We only saw one ball of fur....

01/04/2014 It's Saturday morning and I woke up to the most beautiful scene, well worth the 6:30am wake up! Costa Rica is just so beautiful and so peaceful (well at least where we are!) It's much cooler here than in Panama because of the elevation....I guess we are slowly getting our bodies used to what we have to look forward to when we fly in tomorrow. ;) This morning we are headed to Poas Volcano! It's so beautiful there and I pray we get to see it clearly! Yesterday we stopped at the beach for lunch. The water was nice and it was really warm. We had plans to go to the Sloth Sanctuary, actually this was our highlight of our tour days. The trip fell through :( and many of us were sad! We were hoping to hold a sloth or at least paint it's toenails! :) definitely on the list for next year....WE WILL DO IT!!!!!! We ended up at the platter place for dinner last evening. It was very yummy and nice to sit and have a meal together. After the volcano we are headed to a cafe to purchase coffee and see the plantations along the mountains. Then it's off to Morovia for shopping!! Birds, here we come!!! Our tradition of Pizza Hut is this evening...whose birthday will it be???? ;) I can't believe this trip has almost come to an end! Next time my plan is two weeks....we never seem to have enough time and we always leave wanting more! Please pray for our returning....we are concerned that we won't make it into Chicago and if we do, we will be stuck there. Lots of prayers are appreciated!!

Never ride in a car with strangers does not apply in Changuinola....

01/03/14 You'll notice that the date on the previous post is completely wrong! You can tell that 1. I'm really tired and 2. Changing years always confuses me!! I apologize for the delay on posts! We have been so busy, busier than most trips I've taken!! I've literally had an hour each day to get ready and maybe sit for 15 minutes before we are on to the next task! Not a complaint, because it's very hard to complain when you are witnessing people come to Christ, but it's just been a long week!! We completed our week of work! I was so excited about all the work we accomplished! The added stairs were completed and we left Cielo to finish the railing. Three rooms were painted inside for their classrooms that they use for a school during the week! On Thursday afternoon I was volunteered (thanks Kerri!) at 3pm to paint flowers on the wall!! Took me a few hours, but they were completed! I wish I had more time to paint more murals! Maybe next time! Many worked on the wrought iron that needed to be painted and the new added kitchen wall was finished as well! We are excited to see the kitchen be completed as with some money that was donated, a refrigerator, stove, and microwave was purchased!!! Wednesday evening a few went to canvas the area where a new church plant is beginning! Our group headed there to show the Jesus Film in the evening! What a night! Many people were waiting when we pulled in and you could just see the people walking toward the shelter from all directions! We began with our David and Goliath skit and by the time we began the film there were over 300 people there! Some sitting, some standing, some on bikes, others under umbrellas! It reminded me of the story of Zacchaeus....It didn't matter, He found a place where he could see Jesus! Afterwards there was a call to receive Christ and around 30 children and a few adults came forward!! We were so excited for the response! I look forward to when a team of people can go and build a structure for a church to meet in this new Finca and I hope I can be a part of it!! On Thursday evening we had a baptismal/farewell service in the Baptist church. It was a very nice service....Pastor David from El Silencio preached and Yanis led the music. Cabot even played the drums! Several were baptized. We had a time of fellowship afterwards and said "hasta luego" to many of those we've grown to love! Today we woke up and headed down to the church for our group photo and prayer time! Many of the church people met us there to pray with us. The church gave each of us a gift and it was a very special time as Pastor Nieves anointed each of our hands with oil. It was truly a blessing! Always sad to end our time in Changuinola. It usually goes too fast and we are always sad to leave them. Time does not stand still and we miss out on a lot when we head back home. I'm very blessed and I always want to spend just a little more time with the people.....continue to pray for Changuinola....

2014....a new year.....

12/01/2014 It's 2014!!!!!!!! Felix Años Nuevo!!!!!!!!! We rang in the new year....Panamanian style!!!!!! After working all day at the worksite, some of the team headed to Finca 11 and showed the Jesus Film. Finca 11 has a church....it's very neat, a sidewalk with homes on either side and you eventually run into the church, which is nestled among all of the homes. The church was filled with many children and some adults. Many came forward to accept Christ. It's always so exciting to see people come to know Him, even if you don't understand the language! God understands!! To celebrate New Year's, we had a church service with lots of music and Derl Keefer, from our group, preached the message. Afterwards we gathered outside, ate a meal together and shot off fireworks as the clock struck midnight! Even though many of us were very tired, it was an awesome time to celebrate with our family and friends here in Panama! Lots of work is getting done....the stairs will be framed up tomorrow and then walls being built inside are getting higher! A fresh coat of paint is being put on many walls in the classrooms....we can see progress for sure.... Continue to pray for our group! We have been blessed so far.....

