Saludos de Panama!
It is with great joy and excitement that we write and tell you about our new brother in Christ, Justo, who was baptized yesterday evening! Justo has been studying English and the book of Luke with Rachel for over two months now and decided that he wanted to obey the Word of God, to be baptized for the repentance of his sins and make a public statement that he is a believer in Christ, and to do it as Christ commanded in Matthew and Mark and as the apostles described in the book of Acts.
In the course of being here, we have been given the tremendous blessing of being able to share the Gospel with numerous children, adults, and families and to plant many seeds. We've seen that it's easy to try to look at "conversions" or "baptisms" in worldly sense, in a way of measurement that our American mindsets and ideas tell us that quantity should be used to evaluate the effectiveness of a ministry or a mission, but we've learned that can't forget that Christ Himself emphasized the importance of each and every soul that may come to know that Lord, "there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10) and even people who physically sat at the feet of our Lord Jesus still rejected him until their death. So, we ask, we beg, that you will fervently be praying for those who still need to embrace the gift of life (John 10:10 says that, "I [being Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."), and lay their lives down before Jesus, that upon believing that He is the Son of God, our Messiah, and that He died for our sins, only to rise from the dead, thus conquering death and sin, on the third day to make a promise that we, who embrace Him, will one day rise again too, if will do as the apostle preached to those who believed the the authenticity and authority of Christ. And, that through faith, grace and baptism, we will be given His Spirit and therefore the the fruits of this Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. (Gal. 5:22) And also pray fervently for the people who need a rewakening of their souls and of their faith and love in the Lord.
Pray for Tania, one of Jami's readers, that she, after witnessing Justo's baptism yesterday, will make the same choice to follow her Creator, who knows her better than anyone else and wants to shower her in His love because He created her, and that she will come to know this peace that passes all understanding. Pray for Yaremis, another one of Jami's readers, who knows what she must do to be written in the book of life, but needs the courage to follow in the Lord's footsteps. Pray for Jami's reader Raul, who is young and full of life, and has a strong belief in God but who Satan blinds and keeps from seeing the need for something more. Pray for Hamminder, Rachel's reader who is Hindu, that she might discover the truth, the beauty, and the love, that is Jesus Christ. Please pray for Ulysses and Noris, the couple with whom we live, that they will seek Him and make Him their Lord and Master. Pray for Ida, for Dhayllis, for Javier, all individuals that we have attended family Bible studies with in their homes, and listen to Raul, the minister, share the importance of obeying the Gospel, people who also know what they must do, but for some reason are hesitant to do it. Pray for Isabel, who so many of you have already lifted up to our Father--she's someone that we can see a drastic change in in the short months that we have known her, and who we still pray that God's faithfulness will reign over, that one day she might come to live a life of service to Him. Please pray for Rachel's readers Dargelis and Lucille, young girls that have much to look forward to--we ask that your prayer for them be that they will come to look forward to a life of living for Him. Also, please remember to pray for the Christians that need encouragement, a renewal of their spirit, a deeper relationship with Christ, and that they will find the joy of their salvation.
If we thought months one, two, three, and four flew by, we are amazed at how fast our final month, month five, has come and is quickly going! We have less than two weeks left in Panama, and it's a bittersweet state to say the least. On one hand, we're excited to go home, have Sonic, Skyline, and GOOD Mexican food. We're ready to see our families, sleep in our own bed, and pet, cuddle, and coo our beloved pets. I think we're ready for an independence, a general knowledge of what's going on and ability to make decisions quickly, a sense of self-sufficiency that we haven't experienced overtly in Panama. But, on the other hand, our list of what we're going to miss is seemingly endless. Mango trees, Salsa music, walking as means of transportation, patacones (Which we will have to make for you if you have never had them!), reading, and over all more relaxed, take it as it comes atmosphere and culture--we apologize now for the untimeliness we have developed and that we're not sure we're going to want to have reenculturated (We're not even sure if that's a word, but hopefully, you get the idea) into us. Even though we're working and have a great task at hand, the "do it when I get to it" attitude definitely lends towards lower stress levels and more enjoyable, personable interactions. We're going to miss the church, the value that's placed on personally greeting each member of the assembly of God, greetings with a kiss into the air next to the cheek, and the giving of God's blessing on each and every individual. We're going to miss the precious brown eyes of the little children we've come to adore at the elementary school and who greet us each morning by saying "Guh mowrnin Teacher Wachel. Guh mowrnin Teacher Yami", which often, ,in the first and second grade classes, becomes "Good morning Teacher WRami." Too cute! We're going to miss our readers, who we have gotten to know so well over the last months, who's souls we have come to pray for so often and souls we've seen Christ fighting to win--readers, others we've studied with, and our families and friends at home in the US (Not just for the people here, but for our family and friends at home who are still resisiting an intimate, genuine, full relationship with the God of the universe who is calling their name!) will come to fully know the Lord). We're going to miss the crazy four year old we live with, who seems to have an endless supply of entertainment for us, our time with our dear friends here (Especially our other roommate Erica, who will be staying until December to continue teaching at the elementary school), and, of course, the beaches, the Causeway, and all of our other favorite Panama spots. But the time has come to head home, to what exactly, other than our family and friends, God only knows. So, we ask that you pray for us,too, and whatever God has next for us, and that we, like Paul, "...may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." (Acts 20:24) and that we will not forget in the last days that "...Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all..." (2 Cor.5:14), and that these responsibilities that we have as Christians, will not be left behind in Panama, but will be pursued, cared for, and shared with others the moment we step back into US soil.
And, so, here we are. Excited to see what's next, sad to say goodbye to what's already passed. Panama has been an adventure to say the least, from city to countryside, from being sick and at the hospital, to spending a Saturday on a nearly deserted island in the Caribbean with the Kuna Indians (of which we will attach some pictures), and so much more. God has blessed us richly, and I pray that He will bless you as well. He says that He will bless us more and more the more we use the things and serve Him with the things that He has already given us, and so I pray, that with the knowledge of Him that He has already given you, whether you grew up in the church or are learning of Him for the first time through these emails (Which if that is the case, then we ask for your forgiveness, because as Christians and workers of the Kingdom, we have done you and your Creator, our King, a great disservice, and we pray for an opportunity to share more of this unsurpassing love of Christ and peace that passes all understanding and hope for a life eternal free from pain, worry, and fear with you as soon as God allows-whether it be your initiating or the Lord's.), we pray that you will use this Knowledge of Him to share it with others and develop a richer faith for yourself in Him, and you will be speechless at the blessings that will pour forth into your lap. We love you all. Thanks for the prayers, the encouragement. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Love and a multitude of blessings from our Lord
Jami and Rachel
Monday, May 26
Saturday, May 3
Just to name a few...
Some interesting experiences here in Panama:
-Went spear fishing with Embera Indians
-Witnessed an active volcano
-Ziplined through the rainforest
-Swam in the Caribbean
-Watched Kuna children play with a dead chicken inside a hut where hammocks hung and a fire burned
-Danced under a house on stilts
-Snorkeled in the coral reef and touched a wild crab
-Seen a monkey, toucan, and iguana in its natural habitat
-Studied the bible with non-believers
-We drank the water… and paid for it…
-…Were attached to an IV in a hospital without electricity and running water and were administered drugs by a nurse without a bra
-Trekked through the Darien (and survived)…
-…Protected by armed Policemen against Columbian gorilla warefare fighters in the jungle
-Watched a movie under the stars on a hammock
-Celebrated New Years in a different country
-Crossed a river 7 times while leaving a small village in the mountains (on horseback!)
-Visited islands in the Pacific and Atlantic ocean
-Seen the Panama Canal
-Been to an all natural mud and hot springs spa in the mountains
-Swam under a mountain/jungle waterfall
-Fainted in front of a crowd
-Had an Embera child’s monkey on my shoulder
-Had a “riot day” off of school
-Spent an entire day riding bikes through the mountains
-Use an “outhouse” with a million cockroaches crawling all over the floor and walls (if that’s not bravery than I don’t know what is!!!)
-Spent nights listening to live Salsa music and feeling the breeze off the canal
-Spent weekends on the island of flowers
-Rode in a taxi with a man with a machete in the dashboard (ok, it was just a really large knife)
-Had an indigenous Indian woman put a homemade bracelet on my wrist
-Watched an entire movie in Spanish with no subtitles… and actually followed it!
-Took a dance class with a woman wearing spandex under her bathing suit
-Awaken by numerous teenagers staring at you while you slept
-Saw the ruins of old Caribbean Pirate defense weapons
-Stayed in a room with pads plastered on the wall as decor
-Fed gato solos with our bare hands
-Managed over 50 Spanish speaking children in VBS
-Went to the oldest church in the western hemisphere
-Ate at a restaurant with a tree growing through it
-Went on a Toucan hunt
-Slept in a room with no floors
-Ate rice pudding to celebrate a baby's first tooth
-Drank sugar water to cure mosquito bites
-Ate soup with bones and corn on the cob in it, while people watched you eat it.
