this is to challenge them to further commitment in their walks with God, involvement in Vida Estudiantil and a commitment to the Great Commission. Last year we saw 44 Panamanian students take this challenge, and many of them have grown so much in their faith as a result. We're praying for 45 Panamanians to commit to this challenge.

2. Adventure Cycle - Mon, June 7 - Fri, June 11.
We're heading to the interior, about 5 hrs away from Panama City, to a small village called Sancona. While we're there, we'll be helping the families during the day and then showing the Jesus film at night. Many people in the interior of Panama have not heard about a personal relationship with Jesus before, so it will be cool to share the Gospel up there. If you could pray for physical safety (conditions are rough), spiritual protection (often there is much more visible spiritual warfare up there) and wisdom for our trip leaders (Juan Carlos, Wes and Pastor Corea).

A peek back and the week ahead...

2010-05-30T20:16:00.011-06:00

Wow, two weeks have flown by since the last post. So much has happened...I will try and summarize it as much as I can.

Our Weekly Schedule:

Monday: Campus (9-4:30), Bible Study (3-4:30), Training night (7-8:45)

Tuesday: Campus (9-4), Team fun or Guys time/Girls time

Wednesday: Campus (9-4:30), Bible Study Prep (3-4:30), Free night

Thursday: Campus (9-4:30), Weekly Meeting (12:30-2), Project Fun night

Friday: Campus (9-3), prayer meeting (6:30-8)

Week: May 17-21

Our team primarily worked within the Business Faculty this week, as we finally received permission from the administration to be there (long story cut short: the administration said we werent allowed to be there until we had a schedule of what we would be doing and they had a meeting with the Panamanian Staff Member, Secundina). We had a classroom talk outreach, and also had a small movie outreach.

Occasionally we were meeting up again with students from science, whom we met in the prior week, to further answer their questions about God, and the Gospel.

Week: May 24-28

This week, we focused even more in the Business Faculty, as one of the Vida Estudiantil student leaders is in this faculty. His name is Ruben. He's been a huge help to our team in translating and has a contagious enthusiasm for life, God, and reaching others for Christ.

We were able to have two outreach classroom talks, with first year students. During these "classroom talks" we presented some material on "Relaciones Exitosas" or "Successful Relationships," followed by a personal testimony and then a Gospel presentation.

and now, THIS WEEK!

This is our last week on campus!!! I cant believe it.

This week we are really focusing on following up with those who we've shared the Gospel with and those who heard our presentations in the classrooms. Often, these follow-up meetings are quite challenging, as students will agree to meet up, but for whatever reason, simply dont show up to the actual meeting. If you could pray for these meetings, that students would come and really discover a dynamic relationship with our living God, that'd be awesome!

Some Pictures from Project:

Pictures help tell the story a bit better...here are couple snapshots of our time here so far:

Above: Our Team!! Back row, L-R: Ruben, Corrina, Dan, Erin, Seanna. Front Row: Me, Carlos, Simone & Juan Carlos

Above: Sharing the Gospel with Tanya, a Pharmacy Student

Below: Lorenzo, a Panamanian Student giving a talk at the Vida Estudiantil Weekly Meeting

Project Fun night: singing "In the Jungle..." with matching costumes! It was pretty funny!

Campus Ministry Update

2010-05-16T14:44:00.003-06:00

Our team has been assigned to the faculties of Science & Business Administration on the National campus. Our team is comprised of: Juan Carlos & I (team leaders); Corrina, Seanna, Erin, Simone & Dan.
Last week was our first full week on campus, and we spent a lot of time doing initiative evangelism (sharing our faith with students) and had a few follow up meetings. We focused primarily in the Science faculty last week, as we needed a few extra permissions to be able to go into the Business faculty.
My favorite moment from the week was when Erin, Corrina & I shared with a girl named Yira. She explained to us that she wasnt sure what religion was the correct one, and as such, she hadnt made any decisions. We shared the gospel with her, and asked her if she'd like to invite Christ into her heart. She said no, cause she is still searching and is on a journey to find truth. Even though she did not accept Christ, I was super encouraged by her honesty, and her ability to openly confess that she wasnt sure what she was gonna believe and was on a journey to find out. This normally doesnt happen - most students say they want to pray to accept Christ regardless of their true thoughts, as praying is so culturally acceptable. I thanked Yira for her honesty, and explained that we're on the campus really to be a spiritual resource for students, and to help them take whatever steps they need to in their journey to pursue truth.