A new start.....how will you begin?

12/31/2013 Today was an amazing day! A lot of work was completed today at the church including more work on the stairs, lots of painting, and more block laying. Along with all of the work, we are having fun on the worksite as well! :) It's New Year's Eve....the end of 2013, the beginning of 2014. What a way to begin a new year, but by serving! Personally, I have been thinking back on my 2013....what did I do? What are some highlights? What moments would I'd like to do over? This is the time to reflect, re access, and decide what your 2014 will look like. This doesn't mean stress or worry about it, but we can evaluate! What's great is that it's so exciting to know that we can walk into the new year with God. We don't have to enter it alone, we don't have to go through trials alone, and we don't have to celebrate alone! We have an amazing God who wants to walk with you. Maybe you don't have that, and maybe you are interested in knowing....this is your year!! 2014 could be the year that you give up all of the junk, drama, and worries....and start a fresh life with God! I pray each of us as we make our goals or resolutions for this coming year, adds to that list "Spending more time with God." We all could use a little more of that.....

Blessings at La Gloria....

12/30/2013 So I'm sitting here in the lobby of the Hotel waiting on our group to rise and shine. I'm listening to the Panamanian news blaring, because that's how they like all noise, music, tv....LOUD! Today is our first work day at the church. Yesterday was a very nice day. We went to the church service in the morning and had a great time of worship! Afterwards we had pizza :) and some of the group filled bags to take to La Gloria. We headed to La Gloria in the afternoon with Nina (Pastor Anhil's daughter). She's a very sweet young woman who knows English and has been a major help to our group! La Gloria was amazing as usual! When we arrived this time all of the children were sitting in the church (more like a blocked park shelter) and singing songs with Pastor Anhil. We were so amazed at even when we pulled out all of the goodies, the children were so quiet and stayed seated the entire time! They enjoyed our skits for them....David & Goliath and Zacchaeus. They were a lot of fun! We organized our gift bags and our flip flops this year so we could line the children up and pass the things out. Three years ago it seemed like we were just completely bombarded with children when we pulled out the flip flops, we didn't want that this year! It was awesome to hand this little boys and girls (and some older children), mostly with bare feet or very dirty flip flops, a new pair of flip flops that were their very own! What a blessing! If my count is correct, we handed out over 160 bags and even more flip flops!! We are so thankful, especially, for those of our friends who have taken part in this trip, not by coming, but by giving! Whether you gave flip flops, the many bags, or the toys....everything was donated and we appreciate everyone giving a little to make those amazing few hours possible! More coming....

The fear of the bridge does not run as deep anymore...

12/29/2013 It's Sunday morning and I'm awake for church. Quiet in my room, just a peaceful humming of the air conditioner. After last night's craziness next door, I'll take the air conditioner! Well we made it to Changuinola, Panama!! All of the flights were great, smoothest travel day we've ever had! Yesterday morning we left on our bus ride to Panama. It was a beautiful ride as always in the rain forest and along the beach. For those of you who've been to Panama, you know how fabulous (insert sarcasm) the walk across the bridge is. Broken pieces of wood, rusty metal, and semis trying to get around you as you trek across the bridge hoping to miss a hole and praying none of the moving boards pop up and hit you in the face! (You know, like in the old cartoons, I think it always happened to Tom in Tom & Jerry! Ha!) well........now they've built a new bridge alongside of the old bridge. Of course the new bridge is only for vehicles and we still have to continue to walk on the old bridge, but we don't have to contend with vehicles and semis anymore! :) it is the little things in life.... Last evening we had a great meal served to us by Yanis and the ladies of the church. We were able to see Pastor Nieves, the boys (oh my! They've grown!), Alicia, Dario, and Arcenio, among many others. It was a great reunion! Today we will be headed to church and then to La Gloria! We are all very excited for this trip! We love La Gloria and then people we get to see there! We are praying this year we have more than enough flip flops to pass out to the children of La Gloria. They said it has grown with over 100 children in the church, with I'm sure more coming out of the wood works when we arrive! They also said that the local church has worked on their building as well, so we can't wait to see all of the changes made! Our schedule this week is very busy. We are at the worksite Monday-Thursday, showing the Jesus Film Monday and Wednesday night, NYE Celebration on Wednesday, and hosting bible schools in between all of it! It's going to be a long, exhausting, but amazing week!! Please keep us in your prayers....we have already been blessed by everyone's prayers already....

In anticipation....