-Helped build a foundation of a church
-Sang songs under the brilliant countryside stars for three hours straight
-Learned to make fried green bananas
-Went spear fishing with Embera Indians
-Witnessed an active volcano
-Ziplined through the rainforest
-Swam in the Caribbean
-Watched Kuna children play with a dead chicken inside a hut where hammocks hung and a fire burned
-Danced under a house on stilts
-Snorkeled in the coral reef and touched a wild crab
-Seen a monkey, toucan, and iguana in its natural habitat
-Studied the bible with non-believers
-We drank the water… and paid for it…
-…Were attached to an IV in a hospital without electricity and running water and were administered drugs by a nurse without a bra
-Trekked through the Darien (and survived)…
-…Protected by armed Policemen against Columbian gorilla warefare fighters in the jungle
-Watched a movie under the stars on a hammock
-Celebrated New Years in a different country
-Crossed a river 7 times while leaving a small village in the mountains (on horseback!)
-Visited islands in the Pacific and Atlantic ocean
-Seen the Panama Canal
-Been to an all natural mud and hot springs spa in the mountains
-Swam under a mountain/jungle waterfall
-Fainted in front of a crowd
-Had an Embera child’s monkey on my shoulder
-Had a “riot day” off of school
-Spent an entire day riding bikes through the mountains
-Use an “outhouse” with a million cockroaches crawling all over the floor and walls (if that’s not bravery than I don’t know what is!!!)
-Spent nights listening to live Salsa music and feeling the breeze off the canal
-Spent weekends on the island of flowers
-Rode in a taxi with a man with a machete in the dashboard (ok, it was just a really large knife)
-Had an indigenous Indian woman put a homemade bracelet on my wrist
-Watched an entire movie in Spanish with no subtitles… and actually followed it!
-Took a dance class with a woman wearing spandex under her bathing suit
-Awaken by numerous teenagers staring at you while you slept
-Saw the ruins of old Caribbean Pirate defense weapons
-Stayed in a room with pads plastered on the wall as decor
-Fed gato solos with our bare hands
-Managed over 50 Spanish speaking children in VBS
-Went to the oldest church in the western hemisphere
-Ate at a restaurant with a tree growing through it
-Went on a Toucan hunt
-Slept in a room with no floors
-Ate rice pudding to celebrate a baby's first tooth
-Drank sugar water to cure mosquito bites
-Ate soup with bones and corn on the cob in it, while people watched you eat it.
-Helped build a foundation of a church
-Sang songs under the brilliant countryside stars for three hours straight
-Learned to make fried green bananas
Thursday, May 1
I know these words are expressed a lot but the amount of growth, understanding, and great things that I am experiencing is unbelievable. The magnitude of it all is just too much to ignore. I am growing more and more anxious to go home and to see what all is in store for me in the future. However, I am also thankful for everyday that I am here because of the wisdom that I am learning. But as with any wisdom that one gains, there comes the realization of the great amount that is still waiting undiscovered.
The thing about all of this is that, for the very first time in my entire life, this unknown does not cause me to have any fear at all. A purpose is finally being understood… and with that comes a freedom. The more I come to see God and the more I let Him dwell in my heart and guide my daily walk, then a greater amount of peace comes over me. I am seeing more and more that it is not all about the tangible things. I am seeing that it is not all about the measurement of wealth and prosperity, popularity or intelligence, talents or charms (and you can name the rest). The more I see that it’s not even ALL about what you accomplish.
What it is all about is something bigger than ourselves. Something that was set into motion thousands of years ago and has been so brilliantly plotted out to cover over all the many people of all many cultures of all the days. We can have a glimpse of that through diving into the word but even then we cannot see it all, nor the motions that are playing out all around us even now. (Which I might add, shows the importance and reason for trying to discover it and why it is absurd to draw conclusions from our extremely cultural and personal bias mindsets).
Being here and being stripped of so much has been a great experience. I stand before my readers and the people I meet with feeling nothing more than how Paul did in his first letter to the Corinthians: "When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power" (2:1-5)
It has been an amazing journey of being stripped down and humbled, left to do nothing more than cling to the one person who was there all along just waiting for permission to step inside of me. And now comes the fun part of being able to start seeing life and all the joys in it as northing more than blessings and beauties. Not as burdens or as measurements to live up to. But as a daily walk and revealing of one more thing to enjoy with my time here. I am beginning to lose so much fear, headaches, loneliness, emptiness, stress, etc. Because here I am! And I am nothing more than “a mist that appears for a while and then vanishes” (James 3:14) How empowering! We were chosen and given a great gift. I am part of a story that is bigger than myself. Part of a body that needs me and my role to play! And I have someone who loves me and fights for me always. “Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21)
It is like a breath of fresh air. I have finally discovered the key to unlock the purpose of my life. And that is something that was promised to me a while ago.
"My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding,
and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
For the LORD gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He holds victory in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you."
(Proverbs 2:1-11)
To end all of my rambling about discovery, I will leave one passage that sums up all that I am feeling. One that speaks so clearly to me at this time…
"Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment. So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless." (Ecclesiastes 11:9-10)
The thing about all of this is that, for the very first time in my entire life, this unknown does not cause me to have any fear at all. A purpose is finally being understood… and with that comes a freedom. The more I come to see God and the more I let Him dwell in my heart and guide my daily walk, then a greater amount of peace comes over me. I am seeing more and more that it is not all about the tangible things. I am seeing that it is not all about the measurement of wealth and prosperity, popularity or intelligence, talents or charms (and you can name the rest). The more I see that it’s not even ALL about what you accomplish.
What it is all about is something bigger than ourselves. Something that was set into motion thousands of years ago and has been so brilliantly plotted out to cover over all the many people of all many cultures of all the days. We can have a glimpse of that through diving into the word but even then we cannot see it all, nor the motions that are playing out all around us even now. (Which I might add, shows the importance and reason for trying to discover it and why it is absurd to draw conclusions from our extremely cultural and personal bias mindsets).
Being here and being stripped of so much has been a great experience. I stand before my readers and the people I meet with feeling nothing more than how Paul did in his first letter to the Corinthians: "When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power" (2:1-5)
It has been an amazing journey of being stripped down and humbled, left to do nothing more than cling to the one person who was there all along just waiting for permission to step inside of me. And now comes the fun part of being able to start seeing life and all the joys in it as northing more than blessings and beauties. Not as burdens or as measurements to live up to. But as a daily walk and revealing of one more thing to enjoy with my time here. I am beginning to lose so much fear, headaches, loneliness, emptiness, stress, etc. Because here I am! And I am nothing more than “a mist that appears for a while and then vanishes” (James 3:14) How empowering! We were chosen and given a great gift. I am part of a story that is bigger than myself. Part of a body that needs me and my role to play! And I have someone who loves me and fights for me always. “Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21)
It is like a breath of fresh air. I have finally discovered the key to unlock the purpose of my life. And that is something that was promised to me a while ago.
"My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding,
and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
For the LORD gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He holds victory in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you."
(Proverbs 2:1-11)
To end all of my rambling about discovery, I will leave one passage that sums up all that I am feeling. One that speaks so clearly to me at this time…
"Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment. So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless." (Ecclesiastes 11:9-10)
Thursday, March 20
Life in Panama is still amazing. I cannot believe that we past our halfway mark of our time here! I’m sitting here on the computer, frustrated that I haven’t written in so long because now I have no idea what to write. So much has happened, so many lessons learned, so many things we have seen and experienced. How can I choose which ones to write? I turned to my journal to see if there was something in there that can help make this easier for me but I haven’t written in there either! The same emotions came over me at night when it was time to write- it’s just too much. So here I am, overwhelmed, amazed, anxious to get it all out, and… well I guess ready to try to write. (But first I want to point out that I finally published a blog that I started a month ago and forgot about. It’s called “A Story” and it’s below this post).
The Darien marked a new mindset in my life. That experience was one that I will forever cherish in my heart. The entire time we were on the boat riding to La Palma I kept thinking “I can’t believe that this is my life”. I sat there, trying to practice my Spanish with the armed police officer sitting next to me, and Larry kept turning around telling us that this is something that most people never get to see. My heart was already so anxious, starting from about the time when Jami and I were on the bus traveling down together and we got to the first police stop point and they made us give them our passports to take our information (why?). I thought my heart was beating fast then, but NOW I am about to see something that, in his words were “straight out of National Geographic”. Walking through La Palma and visiting that small Embera village next to it was one of the most surreal moments of my life. I remember standing there and being overwhelmed with the emotion of “I have to radically change my life” and the thought of "I have to do something... really do something".
