Wow

Dear Blog

Wow where to start. What a lot has happened in the last two weeks.
1. Decided to go back to Canada
2. Went to the interior on the Adventure Cycle
3. Summer project came and went

So I'm not really sure where to begin, and seeing as I as up by 4 am for the third time this week to get people to the airport, I'm not sure how coherent this will be....but here it goes.

First of all, wow, I'm heading back to Canada. As some of you may have known I had been offered a ministry job down here in Panama, but after much prayer and some good guidance from the word I am heading back to Canada. I am so excited because the decision was made after some clear guidance from God, so I know He wants me back home. On the other hand it leaves me very little time to prepare to make the change....


I will be excited to have Starbucks again...Lindsey bought me a cup of coffee and brought it to Panama for me


Who is your hero?

However I could not have asked for a better end to my two years down here in Panama. The summer project was amazing. Our goal was to leave 39 "Movement Builders" in Panama. A 'Movement Builder' is someone who is:
Committed to growth in their personal walk with God
Committed to personal evangelism and discipleship
Committed to work with Vida Estudiantil
Committed to helping fulfill the Great Commission in this generation

Near the end of the project we selected and challenged the students already involved and those who we had just met during project to do these four things. Those who said 'yes' were invited to our commitment dinner, where our vision was shared and they had a chance to commit to building the movement. In all, 44 students committed, an amazing end to my two years knowing that there are 44 students now willing to continue the work I came here to do.



Students posting their commitments

Moving from the city and the campus we headed out to the interior of Panama for a week to work along side Pastor Correa to share the love of Christ with 2 remote communities of Palmar and Las Sabanas. The trip went well and around 100 people were shown the Jesus film. Also alot of groundwork was laid for Pastor Correa to continue the work in these two unreached communities. In many ways as we were up there in the mountians it definitely felt as if we had gone to the ends of the earth with the Gospel.

So a lot has happened, and I appologize for only scratching the surface in sharing all that has gone on lately. Overall I have just been blown away by God's faithfulness to completing his promises and leading us all the way.

Steve

The end is near...

Dear Blog

1 week left. It hit me yesterday that I only have 1 full week left on campus, and how thankful I am. Not that my time on campus is coming to an end, but rather thankful to what I've been a part of. Last Monday I gave the training segment to the Canadian team down here and talked about selection process, that we need to select the leaders who will be the foundation of the ministry in years to come. For me it was surreal giving the talk as I thought back to the first time I stepped foot on the campus and there was nothing in terms of a student movement. One of the highlights for the past couple weeks for me has been seeing the Panamanian students taking the initiative and having the desire to share their faith. It has been amazing!

I've really been amazed that God chose me to be a part of the birth of the student movement. And it has been like a birth...lots of pains and hard work, but now comes the joy, which is really the best word I can use to describe how I feel. Joyful, thankful and blessed to be a part of the birth of a movement.

The next week for me will definitely be bitter sweet. There will be huge moments of joy and huge moments of sadness as the reality of this transition sinks in, but through it all I will rejoice!

Steve

Dear Blog

Before coming on STINT I did a test called the Birkman. It is a long personality assesment which as a team we have found out is incredibly (read scarily) accurate. On the test it showed that I have a high activity score...meaning I like (need) to be doing stuff. Maybe this is why I love project so much...We are busy busy busy...

Here is what I have done today...a typical day on project...

