Tonight we celebrated a great time of eating and sharing. The DTS and Leadership Formation schools had a short break in their outreach and were able to join us here in Las Margaritas de Chepo for our Christmas party.
The staff and students not only exchanged gifts, but we also got to see Jennifer and Alex's new baby girl, Lucy Eileen, who was born last Sunday.
We felt a little nostalgic, already. After only four years of working with the Wounaan in Panama Este, our group has grown, as has the scope of ministry. Alex spoke of the first YWAM meeting here, under a mango tree, with only four people. Tonight, with staff, volunteers, students and families, there was a group of twenty-eight around the table!
We are encouraged by the excitement the students showed for their outreach up until now. They have been to Rio Hondo and Platanares on the coast, and will head to an Embera village in the Comarca (reservation) on Monday.
The students will all spend the weekend here, helping with two churches' events. One is a gathering in a new neighborhood that desperately needs a church, the other is a community children's Christmas party and dinner. We expect 70 children and many parents, so it is quite an undertaking.
Please continue to pray for the outreach, as they are seriously underfunded. If you can donate anything, contact Alex and Jennifer through facebook or email. The addresses are on the home page.
YWAM NUEVAS CULTURAS
Friday, December 18, 2015
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Planning for Next Fall's DTS
We heard some good news at our last staff
meeting. It looks like our next DTS will be bi-lingual, English and Spanish, and we hope to
have a start date in October 2016. The lecture phase lasts three months, with multi-cultural teachers and world-vision impartation!
Then - the most exciting part - two months of practicum. One of YWAM's requirements is that the practicum must be ministering to a culture different from the host group. There are seven indigenous groups just here in Panama, and many others in Central America. Who knows where God may send this DTS to put into practice the things they will learn? It could be ANYWHERE!
If you are still interested, let us know. And keep watching the fb page or check in here at the blog.
Then - the most exciting part - two months of practicum. One of YWAM's requirements is that the practicum must be ministering to a culture different from the host group. There are seven indigenous groups just here in Panama, and many others in Central America. Who knows where God may send this DTS to put into practice the things they will learn? It could be ANYWHERE!
If you are still interested, let us know. And keep watching the fb page or check in here at the blog.
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| You could look this happy, too! The students and staff of the 2014 - 2015 DTS |
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Obeying the Commands of Jesus
One of the things that the Formation of Leadership School has been learning is that we must obey the teachings of Jesus. Other than the teachings or commands to believe and love, the most important ones are found at the end of Matthew: Go into all the world...teaching and baptizing.
Today we did just that! Teacher Steve Ganz and Building Hope Director Kenneth Orozco got in the water with Pastor Francisco Cabezon. Two YWAMers, a family member, and two YWAMers from the Panama City center were baptized. David Tracy also helped out.
We had a great time of eating and swimming in Rio Mamoni afterwards. It was really a wonderful day of relaxing and following Jesus - in love, in baptism, and in the fellowship of a meal - communion. I guess we managed to fulfill several commands at once!
Today we did just that! Teacher Steve Ganz and Building Hope Director Kenneth Orozco got in the water with Pastor Francisco Cabezon. Two YWAMers, a family member, and two YWAMers from the Panama City center were baptized. David Tracy also helped out.
We had a great time of eating and swimming in Rio Mamoni afterwards. It was really a wonderful day of relaxing and following Jesus - in love, in baptism, and in the fellowship of a meal - communion. I guess we managed to fulfill several commands at once!
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Two New Schools!
This has been a busy week in Las Margaritas. The Leadership Formation School started on Monday with six students. All of them are graduates of our last DTS.
The LFS is running concurrently with our new DTS, which is starting classes on the 14th. Yesterday was the welcome potluck for both schools, and today is DTS orientation, and the afternoon will be a fellowship time at the river.
Jen and Alex Cabezon are doing a wonderful job of leading our students. The LFS students are doing hands-on training by managing all of the day-to-day arrangements for the DTS. They will also oversee the outreach, which means they will be learning an incredible amount of both theory and skills. The DTS classes will be in the morning, with the LFS students serving, and then the afternoon will be service/work/small groups for the DTS and classes for the LFS.
From our start just four years ago, with only Jen, Alex and Yariani, we have certainly come a long way! At the potluck we had a total of twelve students and eight staff, plus volunteers. Present were Wounaan, Embera, Americans, Costa Ricans, with English, Spanish, Wounmeu and Embera languages. God has certainly enlarged our borders. We are stretching out our tents!
The LFS is running concurrently with our new DTS, which is starting classes on the 14th. Yesterday was the welcome potluck for both schools, and today is DTS orientation, and the afternoon will be a fellowship time at the river.