The rest of the weekend and all the people and places we visited just kept feeding into that desire. And I found myself walking around for two days as a zombie, not knowing what to think or how to feel. All I knew was that life is different from what I thought it was. Priorities, interests, dreams, goals, everything was changing in my head. Jami and I sat at dinner one night and talked for an hour about our new feelings of Christianity, our responsibility as Christians, our lives and what we think we need to do in the future. The longer I am here, the more lost I feel. The more I feel not like myself. The more I am unsure about anything in the future. The more I am here the stronger my desire is to serve God and to really fight for his kingdom. And I mean fight. Not just pray, not just serve through money donations or short mission trips or through being a good person who is a good example for other people to notice (all which are good things in life and that I do want to incorporate in my daily living) but really to fight. To DO something. To BE someone. To die to myself and to let Christ be my guide. I am really starting to see and to feel the responsibility we have as Christians to really show people Christ. To show people, not how to have a “better” life (especially to the measures of earthly wealth- money, technology, etc.) but how to have a life full of the grace and peace in Christ and to spend eternity in heaven. I start reading scriptures like Luke 13:22-30, Matt 7:21-23, and Matt 10:32-33, and I see the harsh reality of the world around us. Narrow is the gate to heaven and Christ will say to some people "I never knew you." We are all called to be ministers. And people need Christ all around us.
I have been reading Acts for the last month and from start to finish I felt God speaking to me, with every page I turned. (You can see just one example in that old blog that I just posted below). I love this book and all the stories in it. I have learned so many life lessons from its words:
4:31- Boldness
4:32- Giving and sharing your possessions
5:29- Obey God first
5:21- Rejoice in suffering
6:4- Taking pride in your ministries
7:60- Love your enemies
8:30- Whole hearted obedience
10- One person makes a big difference
11:23- Encouragement
14:15- Level-headedness and giving glory to God
14:20- Fearlessness to danger
16:7- God’s plan can be different from ours
18:11- Spreading the word takes a time commitment
18:21- Follow Gods will
19:9- Can only push so hard for so long
19:20- God’s great plan and his glory in all circumstances
19:23-24- The enemy at work (the power of one person and crowds)
20:24-35- Five great lessons
21:13- Willingness to die for Christ
24:16- Strive to keep your conscience clear before God and man
And so much more!
The other experience that I have had which I want to write about is the works that were done with the Harding spring break campaign group. We traveled up to the mountains and visited a congregation in Santa Marta. There we severed the people there by painting the church and a clinic and also serving some of the children there by bringing school supplies and singing with them. One of my favorite memories was as we all sat around under the songs and lifted our voices to God in song for over an hour. It was amazing and just the thing that Jami, Erica, and my spirits really needed.
The Darien marked a new mindset in my life. That experience was one that I will forever cherish in my heart. The entire time we were on the boat riding to La Palma I kept thinking “I can’t believe that this is my life”. I sat there, trying to practice my Spanish with the armed police officer sitting next to me, and Larry kept turning around telling us that this is something that most people never get to see. My heart was already so anxious, starting from about the time when Jami and I were on the bus traveling down together and we got to the first police stop point and they made us give them our passports to take our information (why?). I thought my heart was beating fast then, but NOW I am about to see something that, in his words were “straight out of National Geographic”. Walking through La Palma and visiting that small Embera village next to it was one of the most surreal moments of my life. I remember standing there and being overwhelmed with the emotion of “I have to radically change my life” and the thought of "I have to do something... really do something".
The rest of the weekend and all the people and places we visited just kept feeding into that desire. And I found myself walking around for two days as a zombie, not knowing what to think or how to feel. All I knew was that life is different from what I thought it was. Priorities, interests, dreams, goals, everything was changing in my head. Jami and I sat at dinner one night and talked for an hour about our new feelings of Christianity, our responsibility as Christians, our lives and what we think we need to do in the future. The longer I am here, the more lost I feel. The more I feel not like myself. The more I am unsure about anything in the future. The more I am here the stronger my desire is to serve God and to really fight for his kingdom. And I mean fight. Not just pray, not just serve through money donations or short mission trips or through being a good person who is a good example for other people to notice (all which are good things in life and that I do want to incorporate in my daily living) but really to fight. To DO something. To BE someone. To die to myself and to let Christ be my guide. I am really starting to see and to feel the responsibility we have as Christians to really show people Christ. To show people, not how to have a “better” life (especially to the measures of earthly wealth- money, technology, etc.) but how to have a life full of the grace and peace in Christ and to spend eternity in heaven. I start reading scriptures like Luke 13:22-30, Matt 7:21-23, and Matt 10:32-33, and I see the harsh reality of the world around us. Narrow is the gate to heaven and Christ will say to some people "I never knew you." We are all called to be ministers. And people need Christ all around us.
I have been reading Acts for the last month and from start to finish I felt God speaking to me, with every page I turned. (You can see just one example in that old blog that I just posted below). I love this book and all the stories in it. I have learned so many life lessons from its words:
4:31- Boldness
4:32- Giving and sharing your possessions
5:29- Obey God first
5:21- Rejoice in suffering
6:4- Taking pride in your ministries
7:60- Love your enemies
8:30- Whole hearted obedience
10- One person makes a big difference
11:23- Encouragement
14:15- Level-headedness and giving glory to God
14:20- Fearlessness to danger
16:7- God’s plan can be different from ours
18:11- Spreading the word takes a time commitment
18:21- Follow Gods will
19:9- Can only push so hard for so long
19:20- God’s great plan and his glory in all circumstances
19:23-24- The enemy at work (the power of one person and crowds)
20:24-35- Five great lessons
21:13- Willingness to die for Christ
24:16- Strive to keep your conscience clear before God and man
And so much more!
The other experience that I have had which I want to write about is the works that were done with the Harding spring break campaign group. We traveled up to the mountains and visited a congregation in Santa Marta. There we severed the people there by painting the church and a clinic and also serving some of the children there by bringing school supplies and singing with them. One of my favorite memories was as we all sat around under the songs and lifted our voices to God in song for over an hour. It was amazing and just the thing that Jami, Erica, and my spirits really needed.
We then traveled over to Colesito and it was there that I learned a great lesson. After working all day on helping build a foundation for the church there, we went to the gospel meeting that night. It was at that meeting that I saw something straight out of Acts, and it was one of the most powerful and impactful services I have ever sat through. Chris did an amazing lesson of encouragement and giving thanks to the people in the town, telling them that by giving us the food they showed us the love of God. They demonstrated to us the fruits of the Holy Spirit living in them. And by letting us serve them in the building, even though we slowed them down, they also showed the fruits of God in them. After that Raul got up and got “completely honest” with the church, touching on specific issues that needed to be resolved. Men and women responded. Men wept for Christ to dwell in their hearts and lives. Men from our group went up to love and encourage them (despite language barriers). Two were baptized and many hearts were renewed. Elio then went up to address a few problems that he heard were happening between the people and guided them back to the scriptures. He then got on his knees to pray for them. Powerful. The people circled around each other, mixing with one another and stood by those they needed to love and get closer to, as an act of humility and love and a pledge to try. They also said words of encouragement for leaders to step forward and not to wait for people to come to their church. In Acts 15 it talks about a specific church that was built up. Just like the one in Coclesito. I am witnessing amazing things here. Churches being served and serving one another like the churches in Paul, Barnabus, John, and Peters time. Amazing.
At one point Natalie said that it was like we gave them ALL our strength in serving them, since we got sick later that night. Betty said we got sick because we worked SO hard. How true. How blessed of an experience. In Luke there is the story about the Sheppard who would leave the 99 sheep to go after the one lost one. And put it over his shoulder and rejoice over its homecoming. That’s how we are to think about the experience. So many of us got so sick… really like over two thirds of the group. I found myself in a little clinic hooked up to an IV and feeling weaker than I ever have in my entire life. It was hard to remain positive and to feel like the weeks work was worth the degree of illness we were facing. But I saw Christ’s love in the service of those who stayed with us and people’s souls were saved and some hearts were restored. And for those reasons, I would do it all again.
Thank you for your patience as you have so much to read. Go look at my two recent photo albums to see pictures from these experiences. God is amazing and I am thankful for His love and this opportunity I have. I feel like I am in a training camp- being strengthened and renewed so much everyday. Facing trials and learning lessons. And slowly becoming the woman I am meant to be. I am also thankful for your support and prayers. We have started our new reading sessions and it has had a little rocky start so far with getting the schedule arranged. But I have two readers that I have met with and I am confident in their hearts and that God’s hand is in them coming. Just keep LST in your prayers as next week we will really start diving into it’s work again!
Thank you for your patience as you have so much to read. Go look at my two recent photo albums to see pictures from these experiences. God is amazing and I am thankful for His love and this opportunity I have. I feel like I am in a training camp- being strengthened and renewed so much everyday. Facing trials and learning lessons. And slowly becoming the woman I am meant to be. I am also thankful for your support and prayers. We have started our new reading sessions and it has had a little rocky start so far with getting the schedule arranged. But I have two readers that I have met with and I am confident in their hearts and that God’s hand is in them coming. Just keep LST in your prayers as next week we will really start diving into it’s work again!
A story
This is a story mostly for those who know the struggle and pains that this particular incident caused in my life. Over two years ago I had a healer approach me in a dollar general store told me that he was sent from God to heal me of my struggles with my hip and proceeded to “heal” me in the parking lot. (To make a long story short-- I woke up with the same weak and shorter leg) This was an experience that took maybe an hour of my life but haunted me for weeks after. I desperately searched for answers that would explain this incident to me. And I would eventually put it in the back of my mind but it would occasionally creep back up and perplex me and pain me all over again.