7:15 - Rise and Shine
7:30 - Actually get out of bed...
7:30 - 8:15 - Devocionales, breakfast and shower
8:15 - 9:00 - Travel to the University
9:00 - 9:30 '- Team meeting and prayer
9:30 - 10:30 - Go out with Patrick and Krista sharing the Gospel
10:30 - 11:30 - Enter a classroom and share a talk on succesful relationship followed by the Gospel...get contacts at the end
11:30 - 12:45 - Share the Gospel some more...this time a girl named Margarita accepts Christ. She is currently going through really hard times which she shares with us.
12:45 - 1:00 - Eat 2 Empanadas
1:00 - 2:00 - Go sharing with Fidel (Panamanian student). See a student named Abraham accept Christ
2:00 - 3:00 - Discipleship with Mike...we talk about plans for future and project
3:00 - 5:00 - Team Bible study...head over to a cafe where I eat some more...from there walk back to campus
5:00 - 6:00 - Meet with a student Luis, we go over his testimony that he will be sharing this week at an outreach
6:00 - 6:30 - Travel to office
6:30 - 7:00 - Downtime...but also check e'mail, set up for training
7:00 - 9:00 - Training time with the Canadian team...travel home
10:00 - Arrive home...shower, check e'mail, talk with roomate and off to bed

So all in all a very busy schdule, but I love it. Anyways just though I would give you some insight in to my life...

Steve

Panama project 2009

Dear Blog

Sorry for not writing in two weeks...I've been so busy with PANAMA PROJECT 2009!! Starting May 3rd, 20 Canadian staff and students arrived for a 6 week missions project down here in Panama City. Since their arrival we have been busy first with orientation/training and then getting on the campus and sharing our faith. It has been an amazing first two weeks of project. The students are great and are really enjoying sharing the love of Christ with the Panamanians. I have really enjoyed working with them...although it is quite tiring.

I somewhat feel like I'm doing my readers an injustice by not sharing all the things that have been going on this week and all that God is doing. From people being saved, faculties inviting us to share the gospel in classrooms etc... But the following is by far one of the most exciting things that has happened to me in campus ministry...read on!

The story starts Wednesday morning on the bus. I was thinking over my past 2 years in Panama, and the devil was trying to discourage me accusing me that I hadn't accomplished anything. Arriving on campus I met up with my team. While waiting, a student approached me "Hey Steve! What are you doing here? Remember me, Luis?" I quickly filed through the directory of Panamanian faces I have in my brain and drew a blank and said "Well I'm here with a team of Canadian students, but I'm sorry I can't remember who you are?"
Luis replied "You shared Jesus with me in 2006 when you were part of some Christian campaign that came here. And hey, I just want you to know, when you left I got hooked up with a local church and have been serving God ever since."

WOW!! You just never know what God will do as we step out and obey Him. I was also so thankful how God showed me, and in a subtle way said to me "You see Steve, I have used you in an amazing way to impact my kingdom in ways you can't even imagine and ways that you don't know."

Yesterday I met up with Luis again to catch up on the past 3 years of our lives. He told me how He came in to a relationship with Jesus through Panama Project 2006 and when we left, got involved and is now serving at a local church. Reconnecting with us, Luis is also excited to help us in reaching out to his campus. He plans on sharing his testimony next week and is excited to share his faith.

So as I step out to campus I just think of how awesome it is to know that I am part of something so much bigger . I find so much comfort in the following verse...it gives me such confidence.

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. - Philippians 1:6

In Him

Steve

PS Some of you may not be familiar with my lingo...Panama Project is when a group of students from Canadian campuses (there are 17 down this year) come and partner with the Panamanian ministry in evangelism and discipleship. We will spend the next month on 3 different campuses sharing the gospel and doing discipleship. From there we will head in to the interior to work within some rural communities showing them the love of Christ.

The Kingdom

Dear Blog

Sorry its been so long since I wrote. Things here in Panama are going well...although we haven´t only been in Panama recently. With our Panamanian visas expiring we fled the country as fugitives and landed in El Salvador, homeland for two of my teamates. There we ate pupusas, saw Volcanos, ate some more, relaxed and got to know the friendliest people on earth. One of the highlights was meeting up with Selegna and the Stint team in El Salvador. We spent an afternoon together visiting ruins, sharing stories and experiences and generally just connecting. I am always amazed at the depth of relationships that can happen instantly between Christians...together as one body we instantly have that connection.

