I Have Decided - Pursue the Battle Lines

And here I thought last week's Sunday sermon was designed to rock me to the core. I mean, it did, but today's was the refresher course that I really needed. Rob, too. We were privileged to be in the audience for the guest preacher, a Zimbabwe native with a first hand glimpse at life on the other side of the spiritual line.

I would much rather let him share his message with you himself, via webcast, so I'll most definitely post it when SonRise gets it up on the website. In the meantime, we'll have to settle for the Storytellers' abbreviated version:

Today we listened to a man whose childhood consisted of a life of rituals, witch doctors and spiritual seances purposed to channel the voices of the deceased. He was witnessed to by a nun, and that led to a decision that would change his life, and ultimately provide him with the information and passion to share his testimony with congregations along the way, just like ours.

What I love, is when something is stated simply: In his case, the fact that whether we want to acknowledge it or not, we are on the front lines of a spiritual conflict. No, it's not a mystical, fantasy, imaginary world. It's the world in which we live, where we are faced with the decisions daily of who and what will influence us, and in what ways.

We must be armed. We must be prepared. We accomplish preparedness by reading the Word. We ready our hearts and minds by establishing the truth in them, so that when false words and claims are presented, that truth will acknowledge. We resist temptation by understanding our limitations and relying on our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to stand beside us in the seasons where our areas of weakness may otherwise distract us. It's a commitment that we must have, to pray. For protection, for guidance and for perseverance of ourselves, our brothers and sisters, our families, children, friends and those who don't yet even know Christ. It's a full-fledged war, in which we put our trust in the power and ability of God.

I can't wait to share the full vido here; I'll absolutely do that as soon as it's up live!
In the meantime, a friendly reminder that the first meeting for this year's Panama trip is next Sunday. I found the video on the SonRise site and thought I would share it, just in case you're curious about what it is in which we invested ourselves last year in April.


For now though, it's the day of leisure that Sunday should be...  .... okay, well maybe with a little bit of Pinterest to boot. I mean, we're going to have a couple of rooms to decorate here soon, right? 
:)  xo | cmd

Training & Posters

I spent the morning at our Eastgate sister office, immersed in a half day's worth of training; I have to say that as frequently as Express promotes and hosts various training sessions, and as frequently as I continue attending them, I still never fail to bring something new back from the experience.

The second half of the day finished up in the office, and I ended the day with a poster that I ordered to commemorate my trip with SonRise to Panama. It's been just about 3 months since the trip, but I still think daily of those villagers and the Panamanian team. If I'm called at any point to return there, it won't be too soon!

panama :) 

One more day and then the weeeeekend!

xo | cmd

#TeamPanama is #FamilyForever... #♥

I had an amazing time with my family today.

Two parts of my family. :)

The first of course was my own little clan: Rob and Sydni [& the dogs, too, if you want to count them] made my morning the gorgeous chaotic rhythm that it always is, but couple that with sunshine and a stellar message at SonRise, and you've got perfection on earth :).

poor stella.... haha

stella bella! 

PLUS, Syd decided she would be a Ngobe for today, so this is what we sported to church:

dress, chacara.. and larry the cucumber... ♥♥♥

She wanted to hitch a ride to the car... 

my world ♥

sydni - 1. rob - 0.
the usual score. 

After church, we headed home for a few hours of relaxing after lunch, some light cleaning and some cooking - the evening rolled around faster than we expected, and we were off to the Costanzas for a backyard cookout and Panama team reunion.

then and now! 

It seems like it was ages ago that we stood in those mountains, posed for that picture as the minutes disappeared and we left that mountain for the last time on the trip. That picture in its entirety contains a part of my heart; I left bits of myself there with that team and the Ngobe people.

miriam... you nailed it. 

I am SO grateful for the company, presence and fellowship of and with this team and their families, and for welcoming Rob, Sydni and me into theirs. We are certainly blessed to have so many new and refreshing, encouraging and edifying doors opened to us, on a path of growth :).

#SonRisePanama2015
aaron. chris. marissa. cori. quinn.

Rob, Syd and I are home now; our hair and clothes have that smell of fresh air and bonfire. Our bellies are full of homemade food, and our hearts and minds are full from a fun evening of reflecting, praying and fellowship. THAT is the kind of Sunday I love.

Amen? AMEN.

Prayers for each of you entering into this week!

xo | cmd

#SRP2015: The Recap

Ahhhhh, mini reunion! :)

Tonight, we gathered together at our church to share with the SonRise family our tales of the trip from Suiche and Panama. It was our chance to share with them our mission, our experiences and what we hope to accomplish on the [hopefullyyyyyyyy happening...] return trip next year!


We were seated in a row in front of about 30 people who came to hear about our trip. It was a Tuesday night, which was more than many people would do on a weeknight.

marissa. aaron. quinn. chris. cori.

I am so thankful for this team, for the experience we had in Panama and more and most importantly, for the work God did through us while we were there.

Many many thanks to the SonRise team for hosting us tonight, and for each of my SonRise family who came to re-live our experience(s) with us! Please be in prayer for us as we try and work towards a return trip to work with Talsy, David & their team.

Also, please continue to pray for Adilsa, Elena and Selina, the three women who committed their lives to Christ on the last day, and for the rest of the Ngobe and the teams working to reach them. He is doing amazing things in those mountains and I know the work is not finished!

Amen?
Amen!

xo | cmd

SonRise: Doors & The Haiti PEACE Team!

My church. I'm falling in love every single week with the messages being shared. Trish joined us this morning, which was terrific! Girl, I'm so glad you were able to make it out! She reminded me of the time I told her that I wasn't entirely sold on the series my church was going through; at the time, I really wasn't sure if I wanted to stay, as I'd felt some of the content was starting to stray a bit, doctrinally-speaking.

