What up everyone, Can’t believe it but we are in Panama City about 6 hour from the YWAM base, eventually we will be on our way Ambon City, Indonesia on the island of Maluki. After a couple of long layovers and we will be there. It feels like we just got to Panama and we will be leaving soon. This was the hardest good bye yet by far. I know what my former squad leader Jon was talking about now. Right now I am writing with the feeling of heaviness. But I know I have to keep going and leave the last month behind me. (CHRIST must Increase I must Decrease (John 3:30) So, I will tell you briefly about what impacted me most about this month.
But first real quick: Indonesia has more muslims than any other place. Could really use prayer for caution with how we present the Gospel. That we are acting in love with the truth. About half the population has never heard the Gospel, from just not being around it. Also this will probably be the biggest culture shock yet.
One thing that really encourged me this month was seeing how to serve by empowering the church. Its harder to serve when you don’t see the impact of your work. To me, empowering the church can be that. What your doing is teaching others to do the work and they may get the credit for the work you teach them. Sometimes we just want to be on the front lines. Which is a good thing to want to do that but when it becomes about you its a problem. If your to consumed with yourself, which I think every child of God is aware of. None of us are never immune to pride, I believe the enemy will use that one till he has exhausted it.
Now I never once felt this way this month, but it did cross my mind one day I was like man God am I doing anything. Yes! Teaching others is such a blessing. The months are so short that sometimes I want to be doing something impactful all time.
In fact thats excactly what I loved most about this YWAM base. Was that they are so good at empowering the indigenous here. There are 7 different tribes in Panama. My team and I had the pleasure of attending the bases 25th Anniversary. They went through there history. I heard a lot of stories about the gospel being spread in the tribes and how one family left everything for the call of God to go to Panama, when everyone said they were wrong for going. Even there own church. What has come of it is inspiring. The director said that the indignous are leading the charge for missions in Panama. Even more than the local latino population.
This base trains young people to go out to the nations. Some of the kids are really young. They leave there tribes to do the dts and leadership programs that YWAM provides. Not just indigenous but anybody really. Ono women has been at the base since she was 13, she is 22 now. Some verses that really hit me are Matthew 11:25-30. It is exactly what God has done here. We overlook the people who are the most daring and couragous. God LITERALLY has his hand on this ministry. He gave the family a specific call to come here and God showed them a tribe that they should minister too, through tounges from the Holy Spirit. Ahh! So Cool!! I was so blessed to be a part of this family for a month. K I’m out!