Jen and Alex Cabezon are doing a wonderful job of leading our students. The LFS students are doing hands-on training by managing all of the day-to-day arrangements for the DTS. They will also oversee the outreach, which means they will be learning an incredible amount of both theory and skills. The DTS classes will be in the morning, with the LFS students serving, and then the afternoon will be service/work/small groups for the DTS and classes for the LFS.
From our start just four years ago, with only Jen, Alex and Yariani, we have certainly come a long way! At the potluck we had a total of twelve students and eight staff, plus volunteers. Present were Wounaan, Embera, Americans, Costa Ricans, with English, Spanish, Wounmeu and Embera languages. God has certainly enlarged our borders. We are stretching out our tents!
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| Jennifer Cabezon and the LFS students |
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| The 2015 DTS. One student missing! |
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Native Roots DTS starting in September!
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Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Just News
Luke and Jessica are here! They have settled into their house and are getting into the routine of life in Las Margaritas de Chepo. They have such wonderful attitudes. Adjusting to the heat meant, for all of us, that we would pace ourselves differently and learn to ask for help. Luke and Jessica are learning these skills, and how to use the cooler hours better. Siestas are nice, too...most people really aren't out from 2 - 4 in the afternoon, it is just too hot. So why not take a little nap?
The young women who took the DTS last year are really blossoming into loyal team members. They, too, are learning new skills. Computer, organization, serving, and how to level a floor before concrete is poured!
Well, poured may be the wrong word. Cement or concrete is mixed on site and passed by bucket, then spread in the right place. This project is to create a class area for our next DTS. The basement of our friend Neander's house will have a classroom, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom for the students coming in September.
Yes, that is right! We will start a new DTS on September 11th. We are expecting a few students, but we will also run a concurrent Leadership Training School. Some of the graduates from last year will be taking this second level course. The DTS will be in the mornings and the LTS in the afternoons. The practicum will be done together.
The Ganzs and Robls have met with Pastor Ahi, the president of the indigenous denomination here. Pastor Ahi has asked Steve to teach in the coastal and jungle communities, so we have some trips planned for the next few months. Pastor Ahi will travel with them on a few of the trips.
Homes of Hope has been very busy working with the community to inspire them to build a park. There is so little here for families to do together. Kenneth Orozco has a wonderful ability to find just the right people to make things happen! He and Elaine also have been setting up the next building season, which is the dry season here. It runs from December to April. They are wonderful organizers and so energetic! What a great privilege to have them here with us.
That's all I can think of at the moment, but I wanted to let you know that things are going well and we have made progress. God is still good!
The young women who took the DTS last year are really blossoming into loyal team members. They, too, are learning new skills. Computer, organization, serving, and how to level a floor before concrete is poured!
Well, poured may be the wrong word. Cement or concrete is mixed on site and passed by bucket, then spread in the right place. This project is to create a class area for our next DTS. The basement of our friend Neander's house will have a classroom, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom for the students coming in September.
Yes, that is right! We will start a new DTS on September 11th. We are expecting a few students, but we will also run a concurrent Leadership Training School. Some of the graduates from last year will be taking this second level course. The DTS will be in the mornings and the LTS in the afternoons. The practicum will be done together.
The Ganzs and Robls have met with Pastor Ahi, the president of the indigenous denomination here. Pastor Ahi has asked Steve to teach in the coastal and jungle communities, so we have some trips planned for the next few months. Pastor Ahi will travel with them on a few of the trips.
Homes of Hope has been very busy working with the community to inspire them to build a park. There is so little here for families to do together. Kenneth Orozco has a wonderful ability to find just the right people to make things happen! He and Elaine also have been setting up the next building season, which is the dry season here. It runs from December to April. They are wonderful organizers and so energetic! What a great privilege to have them here with us.
That's all I can think of at the moment, but I wanted to let you know that things are going well and we have made progress. God is still good!
Friday, May 1, 2015
New Team Members!
As a group, we have been praying for two years for a dedicated translator for Steve Ganz. Steve is teaching Bible classes weekly in Templo Shaday here in Las Margaritas. He also teaches in other churches, in homes, and does seminars in small villages.
Usually it is his wife who translates in homes and at Templo Shaday, but her Spanish is limited (although improving). But for the preaching and teaching, we have known that our small team cannot always provide someone to translate. This has hindered Steve's ability to travel and teach as often as he wants to.
At the beginning of June, we will have added to our team Luke and Jessica Robl from Wisconsin. The Robls did their DTS here is Panama and have made several visits back since then, working with Building Hope, teaching in our first DTS, and maintaining a high level of service to us whenever they are here. During their last visit, the Holy Spirit spoke to them to commit to a year of service as translator and team members.