So just a quick post this evening as I finish up the packing and head to bed to endure a very long day of traveling! I can't believe in just a few short hours I will be getting on an airplane to embark on my 9th trip to Panama! I'm looking forward to this year's trip, just as every year! I anticipate a great group of people who come from all walks of life. I anticipate an exciting project, along with VBS, and showing the Jesus Film. I anticipate seeing the faces of some of the most amazing people we've been privileged to be able to call family. And I anticipate a time of renewal, refreshing, and a time of closeness with God. Every year is different, and every year we say it's the best! I can't wait to see what this year holds for us! Please pray for us if you will! Here is a list of the people in our group! Jeremy and Rebekah McLaughlin (WI) Cabot McLaughlin (WI) Rosie Stanchik (WI) Vikki King (WI) Lori Slaney (WI) Robert Slaney (WI) Derl and Karen Keefer (MI) Bryan and Sheila Baker (IL) Gabe and Kerri Manis (CO) Al Smith and Karen Wenger (IN) Karen Renner (IN) Jama Pyle (IN) Kristen Cook (IN) Jamie King (IN) Julia Sorrell (IN) Lois Pines (IN) Thank you for you prayers!! I will be posting as much as I can on this trip....keep looking out for it!

"...I won't say garden hoe"

07.01.2012 It's Sunday, our last day in Panama. This is usually the day that is filled with the most fun and sadness. We headed to church at Puerto Caimito. We were excited to go and celebrate with the people that we spent all week getting to know and love. Edwin preached the sermon, while Pablo translated. We had a great time worshiping, Kenia and Dina led it. Dina is a sweet girl who knows English and translated quite a bit for us. Deena and Dalton did a special...Dalton on the guitar and Deena singing. Two girls, Kayla and Lia also sang a special, along with Jeremy, a sweet 10 year old. Of course it was hot and sticky during the service....fans were blowing, but it's hard to get relief. After the sermon we headed to the back of the church where the roof was put up and Edwin had Jeremy pray and dedicate the new dining area. We also recognized the ladies who made our food all week and also the Pastor and his wife. They also gave each of us a gift. Saturday was Pastor Milanio's birthday and we celebrated it with cake and ice cream! Yum! Lots of photos were taken and lots of hugs were given out. The people of the Puerto Caimito church are very loving people and we enjoyed getting to know the people and the children. We were blessed as much, if not more, then we blessed them. As I shared with them, God continues to remind me of the parable of feeding the 5000. I always stress over the money, whether we have enough and where it all goes. This year was no different. I knew the amount of money we had for supplies and before we were even there they had used the entire amount for the roofing project. We were great about that, but knew that we actually couldn't do the work of the roofing project since it entailed welding, which none of us could do.    So when we arrived we were a bit concerned with what laid ahead of us throughout the week. So God, of course, continued to stretch our money...so much that we were able to scrape the entire church inside and out, paint the entire church inside and out and purchase the materials to replace the front part of the building's roof. Again, God answered our prayers and proved to us His faithfulness.  After church we headed back into the city and went to the markets to shop for some souvenirs. It poured raining so we didn't get to see a lot of the city as planned, but we were all exhausted from the busyness of the weekend that I don't think anyone really minded. We had dinner at Pizza Hut, a tradition, before heading back to the house for devotions and packing.  Dario gave the devotion which was amazing and very fitting. Afterwards, Arcenio prayed over our group. I love when he prays....I like to say he prays you right through to heaven! Dario and Arcenio are two of the most amazing people I've met. I'm so glad that they were able to come down and spend the week with us. I've really enjoyed watching Arcenio come out of his shell, he's such a joy to be around and has such a heart for those that are lost. I sure do adore those boys! We had a great time of reflection and enjoyed spending the last moments of the day with them as well as Pablo and Edwin. Tomorrow we load up at 4am to head to the airport where we will be traveling all day tomorrow to get back home....it's time to plan our next trip! :-)

"blessed beyond belief..."

06.30.2012 It's Saturday and it's been a longggggg day. We began out journey at 5am as we headed on our 2 hour bus ride. We finally made it to the river to get into the hollowed out tree trunked boat. It was so cool! Something I always envisioned doing! We had a full boat....17 people, 8 boxes of rice, cookies and juice, and lots of bags filled with goodies for the kids. The boat ride was an 1 1/2 hour and started pretty well until....it began to rain! We were going to the village of Incanti, but heading to another village first to drop off rice and pray with the people. The closer we got, the more it rained. We probably looked a little silly with ponchos and garbage bags over us...all you could see were our eyes! So funny! We made it to the kuna village and hiked up the mountain with rice in hand. It was so awesome to be greeted by some of the little kuna girls. The village was made up of grass huts all around. We were asked to come into the home of Alexia, a man that Edwin knows. We were greeted by all, the kuna children sang to us and we sang to them the same songs in English. We prayed for one another in our own languages also. Afterwards Deena and I served the kids tea and cookies...that was so cool! Each child had went to their homes and brought back coffee mugs to be filled. I was so filled to serve them on this way. We met a few people that were going to be baptized the next time Edwin goes to the village and also a couple that plans to get married. We prayed over them also. We walked around the village some and then went into another hut to look at all the things they made. I got a new bracelet! :-)  As we were getting ready to head down the mountain to head to Incanti, we received news that Incanti was being quarantined because of an outbreak of diarrhea and fever in the children.  Four children had died that day. We were saddened to hear of the news. We decided to stay in the village and play with the kids. We made a craft with them and also made salvation bracelets with them. I was almost trampled by the ladies and kids when I began to pass out bags to them! We headed back down the mountain and into the boat. We were all exhausted Nd enjoyed the calm rude back. We prayed as we went past the Incanti village for those families who lost children and were sick. After we made it back we headed for supper. It was an exhausting, emotional day. I was glad to get back to the house and go to bed. During dinner we were able to skype with the kids.....I needed that. Tomorrow is church and our last day in Panama. Sad....