About two weeks ago I found myself wanting to read the book of Acts . This was something that I have never done before (from start to finish anyways) and I was immediately drawn into the stories about the brave men who fought to spread the gospel to the unbelieving people. When I started reading chapter 3 I read about how Peter and John healed a man who was crippled from birth.... and all the emotions came back to me. Drowning me in confusion, heartach, a feeling of defeat and insignificance... harder than it ever has before. I found my heart calling out to God in total desparation for his guidance. That "healer" was bringing me so much pain. I pour myself out in my journal then I fell to my knees in prayer. I desparetly looked around the room for a sign of God around me. I thought the sunlight flowing in the windows were his comforting hand. I was eventually brought to tears and found myself laying on the floor before Him. All I heard was Raul Alverado, ask Raul to explain this situation to you. But too scared it was me, not relying on God, I went out with a sense of defeat and even sought encouragement from my roommates at dinner.
Little did I know that the next day, as I dived deeper into Acts, a passage would puzzle me. I was confused in it's meaning and as I waited for Jami to finish a reading session I found myself in Raul's office asking for clarification. And it was there, admist his answers that the truth set my heart free. I was perplexed over the significance of the Apostles needing to give someone the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:15-16) after they were baptized since all the other scriptures say you are baptized to recieve the Holy Spirit. Well, I came to learn that the very next verse (vs 17) showed that they were talking about the HS being "upon" people and giving them the power to heal and perform miracles. An explination that went into depth about how this was only given from the Apostles. And it was only needed at this time to help spread the message and something that was according to his will (Hebrew 2:4).
So there I sat, dumbfounded at the events. Raul had the answer to the question in my heart and he did not even know he was delivering it to me! The power of God is astounding! And what brings me even more to my knees is the fact that I felt compelled to read Acts in the first place. Which lead me to Acts 3, the start of it all anways.
Thank you God. Show me how to listen.
That experience revealed to me the faithfullness of God and just how active he wants to be (and IS) in our lives. I don't know why God choose this time to bring me enlightenment. Maybe because I am being called to deeper places, maybe because I am need this truth for something in the future, maybe because I am a simple instrument right now and I am suppose to be sharing this story with you, or maybe this is something he has already tried to show me but I am just now listening.
Something else that I can see from this experience is the dark depths of Satan in this world. When I look back at my journal from that day I can see just how much I was wrestling with him. "Lord, I'm scared. I'm fearful to the depth of my heart. What if Satan encountered me so boldly that day? What is he knew/knows that would affect me so severyly and continue to on this day. What if Satan has such a grasp on that man and his ministry that he is blinding him from the truth?" And reading even further I can recall all the emotions that were stirring up inside of me. I felt weak, so wrong, and so unsteady in my faith because I was questioning the plans of God. "It hurts me to think I am so weak. It hurts me to think I was so wrong and so unsteady in my faith. It hurts to read about the healing of the crippled beggar and to see how many people came running to learn about Christ. The man told me that day that you wanted me to an instrument and to think about all the people that would be touched by my story. Am I not good enough? Do I not believe enough? So I not let you in enough to finally hear the answer to my cries?" Here the enemy was throwing all sorts of ideas and thoughts at me then blaming me for it! (But the heart is good, it is from God. This was a foul thing at work and therefor not from my heart. And not from God because his voice is never condemning- Romans 8:11).
But in the end I am confident that it was at this time that Christ was the conqurer. My repentance lead to enlightenment and to peace, instead of the past results of guilt and shame- death to my heart (2 Corinthians 7:10). Oh how alive our Enemy is, prowling like a roaring lion waiting for someone to devour! (1 Peter 5:14) I am so thankful for this opportunity to grow in wisdom and enlightenment. Something that I thought was so unreachable until I discovered that it comes from having a descerning heart that walks in a relationship with God, submerssed in his word and by putting on the full armor of God (Eph. 6:10-18).
This was not meant to show off some great faith of my own, if anything it shows the amount of depth of insight that I still need to obtain in my life, but this was to show the great faithfulness of God. And it shows how active he wants to be in our lives if we open ourselves up to listening to him. Right now I am praying for boldness, depth of insight, and for the opportunities to gain wisdom and fall more in love with God. Thank you for listening and I hope that this can help you to see the Great love of God, the activeness of the Enemy, the great love of Christ... and whatever other lesson that God is telling to your heart right now... you just have to listen!!!!
About two weeks ago I found myself wanting to read the book of Acts . This was something that I have never done before (from start to finish anyways) and I was immediately drawn into the stories about the brave men who fought to spread the gospel to the unbelieving people. When I started reading chapter 3 I read about how Peter and John healed a man who was crippled from birth.... and all the emotions came back to me. Drowning me in confusion, heartach, a feeling of defeat and insignificance... harder than it ever has before. I found my heart calling out to God in total desparation for his guidance. That "healer" was bringing me so much pain. I pour myself out in my journal then I fell to my knees in prayer. I desparetly looked around the room for a sign of God around me. I thought the sunlight flowing in the windows were his comforting hand. I was eventually brought to tears and found myself laying on the floor before Him. All I heard was Raul Alverado, ask Raul to explain this situation to you. But too scared it was me, not relying on God, I went out with a sense of defeat and even sought encouragement from my roommates at dinner.
Little did I know that the next day, as I dived deeper into Acts, a passage would puzzle me. I was confused in it's meaning and as I waited for Jami to finish a reading session I found myself in Raul's office asking for clarification. And it was there, admist his answers that the truth set my heart free. I was perplexed over the significance of the Apostles needing to give someone the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:15-16) after they were baptized since all the other scriptures say you are baptized to recieve the Holy Spirit. Well, I came to learn that the very next verse (vs 17) showed that they were talking about the HS being "upon" people and giving them the power to heal and perform miracles. An explination that went into depth about how this was only given from the Apostles. And it was only needed at this time to help spread the message and something that was according to his will (Hebrew 2:4).
So there I sat, dumbfounded at the events. Raul had the answer to the question in my heart and he did not even know he was delivering it to me! The power of God is astounding! And what brings me even more to my knees is the fact that I felt compelled to read Acts in the first place. Which lead me to Acts 3, the start of it all anways.
Thank you God. Show me how to listen.
That experience revealed to me the faithfullness of God and just how active he wants to be (and IS) in our lives. I don't know why God choose this time to bring me enlightenment. Maybe because I am being called to deeper places, maybe because I am need this truth for something in the future, maybe because I am a simple instrument right now and I am suppose to be sharing this story with you, or maybe this is something he has already tried to show me but I am just now listening.
Something else that I can see from this experience is the dark depths of Satan in this world. When I look back at my journal from that day I can see just how much I was wrestling with him. "Lord, I'm scared. I'm fearful to the depth of my heart. What if Satan encountered me so boldly that day? What is he knew/knows that would affect me so severyly and continue to on this day. What if Satan has such a grasp on that man and his ministry that he is blinding him from the truth?" And reading even further I can recall all the emotions that were stirring up inside of me. I felt weak, so wrong, and so unsteady in my faith because I was questioning the plans of God. "It hurts me to think I am so weak. It hurts me to think I was so wrong and so unsteady in my faith. It hurts to read about the healing of the crippled beggar and to see how many people came running to learn about Christ. The man told me that day that you wanted me to an instrument and to think about all the people that would be touched by my story. Am I not good enough? Do I not believe enough? So I not let you in enough to finally hear the answer to my cries?" Here the enemy was throwing all sorts of ideas and thoughts at me then blaming me for it! (But the heart is good, it is from God. This was a foul thing at work and therefor not from my heart. And not from God because his voice is never condemning- Romans 8:11).
But in the end I am confident that it was at this time that Christ was the conqurer. My repentance lead to enlightenment and to peace, instead of the past results of guilt and shame- death to my heart (2 Corinthians 7:10). Oh how alive our Enemy is, prowling like a roaring lion waiting for someone to devour! (1 Peter 5:14) I am so thankful for this opportunity to grow in wisdom and enlightenment. Something that I thought was so unreachable until I discovered that it comes from having a descerning heart that walks in a relationship with God, submerssed in his word and by putting on the full armor of God (Eph. 6:10-18).
This was not meant to show off some great faith of my own, if anything it shows the amount of depth of insight that I still need to obtain in my life, but this was to show the great faithfulness of God. And it shows how active he wants to be in our lives if we open ourselves up to listening to him. Right now I am praying for boldness, depth of insight, and for the opportunities to gain wisdom and fall more in love with God. Thank you for listening and I hope that this can help you to see the Great love of God, the activeness of the Enemy, the great love of Christ... and whatever other lesson that God is telling to your heart right now... you just have to listen!!!!
Saturday, March 1
NEW PHOTOS!