It's been a 180 since then; I realized this morning when she brought that up, and looking back at that, it also hit me that I've been with this church for over two years now. Yay!

Today was the second installment of the newest series: Doors. Pastor Jeff, Pastor Chad and the rest of the team has done an excellent job of incorporating real, life-applicable teachings into a message built around God's word. I mean, we can all relate to what a door is, and how it's an access point either into or out of somewhere, something, someone... they're digging into this deeper each week, and illustrating the avenues in life that are either accessed or denied by our choice to open and close those doors.

are we listening?

AND, many many prayers of excitement went out today to the SonRise PEACE team that's headed to Haiti at the end of this week! Marissa's (from my Panama team) sister Tana is going, along with 9 others: Chad, Evan, Joy, Matt, Noah, Rachel, Jamie, Wendell and Jacques will all make their way to Haiti in less than a week to be the voice and presence of God's love among the people in need there. I am asking that you, my fellow blogbots, please lift them up in prayer the same way you did for my Panama team and me!

go team haiti! 

What a beautiful thing!! We are praying you guys to and from safely, and that God will do what He does best through your hands while you're there. I can't wait to hear your stories when you return! :)

For us, it was a nice day spent relaxing here at home: Getting a couple things done, and enjoying the weather outside for a bit.

Here's to a solid week!

xo | cmd

When You're Here, But Not....

Today was a wonderful day, really. It was. I had my family by my side and spent the day in each other's company. I am in love with every second of it, but today there was also a part of me that I've realized I will forever wrestle with:

truth, truth, truth. 

I found that somewhere on the web, but it's a perfect summation of what my heart is feeling right now. I've been back from Panama for over a week now, but my heart aches to go back, for just one more day there in that village with the children and the families. With my SonRise team. With our Vega leaders and their support team. I want to return with Rob and Sydni; to show them the raw, unaltered beauty that I experienced on that mountain. To open my daughter's eyes to a world beyond the idea of immediate and constant worldly gratification we have here. To plant in her heart that vision of sharing Christ to the ends of the earth and loving people for their souls, not their image, clothing and titles like we do here.

I am grateful, actually.. for this feeling. I know it means that I came back with a conviction on my heart. With a passion I'd forgotten that I had. I already miss them, yes.. but I know I will see them again.

One of my favorite newer songs is by Audrey Assad; it's called Restless, and today it has reeled through my mind at least a dozen times if not more:

audrey assad lyrics - restless 

Lord, let me never forget what you've done in my heart in the last couple of weeks. Let that change me forever, and let me relentlessly pursue you, the way you pursue me.

Amen, Amen, AMEN.

xo | cmd

Less, Enough, More.

Honestly:

love this. it's perfect.

I have had such a hard time this week readjusting to my life here. I can personally testify that there is always some amount of disappointment after a trip, vacation or significant event like this. The culmination of planning, preparation, adrenaline and execution of those things creates a euphoria that consumes us through whatever impact it has. I feel like I've always had hypersensitivity and susceptibility to those feelings; I can recall as a child the feeling after a week away at church camp: pining for days to be back in the cabins. Missing fellow campers that I'd just met 6 or 7 days before saying goodbye to them again. Feeling a connection with an experience that ended just as soon as it began. Even with shorter-term things, like a big game or formal event in high school and college - it was over in one night, but the sensations would remain for days, weeks and sometimes months.

THIS time, it's very much that way, but in a different light. I feel still present - mentally, spiritually and subconsciously - in the short life I had in the mountains of Panama. It sounds silly, I know, given that my entire life so far, with the exception of my birth years in the Philippines and then this one week, have been spent living in and through the American ways to which I am accustomed. HOWEVER, I somehow felt a peace there in the mountains. A stillness. Not just because of the atmosphere of morning fog and a river running all day, but because of the absolute life that seemed to reflect off of every surface. There were no roads. No cars. No cell phones (with the exception of their purposes as cameras). A daily agenda, yes, but without the pressure of failure or rejection if we didn't execute it flawlessly. There was camaraderie. Community. A set of unwritten and unspoken rules of hierarchy and fairness that governed the way the people treated each other. There was a love and respect for their surroundings, for their possessions and FOR EACH OTHER.

It is a 180 from what we [unfortunately] see more often than not here at home. Each time I turn on the news, I'm left afterwards in a headspin, wondering what we could accomplish if we channeled the energy we have not into hate, aggression, jealousy and disobedience, but into edifying each other and ourselves. What if we stopped focusing on how much we have? How prestigious we are in the eyes of our peers, colleagues and friends? What if we just.... LOVED people and the world around us?

I am a hopeless romantic in that sense, I know.

I saw a quote today, from Milton Glaser:

"Less isn't more; just enough is more."

Talk about a smack in the face. Could you just.. imagine?

The Ngobe people of Suiche, Acha, Gavila and the other villages we didn't get to cover understand this. They may not even realize that they have a better grasp on this than we do, but regardless of their acknowledgement, they've got it down.

