Well...I'm just sitting down to blog, after a really good day. Not a long one, but a good one.
Most of the rest of the team is checking out the rain forests, but I decided to stay behind and have some much needed, quiet and alone time...I'm a hermit by trade, so what can I say. The Panamanian Rain Forests...or...time completely alone...yeah, I choose alone. :) Awesome team, nothing like that...I'm just a hermit at heart who needs him time of quiet to energize.
This morning, (after another Mavs win over the Lakers last night), we struck out early to share our testimonies with some 6th-8th graders. I shared with the first group of 7th and 8th graders at 7:45...I broke out the tennis balls and juggled a bit to help tell my story (tried it once last year and then it had been a while). It was "faith juggling", no practice just go and God was faithful...it worked. Jenni Irvin and Darren Wolfe shared their stories (I enjoyed hearing them) and then Larry gave an invitation.
Jenny, Kevin and Larry shared with the 6th graders in another class and had to use an interpreter in Spanish. About half way through Jenny Goodson's presentation, the principal came in and stopped the presentation. Apparently, he recognized that some of the students only knew Chinese and knew neither Spanish nor English...at that point he asked Sharon Chaio on our team to translate for this group and the rest of the time, our team would speak, the teacher would translate in Spanish and then Sharon would translate in Mandarin for the other students. That was interesting.
We went back to our apartment and then we talked for about 2-3 hours putting together all that we'd seen and heard. We will have to plan at least 1 other trip this year besides the trip we have coming in June.
Tomorrow...SPECIAL opportunity...it's nearly impossible to get to Chinese adults, they work 7 days a week and many for 12-14 hours, but tomorrow morning there is an awards ceremony at the Panama Christian School and many parents will come to see their child. We'll get to share with them tomorrow about Christ...big moment.
After that we'll be meeting with some IMB missionaries that work with Panamanians and a couple who focuses on college students in Panama...hopefullly we'll also catch up with a church planter in the area who is looking to reach the Chinese as well...that will be about EVERYONE who is working specifically with the people in this region. Part of our team will also be talking with someone who plans medical missions into the jungles of Panama. They have yet to go to the Chinese, but we'll look for them as a long term contact for our trips. Some of those will be gone next year...it's a good time for us to be here and to take up the work.
We had a good dinner last night with the Joberts (the IMB missionaries being reassigned to Costa Rica) and with Tomis (and his wife, Melissa) and Cliede Cooper, a great resource person for us here in Panama.
This endeavor will be unlike any other partnership that FBC has taken on with Romania or Nicaruagua or Haiti...this is a new level of commitment for our church. Not only will we need more people to come to Panama, but we will need people to lead and coordinate the effort, because this effort alone will be massive. We have a lot of ideas of how we can help short-term, mid-term and long-term. Of course, we'll be dialoguing continuously with the contacts that we've made here to see what we can do and what will fit in with, undergird and multiply their efforts currently. We'll be sharing a lot of our findings when we get back, but here's my challenge to you (yes you, not him...not her either, you):
1) Get your passport
2) Shots for Panama (TDap, Hep A, Hep B, Typhoid, etc...) - look on the Brevard Department of Health website...
3) Start saving to come.
Here's the Radical Experiment right here...you gonna do it or not?
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