This is {how it works}

I realize no one really knows a whole lot about what my team and I are doing while we are here in Panama. Do we even know what we are doing??? yes. and No…

Let me elaborate.

We together as a corporate team in Panama number about 35. But from there we are broken off into 3 separate teams. To quicky name what we are all doing, One team is working primarily with the Tribes in the area, another is working with Orphans, and the last team (my team) is working in the area of Prostitution and Human Trafficking in Panama. I will be sure to give more information on the other teams, but to keep this relatively short, I will stick to my teams. To hear the most up-to-date information on what we are doing though go to www.twelvehearts.wordpress.com.

So, we are working here with a man named Chris who has really had a burden towards this problem here in Panama. We are basically working from the ground up with this though, because he is very busy right now and leading his own Discipleship Training School. We are currently trying to get as much information and statistics as we can so that maybe by the end of our time here we can put out a small publication full of info and give it out around the city. What our purpose though here is to lay down a foundation for those coming after us to pick up and carry out. What I am finding out though, in terms of information on Prostitution and Human Trafficking… is that there is really not a whole lot to be found. Prostituiton was legal here a little while ago, but the government has since removed the allowance to apply for a working visa or to have it be considered legal. Many of the prostitues here are from Colmbia or Costa Rica and surrounding countries. Many work under the disguise of Massage Parlors and many are barely 18 if that. It is frusterating though here because so many people don’t have a problem with it and the church doesn’t seem to want anything to do with, nor do they have accurate information regarding what is going on. We are working on a way to get the church involved and engaged in this so that we can all work together on this. It’s not that the church is ignorant, it is more like they are un-informed. So right now we are just working on getting information together so that we can present it and have a solid understanding of what is going on. We are going to keep going into downtown and meeting people so that we can ask them questions and get their opinions on what is going on in their country. It is a big task and can seem  a little overwhelming at times, but I know we have been placed in this for a reason and God will direct our paths to where we need to be.

Points of prayer :

• team unity {it can be hard to live with the same 35 people ALL the time with no chance of escape}
• guidance towards talking to the right people and for doors to be opened for us
• health and sanity!
• energy and clarity of focus as we research and try to gain more information

a fingerprint.

I am becoming increasingly aware that life is what you make it. I heard Jan Schleigel, a renowned photographer from Germany say that ultimately, you are going to get what you want from life. And of course, I agreed. I am seeing now, the deep truth in that statement. If I want to be the writer/photographer/counselor I dream of being, I need to chase after that dream and devote time and effort to it. If I wanted to be a painter, I would need to go and purchase canvas, paints and brushes so as to develop the talent inside of me. What I desire out of my relationship with Christ can only be achieved through spending time with Him and reading His word… {which is a gift to us to read when we want and not an obligation that requires guilt if a day of reading is missed, i am only now seeing this}.

My relationship with Jesus is changing. Constantly. The deeper our friendship goes, the more I know of Him, the more I am aware of His presence, and the more I am aware of how human and imperfect I am. When I finally feel like I have figured something out, I turn around to see that really I do not fully understand it. It gets to be overwhelming at times, and I know without a doubt that this is nothing to be worried about. It is a blessing really, to know that as I dive deeper into the spirit of God and let Him reside within me, I am more aware of my imperfections and frailties so that I can work on them. Grow, develop, and most importantly, mature. No one will ever meet perfection within themselves strictly by their own power, but when we lay down our own lives, imperfections and all, it leaves room for God’s Holy and Perfect redemption to make up for everything we lack and turn us towards who we are created to be. For every inch of our lives we lay down, God turns it around and returns so much more to us. God’s deepest desire is for us to know and acknowledge His love towards us, as well as to have us captivated and enthralled with Him. I am seeing in my own life, almost daily, that the more I give up for the sake of Christ, the more I receive from Him. The more I seek after Him, the more I find Him. The more I see Him work in my life, I am able to look around everywhere I go and see His fingerprint on everything. From the busy streets of the city, to the rugged trails of Indigenous Tribes in the mountains, I see God’s distinct and beautiful fingerprint on everyone and everything. And now that I have seen this, I am responsible to help the rest of the world see these fingerprints as well. To acknowledge the beauty and simplicity of God’s perfect and unfailing love. It’s quite an adventure really. I am excited to see where this leads and how in the end, I will grow and change as well.

In case you were wondering.

I am back in civilization after living with a Ngobe Tribe in Panama.
I was stretched. Challenged.
Loved.
uncomfortable.
pharmacist for a week.
temperature taker extraordinaire.
eaten alive by bugs… possibly “chiggers” ugh.
dirty.
scared to use the bathroom {bano}
constantly being watched by children.
learned what it means to converse despite a language barrier.
here are some photos from this week and i will soon write a bit more about life.
i am so thankful now for little things i have taken for granted, but also know that i can easily live without many things i see as a necessity.
i love you all.
really. i do.