Ok, I don't have much time to write right now. I hope to get on soon to write more before we take off next week to go traveling with the Harding spring break campaign to do work for a couple days. I just wanted to be sure to put the links for my new photo's that are up online.
Here is the link that are my pictures from the Vacation Bible School that was held at the Curundu church last week. It was a huge success and a lot of children were able to attend. It was really hectic and at times we thought we were going to lose our minds but we made it through alive!
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2064229&l=ad388&id=71001583
And here are the pictures from our trip to Torti and the Darien. This was an experience of a lifetime and I feel like God opened my heart and mind to so much while I was here. I walked away from these three days with a new perspective on so much, and I am honestly still trying to sort it all out inside of me. God is great and he is faithful to his people.
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2064235&l=27fc5&id=71001583
Finally I want to say once again to be sure to check out Jami's blog. She has been better with postings than me lately and she also put up pictures. If you want to get a nice well-rounded view of the trip then you def need to be looking at her words and pictures as well!
http://www.jamiinpanama.blogspot.com/
I love you all! Please email me updates on your lives and keep me in the loop of things at home!
Here is the link that are my pictures from the Vacation Bible School that was held at the Curundu church last week. It was a huge success and a lot of children were able to attend. It was really hectic and at times we thought we were going to lose our minds but we made it through alive!
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2064229&l=ad388&id=71001583
And here are the pictures from our trip to Torti and the Darien. This was an experience of a lifetime and I feel like God opened my heart and mind to so much while I was here. I walked away from these three days with a new perspective on so much, and I am honestly still trying to sort it all out inside of me. God is great and he is faithful to his people.
http://harding.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2064235&l=27fc5&id=71001583
Finally I want to say once again to be sure to check out Jami's blog. She has been better with postings than me lately and she also put up pictures. If you want to get a nice well-rounded view of the trip then you def need to be looking at her words and pictures as well!
http://www.jamiinpanama.blogspot.com/
I love you all! Please email me updates on your lives and keep me in the loop of things at home!
Tuesday, February 12
Uplifted
Praise God for this amazingly blessed time in my life! I am so thankful that God closed so many doors and left this trip wide open for me to step into. He is so faithful in his promises. He knew that I needed to be here, away from home and away from so many comforts and guards in my life. I needed to be completely separated from so many things, people, events, and habits that were really taking my focus off of the life that I should have been living… and being the woman that I was made to be. So often I found myself only being able to explain this experience and all of the emotions that came with it as “humbling.” I was being humbled before myself, man, and my God. I felt completely naked, unveiled, and vulnerable to the world around me and all the while being in a continuous battle over the many challenges that were hitting me in ever direction at any point of the day. But it is those very challenges that have really brought me to the point of really forcing me into great growths and maturity. In James chapter 1 it says "The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position". I have never understood that verse until now. I mean I am really seeing life from a WHOLE new perspective. And I feel so privileged to for this chance to do so.
Now I am so rejuvenated and so receptive to this place. I am so glad that I am able to call Panama home for the next four months. Everyday I fall more and more in love with the people and the culture here. What a great place this is! Really. Jami and I are constantly listing the many things about our lives here that we will miss when we go home: Taking taxis (because they are just a great source of so many good stories), the completely laid back Panamanian way of living, the traditians that will catch us off guard (for those of you who are not aware- sugar water is a nice way to cure mosquito bites and you eat a milk and rice pudding when your infant gets his or her first tooth), how insanely blunt people are here- your weight… your facial hair... you name it and they will say it! And so many other little treasures that makes life here so simply delightful.
*Please go and read Jami’s blog and be enlightened on a lot more of our hilarious adventures here*
I just can’t believe that this is our last week with Summer School and our readers in Curundu! Just as everything is starting to really get into a nice routine- everything is changing! We have really developed some great relationships with our readers over these last weeks. Two of our readers went with some of us girls to a little island just off the coast on Saturday. We spent a nice long day out on the beach and walking around the quaint little town. I daydreamed about running into the school’s principal and them telling me they had a need for an English teacher there- but it did not happen. Our readers are constantly bringing us fresh fruit and absolutely delicious Panamanian food, they invite us to their houses and out to movies, and we really are becoming friends with these individuals and I will be so sad when they are not in our daily lives anymore! But please keep them all in your prayers, as we are here to serve them and hopefully plant as many seeds as we can and really show them the love and power of Christ and His family. Next week is the start of VBS and that will definantly keep us busy. We are really hoping that this will be drawing in the youth around the communities and their parents as well.
Well it is late and I am exhausted from this long day. Tomorrow will be even longer… summer school, readings, and then a small group meeting that the people from the church and our readers are invited to. It’s a great opportunity for them to practice their English as we read a story in Matthew, play games and sing songs in English. And it’s also a great opportunity for them to build relationships with one another. And tomorrow night is a POTLUCK! So the people from the states are bringing food from there and the people from here and bringing some yummy Panamanian food. Yummmmmmm can’t wait!
I’m going to end with some words that I read the other night in “Waking the Dead” by John Eldredge. It’s a great book that I recommend to anyone.
And that is why living from your glory is the only loving thing to do. You cannot love another person from a false self. You cannot love another while you are still hiding. How can you help them to freedom while you remain captive? You cannot love another unless you offer your heart. It takes courage to live from your heart... ‘I desperately want to be who I am. I don’t want the glory that I marvel at in others anymore. I want to be that glory which God set in me.’
Now I am so rejuvenated and so receptive to this place. I am so glad that I am able to call Panama home for the next four months. Everyday I fall more and more in love with the people and the culture here. What a great place this is! Really. Jami and I are constantly listing the many things about our lives here that we will miss when we go home: Taking taxis (because they are just a great source of so many good stories), the completely laid back Panamanian way of living, the traditians that will catch us off guard (for those of you who are not aware- sugar water is a nice way to cure mosquito bites and you eat a milk and rice pudding when your infant gets his or her first tooth), how insanely blunt people are here- your weight… your facial hair... you name it and they will say it! And so many other little treasures that makes life here so simply delightful.
*Please go and read Jami’s blog and be enlightened on a lot more of our hilarious adventures here*
I just can’t believe that this is our last week with Summer School and our readers in Curundu! Just as everything is starting to really get into a nice routine- everything is changing! We have really developed some great relationships with our readers over these last weeks. Two of our readers went with some of us girls to a little island just off the coast on Saturday. We spent a nice long day out on the beach and walking around the quaint little town. I daydreamed about running into the school’s principal and them telling me they had a need for an English teacher there- but it did not happen. Our readers are constantly bringing us fresh fruit and absolutely delicious Panamanian food, they invite us to their houses and out to movies, and we really are becoming friends with these individuals and I will be so sad when they are not in our daily lives anymore! But please keep them all in your prayers, as we are here to serve them and hopefully plant as many seeds as we can and really show them the love and power of Christ and His family. Next week is the start of VBS and that will definantly keep us busy. We are really hoping that this will be drawing in the youth around the communities and their parents as well.
Well it is late and I am exhausted from this long day. Tomorrow will be even longer… summer school, readings, and then a small group meeting that the people from the church and our readers are invited to. It’s a great opportunity for them to practice their English as we read a story in Matthew, play games and sing songs in English. And it’s also a great opportunity for them to build relationships with one another. And tomorrow night is a POTLUCK! So the people from the states are bringing food from there and the people from here and bringing some yummy Panamanian food. Yummmmmmm can’t wait!
I’m going to end with some words that I read the other night in “Waking the Dead” by John Eldredge. It’s a great book that I recommend to anyone.
And that is why living from your glory is the only loving thing to do. You cannot love another person from a false self. You cannot love another while you are still hiding. How can you help them to freedom while you remain captive? You cannot love another unless you offer your heart. It takes courage to live from your heart... ‘I desperately want to be who I am. I don’t want the glory that I marvel at in others anymore. I want to be that glory which God set in me.’
Wednesday, February 6
A verse on my heart
"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."Philippians 3:7-14
Tuesday, January 29
A lot to catch up
*This was a fast type with no time to correct the mistakes! So be patient please...
