Look, Look! Or in Spanish mira mira. This is what I heard every day in las Lajas Panama as my team and I helped build a church with Pastor Danny, his wife Heather, and Pastor Manuel Gonzalez. Each morning, Monday through Friday we worked construction with Danny and Manuel from 8 am to 4 pm. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after construction from about 5 to 11 pm two of us would go with Pastor Danny and his wife into the indigenous villages to minister to the youth by playing with them, teaching them English, pray for them as many of the children were ill, and have bible studies late into the night. This month has been both exhausting, and refreshing in so many ways. The Holy Spirit has been teaching me to fight for truth, to remember the mission and to look to him in the midst of storms.
Manuel Jesus Gonzalez
This month I worked every single day with my Panamanian Grandpa, Pastor Manuel Jesus Gonzalez. A 5-foot 4-inch 70 something-year-old man with a fire in his bones to do everything we do to the best of our ability. None of us know how to build a church, and when I say build I mean lay blocks, dig trenches for plumbing, install all the plumbing, the electric, Lights, level a new spot on the land for a Sunday-school, honestly everything we arent exactly masters in. Manuel reminded us of this daily. Even in the midst of frustration as to how we can accomplish this task, he was so patient with us. He loves in such a stern way, much like my grandparents and Father. In one minute he would be yelling at us cause we were doing something wrong, get upset cause we don’t speak Spanish and he doesn’t speak English, and the next second he would be telling us how much he already loves us with tears filling his eyes. He takes things very seriously when it comes to building a place of worship. He figured out that since we couldn’t effectively communicate with our words, our primary sense of understanding became our sight. When we would mess up, and it was honestly every 5 minutes he would clap his hands and say “Mira, Mira!”. He would then step in and show us with his actions how to do it. At the moment I would get frustrated and discouraged because it just seemed like I couldn’t learn it fast enough. Yet, day after day Manuel would show up ready to do it all over again. Ready to teach, ready to sternly correct, and ready to drop what he was doing to show us how to do our jobs. I think of Peter walking on water, knowing that all he needed to do it was to look at Jesus. Matthew 14: 30 “says But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” This month, I’ve been afraid of changes and of things happening in my life. In those fears, I often take my eyes off the one that is allowing me to walk on water. The one who is qualifying me in something I could never do on my own strength In the midst of trials, tests, spiritual attacks, all I needed to do and need to do is look unto Jesus the author and finisher of my faith. Manuel taught me this without even knowing it. I can do the things I don’t know how to do, as long as I watch the master. I am slowly learning this daily.
Our Wonderful Hosts
Danny and Heather Nelson. A man and women after Gods own heart. I have learned so much from them this month, specifically what it looks like to live out Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,”. They live so selflessly and pour our their hearts to the indigenous people and it’s truly amazing. We would be in the mountain villages until 11 at night singing praises to our savior in a dark hut on a hill tucked away in the Jungle. The Holy Spirit met me in such an intimate way at night there on that hill and I couldn’t help but raise my hands in the dark, with tears running down my face, not understanding the words to the songs the kids were signing, but knowing confidently that “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am also”. God was right there on that hill. He was sitting with me on that bench. He was testifying to the Father through me. He doesn’t need a big church. He doesn’t need money, status, a set order of service, He doesn’t need your denomination, and he doesn’t need your ability to teach someone. He’s just looking for a temple to dwell (us) people to gather in his name, not our own. And he just wants humble hearts. OH LORD HELP MY PRIDE. He just wants to draw us out of the boats as he did to Peter. Peter had no walking on water skilled, he was led by the Spirit. By Jesus. My heart breaks for those who are blind to this. God open their eyes as you have opened and are opening mine. Danny and Heather, Thank you for showing me what it means to be filled, lead, energized, and empowered by the spirit. Working so many hours for him daily, and never having a bad attitude toward it, never complaining with a “woe is me” attitude. Truly, relying on the strength of the Lord, not the strength of our flesh. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Deb and brad
We met a wonderful couple who just moved to las lajas from the states, the date our route started, June 4th. That’s not chance, that’s not a coincidence, that’s God. Deb and brad are atheists and don’t share the same faith as me, yet they share a love for people and have more love for strangers than “many Christians” I know back home. That should hit us in the gut, and should honestly challenge to make sure we really live out what we say we believe. Jesus says “if you love me, keep my commandments”. The First and greatest is to ” love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” and the second is to “love your neighbor as yourself, and the second is as great as the first”. We got to sit in Deb and Brads home and share Jesus with them and hear what they believe and why they believe it. We got to plant seeds, water, and now trust that Lord will bring forth fruit, not us. Jesus wasn’t found with the “saved” He was found with the ones in need of healing. Our view of Jesus I believe is off, and if our view of Jesus is off, our view of God is off. And if our view of God is off, we do not know God. They called Jesus a drunk and a glutton, we know he wasn’t this of course, but what we should know from this that Jesus did things that looked offensive the church. meaning, he was at the bars, he was meeting with people that people like Peter at first wouldn’t sit with. Why? Because he met the people where they were. He didn’t care what the Pharisees thought. He lowered himself and met us where we were. This is love. Hugging the dirty, touching the sick, sitting with the kids with bedbugs and lice, listening to a drunk on the street, sharing Christ, and being Christ to those around us. Not surrounding ourselves with our club of Christian friends looking down on those around us like we did something deserving of the power we possess and should live in. That’s why Jesus prays that we “be in, not of the world”. So many of us act like we are neither of nor in the world. This is not who Jesus was. We are to sit, to listen, to love, to show Jesus, to befriend, to have dinner, to talk, to build relationships. That’s love. Thank you, Brad and Deb. I will pray for you daily. I will pray God shows himself in marvelous new ways to you both. I pray he draws you by his power and his power alone, no one else’s. I know he will. I Love you both, thank for welcoming us in.
I could write so much more. But I feel I should stop here. I could write a page at how amazing Johnnys fiesta is, and how chill matt is. I know I will see him again one day to chill and stay up late dancing and hanging out. Thank you, God. Thank you to everyone who has supported my journey so far. I still have a long way to go. I’m 5,620 dollars away to complete this journey. If you feel the Holy Spirit tug you to help me out I would be forever grateful to continue to share Christ across the globe. I know God will be faithful to complete this work he began in me, I hope he uses you and blesses you 4 fold. Thank you, Panama.