Some Prayer Requests:
-->HEALTH: both physically & spiritually. Its always an adjustment to get used to the hot, humid climate of Panama. Most students are doing alright so far. And, spiritually, as many students are finding it spiritually & emotionally draining to be talking with people each day about the love of Christ.
-->BOLDNESS IN THE GOSPEL: that we'd boldly share the Gospel, out of love, with everyone we encounter, and that God would use this to both bring people to a relationship with Himself, and bring Himself Glory
-->SCIENCE FACULTY: in the past, students in this faculty have been pretty closed to hearing about the Gospel. Pray for open hearts and for ideas as to how to connect with these students.
--> BUSINESS FACULTY: this week, we have some classroom talks to first year students, an english class & movie outreach planned. Pray for strength for our team as we host the events, and also for genuine life change, as many first years hear the Gospel and have a chance to respond.

Thanks very much for your prayers, thoughts & support!!!

I feel so encouraged!!!

2010-05-09T19:07:00.002-06:00

I know I already posted today about the past week's happenings, but one event in particular really encouraged my heart!!!
On Friday, we had a lunch at which Panamanian students involved in Vida Estudiantil could come and meet each team of Canadian students who would be working in their faculties. The purpose of this lunch was to really connect the two groups of students together, and emphasize that we (the Canadians) are down here to serve the Panamanian Vida Estudiantil ministry and help further solidify their movement of Christ centered laborers on the campus.

The absolutely amazing part was to see all the involved Panamanian Students. There were 19 of them who came to the lunch, and it was so evident that they really have a deep desire to reach their campus for Christ!!! This was so encouraging, as it was evidence that the commitment that most of these students made during last year's Panama Project Commitment Dinner (see prior blog post) has really stuck. God has definitely been at work in the lives of these students and for the first time, we have a group of core Panamanian students to work along side during our short time working on the campus. God has totally blessed everything our STINT team labored so hard for in the Lord last year!!!

To summarize week 1....

2010-05-09T18:30:00.004-06:00

We just finished a week of orientation - both for the staff and then one for the students. Staff orientation was on the Monday & Tuesday, to ensure our staff team was all on the same page and to allow us some time to prepare for our assigned student orientation responsibilities. Then, on Tuesday night, the 21 students from across Canada flew into Panama City, and started their orientation on Wednesday. Their orientation included training on the culture here, how to share their faith, what is spiritual multiplication and discipleship. It was a great time of connecting, and already deep friendships are forming within our large team.

During this orientation, we also divided the students into teams to work on the University campuses. Juan Carlos & I are leading a team of 5 Canadian students to work on the National campus, in one or two faculties (in either Business Admin, Architecture, Law or Sciences). We still have to decide which faculties we'll be in exactly. Our team is composed of: Erin, Seanna, Simone, Corrina and Daniel.

There are 3 other teams, one working in Santiago, one also working on the National Campus, and one team on the Technological University. Overall, we're praying to God for some big things, namely: 1) that each Canadian student would be able to see 3 Panamanian students enter into a personal relationship with Jesus; 2) that out of those 3 students, that 2 would be followed up effectively; 3) that for each pair of Canadian students sharing the Gospel together (side by side with the involved Panamanian students), that 2 movement builders or future spiritual multipliers who really catch the vision of Vida Estudiantil would get involved in the movement to reach their campus for Christ. Would you too join us in prayer for these things?

Tomorrow we start our time on the campuses....exciting!

And, we're off!!!

2010-05-01T21:52:00.002-06:00

Wow, how the time has flown by! I'm leaving tomorrow for Panama, which marks the beginning of Panama Project 2010!!! Craziness. It doesnt seem quite real yet...

On another note, a praise report - I finished support raising Tues, Apr 20th!!! Praise GOD! Finishing was a huge answer to prayer & I am thankful for your partnership in reaching the people of Panama. Thanks yet again :)

While Im down in Panama, Im planning on updating this blog weekly. So, stay tuned for news & stories of whats happening on the Project.
Until then...stay tuned!!

One month...

2010-04-02T10:07:00.003-06:00

Its exactly one month until we step foot on Panamanian soil once again. WOW.

Im pretty pumped!!!!!!

An update on support raising: Im at 66% of my goal - Praise the Lord! There's $2200 yet to go...

Sobre La Fe (About Faith)

2010-03-07T09:37:00.004-07:00

To kickstart this blog into action once again, here is an exerpt from my friend Oliver Marin's latest newsletter. Oliver is a full time staff member working on the Technological University Campus in Panama City, Panama.