"...and then the tire blew..."

06.29.2012 Today (Friday) was our beach day. Of course we waited quite awhile for our bus driver so instead of leaving at 9am, we left at 11am. We had a nice morning, though...breakfast, devotions, hanging out. We finally began our journey to Colon, not the nicest city (lots of drugs), but it had beautiful beaches. Unfortunately, on our way there we blew a tire in the bus. Our bus driver was amazing! He got us safely off the road and changed the tire in no time! We probably looked a little crazy....a group of Americans on the side of a road! We finally made it to the beach. Everybody enjoyed the warm water and sand. Dalton had his guitar, so Edwin played some songs for us... Tonight, after the beach, we went to the largest mall. We didn't have much time, but we shopped a little and had supper there. Tomorrow (Saturday), we will be headed to the Kuna village, Incanti. We all have been anticipating this exciting journey! We will be taking a 2 hour bus ride and a 1 1/2 hour boat ride to get there! I know we are going to be blessed with an amazing time! We've been warned about different things...cameras/pictures, the boys looking at the girls, etc. The church is in the process of forming relationships with the people, so we don't want to jeopardize that. We've got to get up extremely early for this trip, so Adios! Keep the prayers coming! :-)

"a Guatemalan, a Panamanian, and an American..."

06.28.2012 Well, today we were woken up by Pablo! Through broken translation yesterday, Edwin thought we were planning on staying in the city starting tonight, instead of the original plan on Friday. So...we started our day packing all of our things and getting them ready to be moved to the district house where we were going to stay. After packing up all of things and moving them into one room, we headed to the church for breakfast and to begin our last day of work. The plan was while we started the work on the church, Jeremy, Pablo, and Dario would go load up the luggage and take it to the district house so it was there for us tonight.  At the worksite we had a lot of little things to do. I had to finish the two signs on the outer walls, they began painting the two outside side walls, and the stage area had to be finished before we began cleaning.  After lunch, we continued to work, but the boys were not back so I called Pablo just to check on them. They had just finished up and were grabbing some food and heading back. About an hour later we got another phone call from Pablo telling us they had gotten pulled over, the bus they were driving had an expired insurance. So, they ticketed Pablo and took the bus!! So needless to say they were going to be a bit late and hopefully not walking back! We finished up our work in the late afternoon, right before the skies opened up and poured. We hung around for awhile waiting on any word from the guys and also for supper. Right about the time we were headed to dinner the guys arrived, without a bus! Our plan was just to hang out until another bus arrived, so after dinner, Dalton played his new guitar and we had an impromptu jam session...part Spanish, part English. We finally got a new bus and headed into the city. It was a long ride, but we made it to the house. This is the same house Jeremy and I stayed last summer when we were here.  We are blessed to be in the city. We don't have to get up extremely early now, so that's nice. The next few days we have here in Panama City are going to be fun! Tomorrow we will be heading to the beach and to the mall. Saturday is our trip to the kuna village and Sunday we will be headed back to the church for service and then going on Edwin's tour of the city. Should be a great weekend before our travel day back on Monday....

..."you missed a spot!"