BRISAS DEL GOLF
Jami and I worked in Brisas Del Golf from the 14th-25th. This was an absolutley amazing opportunity. Steve and Janet Kliest are a couple from California who came here to do LST readings with the people in this community. And since there was such a huge response, Jami and I went over to help them. Everyday we would get a ride from a brother from the church and we would travel 30 to 40 minutes to Walter's house and begin our readings at 2:00pm. Because of the great need for so many people to have beginners classes, Jami and I would spend 3 hours of the day conducting small group classes and ending our night with one large group class that almost all of the small group readers would come back to attend. (We also each had a couple individual readers that we would work with on the LST Luke workbook.) This set up was a great ground for a lot of wonderful relationships to form with everyone there. It was only a matter of time that everyone quickly became good friends. We would find ourselves spending some of the time just laughing, telling stories, talking about music and movies, and just enjoying our time together. Jami did an amazing job in teaching them their English skills and I was so happy to be able to assist her where I could. I found myself being able to really use a lot of my education training in this classes so I am thankful for those skills I learned from Harding and student teaching. The large group night class was the time that we would have the readers look at the Luke workbooks. We followed the format of teaching them some basic vocabulary and sentences to say which they would follow by introducing themselves. For example, My name is "Rachel and I am wearing a black shirt and blue shorts." It was a fun time for the group because of the many attempts that people would make. We had individuals ranging from 16 years old to retired housewives who are trying to learn English... which made it a riot to watch, and it was also very encouraging for meto see them all trying so hard to learn. Then after the English lesson part we would then read the lesson in English and have them try to explain in spanish. It was a great class and I feel like they all we learning a lot from it. On the two fridays the Kliest's would have a party at night for the readers, families and friends, and the members of the church would come too. These were always fun times and good laughs. We would play games and have snacks and mostly we would develop deeper relationships with eachother. Since we finished the Briasa's weekly work on the 25th we started going to Walter's house on Sundays to continue the beginners lessons from 3-4:30. Then we invite them to stay to worship with the Brisas congregation at Walter's house at 5. This is a new congregation that just started this year and I believe that is why God is really working on these people in this community. Last week there were nine readers that came to church and this past Sunday there were a lot that came as well. God is amazing! Please pray for the people and the church in Brisas.
CURUNDU
Starting last week Jami and I have been working in the Curundu school/church. This has been a completely different experience but a great one as well. Our schedule is full with things in that building. We teach summer school during the day (I teach five 10-12 year olds in a class that is, obviously, in all English. It has been a huge learning experience since I have a wide range of English knowledge in that room. Jami is teaching a 6 and a 7 year old and Erica is working with the youngest children) and we each have about 6 readers that we work with as well. This is a completely difference experience because now we are working only with individual readers with more English skills. We both feel like we are able to share the Word more with people. I feel like I have gained a lot from my readers and their insights on the scriptures and what the Word is trying to teach them. On Wednesday nights we are having a "small group" class at the church. This is a time that we have a short bible study, songs and games all in Enlish. We are inviting our readers from Briasas Del Golf and from Curundu to come to the meeting. Last week was the first week and we were happy to see how many people came all the way from Brisas to the class! And the woman that we live with came to the class as well! This is another wonderful opportunity to expose people to the word of God and for them to see Christs light and love in the people of the church. I'm excited to continue to work in Curundu for the next few weeks.
LIFE IN PANAMA
We have done so many things since we have been here. I cannot express how wonderful the people here have been to me and Jami. They have really taken us under their wings and made us feel at home here. There are so many people from Harding here too! A few weeks ago we went on a hike with the youth group from church and when we were fellowshiping at the top, Raul made a comment about the "Harding Mafia" here. I feel like I have a lot of good friend here in Panama! This past Saturday we finally went to the Panama Canal. That was a really great experience. It's just not everday that you get to see something that has such a huge impact on so many countries. This past Sunday we stayed in Brisas Del Golf and went to dinner with some of the teenage and young adult readers that we have met. It was one of the best times we have had yet! Believe it or not I ACTUALLY spoke a lot of spanish. Well, it was more Spanglish but it was a good attempt just the same. This weekend is a huge youth convention and we are really looking forward to going to that. And a lot of our readers might be going to it too so please pray for that as well!
AS FOR ME
Three weeks is a long time to try to step in and explain the many things I have seen, observed, felt, and learned. Looking back on my journal on my journal it's amazing how I have been brought to face the reality of so many things. I have never been so content and at peace with things as I am right now. It was a long and hard road to this point but, as with any struggle, it becomes so clearly evident the importance of the lessons God is trying to teach you. Lessons that makes you wonder how you ever functioned before them. Instead of trying to write everything out to summerize it all, I am just going to share something I have already written:
1-22-08
...But while sitting here I find myself even more complexed over circumstances around me. Everyday I grow more and more tired and more and more weak while laying under this blanket of shortcoming. Panama has been so hard on me at times. Living here has sent me to a state of absolut perplexity and confusioin. How do I function here? How do I live in a place where I am stripped of one of the biggest comforts that I have: Verbal communication. I find myself sometimes feeling in isolation from the world around me. Not able to tap into the pool of materials that I use when I need to impress people around me. How do I function without being able to tell people about my accomplishments? How will I be able to live around people without them knowing all of my talents and abilities and seeing my charm? And even worse, how do I live when they are able to see Jamis? PRIDE IS A POWERFUL THING. Oh the lies that Satan so desperatly tries to convince us as truth.
Being here in Panama has humbled me down to being someone who is forced to rely on others for everything. It has forced me to reduce my talents down to a very unexercised science of desperatly trying to show Christs love with very basic forms of verbal communication. To develope relationships with a warm smile and a gentle touch. I have sat beside people in church and desperately prayed that my hand on their leg would somehow express to them the depth of the love and concern I have for them and their spirits. The results are amazing. It is said that when you loose one sense, then the others are heightened. Well there is a great power in the universal language of love.
.....Oh God how dare I complain that no one can see my talents when it's to YOUR GLORY that ALL works are done. What an amazing plan you had for the people here. What beautiful children they are. I do not care what role I play here. I am just so thankful for the chance to see your glory and power. I am thankful that you picked me.
Even in the week since I wrote this entry I have grown so much more. I find myself falling more in love with Christ and the more I study the word with my readers the more it comes alive in me. Truths I have known for so long are finally sinking in. The closer you are to God and the more you dedicate your time to serving him- the more fullfilled you are and the more purpose you feel. Thank you for all of your prayers and support. I love you all so much!
BRISAS DEL GOLF
Jami and I worked in Brisas Del Golf from the 14th-25th. This was an absolutley amazing opportunity. Steve and Janet Kliest are a couple from California who came here to do LST readings with the people in this community. And since there was such a huge response, Jami and I went over to help them. Everyday we would get a ride from a brother from the church and we would travel 30 to 40 minutes to Walter's house and begin our readings at 2:00pm. Because of the great need for so many people to have beginners classes, Jami and I would spend 3 hours of the day conducting small group classes and ending our night with one large group class that almost all of the small group readers would come back to attend. (We also each had a couple individual readers that we would work with on the LST Luke workbook.) This set up was a great ground for a lot of wonderful relationships to form with everyone there. It was only a matter of time that everyone quickly became good friends. We would find ourselves spending some of the time just laughing, telling stories, talking about music and movies, and just enjoying our time together. Jami did an amazing job in teaching them their English skills and I was so happy to be able to assist her where I could. I found myself being able to really use a lot of my education training in this classes so I am thankful for those skills I learned from Harding and student teaching. The large group night class was the time that we would have the readers look at the Luke workbooks. We followed the format of teaching them some basic vocabulary and sentences to say which they would follow by introducing themselves. For example, My name is "Rachel and I am wearing a black shirt and blue shorts." It was a fun time for the group because of the many attempts that people would make. We had individuals ranging from 16 years old to retired housewives who are trying to learn English... which made it a riot to watch, and it was also very encouraging for meto see them all trying so hard to learn. Then after the English lesson part we would then read the lesson in English and have them try to explain in spanish. It was a great class and I feel like they all we learning a lot from it. On the two fridays the Kliest's would have a party at night for the readers, families and friends, and the members of the church would come too. These were always fun times and good laughs. We would play games and have snacks and mostly we would develop deeper relationships with eachother. Since we finished the Briasa's weekly work on the 25th we started going to Walter's house on Sundays to continue the beginners lessons from 3-4:30. Then we invite them to stay to worship with the Brisas congregation at Walter's house at 5. This is a new congregation that just started this year and I believe that is why God is really working on these people in this community. Last week there were nine readers that came to church and this past Sunday there were a lot that came as well. God is amazing! Please pray for the people and the church in Brisas.
CURUNDU
Starting last week Jami and I have been working in the Curundu school/church. This has been a completely different experience but a great one as well. Our schedule is full with things in that building. We teach summer school during the day (I teach five 10-12 year olds in a class that is, obviously, in all English. It has been a huge learning experience since I have a wide range of English knowledge in that room. Jami is teaching a 6 and a 7 year old and Erica is working with the youngest children) and we each have about 6 readers that we work with as well. This is a completely difference experience because now we are working only with individual readers with more English skills. We both feel like we are able to share the Word more with people. I feel like I have gained a lot from my readers and their insights on the scriptures and what the Word is trying to teach them. On Wednesday nights we are having a "small group" class at the church. This is a time that we have a short bible study, songs and games all in Enlish. We are inviting our readers from Briasas Del Golf and from Curundu to come to the meeting. Last week was the first week and we were happy to see how many people came all the way from Brisas to the class! And the woman that we live with came to the class as well! This is another wonderful opportunity to expose people to the word of God and for them to see Christs light and love in the people of the church. I'm excited to continue to work in Curundu for the next few weeks.