Its about faith.

I can relate. These past 5 months have been a time of shifting from theoretically trusting in God, to practically trusting in Him. And, as Oliver noted, once this shift takes place, we meet a real God who wants to teach us how profound our faith can be. I feel like I'm just touching the tip of this iceberg called faith! So much more to be taught and apply...im thankful for His Holy Spirit in my life.

I totally agree, Oliver. "...old faith does not work for me today anymore. I have to start from zero again and remain on His power and wisdom." The faith I had when living in Panama does not work for my day to day life here in Canada. Each day it needs to be renewed by Him (although, I can look back to things He did in Panama, to see a testimony of His power). And, as I prepare to go back once again, my faith is gonna take on an even newer and different dimension. Im excited.

On Canadian turf again...

2009-07-06T10:18:00.003-06:00

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...

2009-06-26T08:09:00.003-06:00

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

2009-06-20T10:58:00.004-06:00

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

2009-06-09T11:50:00.002-06:00

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....

2009-05-29T12:08:00.008-06:00

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...

2009-05-15T12:59:00.006-06:00

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

2009-05-03T08:48:00.001-06:00

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

2009-05-03T08:02:00.007-06:00

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!?

2009-04-26T14:31:00.003-06:00

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

2009-04-16T18:51:00.004-06:00

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

2009-04-03T14:33:00.005-06:00

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

2009-03-27T16:36:00.005-06:00

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

2009-03-20T07:16:00.003-06:00

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

2009-03-14T19:20:00.004-06:00

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

2009-03-02T16:32:00.006-07:00

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

2009-02-28T10:03:00.010-07:00

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...

2009-02-20T15:37:00.005-07:00

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...

2009-02-15T21:59:00.002-07:00

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

2009-02-07T10:34:00.006-07:00

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

2009-02-01T11:48:00.004-07:00

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

2009-01-23T13:08:00.002-07:00

"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

2009-01-18T12:41:00.004-07:00

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?

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

2008-12-30T07:15:00.003-07:00

Merry Christmas!!! Its hard to believe another Christmas has already come and gone. This was definitely a unique Christmas and one that was very special.
Our celebrations started on the 24th (as thats when most Panamanians celebrate Christmas) and continued on through the 25th....straight.
Starting on the 24th, our team went out for Dim Sum (one of my favorite types of food!) for brunch, and then at night had the chance to attend a beautiful Christmas Eve service, where we sang some carols and heard the Christmas story. Then, our team headed over to the National Director's house, for some more celebrations, games, fellowship and food. It was fun, and became an even bigger party when the clock struck 12, as fireworks were going off non-stop. The games continued on, and we got home at 3am. Wow.
On the 25th, we celebrated Canadian Christmas. We all slept in a bit, had a yummy breakfast prepared by Lindsey, opened presents in the afternoon and then enjoyed a delicious turkey dinner made by Lindsey & Steve. I really enjoyed the time we got to spend as a STINT team family. Each of us also got to talk with our families in Canada, too, which made the day even greater. We eventually crashed into bed at about midnight, after a tranquil yet very memorable day.
It was such a privilege to be able to focus on and celebrate our Saviour's birth together as a team, and thats what the day really felt like... praying to thank Him for gifts we had received, the reading of the Christmas story and the real sense of love for eachother throughout the day. I am so thankful for all of these things. It was a Christmas to remember and treasure. In some ways I felt like Mary, when the Bible says she "treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2:19). God has blessed us so much, and allowed us to have such an incredible Christmas.

On another note, tomorrow we are officially on VACATION!!!! WHOOO! My parents and sister have come down to visit from Canada, and we'll be doing some touring around the city until Jan 4th. And then, for a week, we are going to Cuba to meet up with my brother, his wife & her sister. I am looking forward to the time spent with my family & all the fun that will ensue.
So, as such, I wont be online much in the next couple weeks....so, until January, have a very Happy New Year 2009!!!!

The past few weeks...definitely encouraging

2008-12-23T07:39:00.009-07:00

If I had to sum up the past couple weeks in one word, it would be encouraging. I've felt so blessed and inspired by the various people we've met up with and things we've done.

Here's a re-cap of whats gone on:

Dec 6-12: Arrival of 5 Canadians for a Shepherding trip!! Steve & Robyn Strongitharm and their two boys, as well as Jessica Fauvelle (she was on STINT down here last year) came down to visit us. The purpose of their trip was to see how we & the ministry were doing and to encourage us with the Word. It was so great to meet all of them, and I was simply encouraged by their presence.