My expectations - both good and bad, of the Panama trip were disbanded, very quickly. Here is one of the short but running lists of things revealed to me during #SonRisePanama2015:

1. It is not 90 degrees & sunny in the mountains. Not always. #RookieMistakes
2. We hiked into a community, not a cave. We were not met by a ravaged group of creatures, but rather by an organized, tight-knit and sustaining collection of neighbors.
2a. The Ngobe people are indigenous, yes, but poor? They are NOT.
2b. They were not emaciated. They were not weak or feeble. They were not dressed in tattered clothes and makeshift shoes. They were NOT lacking any material things that we could have delivered. #EyeOpener.
3. The Ngobe are a very stoic, shy people. That does not equate with resistance to our presence. They let us into their lives and into their villages.. into their homes. We did not earn this, but they offered.
4. We are NOT the ones who have this figured out: 
The Ngobe families are built around honoring each other. Children and adults alike care for their relatives and contribute to the family through their version of chores. They learn the mountain trails. The rivers. The animals and the environment. They know their names, and how to write them in cursive. Most of them speak & understand Ngäbere and Spanish. They are taught endurance through their play. Creativity through lack of technological debilitation. Resourcefulness through necessity. Modesty through dress and conduct. It became laughable how much we enable our children, and how that reflects on their attitudes and behavior. The large majority of our children would have been bored with the lack of access to outside entertainment; here, the children ran. They played soccer. They drew pictures. They sat and made eye contact with each other as they laughed and talked. No friends, we are not the superior brand.
5. I am in love. I will be back. 

It wasn't Panama in itself that changed me. It wasn't the hours on hours we spent in the airports, processing our luggage through customs, or the total of 6 airplanes that carried us back and forth. It wasn't the Panama Canal. Really, it wasn't even the mountains or the presence of indigenous people groups. It was the fact that I am without ample words or ability to explain the shift in my heart. I came back a broken person. I came home with the reality check that I didn't expect to get. The small things became big things. The big things culminated into a final day in Suiche, hugging poor little Selina so hard I thought I might break her. I needed her in that moment more than she needed me. I was at the mercy of the people in that Suiche village. Of the translators. Of my team. I was the one who needed them, not the other way around. Their humble, stoic presence ironically proved to be a reinforcing element, encouraging me every minute that we were there to let go of my inhibitions and any urges to maintain control of the situation; instead I found myself trusting in ways that I'd never done before. 

*************

I'm here in my home tonight surrounded by the life I know and live every day. I am happy to be back, but at the same time I know my perspective has been shifted.. permanently. I feel like I'm surrounded by things, but I'm still missing, lacking something. I look around at all of the things, all the amenities, all the luxuries and things that I take for granted daily, and I am immediately catapulted back to that mountain, into a cloud of people whose joy stems from their existence among each other, and not from the things they've collected.

Milton Glaser's right; Less isn't more. Just enough is more than we deserve, more often than not. I don't want more. I don't want less. I want to see what I already have as fully sufficient for my needs. I want to give back to others before I cram more stuff into my own inventory.

My prayer tonight is that this sensation, this... unraveled and pining feeling that I can't seem to shake tonight.. that I will never lose it. I pray that as days pass and turn to weeks, then months and eventually one year... that regardless of how much time accumulates between this trip and any return venture, that what's been revealed to me as result of this trip won't fade. I'm still on a high from this trip, I'm ready to load up and get on a return flight. I can't, and won't, obviously, but I will be in prayer for God to continue building this spark within me to return when He opens that door. I pray continually for the Vegas and their mission. For each one of the translators who became our core support system and guidance through the week: Matteo, Jusalino, Bernabe, Alexi, Pastor Simon, Rita & Zobeida. I pray for each of my own team members, that their experiences planted and/or fueled the desire to either return to Panama, or continue on in another form of local or international missions.

I'll see you again, Panama.
Until then, Lord please guard my heart and mind when the pressures of this world try to convince me that I need more. The only thing I need more of is you.

Amen?
AMEN.

xo | cmd

The Overzealous Me...

So on March 5, long before I took off for a week to the mountains of Panama, I scheduled the monthly career fair for April. Good job, Cori.

It's amazing that even when I know I'm a ragged mess, I can push on when I have to. I don't know why I'm so baffled by my own ability to do that, but I really wasn't sure walking into that conference room today if I had it in me.

Good news, I did.. and Elisa was a sure and steady supporter through it. We celebrated a slow but semi-successful event [thanks to the rain] with lunch at Findlay. The pops of color there certainly appealed to the otherwise mopey feeling that's been lingering in my gut since I got back to planet USA, and I was quite thankful for the cheerful atmosphere.

colors on an otherwise drab day... ♥ - thank you, findlay!
findlay market | cincinnati, oh 

The day closed, and I headed off in search of something I've been hunting down in my head for the past 24 hours: A bilingual Bible. [I FOUND IT!] As I stood at Family Christian awaiting the completion of my Bible engraving, my sister was kind enough to send my phone into a seizure ;) -

... my sister vs. my facebook photo album... haha.. 

I've made it quite clear to her that she must find a way to come along on the next journey out of the country, specifically with me... which will hopefully be with the Vega team back in the mountains of Panama. Can you tell my heart is still aching to be there?!

Dinner.
More rain. 

I'm already over this week :p 

xo | cmd

Monday: I am Dead.

I already don't know how I'm going to handle this week.

I feel like I'm on another planet today. I'm not sure how today came and went, but I do know that my mind.. my body.. my heart and my soul wee not wholly present there in that office today.

[Oh, this is post-dated, btw]

Monday started without me today, and ended while I struggled against myself to get my feet on the ground. I don't know if it's just because I'm in day 1 back to real life after a week of being a 2 hour hike's distance from Heaven's front door, but I'm in a daze.