06.27.2012 It's Wednesday and it's been a great day! I think we are wearing down...between the long hours, heat, and the sun...it's exhausting! But it's definitely fun work!! This morning I started my morning with devotions and read about how we are refreshed by God throughout our daily lives and how can we be refreshing to others? I love the word refresh! It reminds me of when I've run 5 or 6 miles and then I down some water...that's refreshing! Or when you've worked in the sewer muck on a mission trip and then go take a cold shower...that's refreshing! It's a great, positive word that is even more magnified when it has to do with God refreshing us.  After finishing, I headed downstairs and met up with Janel who handed me a bag of tiramisu cookies and a sweet, encouraging card....that's refreshing!! How easy it is to refresh someone else by a nice, kind word...a smile...a gift...or a hug! So here's my question to you....who are you refreshing today? How is God refreshing you so you can refresh others? After breakfast we headed to the church and began working. We all split up...a few on the stage painting, some in the sanctuary painting, Deena on the roof painting, Janel and I painting the lettering on the walls, etc. It was a long day of painting! It was a successful day...a lot was completed and the morale was positive! Edwin and Stephen Sickel (w&w coordinator) stopped by today so we chatted with them a bit. Tonight we had supper...beans, rice, some kind of meat (veggies for me!), and the pastor caught some jumbo shrimp that they made for the team. They even gave us ice cream!! Diane brought the devotions tonight. Now I'm sitting here in our room. I just cleaned the nasty, sweaty grime off of me and now as I type I'm being serenaded by my cousin's singing. She likes to sing as she gets ready and she has a beautiful voice so I'm all about it! It's very uplifting! In a bit we are meeting together to bag up the rest of the candy, toys, and salvation bracelets for Saturday. Saturday we get the experience of traveling by bus and boat to a Kuna Indian village to spend the day with them. We are super excited for this trip, well, except for the lack of bathrooms, but we'll make do!  Please continue to pray for our group! Again, because God is such an amazing God he has blessed us with more money they we could've imagined and we have been able to do so much more than anticipated! I can't wait to compare the original list of what was expected to get done, to what has now been accomplished! I give God all the praise...this happens every year! Every year I sweat about money, and every year God multiplies it to further His kingdom! We have really enjoyed all the local church people who have helped along the way this past week....from making our meals to helping us work....it's been great! We have especially enjoyed some of the kids that come by everyday after school just to hang out with us....I think of Jeremy, Lia, Abby...such sweet kids that make us laugh and help us get through the sweat and heat! I can't believe that tomorrow will be a week since we've flown here. From the first day being a bit rocky in the travel to now, it's been AMAZING!!!! God has been faithful and for that I'm thankful!  Oh and....I got momochinos!!!!! That is totally spelled wrong, but those that have been on the trip may have remembered the spiky fruit!! YUM!!! :-)

...feels like we are in a circus car!

06.26.2012 I woke up this morning and felt like I could've gone back to bed and stayed there! I was exhausted! ...not physically, but emotionally! Sometimes that's the worse! It's moments like these that you have to vent out your frustration ( TO THE PROPER PERSON!) and then talk it out knowing that God is already working it out for you! By the time breakfast was over I was ready to get to work! Of course when we got to Puerto Caimito it was raining, so all work outside was at a halt! That included the walls I were lettering! That meant everyone had to work inside! So a few headed in the back where they had finished the roofing and started cleaning. Because there was no roof for quite awhile, a few of the rooms were flooded. So some scooped out water by hand while others moved the furniture and cleaned up the other areas.  The other part of the group continue to finish the scraping of the interior walls and a few of us began painting. They chose a pink color for the inside and a turquoise green for the stage area. It actually looks really beautiful, but nothing we would do in the States.  Edwin and Pablo came today, we were very excited to see Edwin! When we arrived to Panama he had to go make a quick trip to Haiti and then when he returned on Sunday he wasn't feeling the greatest. So today was the first day we were able to see him. Jeremy and I spent some time talking to him about the district he oversees and plans that he has for the Kuna area and Santiago. It's exciting to hear about what is taking place here in Panama. We also talked about our trip Saturday to the Kuna village and showed us pictures. After lunch Edwin wanted to take us to another Nazarene church close by in San Jose, Panama. It was just a few minutes to drive, but then we had to cross and small bridge to walk into the village. It was quite funny as we piled out of the van with 19 total!! It was a very nice church, built by the locals. We met one of the members and also the pastor's son. We sat and talked with the church member and also prayed over another man and the church and the community. This community is right near the ocean and is easily accessible to drug boats coming in. We ended our day continuing to paint. Everyone worked very hard today and I have been pleased with all the work we have accomplished.  Our little friend, Jeremy, brought me some food and a shake that his mother had made me. The food was cucumbers and some kind of green onions and herbs marinated in vinegar....sour! And the shake was some sort of banana....yum! I think they enjoy having me try new things since they know I am a vegetarian! They have been wonderful! I'm not physically exhausted and its a bit after 8pm....I don't plan on doing much except crash in my bed. Tomorrow is another hard day of work 9-5:30. We also will be seeing another Nazarene church that Edwin wants to show us. I still can't begin to say how much I am so happy to be in Panama. It's definitely a blessing to be able to serve God here in the small town with not only the people that traveled with me, but also the locals here that are excited to serve alongside us. There have been moments that emotionally I would love to just sit back and let everyone else do the work out of frustrations, but I'm so thankful that I serve a God that gives me those friendly reminders that I'm here only to serve Him by serving His people. God continues to give me the grace and peace I need....He's all I need!