One thing that I think has been the over riding ´lesson´I have learned this year on STINT, and definately what I have been learning about recently is the immensity of the Kingdom of God. It has no boundaries, no limits, its unstoppable, unquenchable and will never end!!! I get excited just writting that. It was exciting to meet up with believers in EL Salvador and see what God is doing there. Its exciting being a part of the work down here, and next week it will be exciting to recieve 20 Canadians who are coming from across Canada to serve in Panama 6 weeks. Wherever I look on a map I can just think of what GOd is doing there....how His Kingdom is expanding.

I will leave you with a couple of my favorite verses from this year...

Colossians 1:6 (NLT)
This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.

Daniel 2:44-45
In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.
"The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy."


As I sign off I know that people, part of the Kingdom, are reading this around the world! Until next time..

Steve

The pursuit continues...

Dear Blog

This past week we had tables set up in various faculties sharing what Vida Estudiantil is as well as having the SOULarium set up. SOULarium is a set of 50 photos ranging from mountain ranges, homeless people, birds, kids playing, planes, old married couples etc.... Some dark pictures, some joyful, all of them intriguing. The point being its not just what you see, but how you interperet what you see. Using a series of questions from which people answer the question with the pictures, it opens the doors to deeper spiritual conversations. Twice this week I began a conversation with the SOULarium and it ended with someone accepting Christ!

As we are now back on campus full time and in succesive weeks momentum is gathering. We are seeing more of the students, having more follow up and seeing more students come out! Today at our weekly meeting there were 30 people...keep on praying for our goal of 40! We are almost there! It was exciting as probably 10 of the people out this week were new. Some invited by friends and others coming from contact through the table.

1 Corinthians 15:58 says Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. I have again been thinking about how God pursues people and uses us in his pursuit. Of the two people I saw come to Christ this week, one had talked with two of my teamates before and the other I had known for a year. It encourages me to think that next year, the next STINT team will talk to someone who says "Well last year some Canadian guy shared with me..."

So until next time keep up the good work wherever you are.

Steve

PS Tomorrow the team and I head to El Salvador to flee the country as our visas expire. We will be back in action here on Tuesday.

Pursuing...

Dear Blog

The past couple weeks we've been back on the campus working hard. Its been fun (sometimes tiring) and overall a good experience. Last week we spent the mornings entering all the 1st year classes in the Biology, Architecture and Law faculties to explain to them who we are and invite them out. So far we haven't seen too many 'results' from this, but we know God will use it.

One thing I have been realizing is how much God pursues people. Last week at one of our follow-up meetings with Jenifer, her friend Patricia came along. Through it, she voiced her obvious distrust (and hurt) for evangelical Christians. We were able to talk a bit before she left, but as we prayed after wards this verse came to mind...

2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

I realized that even though Patricia still is angry towards Christians and Christ, God will continue to pursue her...through us, or Jenifer or other people...and although today she wasn't ready to repent and turn to Jesus, He is still pursuing to her.

Today I spent my day out sharing, talking to people about Jesus. Karina and I talked to Cesar, a 1st year Law student who studies outside of the city, but was at the National campus for the day doing paperwork. Cesar was a Catholic who had, in his words 'half-way opened my heart to Jesus'. Talking about Semana Santa (Easter week) and Jesus' death, we shared the Gospel with Cesar and the need to fully repent and accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour....and he did! As we continued talking, Cesar told us how 2 years ago he had been at the university when 2 Canadians who barely spoke Spanish tried to talk to him...although not ready to recieve the Gospel then, God kept pursuing Cesar until today.

So with that, we will continue our work of sharing Christ with the lost. We look forward to taking off this weekend to Boquete (highlands) for our Semana Santa conference with La Comunidad (Church).

Until next time,

Steve

PS On another note, this past Sunday while playing in my soccer league I recieved my first yellow card EVER! After a combined 27 seasons of playing organized sports (soccer and rugby) I had never once recieved a yellow card...until Sunday. I am actually quite proud...it was a handball.