I couldn't today. I just couldn't. The drum of the phones and the usual blur of Monday activity did nothing to phase or move me. I felt as though I was in a bubble, that, whenever I closed my eyes for a minute, would project this moment into my brain, almost as clear as it was five days ago on Wednesday last week:

That is Elena. That is Elena in my arm, and me in hers. That's me, bawling uncontrollably into her hair as she shed tears into the front of my shirt. That's Marissa in the middle, ugly crying just like I was. And Zobeida, with Selina in the yellow dress. Rita and Adilsa are on the right outside of this picture, but in that moment, the emotion there was more than I could've handled on my own. Elena, Selina and Adilsa accepted Christ into their lives on the last day we spent in Suiche. This was that moment. This was the physical transition from the old to the new, in a moment that we had thought impossible barely an hour before this.

Work seemed so menial today. I... just... couldn't.
Not to mention the fact that I stayed up way too late last night, memorizing the pictures and generally not sleeping. The fog of the day stayed put until I got home, where the last drops of adrenaline from the previous week dripped away and I fell asleep on contact with the couch.

At around... 5:30 pm.
And slept for 14 hours.

So yeah.
[Take me back.....]

*Sigh.

xo | cmd

Easter 2015

My parents arrived in town late yesterday, while I was still airborne en route from Panama to Dayton. They spent the evening with Rob and were ready, bright & early this morning to attend the Easter service at our church. It is after all the day on which we celebrate this fact:

amen! 

It was a mini reunion of sorts, seeing Marissa, Aaron, Chris & Quinn all there. We had all transformed our appearances from what we'd known last week, and it seemed almost strange that we were all there together in our normal routines, that aren't nearly as connected as our reliance on each other had been over the past 8 days.

My church does a phenomenal job of integrating the perfect amount of worship into a message, without overdoing it and making it into a show production. I was so thankful for the praise team and their ability to work the music into my heart and mind, as exhausted they both still were this morning. I stood with my parents and Rob, praising the God we love and sharing the joy that He lives!
It was a gorgeous day out today. My body and mind are still spinning from the past 8 days of my life, but to have my parents and future husband here with me today made for an Easter celebration with my family. We of course were missing one, but I was fortunate to speak with her as she spent this year with her Dad.


Mom & Dad stayed for a mid-afternoon lunch before they took off homebound again to Mt. Vernon.

For now, it's time to catch up with Rob, and start digging into these bajillion pictures I feel as though I have from the trip.

Panama, I miss you already. Just so you know.

Happy Easter, world.
Jesus LIVES; take a moment today and for the next several even, to download that, and more importantly what it really means for all of us.

Amen?
Amen!

xo | cmd

#SRP2015 Day 8: We Are Home.

ENGLISH: BLACK FONT (Or gray).  SPANISH: RED FONT

INGLÉS: FUENTE NEGRO (O gris).  ESPAÑOL: FUENTE ROJO

*******

Today, we left Panama. We ate a fast breakfast at our hotel with Talsy & Ruth, then loaded into the hotel shuttle and were at the Tocumen Airport in a matter of minutes. It was there that we said a rather rushed and informal goodbye-for-now to the Vegas, grabbed our bags and proceeded in to start our day of traveling.

Hoy en día, salimos de Panamá. Comimos un desayuno rápido en nuestro hotel con Talsy & Ruth, luego cargado en el transporte del hotel y estábamos en el aeropuerto de Tocumen en cuestión de minutos. Fue allí que dijimos una vez apresurado y adiós-para-ahora informal a la Vegas, cogimos nuestras maletas y procedió a iniciar nuestro día de viaje. 

we are going home.. 

goodbye, panama!
adiós, Panamá

Flight 1: Panama City, Panama to Denver, CO. That's about 5 hours, in case you're wondering.
Flight 2: Denver, CO to Chicago, IL. That was about another 2 hours.
Flight 3: The last flight - Chicago, IL to Dayton, OH.

Vuelo 1:. Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá a Denver, CO Eso es cerca de 5 horas, en caso de que usted se está preguntando. 
Vuelo 2: Denver, CO a Chicago, IL. Eso fue sobre otras 2 horas. Vuelo. 3: El último vuelo - Chicago, IL a Dayton, OH 

obligatory airplane wing + cloud picture.. somewhere over Panama
avión ala obligatoria + foto nube .. en algún lugar sobre Panamá 

art as we ran through the o'hare airport
arte mientras corríamos por el aeropuerto O'Hare 

chicago  (chicago)

A mere 9-9.5 hours of flying later, we are here, in Ohio, in the good old U.S. of A. We are back in North America. We're a motley bunch right now, but with hearts full of a week we won't soon forget.

A sólo 9-9,5 horas de vuelo después, estamos aquí, en Ohio, en los buenos viejos EE.UU. de A. Estamos de vuelta en América del Norte. Somos un grupo heterogéneo en este momento, pero con el corazón lleno de una semana que no olvidará.

our final landing
nuestro último aterrizaje

Day 8: Return from the mission.
Check.
But, the work continues...

Día 8:. Regreso de la Misión.
Hecho. 
Pero, el trabajo continúa. 

xo | cmd
♥ | cmd

#SRP2015 Day 6: Goodbye [FOR NOW], Suiche

ENGLISH: BLACK FONT (Or gray).  SPANISH: RED FONT

INGLÉS: FUENTE NEGRO (O gris).  ESPAÑOL: FUENTE ROJO

*******

We said goodbye to our small brush with Heaven today. No, not goodbye.. more like, See you next time. It was an early morning: We awoke at 5:00 and immediately began the final teardown of tents, hammocks, equipment and other gear. We each did our morning routines and packed our bags for the final time. Our little dwelling returned to its original state as a school building. We swept away the last traces of our presence there, and gathered together for one final team prayer. 

