My time in Panama is coming to an end… once again, Thank You to all of you who have had me in your prayers and supported me in so many different ways during my time here. We are back in Panama City, and we are still going strong. I am sorry again for the lapse in time since my last update, it is not always easy to have the time or computer access, but somehow I managed to get both again. I have been given many different opportunities to evangelize and minister during this outreach. Our group kind of stumbled across a gift that God has given me, and that is to preach. I was given my first chance to preach a sermon at a church in Honduras, Easter Sunday, and just last week I was even given the honor of preaching at the youth service (college age) at Hosanna Church, which I found out is the biggest church in the country. I have also had the blessing to participate in different types of street ministry, God has such a wonderful variety in the ways that He is at work. I have talked to people of all different types with a huge range of backgrounds, from Panamanian Rastafarians to Honduran street children to short-term Wisconsinites. I have learned many things during my time here, and I know God has much more in store. After my graduation from the DTS program, June 2nd, I plan on flying to an area in Panama called Bocas Del Torro. This is an area near Costa Rica that has a very diverse culture and a lot of hippies and Rastafarians with a huge Caribbean influence, and I plan on spending my time between DTS and Mexico doing ministry there. It will be very interesting to see what comes from that time, and I am very excited to see the way God will work. From there I will be flying to El Paso, Texas to help out North Heights Church with a short-term mission project in Juarez, Mexico. We will be preparing for a group of students coming there the week after we leave. It will be so nice to see everyone again. I will finally be back at my Minnesota Homeland on the 17th of June. God still has a lot of work for me here, and I have plenty of stories to share when I get back. Thank you all so much for the time, money, prayers, everything you have put into this time of ministry. God has been faithful and done a great work in my life since being here. May God bless you and keep you.
-=Andrew=-
5.23.2006
4.26.2006
half'way through outreach
Hello to everyone. I am sorry I have been unable to update in such a long time. We have been extremely busy, and communication has been very difficult to maintain with people back home. I found some time to get on a computer, so here I go....
The outreach has been quite amazing so far. We began, as planned, heading to Costa Rica to do differnt types of ministry there. We did many different types of ministry, worked with different churches, worked with children in poor communities, and worked with college age people around San Jose. We presented many dramas and had a lot to ftime to share with people afterwards. The people were very acceptive of the message that we were sharing and many people gave their lives to Christ while we were there. One of my most memorable times was when our group split up and went into different bars near a university campus and talked to people there. God was able to break down some barriers with that act of obedience. Places like that are untouched by the majority of Latin American churches. we were able to bring some much needed light into those dark areas. Our time in Costa Rica was very successful, and it prepared us for some amazing things that yçtook place in our next destination.
We made our way to Honduras, where we had about a week and a half to work with several different ministries that pastor Johnny had scheduled. Johnny is an amazing individual and was a great example to all of us of what it means to serve the Lord and act on faith. Our group was split up and divided among different houses to live with the families during our time in Honduras. Myself and two other guys lived with a sweet lady named Irene, she is a wonderful servant of the Lord and became our sweet little grandma during our time under her roof. During our time in Hoduras we were all stretched in different ways. I was given the honor of preaching the sermon to Johnnys church Easter Sunday, I had one day to prepare it. I felt very much at home when i was sharing the message in front of everyone, i spoke on the importance of the ressurection, and two commands that Christ gave us. To love God, and to love others. It went very well, and i was invited back to preach again at some point, actually Pastor Johnny made me promise I would.
Some other opportunities that we had included working with street kids, and with people who lived in the city dump. Seeing first hand the situations that these people were in was cutting. There is so much need in these areas, and Johnny is doing amazing things for the people, and has such a great vision for how their lives can be transformed, but he needs the resources to make his dreams reality. He has already started a school for the 150 some children that live in the dump, and he has a program to get the kids off the street. These things are just the beginning. I have stories to tell of my time in Honduras, and from thoses experiences i know for certain that i cannot just do short-term missions. God has called us to share the gospel, but also to have relationships, and to disciple, and I will follow through with his calling. During that time of awakening, i gained a responsibility to react to what i have seen. When my stories finally make it home, those who hear it will have that same responsibility, and i am willing to talk.
Our plans changed from our original intent to do ministry in Nicaragua. Due to a lack of communication with the people there, we made our way back to Cosat Rica and will be here uintil May 1st.. i think. From here we will be traveling to different major cities in Panama. it is hard to believe that we are nearly half-way done. Both because so much has happened that it seems longer, and because the time has gone by so fast. Thank you all so much for your support and prayers. I will try to update this again while i am in Panama. Don´t worry about me though, i am being taken care of. God bless you.
-Andrew
The outreach has been quite amazing so far. We began, as planned, heading to Costa Rica to do differnt types of ministry there. We did many different types of ministry, worked with different churches, worked with children in poor communities, and worked with college age people around San Jose. We presented many dramas and had a lot to ftime to share with people afterwards. The people were very acceptive of the message that we were sharing and many people gave their lives to Christ while we were there. One of my most memorable times was when our group split up and went into different bars near a university campus and talked to people there. God was able to break down some barriers with that act of obedience. Places like that are untouched by the majority of Latin American churches. we were able to bring some much needed light into those dark areas. Our time in Costa Rica was very successful, and it prepared us for some amazing things that yçtook place in our next destination.
We made our way to Honduras, where we had about a week and a half to work with several different ministries that pastor Johnny had scheduled. Johnny is an amazing individual and was a great example to all of us of what it means to serve the Lord and act on faith. Our group was split up and divided among different houses to live with the families during our time in Honduras. Myself and two other guys lived with a sweet lady named Irene, she is a wonderful servant of the Lord and became our sweet little grandma during our time under her roof. During our time in Hoduras we were all stretched in different ways. I was given the honor of preaching the sermon to Johnnys church Easter Sunday, I had one day to prepare it. I felt very much at home when i was sharing the message in front of everyone, i spoke on the importance of the ressurection, and two commands that Christ gave us. To love God, and to love others. It went very well, and i was invited back to preach again at some point, actually Pastor Johnny made me promise I would.
Some other opportunities that we had included working with street kids, and with people who lived in the city dump. Seeing first hand the situations that these people were in was cutting. There is so much need in these areas, and Johnny is doing amazing things for the people, and has such a great vision for how their lives can be transformed, but he needs the resources to make his dreams reality. He has already started a school for the 150 some children that live in the dump, and he has a program to get the kids off the street. These things are just the beginning. I have stories to tell of my time in Honduras, and from thoses experiences i know for certain that i cannot just do short-term missions. God has called us to share the gospel, but also to have relationships, and to disciple, and I will follow through with his calling. During that time of awakening, i gained a responsibility to react to what i have seen. When my stories finally make it home, those who hear it will have that same responsibility, and i am willing to talk.
Our plans changed from our original intent to do ministry in Nicaragua. Due to a lack of communication with the people there, we made our way back to Cosat Rica and will be here uintil May 1st.. i think. From here we will be traveling to different major cities in Panama. it is hard to believe that we are nearly half-way done. Both because so much has happened that it seems longer, and because the time has gone by so fast. Thank you all so much for your support and prayers. I will try to update this again while i am in Panama. Don´t worry about me though, i am being taken care of. God bless you.
-Andrew
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