06.25.2012 We headed this morning to Puerto Caimito. Pt. Caimito is about a 20 minute drive from La Chorrorea, where we are staying. We have rented a bus from a Nazarene man and Jeremy is driving it....I know, SCARY! We always begin our day with breakfast and devotions before heading over to begin working. I brought the devotion today and this is part of what I read in my own devotions last week and I shared it with the group.... "We desperately want to be out working, serving, and doing for God, but at times we feel sidetracked....we feel that we are not doing anything at all for God's kingdom. If he's not working through us, then, well, nothing good can be happening. We want to be anywhere but where God has us. ...with God working in you, you're never sidelined, never useless. He will teach you wherever he has you."  I encouraged each group member to take this opportunity not to only work physically for God, but to find that intimate, quiet time with him. Serve Him by stopping and praising him, praying to him, and studying His word. I pray for our group and the spiritual part of this trip. I pray that some will draw closer to God, some will find a way to bring God into the center of their lives, and even some will make a commitment.  See, this trip isn't all about blood, sweat, and tears on a worksite. It's also about growing your relationship with God. About truly knowing God's will in your life and following him fully. I pray each of us is finding something.... After getting some supplies, most got to work quickly on the church. We continued to paint the outside of the front. Others began scraping the entire interior of thue church to get it ready to paint. We are so excited to be able to give them a fresh coat of paint in the sanctuary! They have chosen pink, and green. They also asked if someone could paint on the outer walls of the church...one side with the hours of services, and the other with scripture. So I began working on that in the afternoon. The frame around the door was also rotted out so Dan volunteered to reframe it. It's going to look nice! Deena and Janel worked on repainting the gated door and the iron gates on the front windows. They also painted the front of the church. Others scraped and scraped and scraped!!! The local men finished the roof yesterday! Praise God!  It looks awesome and we are excited to get back there and start cleaning it so it can be utilized to feed the children. For lunch we had hot dogs and French fries.... Truly American food! Tonight we had fish, rice and plantains. After a hard day's work, we headed back to the hotel showered and cleaned up and then some of us walked around town. We found a bakery a few days ago, so I'm sure they will see plenty of us during this trip! I've enjoyed rooming with my cousins, Deena and Dalton. We have some good late night conversations. So far, in my eyes, it's been a good trip. I'm blessed to be here knowing how many months I've been waiting to return here. I continue to pray for the souls of these people, the souls of the people on the trip, and the souls of the people who are reading this...."He will teach you wherever He has you."

"We forgot to take the trash out!!"

6.24.2012 It's Domingo! This is day four of being in Panama. We had a great day in the Lord worshiping with the Puerto Caimito Church of the Nazarene. Before church we had breakfast and then headed over to church. As we were waiting for the service to begin, the trash truck came by. All of a sudden all the ladies sitting in church started running around yelling in Spanish that they had forgotten to put out the trash! It was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time! The service was nice. They had great music and we enjoyed listening to Kenya sing! Pastor Milanio also sang during worship and also played the bongos. There is also a boy named Jeremy that goes to the church. He's 11 years old and plays the drums. Jeremy brought the message to the people, while Pablo translated. After the service we sang a few children songs. We had a lot of fun doing the motions and dancing with all the kids! During what would have been Sunday School, we walked around the town praying for the community. It was awesome to be able to pray at the police station with the policemen. We also passed out stuffed bags to all the neighborhood kids. It was so much better than just sitting in church, I'm so glad we were able to do that! After church we had lunch then we headed into the city with Pablo. We spent the afternoon at the Panama Canal. At first it down poured, but by the time we walked outside to watch boats come through, it was nice again. Last year Jeremy and I saw smaller boats go through, but this time it was massive! There were 13,000 cargo on it. It was from Shanghai, and the people on it were so friendly...waving, taking pictures of us.... It was definitely neat to see again, and many could have stayed to watch it over and over again! We also met some people there that were from Green Lake, Wisconsin. They were in a different area on a mission trip. After the Canal we went to the Amador de Causeway....best place for some tiramisu gelato! Some ate, some shopped, and we all walked around. It was a beautiful place to get some great shots of the skyline.  It was a nice relaxing day especially knowing that tomorrow we will be working hard on the church! I can't wait!!