Nos despedimos de nuestro cepillo pequeño con el Cielo hoy. No, no adiós .. más como, Nos vemos la próxima vez. Fue un  temprano  por la mañana: Nos despertamos a las 5:00 e inmediatamente comenzamos el desmontaje definitivo de tiendas de campaña, hamacas, equipo y otros equipos. Cada uno de nosotros hicimos nuestras rutinas de la mañana y hicimos nuestras maletas por última vez. Nuestra pequeña vivienda vuelve a su estado original como un edificio de la escuela. Nos arrastrados los últimos rastros de nuestra presencia allí, y reunidos por una oración final por equipos.

last breakfast in suiche  ||  el último desayuno en suiche

my suiche family  ||  mi familia suiche

After prayer and one final group photo, it was time to hit the mountain and be on our way. It was a beautiful day for hiking, with the sun out and the cool breeze balancing us as we tread up into the hills.

Después oración y una foto de grupo final, que era el momento de golpear la montaña y seguir nuestro camino. Era un hermoso día para ir de excursión, con el sol y la brisa fresca nos equilibrio como pisamos hacia las colinas. 

juselino is ready to go!  ||  ¡juselino está listo para ir!

looking down on our village home
mirando hacia abajo en nuestra casa del pueblo

can you spot david all the way across there? (in his orange jacket!)
¿eres capaz de ver a David todo el camino a través de allí? (en su chaqueta naranja!) 

hiking  ||  vamos de excursión

beautiful sunshine  ||  hermoso sol

another small village  ||  otro pueblo pequeño

mateo. talsy. bernabe.
(mateo. talsy. bernabe.)

There were more bridges...

Había más puentes ... 

quinn (quinn)

aaron (aaron)

... And there were more rivers.. 

... Y había más ríos .. 

... And there was a horse for Talsy :) 

... Y había un caballo para Talsy :)

And, after about 4 hours, Rita, Bernabe and I made it to the final landing point. The other half of our team followed up behind us a short while later, and we convened at the top of the hill near the little store we had seen on the first day. It seemed like weeks ago that we had been in this same spot. We were an exhausted bunch, but happy and still reeling from the week's experience. 

Y, después de aproximadamente 4 horas, Rita, Bernabé y yo hicimos hasta el punto de destino final . La otra mitad de nuestro equipo siguió detrás de nosotros un poco más tarde, y nos convocó en la cima de la colina cerca de la pequeña tienda que habíamos visto en el primer día. Parecía que hace semanas que habíamos estado en este mismo lugar. Éramos un grupo agotado, pero feliz y todavía aturdido por la experiencia de la semana. 

we finally see the truck!  ||  ¡finalmente vemos el camión!

the store  ||  la tienda

with rita - love you, girl  ||  con rita - amarte, amiga

i could stay and breathe here forever
me podía quedar aquí para siempre y respirar

(viento en las montañas)

another store  ||  otra tienda

new friends from the journey ||  nuevos amigos de la jornada

The pictures for today stopped there; the rest of the day consisted of driving back into San Felix, and then on to Santiago. Our translator team peeled apart on the way down; Mateo was the first to leave us, and then Zobeida and Bernabe when we arrived in San Felix. Juselino's wife Ysolina joined us there, and the remainder of us traveled on to our day's final destination: Santiago. Juselino, Ysolina and Rita are now gone, although I believe Juselino & Ysolina will be back tomorrow morning to join us for breakfast. The hotel here is quaint and beautiful, and we just finished dinner across the street with Tulsy. 

We are happy. We are exhausted. Marissa and I are rooming together here in Santiago; our first order of business was to shower and relax. As crazy as this may sound, the idea, texture and feel of this hotel bed feels far less inviting and welcoming than the tent inside our building in the mountain. I have a feeling this won't be an experience that is quick to fade. 

It's late, and tomorrow we travel back to Panama City. We'll see the Panama Canal before we leave the country, and I'm looking forward to that. 

Las fotos de hoy se detuvo allí; el resto de la jornada consistió en conducir de vuelta a San Félix, y luego a Santiago. Nuestro equipo de traductores despegó en el camino; Mateo fue el primero en dejarnos, y luego Zobeida y Bernabé cuando llegamos en San Félix. La esposa de Juselino Ysolina unió a nosotros allí, y el resto de nosotros viajó hasta el destino final de nuestro día: Santiago. Juselino, Ysolina y Rita ahora se han ido, aunque creo Juselino y Ysolina estará de regreso mañana por la mañana para unirse a nosotros para el desayuno. El hotel aquí es pintoresco y hermoso, y que acaba de terminar la cena en la calle con Tulsy. 

Estamos felices. Estamos agotados. Marissa y yo estamos juntos aquí el alojamiento conjunto en Santiago; nuestra primera orden del día fue a la ducha y relajarse. Tan loco como esto pueda parecer, la idea, la textura y la sensación de esta cama del hotel se siente mucho menos atractivo y acogedor de la tienda de campaña dentro de nuestro edificio en la montaña. Tengo la sensación de que esto no será una experiencia que se apresura a desvanecerse. 

Es tarde, y mañana viajo a la ciudad de Panamá. Vamos a ver el Canal de Panamá antes de irnos del país, y estoy deseando que llegue a eso. 

Day 6: Farewell for now, Suiche. 

Check. 

Our work is fuel to God's fire. 

Día 6: Adiós por ahora, Suiche. 

Hecho.

Nuestro trabajo es el combustible para el fuego de Dios.

xo | cmd

♥ | cmd

#SRP2015 Day 5: Nuestro Último Día en Suiche

ENGLISH: BLACK FONT (Or gray).  SPANISH: RED FONT

INGLÉS: FUENTE NEGRO (O gris).  ESPAÑOL: FUENTE ROJO

*******

Today was our last full day in Suiche. I woke up with a strangely deep sadness to know that at the same time 24 hours later, we would leave this mountain behind until the next time we are able to journey here.