LIFE IN PANAMA
We have done so many things since we have been here. I cannot express how wonderful the people here have been to me and Jami. They have really taken us under their wings and made us feel at home here. There are so many people from Harding here too! A few weeks ago we went on a hike with the youth group from church and when we were fellowshiping at the top, Raul made a comment about the "Harding Mafia" here. I feel like I have a lot of good friend here in Panama! This past Saturday we finally went to the Panama Canal. That was a really great experience. It's just not everday that you get to see something that has such a huge impact on so many countries. This past Sunday we stayed in Brisas Del Golf and went to dinner with some of the teenage and young adult readers that we have met. It was one of the best times we have had yet! Believe it or not I ACTUALLY spoke a lot of spanish. Well, it was more Spanglish but it was a good attempt just the same. This weekend is a huge youth convention and we are really looking forward to going to that. And a lot of our readers might be going to it too so please pray for that as well!
AS FOR ME
Three weeks is a long time to try to step in and explain the many things I have seen, observed, felt, and learned. Looking back on my journal on my journal it's amazing how I have been brought to face the reality of so many things. I have never been so content and at peace with things as I am right now. It was a long and hard road to this point but, as with any struggle, it becomes so clearly evident the importance of the lessons God is trying to teach you. Lessons that makes you wonder how you ever functioned before them. Instead of trying to write everything out to summerize it all, I am just going to share something I have already written:
1-22-08
...But while sitting here I find myself even more complexed over circumstances around me. Everyday I grow more and more tired and more and more weak while laying under this blanket of shortcoming. Panama has been so hard on me at times. Living here has sent me to a state of absolut perplexity and confusioin. How do I function here? How do I live in a place where I am stripped of one of the biggest comforts that I have: Verbal communication. I find myself sometimes feeling in isolation from the world around me. Not able to tap into the pool of materials that I use when I need to impress people around me. How do I function without being able to tell people about my accomplishments? How will I be able to live around people without them knowing all of my talents and abilities and seeing my charm? And even worse, how do I live when they are able to see Jamis? PRIDE IS A POWERFUL THING. Oh the lies that Satan so desperatly tries to convince us as truth.
Being here in Panama has humbled me down to being someone who is forced to rely on others for everything. It has forced me to reduce my talents down to a very unexercised science of desperatly trying to show Christs love with very basic forms of verbal communication. To develope relationships with a warm smile and a gentle touch. I have sat beside people in church and desperately prayed that my hand on their leg would somehow express to them the depth of the love and concern I have for them and their spirits. The results are amazing. It is said that when you loose one sense, then the others are heightened. Well there is a great power in the universal language of love.
.....Oh God how dare I complain that no one can see my talents when it's to YOUR GLORY that ALL works are done. What an amazing plan you had for the people here. What beautiful children they are. I do not care what role I play here. I am just so thankful for the chance to see your glory and power. I am thankful that you picked me.
Even in the week since I wrote this entry I have grown so much more. I find myself falling more in love with Christ and the more I study the word with my readers the more it comes alive in me. Truths I have known for so long are finally sinking in. The closer you are to God and the more you dedicate your time to serving him- the more fullfilled you are and the more purpose you feel. Thank you for all of your prayers and support. I love you all so much!
Tuesday, January 8
Going strong
Everyday that I am here I really fall in love with it more and more. I am more comfortable with the people and my surroundings and I am beginning to really love the culture. This might come as a shock for some of you because my heart was never drawn to Panama but I knew that God wanted me there and that it was something I could learn and grow from. But now I am really thankful for this opportunity and I praise God for putting me in this country.
Some things are still hard to deal with.... Mostly it´s just that I don´t speak the language here. It is so hard to go to church and to not be able to bond with the other members (which is sooo hard for me not to talk!-- that comment is for you Mom!) I am so thankful that Jami knows spanish and she is willing to help me learn and fill be in on what is going on! But sometimes it is hard to be the ONLY ONE who does not understand. It can be very lonely and humbling most of the time. But I have never had to rely on God´s strength as much as I am here... so this is a great blessing to me. At church I found myself tearing up when they sang one of my favorite songs. Even though I did not know the words I still felt like I was actually being able to worship God with the people. It´s amazing how we take for granted even the little things in life. I did not realize how much singing praises to God meant to my heart and spirit.
It has become a joke here that I am going to wake up one morning and speak spanish. Some of the people here tease me saying that I have been here two weeks and I should know it by now. If only it was true! :) Betty it arranging for me to have lessons here soon and I cannot wait to start.
This past Sunday we went to the first service at a church in Brisas Del Golf . This was a very exciting day. A couple from California got in this weekend and will be doing LST work here for the next two weeks. Because of the great response they recieved from the people in the community, they needed me and Jami to come and start working there before our work in Curundu. At the information meeting we quickly saw that about half of the people who came did not know very much English. How the LST program works is that you read one-on-one with a reader. Each session you read through a passage in a Luke workbook. This is suppose to help people work on their conversational english skills but it also is a way to expose them to the word of God. Through your sessions with the readers you are able to ask them questions about the text and get them to really think about what they are reading... and also build relationships with them that will hopefuly show them the love of Christ in our own hearts and lives. So since so many people could not even read the text, Jami and I volunteered our time to work with small group beginners level classes. It has been an AMAZING week.
At first it was hard because I felt like I was not contributing much to the classes and most of the time I did not know what was going on. But slowly the people started really helping me feel welcome, but forcing me to practice my spanish and teaching me new words. One woman even promised to buy me a book to help me learn. I may not be able to communicate with them through words but I really feel like I have made some friends through this. (Also our taxi driver teaches me a phrase a night!) It is also incredible to watch as our night large group class has grown up to about 15 people! It is then that we work through Luke workbook with them to practice english comprehension. And with the help of some of the members of teh church who sit in on the lessons, they are able to communicate the messages of the lessons to them! I also have been working with two readers in the LST classes and one of them is hopefully going to start coming to church with us. I feel so connected to everyone and it has been a blessing to watch as we all bonded with eachother (the people in our classes act like they have been friends for years!) Words cannot explain all the amazing things God is doing in Brisas Del Golf!
I have no more time to write but I do want to say thank you to everyone for praying for me and my health! The tests all come out saying I am extremely healthy. My blood pressure was still low but not as low as before (it was 80/50 the first time- I wrote it wrong in my last blog. Now it was 88/60) is still just a little low but I have medicine to continue to help bring it up. So everything is just working out perfectly here!
We are getting internet at our house soon so more updates and PICTURES to come. Thank you for all of your encouraging comments, emails, and messages. I LOVE YOU ALL!
Some things are still hard to deal with.... Mostly it´s just that I don´t speak the language here. It is so hard to go to church and to not be able to bond with the other members (which is sooo hard for me not to talk!-- that comment is for you Mom!) I am so thankful that Jami knows spanish and she is willing to help me learn and fill be in on what is going on! But sometimes it is hard to be the ONLY ONE who does not understand. It can be very lonely and humbling most of the time. But I have never had to rely on God´s strength as much as I am here... so this is a great blessing to me. At church I found myself tearing up when they sang one of my favorite songs. Even though I did not know the words I still felt like I was actually being able to worship God with the people. It´s amazing how we take for granted even the little things in life. I did not realize how much singing praises to God meant to my heart and spirit.
It has become a joke here that I am going to wake up one morning and speak spanish. Some of the people here tease me saying that I have been here two weeks and I should know it by now. If only it was true! :) Betty it arranging for me to have lessons here soon and I cannot wait to start.
This past Sunday we went to the first service at a church in Brisas Del Golf . This was a very exciting day. A couple from California got in this weekend and will be doing LST work here for the next two weeks. Because of the great response they recieved from the people in the community, they needed me and Jami to come and start working there before our work in Curundu. At the information meeting we quickly saw that about half of the people who came did not know very much English. How the LST program works is that you read one-on-one with a reader. Each session you read through a passage in a Luke workbook. This is suppose to help people work on their conversational english skills but it also is a way to expose them to the word of God. Through your sessions with the readers you are able to ask them questions about the text and get them to really think about what they are reading... and also build relationships with them that will hopefuly show them the love of Christ in our own hearts and lives. So since so many people could not even read the text, Jami and I volunteered our time to work with small group beginners level classes. It has been an AMAZING week.
At first it was hard because I felt like I was not contributing much to the classes and most of the time I did not know what was going on. But slowly the people started really helping me feel welcome, but forcing me to practice my spanish and teaching me new words. One woman even promised to buy me a book to help me learn. I may not be able to communicate with them through words but I really feel like I have made some friends through this. (Also our taxi driver teaches me a phrase a night!) It is also incredible to watch as our night large group class has grown up to about 15 people! It is then that we work through Luke workbook with them to practice english comprehension. And with the help of some of the members of teh church who sit in on the lessons, they are able to communicate the messages of the lessons to them! I also have been working with two readers in the LST classes and one of them is hopefully going to start coming to church with us. I feel so connected to everyone and it has been a blessing to watch as we all bonded with eachother (the people in our classes act like they have been friends for years!) Words cannot explain all the amazing things God is doing in Brisas Del Golf!