For a few days, starting on the 9th, we all went to El Valle (the interior of Panama) for a mini retreat. While we were there, Steve Strongitharm led a few sessions on John 13 - 15, and what the Lord had laid on his heart out of those chapters. It was some great stuff!!

One session was on John 13:34-John 14:14, about having an eternal perspective. He talked about how our view of eternity changes 3 things:

1. Our view of trials - we have control over how we respond to these; without an eternal perspective we can become bitter

2. Our view on posessions - See Matt 6:19-21

3. Our view on the unsaved - verses 27-31...do we really believe that those who aren't saved will spend eternity separated from God?

Jesus was also our ultimate example of living in light of eternity, as He knew where He was going once He left the earth.

Steve also shared with us how students from his campus in Ontario are praying for Panama and for our team...that was so cool to find out and reminded me how we are one large family of God. It was cool to hear how people we dont even know are supporting us in prayer!

While we were out in El Valle, we also got to open some gifts Jessica brought us from Canada, visited the Santa Clara beach for a day, and hiked the "Sleeping Indian" mountain. It was such a refreshing and encouraging 4 day retreat, spiritually and physically.

Jess brought our team Christmas hats and advent calendars!

The view from the top of the Sleeping Indian hike

Sat, Dec 13 - STINT team + Jessica ROAD TRIP!!! We drove up to the Caribbean Coast, to see some historical sites and more of the beautiful country of Panama. Our first stop was at Fuerte San Lorenzo, a spanish fort from the 1600's. The second stop on our trip was a small town called Nombre de Dios. This town was a trade terminal across the Isthmus in the 1500's. There wasnt much to see here, but the black & white pebbled beach was serene. The third and last stop was at Portobelo, where we visited two separate forts. The first fort was Fuerte Santiago, and the second one was Fuerte San Jeronimo. Fuerte Santiago was built in 1739 and Fuerte San Jeronimo was the largest fortress ever built to protect the bay.

During the drive, I was in awe of how big our God really is and how He has created so many things. I also felt really blessed to be able to be living here in Panama and to be visiting such breath taking sites with great friends.
Looking out from Fuerte San Lorenzo

Steve in the middle of Fuerte San Jeronimo

M, Dec 15- W, Dec 17 - Vision trip to Santiago. We all jumped on a bus to head to a town 3 hours away, Santiago. We went to go visit the Vida Estudiantil crew out there, specifically to join them for their Christmas party, host a training session and hang out with some of the involved students. Its cool, because this ministry has really flourished and grown over the past while. Our Canadian summer projects have sent teams to Santiago for 3 years now, and its been neat to see the resulting fruit (involved students and changed lives) of the investment there. Throughout our visit, we were really able to see how God has been at work in the hearts and lives of students there...and thus felt super encouraged!!

We arrived there late Monday afternoon, just in time to eat a late lunch and head to the Christmas party that was being held on campus. Once I got there, I couldnt help but sense how the VE group there felt like like a big family. One could definitely feel the love in the room, and how they deeply cared for eachother. It was also really encouraging to see how many committed students came out, and how some new ones were there too! One girl, Cielo became a Christian this May, as a result of some Canadian students sharing with her on campus. About a month & a half ago, she led another friend to Christ and invited her out to come to VE. And then at the Christmas party, Cielo's friend also invited her cousin to come out!!! Whoa! It was neat to see spiritual multiplication in action.

It was also fun to meet up with Duby (on staff), Joanna and Marquis, three of our Dominican Republic team members!!!

Thurs, Dec 18 - VE Christmas Party in Panama City! It was a fun evening of great food, close friends, lots of laughter, games and celebrating the Christmas season. Making gingerbread houses in teams proved interesting, and the testimony time was also inspirational. Two students, Kiki and Ana both shared how they entered University feeling very alone and how through being involved in VE have not only grown in their faith but have made some solid friendships.

There were students there who had been involved in VE for a little while, and also some new faces. One new face was a guy named Samuel, who studies at the Technologica University, and whom Derek saw come to Christ this past semester. It was cool to see him come out and meet some of the other students who are also passionate about growing more in their faith.

The VE group at the Christmas Party

Looking back and forward....

2008-12-05T19:47:00.005-07:00

This week we finished working on the campus for the semester. The last day of classes was today, and the students have their final exams for the next two weeks. This week was definitely different, as we helped host a professors luncheon on Wednesday, and also had a Vida Estudiantil planning meeting for next year this morning. Its wierd to think that this semester is wrapping up, and the 2008 year is coming to a close.