06-23-2012 Today was a great day! Of course our schedule was changed as soon as we arrived for breakfast! Nothing new.... We began real work on the church building. A lot of our funds went into roofing the dining hall, but of course hauling the sheet metal above our heads and putting it  while standing on a ladder is not something we can do! So, we began by moving all of the sheet metal to the dining hall area, out of the sanctuary. Others continued to paint the two outside walls of the church, while some started scraping the columns and outside of the church. The church color was peachy, now it will be a light green! We also planted some beautiful flowers in the front boxes of the church. Looks beautiful already! The sun was really hot today!! A man on the team made the comment that nothing I could've said would have prepared them for how hot and sweating they were going to be! I would have to agree! Memories have flooded my mind of the first few years on Changuinola when there was no roof on the building and how hot it was! Luckily, we have a roof over our heads for the most part and also a nice breeze coming off of the ocean.  We have a nice weekend planned and are excited to explore the different areas. Continue your prayers....

"if Dalton eats it, then everybody should...." ... Day 2

06.22.2012 Today I noticed that it's not constantly on my mind that I stick out like a sore thumb. This is huge for me as I usually am aware as I head into the market or walk across the street. This is confirmation that I am home. Just to quickly catch you up to today, we had a very long day traveling yesterday! 8 of us drove down to Chicago where we met my two cousins from Indiana. Janel and Diane were flying separately to Panama City! Things went okay, some parts could have gone smoother, but I was very impressed by the way the group handled things. Just the simplest things as in moving gates three times to getting wrong information in Panama City. I kept on imagining the fight between Satan and God, but was so excited to finally meet up with Pablo and get to the hotel and know I could give God all the glory!  Last night was a very long night after traveling and most didn't get to bed until after one in the morning. We had plans to be ready for Pablo to pick us up at 8:30am. I made sure everyone was up....then realized I woke everybody up an hour early!! WHOOPS!!!! :-) oh well we enjoyed the nice breezy morning, along with bananas and twinkies! We have some wonderful ladies making our meals near the church. We had breakfast, lunch, and dinner there. It consisted of polenta, rice, chicken, spaghetti, and some other Lind of meat! The joke is..."if Dalton eats it, then everybody should!!" (side not...Mark: Dalton ate like pig! Ha!!) We did some odds and ends at the church today including....moving sheet metal, rocks, sand; scraping the outside front of the church and beginning the painting; digging of flower beds and readying them for plants; and cleaning the inside of the church. It was a fun and successful day that also included the kids playing with the local kids. Dalton really enjoyed the drumming the boys did...they have some great rhythm! Dylon, Brad, and Michaela enjoyed playing around with the stacking cups and also passing out candy to the kids passing by from school.  We had one incident. Brad was walking past the metal sheeting and didn't even notice that he had rubbed up against it with his leg. It was super sharp, cutting a gash. Deena went into nurse mode. After looking at it, I made the decision to head to the clinic which luckily was just a 1/2 block away. It was unbelievably, amazing to walk into a clinic and instantly be ushered into a room. We got 5 star Panamanian treatment, I even got a tour of the clinic and was introduced to the head doctor. Brad was a trooper and even got 4 stitches!  Around 30 minutes, 4 stitches, two prescriptions, and free service...we were back to the site! Tonight we showed the movie, La Esperanza, The Hope. Several students were in attendance and we showed it in a local school. A few came to the front, recommitting their lives for God! We were able to pray with them. We are all exhausted, most in bed by 10pm. We are prepared for a VBS in the morning and a full day of work at the church. Continue to pray for us! We are so excited to be serving God in this way!  Good night!

We are here!!!

Good morning! Just a quick check in to let everyone know we arrived safely! Our flights were interesting, nonetheless, but we can praise God for seeing us through! Pablo met us at the airport, it was great to see him! Pablo is the son of the global missionary and we've worked with him a few times in the past couple of years! We are preparing to head to the church to eat breakfast and figure out what the plan is for today! We are hoping for a time to do a VBS and we also are showing a film tonight! Please continue to pray for us! Oh by the way...we have Internet access in our hotel! Woohoo!!! So updating this will be easier than usual! Keep us in your prayers!! We are praying for you also! :-)

we have it all wrong

Well, I'm sitting here on the eve of leaving with lots of mixed emotions.  It seems every time I come to Panama I fall in love with it's people that much more.  Rebekah has done a great job of posting on the blog and is a much better write than I am, but I thought I would share a few thoughts.  The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of excitement and exhaustion.  It's funny because whenever we come here my intention is to"bring Jesus to them" and every time I come, its Jesus that I seem to find.  Between the two districts in Panama over 500 people have committed to sharing their faith this week, over 60 have rededicated their lives to Jesus and 26 have become first time disciples of Jesus! I wish I could take credit for the results we have seen, but I can't. The Holy Spirit is alive and active in Panama. Rebekah touched on it yesterday, but we have sat in ugly church buildings, hot church buildings, hugged sweaty people, listened to people sing off key, terrible musicians, sat through 15 minute prayers and we've sat in lawn chairs in most of the sanctuaries.   We've rarely started church on time, there was no children church, no demographic target and we tracked mud into most of the churches.  Most buildings we were in weren't completely finished and church wasn't just an hour and 30 minutes long.  You see, when your in Panama you realize how wrong we have it in the United States.  In our churches we need to have the music at just the right volume, the preacher needs to have the right clothes on and church has to be over at noon. If those things and many other are just perfect,  then maybe we will have the kind of service where the Holy Spirt shows up.  We have forgotten where the Holy Spirt resides and that's in me! And In you! That's one reason I love Panama so much.  The people are still pure enough to not get caught up about superficial things. Oh, I know they have issues, which we have discovered this year.  But they are spiritual concerns, not superficial concerns.