Pray. Eat breakfast. Filter water. Journal and write with what time is left. It was a morning routine I would love to have in my life day in and day out. I started writing my heart's thoughts, and was joined by two small children, who, like the rest of the children here in the village, love to sit and observe. Most are ready to participate in whatever menial thing we do when we invite them. I would usually have valued this time alone with God, but here in Suiche, the beauty is stronger in numbers, and so the little bodies sat next to me as my hands wrote letters to God and the universe He created.

Hoy era nuestro último día completo en Suiche. Me desperté con una tristeza extraña profundamente para saber que a la vez 24 horas más tarde, nos volveríamos a dejar esta montaña detrás hasta la próxima vez que somos capaces de viaje hasta aquí.

Ore. Desayunar. Filtre el agua. Diario y escribir con lo que el tiempo que queda. Era una rutina de la mañana me encantaría tener en mi vida día a día. Empecé a escribir los pensamientos de mi corazón, y me uní a dos niños pequeños, que, como el resto de los niños aquí en el pueblo, les encanta sentarse y observar. La mayoría están dispuestos a participar en cualquier cosa de baja categoría que hacemos cuando los invitamos. Normalmente me habría valorado este tiempo a solas con Dios, pero aquí en Suiche, la belleza es más fuerte en número, por lo que los pequeños cuerpos se sentó junto a mí como a mis manos escribieron cartas a Dios y el universo que Él creó.

cesar! (cesar)

norma ♥♥♥
norma ♥♥♥

i saw God today in her little face
Vi a Dios hoy en su carita

beautiful girls  ||  hermosas chicas

he has my Bible. oh, be still, my heart....
él tiene mi Biblia. ah, quédate tranquilo, mi corazón ....

siblings  ||  hermanos

i love these children  ||  amo a estos niños

The men left to hike into the villages.
Los hombres se fueron a caminar por las aldeas.

The men again took to the mountains, this time in two of their own groups. Marissa, Quinn and I joined Rita, Zobeida and Pastor Simon in the classrooms. Today's lesson revolved around Adam and Eve, in the place where our fate began: The Garden of Eden. Marissa and I bonded closer with the translators as we each lent our artistic interpretations of the tree, the serpent and of course of Adam and Eve on the chalkboards in each classroom. The children were asked comprehensive questions of the story, after which they drew their own versions of 'The First Sin,' accompanied then by unrelated drawings of their favorite things (as children always do!): Their houses, animals, trees, rivers, mountains. They drew what they know, and it was astounding.

Los hombres tomaron de nuevo a las montañas, esta vez en dos de sus propios grupos. Marissa, Quinn y yo nos unimos a Rita, Zobeida y Pastor Simon en las aulas. La lección de hoy giró en torno a Adán y Eva, en el lugar donde comenzó nuestro destino: El Jardín del Edén. Marissa y yo unido más estrecha con los traductores como cada uno de nosotros prestamos nuestras interpretaciones artísticas del árbol, la serpiente y, por supuesto, de Adán y Eva en las pizarras en cada aula. Los niños se les hicieron preguntas comprensivas de la historia, después de lo cual sacaron sus propias versiones de "El primer pecado, 'acompañados luego por dibujos relacionados de sus cosas favoritas (como los niños siempre lo hacen!): Sus casas, animales, árboles, ríos, montañas. Ellos dibujaron lo que saben, y fue asombroso.

in the school  ||  en la escuela

in the school  ||  en la escuela

the children's drawings ♥  ||  dibujos de los niños ♥

so happy!  || ¡tan feliz!

hahahah... ||  jajajajaj...

 

more drawings  || más dibujos

We finished with the children's lessons around the same time that the two mens teams returned from the mountains. We prayed for and over them. We once again became part of the daily activity: Lunch, soccer, leisure time. Chris brought balloon animals for us to make with the children; despite our very best efforts, we quickly realized that none of us have futures as professional clowns, and that the children found the balloons much more fun deflated, used as rubber weapons to attack bugs and mud. It's funny how even the smallest plans that we make are often adjusted right before us to be better than what we envisioned. [It's a God thing.]

Hemos acabado con las lecciones de los niños alrededor del mismo tiempo que los dos equipos para hombre de regresar de las montañas. Oramos por y sobre ellos. Una vez más se convirtió en parte de la actividad diaria: Almuerzo, fútbol, ​​el tiempo de ocio. Chris trajo animales con globos para nosotros para hacer con los niños; a pesar de nuestros mejores esfuerzos, rápidamente nos dimos cuenta de que ninguno de nosotros tiene futuro como payasos profesionales, y que los niños encuentran los globos mucho más divertido desinflado, utilizadas como armas de goma para atacar a los insectos y barro. Es curioso cómo incluso los planes más pequeños que hacemos a menudo se ajusta justo antes de que seamos mejor de lo que habíamos imaginado. [Es una cosa de Dios.] 

bananas for dinner  ||  bananos para la cena

balloon animals!  ||  ¡animales del globos!

spending time with the children
pasar tiempo con los niños

quinn playing soccer with the boys
quinn juega al fútbol con los chicos

kitchen  ||  la cocina

norma is so photogenic!!  ||  ¡¡normal es tan fotogénica!!

guillermina asked me to take her picture. beautiful.
guillermina me pidió que tomara una foto. hermosa.

cesar is so rambunctious...
césar es tan revoltosa..

