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.