Looking back on this past week, for our last sharing time on campus, Juan Carlos and I ended up talking with a guy named Luis Alberto. After asking him a couple questions, we transitioned into sharing the 4 Laws booklet with him. We proceeded through the first truth (God loves you and has a marvelous plan for your life), and into the second point (Man is sinful, and is separated from God, which is why he cant know or experience God's love or plan in life). As we read through the associated Bible verses, about how the wages of sin is death, and how we're all sinners, the expression on Luis' face fell. He read over the pages again, his face looking like he was in total despair. I will never forget the look of utter hopelessness on his face, as it was a strong reminder of how destitute and desperate we are without God. The reality of that point really struck me. As we continued to talk, it was absolutely incredible to be able to share with him that there is a solution to this separation, and a magificent hope. That he doesn't have to be lost in this life, but can find fulfilment. And that the ultimate hope is found in Jesus Christ and His death on the cross. God devised a way for us to know Him personally, and to save us from hopelessness: the ultimate expression of His love for us!!!

Looking forward, the next couple weeks are gonna fly by! Here is a glimpse of some of the things we're gonna be doing:
--Dec 6-12 is the Shepherding visit, where 3 Canadian staff are coming down to visit us. They're coming to see how our STINT team is doing, to give us some training and to take us on a refreshment retreat. It should be a good time!
--Trip to Santiago - We're gonna have the opportunity to visit the Vida Estudiantil crew in Santiago, to give them some training and join them for their Christmas party!!
--Dec 18th is the VE Christmas party (here in Panama City)
--Meetings to review & evaluate the past semester
--and of course, CHRISTMAS on the 25! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS!!!
Needless to say, we're going to be busy.

Refreshment

2008-11-29T08:43:00.004-07:00

I really enjoyed last weekend. We headed up to a place called El Valle, which is a 2 hr drive from Panama city, in the interior, mountainous area of the country. Some friends of ours had a house up there and graciously opened it up for us to go to.

El Valle is very tranquil, pristine, and surrounded by fresh wilderness. It is a refuge from the hustle and bustle of living in Panama City. When you are there, you cant help but relax. I felt like my soul especially needed some of that refreshment and a break from everyday busy life.
God encouraged me so much over the weekend. Simply through the hospitality of our friends, the beautiful mountains and foliage, and also His Word. One verse that specifically came alive for me was Zeph 3:17, which says,

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

This verse connected with my heart for a couple reasons. Firstly, it was a great reminded that he is mighty to save. He is able to save me, students on campus, and people in the world. I needed to hear that after having a long week on campus, where it seemed like nothing really happened and students were indifferent towards spiritual things. The second thing was that He delights in me and quiets me with his love. I felt very precious, treasured and secure. It reminded me of how a father and small daughter relate with eachother. She feels so free to be herself as she knows her dad loves her, and feels safe when she's around Him. God wants me to have this close relationship with Him too. To put it simply, I felt very loved.

On Sat, we also went to the beach. This picture hopefully captures a small part of the tranquillity and peacefulness of the interior of Panama:

On a side note, this quote summarizes what its like outside right now: "its raining dragons and horses." -Jose Andres
(this quote is the Panamanian equivalent of its 'raining cats and dogs.')
Its been pouring outside non-stop for about 3 days now and things are pretty wet.

MORE Dominican photos...

2008-11-21T13:13:00.003-07:00

I've posted yet some more pictures from the Dominican Republic Project on facebook. And, for those of you who arent facebookers, here are the links to see the albums:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=178444&l=c4833&id=618945586
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=178548&l=636ba&id=618945586
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=178551&l=0a468&id=618945586

Enjoy!

Highlights of the Dominican trip...in pictures.

2008-11-14T12:01:00.019-07:00

1. Marquis, & Isaac's first time on a plane. Smile, Laura!

2. The Dominican Republic Flag.

3. At the entrance of Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo - our campus for the week!

4. Showing the Jesus film to 250 people in a poor Santo Domingo neighbourhood. Lorenzo is sharing his testimony in this picture

5. Lorenzo, Steve (not pictured here) and I evangelized in the Facultad de Artes all week. It was encouraging to see the transformation in Lorenzo over the week

6. Marjorie, a Dominican student I got to share the gospel with, and I

7. On Thurs night, we hosted a fiesta, complete with music and a few student testimonies. Laura is sharing her testimony here.

