So, I never thought I’d be sleeping in a shed with a chicken coop attached for Christmas. I feel like we are reenacting the Nativity scene with actual cows grazing a few feet away, the cat and dogs roaming around, turkeys gobbling at all hours, roosters crowing (aka SCREECHING) at all hours, the smell of all the manure and the need to dodge it while walking to and from the house. I have had to tell the multiple shrieking birds “We are NOT friends. The party is NOT here” to get them to leave me alone and stop following me/talking so much/trying to break into the shed. Sometimes they get the hint, other times they crow that much louder in protest. Oh boy. It’s a Christmas like no other!
So as it turns out, we are NOT in the jungle of Panama. Not only was it too dangerous to canoe the river due to the heavy rains, but it also was too dangerous to make the 45 minute drive followed by the 2 hour hike. The roads evidently are so muddy and dangerous that there is no transportation back and forth to the indigenous village at this point in time.
Our team has had somewhat of a mixed reaction to this change of plans. Last month our squad of 61 racers (plus 3 squad leaders) had the opportunity to pray into our ministry for this month. We were given a list of the types of missions experiences available and asked to pray over which opportunity we felt God was leading our team to for service this month. Our team came up with lots of urban results and door knocking, evangelism, etc. Some people really wanted to head to the jungle but didn’t feel like God was calling us at this time. So, it was interesting to hear from our squad leaders that they felt God wanted us in the jungle. They shared with us some of the reasons they felt God pushing us in that direction, which helped. As it turns out our prayers were answered in a strange way.
Preacher Jose Moran is our contact who connected us with the jungle tribes. There was another group heading just over the Costa Rica border with another preacher but that didn´t work out for them either. And the original group Preacher Moran had sleeping in the church that he is planting must remain at his house until the plumbing works at the church building. So with World Racers and one translator, we have added 23 people to his household. It is close quarters to say the least. But, we´re all heading out in the next 24 hours to various places. Our group is headed to the banana fields. I´m not sure what our ministry will be yet, but we´re excited to see how the adventure unfolds. We will all come back together for one big chaotic Christmas at the preacher´s house before flying to Asia on New Year´s Eve.
During our time here already, we went to a preacher´s house to pray for him and his family after the sudden loss of his wife. She had complications from diabetes and denghe fever that caused her to have a heart attack on Panama´s Mother´s Day. We were able to pray with friends and family both at the church building and his home.
Several of our guys have had the opportunity to preach throughout the week at various church services, and they´ve done a marvelous job! We had the chance to perform a couple of skits and share a testimony as well.
In the meantime, we are all helping to renovate the church building for this week´s church service…the first ever! The neighborhood is excited and I thoroughly enjoyed the door to door evangelism since that is how I am a Christian (due to a man knocking on my parents´door many years ago).
Have a very Merrry Christmas!!! I will report any further developments as I can. We are calling this month “Open Hands 401”. We try to have a hands wide open approach to life and ministry. This month has been especially good to challenge us! So far, thank the Lord for His blessings and changes!
So…I have great pics that are on this flash drive that I brought with me. However, now the computer can´t read them. Delightful. So, sorry…STILL having computer issues where I can´t figure out which pic to upload to this blog (I have a million to sort through). Another day you will see some pics. Promises, promises. I AM working on it and being as prepared as possible. Open Hands 401, people, Open Hands 401. Thanks for taking a dose of the course with me! Smile. God bless you this holiday season!!! Enjoy every possible moment and each crazy blessing!!