I have no more time to write but I do want to say thank you to everyone for praying for me and my health! The tests all come out saying I am extremely healthy. My blood pressure was still low but not as low as before (it was 80/50 the first time- I wrote it wrong in my last blog. Now it was 88/60) is still just a little low but I have medicine to continue to help bring it up. So everything is just working out perfectly here!
We are getting internet at our house soon so more updates and PICTURES to come. Thank you for all of your encouraging comments, emails, and messages. I LOVE YOU ALL!
Friday, January 4
SORRY EVERYONE!!!
I know it has taken us forever to write in here! We just found a place where we can sit and get online for more than just a few minutes. I will be keeping this more up to date I promise!
Oh and I sat down and wrote out a nice well thought out blog to post on here... and I left it at the house. So excuse the following post if it seems rushed and a little crazy :)
Oh and I sat down and wrote out a nice well thought out blog to post on here... and I left it at the house. So excuse the following post if it seems rushed and a little crazy :)
Blind Faith
God is faithful
These words have been going through my head since the moment I got off the plane here. Scriptures tell us that if we walk in faith then God will take care of us... don´t worry about anything because He will be taking care of His children.
Sitting on the plane I felt as though I couldn´t breath... I had no idea what I was walking into. All we knew was that we had a man named Larry at the gate waiting for us who ¨looked like a dad¨with glasses and that we had a place arranged to stay while we were here. All of that was too overwhelming for me. Little did I know that the Jones family would soon become our close friends and we would quickly feel like they were family to us.
When our host house was dark and looked like everyone was in bed, Karen offered us to stay with them. So there I laid in their daughters bed completely anxious about everything I had already seen and feeling like I will never learn this language that is all around me now. But thankfully I am here with my amazing friend who comforted me enough to fall into a much needed sleep. In the morning we found out that our house would not be ready until Monday but we were able to meet the family that we would be staying with. The mom knows some english from studying with LST (Lets Start Talking) before but the dad does not know any english-- fun for me. They have a beautiful daughter who turns 4 tomorrow and a 4 month old baby boy... which I have already become attatched to.
The Jones took care of us all weekend while we waited to move in. It was amazing to see how many people we knew in common and how many places we had all been before! It is such a small world and I know that God knew that this was the family we needed to walk into. On Saturday we went to the mall and at one point Jami and I got seperated from them... it was so overwhelming. Here we were in a crowded place with no phone, no car, NO idea where we were and I had no idea how to communicate to people around me. At that point only a handful of people even knew who we were in this entire country! It was a lonely feeling that I have never experienced before. Talk about needed to put all your faith and trust in God. (Don´t worry- we found then after about 10 min)
Going to church on Sunday was such a great experience and a wonderful encouragement. The people there were so nice and kind and soooo eager to talk to us. They all expressed an interest in learning English and working with us. hopefully we can start something for the church soon but it just seeing their excitement really made me excited about starting our readings here. We also met a couple named Arielle and Jose (who went to Harding too) and we were able to hang out with them all day long. They quickly became our friends and was another way that God revealed to me how he is taking care of us!
I was here for New Years an that way an experience. Fireworks are the thing to do here and it was so much fun to stand on the Jones back balcony and watch as hundred of fireworks went off all over the horizon (some were so close that we heard multiple car alarms going off!)
Betty and Raul are the people from church who works with LST and are arranging our schedules and readings for us. They are out of town until tomorrow so all week me and Jami have just been exploring and settling in. Something that I know I needed to do. I am so much more comfortable here and I know that I really needed some time to get settled in and get use to everything here. So all week we have been hanging out with our new friends... going to Old Panama, shopping around all the art markets, feeding fish off the bay coast, playing games... we have planned to go to the beach but that hasn´t worked out...
Wednesday morning Arielle was going to take us to the beach. We were outside the mall entrance waiting to go catch a bus when all of a sudden I felt really sick. I turned to the girls and told them that I felt like I was going to pass out... and the next thing I knew I was waking up to Jami saying my name and I was laying on the ground. It all felt like a dream!!! I had a crowd of people all around me and I could not believe that I just fainted. When I felt like I had enough strength we went inside to the AC and I sat on a bench where I eventually layed down because I still felt so bad. Jami said when I was standing outside she noticed how I got a glazed look on my face and she simply touched my arm and it was like someone else guided me slowly and gently down to the ground because none of my weight was on her. And when Arielle called Larry, they were already getting in the car to come to the mall! God was obviously watching after me because if I would have fainted any later then I would have been on a bus or two hours away from everyone! We went to the doctor an my blood pressure was 88/55-- extremely low! It might have just been dehydration but I got some blood work done yesterday to find out (results on tuesday). It´s nothing to worry about but def say a prayer that we can know what happened! God is obviously watching out for me!
I don´t want to write too much but just know that everything is wonderful here. I am excited to start working and I am so thankful to be here. For not knowing what we were walking into-- things have gone smoothly and perfect! I will write more fequently because I have SO much to write about and I hate that I can´t explain everything from this week.
Thank you for all of your prayers and support! You don´t know how much you all are a big part of this mission. Pray for our readers that we will be working with soon!
These words have been going through my head since the moment I got off the plane here. Scriptures tell us that if we walk in faith then God will take care of us... don´t worry about anything because He will be taking care of His children.
Sitting on the plane I felt as though I couldn´t breath... I had no idea what I was walking into. All we knew was that we had a man named Larry at the gate waiting for us who ¨looked like a dad¨with glasses and that we had a place arranged to stay while we were here. All of that was too overwhelming for me. Little did I know that the Jones family would soon become our close friends and we would quickly feel like they were family to us.
When our host house was dark and looked like everyone was in bed, Karen offered us to stay with them. So there I laid in their daughters bed completely anxious about everything I had already seen and feeling like I will never learn this language that is all around me now. But thankfully I am here with my amazing friend who comforted me enough to fall into a much needed sleep. In the morning we found out that our house would not be ready until Monday but we were able to meet the family that we would be staying with. The mom knows some english from studying with LST (Lets Start Talking) before but the dad does not know any english-- fun for me. They have a beautiful daughter who turns 4 tomorrow and a 4 month old baby boy... which I have already become attatched to.
The Jones took care of us all weekend while we waited to move in. It was amazing to see how many people we knew in common and how many places we had all been before! It is such a small world and I know that God knew that this was the family we needed to walk into. On Saturday we went to the mall and at one point Jami and I got seperated from them... it was so overwhelming. Here we were in a crowded place with no phone, no car, NO idea where we were and I had no idea how to communicate to people around me. At that point only a handful of people even knew who we were in this entire country! It was a lonely feeling that I have never experienced before. Talk about needed to put all your faith and trust in God. (Don´t worry- we found then after about 10 min)
Going to church on Sunday was such a great experience and a wonderful encouragement. The people there were so nice and kind and soooo eager to talk to us. They all expressed an interest in learning English and working with us. hopefully we can start something for the church soon but it just seeing their excitement really made me excited about starting our readings here. We also met a couple named Arielle and Jose (who went to Harding too) and we were able to hang out with them all day long. They quickly became our friends and was another way that God revealed to me how he is taking care of us!
I was here for New Years an that way an experience. Fireworks are the thing to do here and it was so much fun to stand on the Jones back balcony and watch as hundred of fireworks went off all over the horizon (some were so close that we heard multiple car alarms going off!)
Betty and Raul are the people from church who works with LST and are arranging our schedules and readings for us. They are out of town until tomorrow so all week me and Jami have just been exploring and settling in. Something that I know I needed to do. I am so much more comfortable here and I know that I really needed some time to get settled in and get use to everything here. So all week we have been hanging out with our new friends... going to Old Panama, shopping around all the art markets, feeding fish off the bay coast, playing games... we have planned to go to the beach but that hasn´t worked out...
Wednesday morning Arielle was going to take us to the beach. We were outside the mall entrance waiting to go catch a bus when all of a sudden I felt really sick. I turned to the girls and told them that I felt like I was going to pass out... and the next thing I knew I was waking up to Jami saying my name and I was laying on the ground. It all felt like a dream!!! I had a crowd of people all around me and I could not believe that I just fainted. When I felt like I had enough strength we went inside to the AC and I sat on a bench where I eventually layed down because I still felt so bad. Jami said when I was standing outside she noticed how I got a glazed look on my face and she simply touched my arm and it was like someone else guided me slowly and gently down to the ground because none of my weight was on her. And when Arielle called Larry, they were already getting in the car to come to the mall! God was obviously watching after me because if I would have fainted any later then I would have been on a bus or two hours away from everyone! We went to the doctor an my blood pressure was 88/55-- extremely low! It might have just been dehydration but I got some blood work done yesterday to find out (results on tuesday). It´s nothing to worry about but def say a prayer that we can know what happened! God is obviously watching out for me!
I don´t want to write too much but just know that everything is wonderful here. I am excited to start working and I am so thankful to be here. For not knowing what we were walking into-- things have gone smoothly and perfect! I will write more fequently because I have SO much to write about and I hate that I can´t explain everything from this week.
Thank you for all of your prayers and support! You don´t know how much you all are a big part of this mission. Pray for our readers that we will be working with soon!
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