Our entire team here is so excited to see that God is answering our prayers and continuing to increase our numbers. This way we can be even more effective as we serve the community.
Not only will Jessica translate, Luke will help with worship. They both have incredible servant hearts and we look forward to having them here with us!
Usually it is his wife who translates in homes and at Templo Shaday, but her Spanish is limited (although improving). But for the preaching and teaching, we have known that our small team cannot always provide someone to translate. This has hindered Steve's ability to travel and teach as often as he wants to.
At the beginning of June, we will have added to our team Luke and Jessica Robl from Wisconsin. The Robls did their DTS here is Panama and have made several visits back since then, working with Building Hope, teaching in our first DTS, and maintaining a high level of service to us whenever they are here. During their last visit, the Holy Spirit spoke to them to commit to a year of service as translator and team members.
Our entire team here is so excited to see that God is answering our prayers and continuing to increase our numbers. This way we can be even more effective as we serve the community.
Not only will Jessica translate, Luke will help with worship. They both have incredible servant hearts and we look forward to having them here with us!
Friday, April 24, 2015
Homes of Hope - Construyendo Esperanza
We have the privilege of being the host location for Homes of Hope in Panama. We also had the joy of receiving three teams who built three houses during the dry season. Here is a video from one of the teams, Elevate Church in Vancouver Washington.
panama-15 Elevate Church
panama-15 Elevate Church
A You Tube video for Outpost Panama
Yes, YWAM is growing in Panama. There are now six ministries in five locations:
Panama City
Chiriqui
Chiriqui Ngabe
Outpost Panama
Homes of Hope (Chepo)
Nuevas Culturas (Chepo)
Here is a video link to the expanding work at Outpost Panama, an island ships ministry.
Outpost Panama
Panama City
Chiriqui
Chiriqui Ngabe
Outpost Panama
Homes of Hope (Chepo)
Nuevas Culturas (Chepo)
Here is a video link to the expanding work at Outpost Panama, an island ships ministry.
Outpost Panama
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Up in the Arizona Mountains
Our last days in Oregon were full with more wood cutting and stacking, blessing our hosts there at Mercy and Peace. They have a wonderful retreat/prayer center that they call Hermit's Cove. Most of their little houses are heated primarily by wood, so this is a blessing for them to feel that they have enough for this winter, plus the split wood drying for next winter.
All of us made it safely to Arizona. We love it here! The air is clear, the doves are cooing, the mountains are beautiful.
We are at 7,000 feet and we felt it a bit the first day, a little headachy or tired....but today we are well and are going to have orientation with our hosts, Will and Millie Toms. In a few days we will head up to the nearby YWAM base on the Hopi reservation.
Our internet is a bit limited here so I can't post any pictures, but I will try to get some up soon.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Outreach is Great!
We want to share with all of you our good news about the Panama contingent of our outreach. As of today, they are fully funded! We will be getting the last of the funds to them tomorrow by Western Union. A special very big thanks to all who have given or are planning to give! Our US team can still use some funds.
Our team here in the States is doing well, also. We still have a few more needs to meet, but things are coming together and we are so grateful for our opportunities.
Last night we visited the Native American Youth Association in Portland. We were given a lot of time to share at their Elders and Students Council meeting. We met lots of great people, and we were all SO impressed with the work they are doing. Look them up if you want to see an excellent example of indigenous people working for the good of the tribes.
http://nayapdx.org/
We did a day of community service today in the US, chopping and hauling wood for our hosts. Tomorrow we head to Manzanita to clean a church and visit some shut-ins. Sunday we will be at both the kids' ministry for Elevate Church and also at Rivercrest Church in NE Portland. Drop by one of these places if you can!
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| These are pictures of our Panama outreach group. They are doing so well! |
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| Alex and Yessy are becoming experts at chopping and stacking wood! |
Our team here in the States is doing well, also. We still have a few more needs to meet, but things are coming together and we are so grateful for our opportunities.
Last night we visited the Native American Youth Association in Portland. We were given a lot of time to share at their Elders and Students Council meeting. We met lots of great people, and we were all SO impressed with the work they are doing. Look them up if you want to see an excellent example of indigenous people working for the good of the tribes.
http://nayapdx.org/
We did a day of community service today in the US, chopping and hauling wood for our hosts. Tomorrow we head to Manzanita to clean a church and visit some shut-ins. Sunday we will be at both the kids' ministry for Elevate Church and also at Rivercrest Church in NE Portland. Drop by one of these places if you can!
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