8. Me, Lorenzo, Juan Louis, Gleny and Steve - Juan and Gleny were two students our faculty team shared with

9. And finally...Our VE team: 7 Panamanian students (Marquis, Joanna, Isaac, Lorenzo, Laura and Abraham); 3 Panamanian staff (Oliver, Duby & Secondina); 6 Canadian STINTers (myself, Lindsey, Raquel, Juan Carlos, Steve and Derek) and 2 film crew (Selegna and Juan). Leyla and Prospero, the two Dominican staff members also joined us for this picture.

Its finally here!!!

2008-10-31T09:55:00.002-06:00

I cant believe it is actually here....today is the official start of Dominican Republic Missions Project 2008 (Oct 31-Nov 9)!!! This afternoon, 7 Panamanian students, 3 Panamanian staff and our STINT team of 6 are all going down to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic via a stop over in Costa Rica. God is going to work in so many ways, impacting both our lives and the people of Dominican Republic.

Here are some more trip details...

Saturday, Nov 1- training and orientation of the city. The training includes sessions such as sharing your personal testimony, evangelism brainstorming and practice sessions, spirit filled life...
Sunday, Nov 2- church in the morning followed by an afternoon/evening showing of the Jesus film in a rural community outside of Santo Domingo
Monday Nov 3- Friday Nov 7- Each day we will be heading to the UASD (Universidad Autonomia Santo Domingo) campus for evangelism and outreach activities. We'll be focusing in the humanities and arts faculties with the goal of reaching as many students with the gospel through various means and then engaging in initial follow-up. The hope and prayer is that by the end of the 5 days on campus we will be able to turn over a committed group of Christians (both new and old) to Layla and Prospero, the campus staff in the Dominican.
Evening activities this week include: a training session for students from the Dominican Republic, sharing the vision for Vida Estudiantil at a private campus, and a wrap-up party for all the students from the Dominican.
Friday evening and Saturday Nov 8 will be spent debriefing and bright and early Sunday Nov 9 morning we head back on a plane to Panama City!

This trip truly is a dream come true in so many ways. Thank you so much for your prayers, thoughts and partnership!!! I am so blessed to have such an awesome support team, and definitely couldnt do any of this on my own. You've made an impact in my life, the lives of Panamanians and now in the Dominican Republic.
You guys are great! Blessings, Karina

Today

2008-10-21T21:53:00.003-06:00

Today I was reminded that God has a way of working things out in His way and timing. And, He often has a sense of humor....

Just before lunch, Raquel, Lindsey and I were going out sharing. We thought that since we were a group of three, we would share with another group of say 2-3 students. We headed to the Science faculty and proceeded to approach one group, but they were going to class soon; we then approached another 2 girls, but they were studying for a midterm; we yet again approached another group, but they too were also busy doing something. By this time we had reached the entrance of the Biology building, and were semi-disappointed that we had been shut down so many times (usually students here are so open to talking, even when they have things to do!). So, we proceeded to pray and then walked across the parking lot to pass by the Science cafeteria. As we were walking down the path, we saw a girl sitting alone and decided to go and talk with her. She was a super sweet Catholic girl, and as our conversation proceeded, her friend came and joined in. And then, her boyfriend also came and joined us. The conversation was great - we talked about everything from spiritual things, to general talk on Panama, to things like marriage and choosing churches once a couple gets married. Even though I did not understand most of the conversation, I left our meeting feeling very encouraged. Not only did God provide us the opportunity to share with a group after all, he also orchestrated us to meet some students who were solid and serious in their Christian beliefs.

Please pray for next week as we meet up again with Yisa, Joel and Idalises: we have set a follow up meeting with them on Tuesday at 12pm, and want to challenge them to get involved with Vida Estudiantil.

Semana de los Valores (Week of Values) at UTP...

2008-10-11T14:40:00.010-06:00

Sometimes I forget how busy life gets down here! We are finally back to a more normal schedule, after taking a two week theology course in addition to our work on campus. The course was pretty interesting, yet at the same time it has felt good to be back on campus on a more regular, daily basis.

Looking back over the past couple weeks, one large highlight was the Week of Values at the Universidad Tecnologica de Panama (UTP), that took place Sept 23-26:

God opened so many doors on the UTP campus this week!! Right from the time we (Vida Estudiantil, VE) were invited to participate in the Week of Values, up until the end of the week, we were amazed at God's provision and work. Each day when we arrived on the UTP campus, we had a brief time of prayer and organization, and then were linked up with a member of the administration who took us to our assigned classroom. I was amazed to see these administrators simply usher us into the class and announce that we had something important to share with the students! Our campus staff team was able to present the lectures along side all of the Cruzada staff from other ministries, which was a unique opportunity. Some students involved in the ministry also took part in these lectures. I was in one lecture where a student from UTP was able to share a brief story about his involvement with VE and how the Gospel transformed His life.