 

guillermina, her mother elena & 2 of her siblings
guillermina, su madre elena y 2 de sus hermanos

coloring with the children
colorear con los niños

juselino (top) mateo, juselino & alexi (bottom)
juselino (arriba) mateo, juscelino y alexi (abajo)

♥♥♥♥♥  ♥♥♥♥♥

HERE'S WHERE THIS DAY TOOK A TURN.

Small group convened again at the usual 3:30 time. Rita, Zobeida, Marissa and I joined the women in the class, with Bernabe there to translate Ngabere. It was a small group of 6 or 7 women. We recognized all of the faces either from previous days in the group or just from seeing them around the village. We began the class in a vain attempt to review the lesson from yesterday. We weren't able to see past our present moments of frustration at this time, as the minutes wore on with out discussion. We became discouraged more and more as the seconds passed with no dialogue. Rita & Zobeida did their best to encourage the women to answer, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. With disappointment, we moved on for the sake of time and continuity, to the story of the rich man and Jesus, when Jesus asks him to sell all he owns to follow Him (Luke 18:18-30).

AQUÍ ES DONDE ESTE DÍA dio un giro. 

Pequeño grupo se reunió de nuevo en la costumbre 3:30 tiempo. Rita, Zobeida, Marissa y yo nos unimos a las mujeres de la clase, con Bernabé allí para traducir Ngäbere. Era un pequeño grupo de 6 o 7 mujeres. Nos dimos cuenta de todas las caras, ya sea de días anteriores en el grupo o solo de verlos por el pueblo. Empezamos la clase en un vano intento de revisar la lección de ayer. No fuimos capaces de ver más allá de nuestros momentos presentes de frustración en este momento, ya que los minutos transcurrían con la discusión fuera. Nos se desanimó cada vez más como los segundos pasaron sin diálogo. Rita & Zobeida hicieron todo lo posible para alentar a las mujeres a contestar, pero parecían caer en oídos sordos. Con decepción, pasamos por el bien de tiempo y continuidad, a la historia del hombre rico y Jesús, cuando Jesús le pide a vender todo lo que tiene a Él (Lucas 18: 18-30) seguir. 

We can explain God to people.
What we cannot and will never be able to do, is to explain GOD. We cannot explain how He does what He does, or how His plans are flawless. We are often not wise enough to see His plan in motion. Today, as Bernabe read the Luke verses from the Ngabere Bible, Zobeida leaned towards me and whispered that Selina, one of the women, seemed to be struggling to maintain her composure. I studied her face as she kept her gaze on the narrator. I shifted my glance across each of the women seated at the tables in front of me. Elena's face held a look of confusion, as though she was wrestling with a decision in her head and in her heart.

I glanced down to Adilsa: The beautiful mother with a baby on her lap. She was mindlessly bouncing the baby on her knee to appease its murmers; her thoughts were clearly processing through the words she was hearing.

Zobeida needed an Evangecube. I provided her my small one, that I carry for the sake of situations like this, and rely on to provide an excuse to share it within a closer personal space, due to the small size of the pictures. We watched as she walked through the story of the Gospel, pairing it with the corresponding illustrations on the cube. Our discussion questions relating to the story from Luke were never read or discussed.

Podemos explicar a Dios a la gente.
Lo que no puede y nunca será capaz de hacer, es explicar DIOS. No podemos explicar  cómo  hace lo que hace, o  cómo  sus planes son impecables. A menudo no somos lo suficientemente sabios para ver Su plan en marcha. Hoy, como Bernabé leer los versículos de la Biblia Lucas Ngäbere, Zobeida se inclinó hacia mí y me susurró que Selina, una de las mujeres, parecía estar luchando por mantener la compostura. Estudié su rostro mientras se mantuvo la mirada en el narrador. Cambié mi mirada a través de cada una de las mujeres sentadas en las mesas en frente de mí. . El rostro de Elena celebró una mirada de confusión, como si ella estaba luchando con una decisión en su cabeza y en su corazón.


Miré hacia abajo a Adilsa: La madre hermosa con un bebé en su regazo. Ella estaba saltando sin pensar que el bebé sobre su rodilla para apaciguar a sus murmullos; sus pensamientos estaban procesando claramente a través de las palabras que estaba oyendo.
Zobeida necesitaba un Cubo Evangelístico. Yo le proporcioné mi pequeña, que llevo por el bien de este tipo de situaciones, y confío en proporcionar una excusa para compartir dentro de un espacio personal más estrecho, debido al pequeño tamaño de las imágenes. Vimos mientras caminaba a través de la historia del Evangelio, la vinculación con las ilustraciones correspondientes en el cubo. Nuestras preguntas de debate relacionados con la historia de Lucas nunca se leyeron o discutidos. 

Selina made a decision today. 

Adilsa made a decision today. 

Elena made a decision today. 

Not one. Not two. THREE. 
THREE women surrendered their lives to Christ today. 

Three of these beautiful, strong, intelligent women were moved by the words of hope and truth today. Three women dedicated their lives today to the pursuit of that hope. Of that love and the hope that comes from a life of commitment to Christ. Their eternities are secured.

I am unashamed of how badly I lost my composure today. I am an ugly sight when I cry, but concern of appearance is an earthly demon anyway. Today, I cried. I pulled Selina into my arms and hugged her. She hugged me back, and I watched her break apart as Christ filled her with the renewing Spirit of forgiveness and hope. We were separated by a vast divide of language barrier, but again I insist that the movement of God is a universally-understood miracle. As I stood hugging a woman I barely knew, crying into her hair as she did the same into my shirt, Rita prayed. Adilsa and Elena cried with us as we all huddled together in the middle of the room, fearful that we may actually break into physical pieces if we let go. I wiped tears from Selina's humble, noble face and prayed that my eyes would be enough to convey how much love I had for her, since my words would and could not.