The work in Panama is really just beginning.  There are 31 organized Nazarene churches in the country.  10 on the west district and 21 on the Panama City district.  There is also a mission type church being planted in San Blas with the Kuna Indians.  There are many churches trying to finish building projects so they are able to minister to people in their communities.  Some churches are running food programs for the children of poor families in their communities.  There are pastors who need help paying for their training classes ($15 a class).  There are VBS opportunities and ministries to be started.  There are needy church folks who need to be loved on and need help with things you and I take for granted, like clothes and shelter.  

The needs are overwhelming and I've said to myself, where does a person start?  The answer I received from the Lord was to just say, "yes, I'll go." I've had people say, well why go to Panama, we have needs here to you know! Yes, they correct.  Couple problems with that thinking is, Jesus said to " Go into all the world.". The second problem is these are people who don't have Medicaid, foodstamps or a Goodwill down the road.  There is no food pantry or clothes closet nearby.  They aren't going to find a job making more than $1.50 an hour in most parts of the country.  These are very content people who are happy and most of them joyful.  The problem is, most don't know Jesus.  The ones that are disciples of Christ do a wonderful job Being  Jesus to their community, but who will be Jesus to them? I will, will you go? Will you be Jesus to people in "all the world?"  

I'm sure in the next month or so we will be putting together another team to go to Panama next year.  I actually would like to take two teams but we will let the Lord lead in that area.  If your interested in a life changing experience, send us an email or facebook message so we can get you the information when its ready.  

Jeremy
               

As I sit back and reflect.....

06.26.2011

It's 11:30am and I've been in this church service for almost two hours! Two hours?!?!..... and we haven't finished up the specials from the other churches, we haven't had communion, and there is food afterwards. Did I mention I was up at 5:30am and off to breakfast before church at 6:30am??
So, I am sitting in the front row praying. Praying that God intervenes in the lives of the people that are standing at the altar. It looks to be about 50 people. People who have never given their life to Christ. People who are rededicating their life, and also people asking for forgiveness....so here I sit praying on behalf of these people. As I pray, God begins to fill my head with this.....
I am sitting in a cement building that has the most tacky, shiny, turquoise blue curtain thingys hanging from the wall. I'm in the front row so the music is blaring out of the speakers with people singing who sometimes hit the right note and when the singer hits the right note, the keyboard player misses his note. I don't understand most of what is being said as it's all in Spanish. I do understand a few words, but can't make out the whole sentence. And when it's a song that I know we sing in the united states, I still can't sing it in English because they sing in Spanish so loud my mind can't function in English. 
Behind me there is a group of boys talking so loudly, you would think it was a sports event. In front of me, a little girl dashes from her mother to her brother every 5 seconds. 
It's 12:30pm....finally the specials are over....it's communion time and then time for lunch....or that's what you imagine....
Yes, I forget the last song we have to sing, a prayer, offering time, a prayer, giving a gift to jeremy and I, the regional director and his wife, and the missionaries, and again more prayers.....we stand up and sit down more than a catholic!! Ha!! 
So.....I say all this not because I'm complaining, but because.....the curtains might be tacky, but its the culture. The music is loud, but young and old alike are clapping their hands and dancing for Jesus. The kids are rambunctious, but guess what? They are in church!! And all the praying???....well 15 people were saved today!
I sit back at 1:15pm waiting for my turn to get my food and I thank God for the place I'm at today. I am so thankful for this 2 week adventure that he has taken me on. I thank him for allowing me to share my faith and love for Him to the people of Panama. I thank him for the people who have supported this trip and even those who haven't. And I am most thankful that when I go home to my "perfect" "Norta-Norta American" church service where the decor matters, the music has to be perfect or the Holy Spirit won't come, little kids can't talk in the service, run in the service, and in fact can't even be in the service, and pray more than a couple of times and for what 10 minutes??? NO WAY!!!! , that I will definitely remember why I gather with other believers to worship. It's not about all that, it's about God. 
Please God allow me to remember all of this. Please continue to place these images in my mind.....