On Wednesday, we also had the opportunity to throw a concert in the main courtyard entrance of the campus, and had an information table table set up. At the information table, we got to use an innovative evangelism tool, called Soularium ( see http://www.mysoularium.com/ for info). How this tool works is students look at various thought provoking images on a table or wall, and then answer questions on their life, spiritual walk and view of God. The images caught the eye of many of the UTP students and we were able to ask them the various questions, followed by a 4 Laws Gospel presentation.

(Left: The band playing at the concert; Right: Soularium in action - Tania and Raquel talking with a student)

The concert was both an outreach opportunity to share with a large crowd how they can know Jesus personally, and also to increase awareness of Vida Estudiantil presence on the campus. Just after the concert, a girl named Jeaniris came up to my partner, Marielena, and I, and was very interested in knowing more about VE. She explained how she was a Christian, but felt like her present relationship with God and going to church was all very mechanical. She wanted to be challenged in her faith and taught new concepts, and wanted to get involved with VE. It was such a privilege to be a link and resource for students such as Jeaniris, in their walks with God!

Overall, during the week we were on the campus, 586 students were exposed to the Gospel, and 83 were interested in getting involved in Bible Studies. Praise the Lord!!!! This task, however is pretty big. Please be praying for the staff team as they begin the follow up process of meeting with students who indicated an interest of knowing more about knowing God personally.

crazy opportunities....

2008-09-23T17:46:00.005-06:00

This week we've had a slight change of plans, compared to our usual days working on the Universidad de Panama (UdeP) campus....

One of the other Universities we work at, Universidad Tecnologica de Panama (UTP), is having a "Week of Values and Morals," throughout the campus. As a part of this, the campus administration asked Vida Estudiantil late last week if we wanted to make presentations in some of the first year classes. Our national Panamanian staff jumped at this incredible opportunity, and so this week we get to visit 30 first year classes!!!

We are talking in these classes on successful relationships, and then wrapping up our talks with a gospel presentation. Overall, by the end of the week, we will have presented in about 30 classes, to over 540 students.

Wow.

My new family, home and place of work!!

2008-09-11T19:59:00.009-06:00

The past few weeks have been filled with settling in here in Panama City with the new team (my new family), into our apartments (our new homes) and starting on the campuses last week (our new place of work). Here are some pictures of each of these:

1. Our team, or my new family for the next year!! I love these guys.

Back row: Me, Raquel, Lindsey & Steve. Front Row: Juan Carlos & Derek (aka. Juanchito & Diego) .

2. Our new home! Our kitchen and living room....

I am so thankful for the apartments God led us to...His hand was definitely involved in the whole process! While searching for our new homes, we were having a hard time finding places for reasonable prices, as the real estate market in Panama had increased quite a bit over the past year. And, to make things even harder, we needed 3 bedrooms in each apartment. Then, on one Monday, we viewed and said "Yes" to both 3 bedroom apartments, within our price range, within one hour!!! Thanks God! Our respective places are within a 10 minute walk of each other, near a grocery store, banks and one of the major roads in Panama City (Via Espana).

3. And...our place of work: THE CAMPUS!

We're primarily working on the Universidad de Panama, and also spend one day a week on the campuses of Interamericana, Universidad Latina and UTP. Juan Carlos and I are specifically working in the Science Faculty on the Universidad de Panama and spend our Wednesdays on the Latina campus. Here's a pic of us with the Science faculty's mascot: Juancho the giant crocodile!

We have ARRIVED!

2008-08-21T13:41:00.004-06:00

Hola from Panama City!!!
We arrived safely on Monday, Aug 18th at 1pm, after about 8 hours in the air. It felt so good to see some friends at the airport and to touch down on ground.

Right now we have a couple weeks of "settling in", where we need to find a couple of apartments to live in (one for the guys and one for the girls), get used to the climate, culture and our new city.

2008-07-09T15:06:00.002-06:00

Just over a month until orientation time!! Thats pretty surreal.
I've been looking forward to the start of our STINT year since the fall, and it is coming up so very fast! Some days I am super pumped, and other days bring a bit of anxiousness and fear. But, in it all, God has everything looked after, and all I can do is trust in Him.
Ps. 56:3
"When I am afraid, I put my trust in you; In God whose word I praise..."