The Least of These.

“For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.”

Foam dripped from his mouth

cascading down his beard

he knew it was there

long ago he had stopped caring what people thought.

keenly aware of the state his body was in

he entered the restaurant.

40 white faces threw their heads back in laughter at a joke being made

they were without a care in the world.

most had professional cameras hanging from their necks or strapped to their bodies

he stood for a while

observing their interaction

they

seemed different

surely, with their wealth on exhibition for all to see

they would give him food.

his empty stomach churned with excitment

maybe today he could forget about digging through trash in search of edible scraps.

Stumbling toward the first table of happy white faces he asked for their help

they didn’t speak spanish.

he picked up a bottle of coke and asked if they wanted to help him out

give him a coke

his presence was obviously making them uncomfortable

making him uncomfortable

replacing the coke, he went to the next table.

none of the 40 where willing to give up their coke.

why did they each need their own?

A table emptied to retreive their share of chicken and rice

instinct replaced logic

he reached out, picking up a bottle of coke along with a cell phone.

they were unwilling to give – so he would take.

they were white and rich

easily able to afford replacing what he was taking.

he maneuvered the tables and chairs to leave

a body stopped him in the aisle

the owner of the restaurant came at him

shouting foul words and curses

she smacked him across the head and patted him down,

retrieving all he taken and more

being robbed of all dignity long ago

he stood still

waiting for the search to conclude

the coke remaining in his hand was snatched away with a dirty look.

Another smack and a shove towards to door ended his time there

as he left he turned to look back.

they had more than enough

whatever that glimpse of something different in them was far removed

they went on with thier dinner

he went on stumbling down the crowded street.

this is life.

it should not have been like this.

panama city skyline.

quick update

so. for the past week-ish i have not have any internet access due to many reasons. i have it now so once i sort through some pictures and thoughts i will update everyone as to what is happening here and what we are doing.
i have been really sick the past couple days but am beginning to feel completely better. i still have a pretty bad cough but i can definitely manage it. there are really cool things happening and going to happen here. i can’t wait!
sorry i haven’t been very good at the updates! i will get better!
LOVE YOU!!

Safe and Sound.

Well…..

We are here! It has taken 3 months packed with classes filling up our time and minds with so much information I doubt I can even remember everything {Good thing I took notes}. It is such a relief to finally be here and doing what we came here to do. And we have aldready begun to get our hands dirty and our hearts have already engaged.

So…. we left on Thursday, June 25 from Kona…. and my group landed in Panama sometime on Friday in the evening. We were all pretty exhausted from all the travel and time changes. We are now 5 hours ahead of Hawaii time and I am now only 1 hour ahead of home… and 1 behind my mom in Georgia. It is HOT here. So humid. We are being housed in a Church in Gamboa, which is located near the jungle but directly across the street is the Panama Canal. It is so cool to see boats cruising by all the time as well as trains. So different from Kona, and a million times more beautiful! I hope you all enjoy the photo’s I post and I will be adding more as we go along.

We have already done a day to the Panama Canal as well as to the mall in Panama City to pick up any thing we had forgotten. We are however, entering “Rain Season” and on Sunday we experienced the worst rain storm Gamboa has seen in te last 5 years. Due to this rain, one of the villages that attends the Church we are staying in, was hit pretty hard and they lost 3 buildings. So in a village of roughly 30 people this was quite a loss. We cancelled our plans for Monday and went in the morning to help rebuild/clean-up as much as we could. My group and a few people we given the job of clearing up the debris in one particular area… it took us 4 hours. We were all very dirty and exhausted when they day ended, but we all have our own stories of the bugs etc. we saw. Scorpians, geckos, Cockroaches the saize of my hand, centipedes, and a tarantula to name a few!! It was quite the experience, but definitely one I hope never to forget.  It is such a bessing to be able to come back to this church though with internet as well as air conditioned rooms. We are all so blessed and loving it here so much. We all can’t wait to dive deep into areas we know we can help. Panama just elected a new president who takes office tomorrow and we have high hopes for him as a leader. There are many options for us right now to pursue so we are all praying that God would reveal to us His plan for this trip as we have been told numerous times that we are here for a reason and will be the ones to bring change. We know that in order to see change, we need to become that change we want to see. We are all seeking God’s heart for Panama so that we can be as effective as possible. I have such anticipation for this trip and cannot wait to see How God is going to work here as we open ourselves up to be instuments of His love. As our friend Toolio said today, we are warriors; “Love Revolutionaries”.

pictures coming soon….