Selina tomó la decisión de hoy. 

Adilsa tomó la decisión de hoy. 

Elena tomó la decisión de hoy. 

Ni uno. No dos.. TRES.
TRES mujeres entregaron sus vidas a Cristo hoy.

Tres de estas mujeres hermosas, fuertes, inteligentes fueron trasladados por las palabras de esperanza y verdad hoy. Tres mujeres que dedicaron sus vidas hoy en día a la búsqueda de esa esperanza. De que el amor y la esperanza que viene de una vida de compromiso con Cristo. Sus eternidades están asegurados.

Soy desvergonzado de lo mal que me perdí mi compostura hoy. Soy un espectáculo desagradable cuando lloro, pero la preocupación de la apariencia es un demonio terrenal de todos modos. Hoy en día, lloré. Saqué Selina en mis brazos y la abracé. Ella me devolvió el abrazo, y yo la miraba rompiera como Cristo la llena del Espíritu renovador del perdón y la esperanza. Estábamos separados por una gran brecha de la barrera del idioma, pero de nuevo, insistimos en que el movimiento de Dios es un milagro universalmente entendido. Mientras estaba abrazando a una mujer a la que apenas conocía, llorando en su pelo como ella hizo lo mismo en mi camisa, Rita oró. Adilsa y Elena lloraron con nosotros, ya que todos nos juntamos en el centro de la habitación, temeroso de que en realidad puede romperse en piezas físicas si dejamos ir. Me sequé las lágrimas de humilde, noble rostro de Selina y recé para que mis ojos serían suficientes para transmitir todo el amor que sentía por ella, ya que mis palabras lo haría y no podía. 

SALVATION. ||  SALVACIÓN
[thank you, bernabe & zobeida for getting these pictures to us]
[gracias, bernabe y Zobeida para conseguir estas imágenes para nosotros]

SALVATION. ||  SALVACIÓN
[thank you, bernabe & zobeida for getting these pictures to us]
[gracias, bernabe y Zobeida para conseguir estas imágenes para nosotros]

SALVATION. ||  SALVACIÓN
[thank you, bernabe & zobeida for getting these pictures to us]
[gracias, bernabe y Zobeida para conseguir estas imágenes para nosotros]

THIS IS WHY WE CAME HERE. 

We came to work for Christ. 

Several parts of my heart will never ever leave this mountain. I stepped outside for the few minutes after our prayerful, tearful huddle to regain my composure. I managed to finish the class, but lost it once again as Talsy gathered me into a hug as we walked up to the building. This is not the first time I have been present at a person's moment of salvation, but not one is the same. The intensity of salvation is a force to be reckoned with. God is moving these mountains. He is reaching into the heart of Panama's villages and saving souls through His grace & mercy. 

This is why we came here.

This is why I came. 

We realized that we had not yet offered out all the pictures we had brought for the children to color. I gathered up the crayons and coloring sheets, and set in the midst of them on the small knoll between the kitchen and the soccer field. They found so much joy in the simple act of coloring and drawing. They completed picture after picture, wrote their names on the back and returned them to me, as they must be accustomed to doing in school. I will keep these pictures forever. I breathed in the smell of Talsy's team cooking, and listened to the blended sound of the river behind me and the soccer players in front. Adults and kids laughed together. The sun was out today, for the first time really since we've been here. Chris led the last evening service of our time today, before we returned to our building to prepare for our departure tomorrow.

POR ESO Vinimos aquí. 

Vinimos a trabajar por Cristo. 

Varias partes de mi corazón nunca jamás dejar esta montaña. Salí para los pocos minutos después de nuestra oración, se apiñan entre lágrimas a recuperar la compostura. Me las arreglé para terminar la clase, pero perdí una vez más como Talsy me recogió en un abrazo mientras caminábamos hasta el edificio. Esta no es la primera vez que he estado presente en el momento de la salvación de una persona, pero no es lo mismo. La intensidad de la salvación es una fuerza a tener en cuenta. Dios se está moviendo estas montañas. Él está llegando al corazón de los pueblos de Panamá y salvar almas a través de su gracia y misericordia.

Es por eso que vinimos aquí. 

Esto es por lo que vine. 

Nos dimos cuenta de que todavía no habíamos ofrecido a cabo todas las fotos que habíamos traído para los niños coloreen. Recogí los lápices de colores y hojas para colorear, y puso en medio de ellos en la pequeña loma entre la cocina y el campo de fútbol. Encontraron tanta alegría en el simple acto de pintar y dibujar. Completaron foto tras foto, escribieron sus nombres en la parte de atrás y les volvieron a mí, ya que deben estar acostumbrados a hacer en la escuela. Voy a seguir estas fotos para siempre. Aspiré el olor del equipo de cocina de Talsy, y escuché el sonido mezclado del río detrás de mí y los jugadores de fútbol de delantero. Los adultos y los niños se rieron juntos. El sol salió hoy, por primera vez, realmente desde que estamos aquí. Chris llevó el último servicio de la tarde de nuestro tiempo de hoy, antes de regresar a nuestro edificio para preparar nuestra salida de mañana. 

our last church service  ||  nuestro último servicio de la iglesia

God's people were happy today, and I know He was happy with us. 

Pueblo de Dios estaba feliz hoy, y sé Él estaba contento con nosotros.

Day 5 : SAVE SOULS. 

Check.

And He will continue long after we have gone!

Día 5: SALVAR ALMAS.

Hecho.

¡Y Él continuará mucho después de que hemos ido! 

xo | cmd

♥ | cmd