On the news front, we have a 6th team member! Juan was accepted to join our team.

Some EXCITING news!

2008-06-23T19:12:00.002-06:00

I have some very exciting news to share!!!
Firstly, as of Tuesday, June 17th, my financial support goal was reached - I'm fully funded!!! Thank you, God!!
Secondly, we may have a 6th team member. My friend Juan from UBC, who just got back from the 6 week summer project to Panama, is applying to come on STINT with us.

I'm officially done!

2008-06-16T08:45:00.006-06:00

Last Thursday was my Convocation ceremony from University.
<-- Here's me with my official BComm degree :)!

Last week I did some reflecting on the journey God has taken me on throughout these University years. He has indeed taught me so much: how to love unconditionally, to surrender to Him, to abide daily in His Holy Spirit and to have lots of fun. But, above all that, that He is such a good God, loves me so much, and has the best plan for me.

A couple verses I was reminded of were:

Jer 30:11-13 and

Rom 8:28

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose."

These verses pretty much sums up my entire time at University. I entered my first year with the goal of academic pursuit, so as to acquire a great career from my hard work. I never dreamed I would be sharing my faith with my fellow students, praying for my campus, and now going to Panama for a year! God does have big plans, and I am so thankful He let me in on them.

Happy Anniversary

2008-05-07T23:27:00.002-06:00

Its hard to believe I first stepped foot on the Universidad de Panama campus exactly one year ago today. Monday, May 7th, 2007 was our first day ministering on campus (during Panama project 2007). The time has absolutely flown by, and as each present day comes to a close, I anticipate my return to Panama and all the incredible things God has stored in advance for us. I can't wait.

Our Team so far!

2008-04-17T09:01:00.010-06:00

I just received news this morning that our team now has 5 members!!! We were at 4 for the longest time, comprised Raquel, Lindsey, myself and Derek. A bunch of us were praying for another guy to join us, and God has answered our prayers. Steve, who is currently down in Panama on STINT, is now going to join us for another year.

Here are a couple pics of our team members... Derek, myself and Raquel on the left (taken last summer on project); and Steve & Lindsey on the right (taken a couple weeks ago).

You Just Never Know....

2008-04-08T22:23:00.003-06:00

When you listen to the Holy Spirit's prompts, crazy things result.

I've been in the process of raising support for my Panama STINT for a few weeks now, and it has been such an enjoyable process thus far. I've not only gotten to share some cool stories about the country and people there, but also have reconnected with a few friends from my earlier University years. One specific meeting was with my first year Bible Study leader. We had such a great time catching up, sharing about our respective travels, our churches and life in general. We stayed at the Tim Horton's for a good 2-3 hours!! As we were chatting outside, saying our "last words" before we parted directions, I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to share with her exactly the impact she had on me during my first year in University. I did, and explained how she really showed me she cared by meeting up for coffee with me that one semester, and if she hadnt done that, I wouldnt be involved with Campus for Christ today. Her actions had a huge impact on my life, and I wouldnt be going to Panama today if she hadnt taken that hour out of her schedule to meet up with me.

Tonight I gave her a phone call, and she initally picked up with an excited tone of voice, but said "can I call you back!? I have some incredible, great news to share, and you're the result of all of it!" She called me back an hour or so later, and began to share her story. Apparently what I had said about her impact on me really resounded within her the day we met and as a result of that, she shared the story with her pastor. The pastor then who mentioned the name of a young girl in the youth group who was in need of a mentor. My friend felt led to meet up with the girl, and did so, just in time for my friend to help support her through a major life crisis. The girl was struggling, and ended up confiding in my friend, detailing her situation and how she wanted to go to the hospital before anything else happened. My friend took her to the hospital, and spent Thursday night and part of the weekend with her. The girl just got released from the hospital yesterday, and is alright. In short, the girl is alive today because of my friend's willingness to mentor her, which came out of my response to the Spirit's prompting to share my heart with my friend the day we met for coffee.

You just never know how God will use you or why he places promptings on your heart.
A young girl is alive today because of my obedience to His promptings. And, through this whole situation, my friend's walk with Jesus has deepened and taken on a whole new dimension. Wow.

Support raising is a ministry in itself.

Welcome

2008-04-01T21:28:00.001-06:00

Welcome to my blog!! I will be using this site to keep you updated on my STINT to Panama. Please check back for updates, I will be posting more info soon....