Tuesday night after a freezing cold bus ride (seriously, I had 2 shirts and a hoody on and still froze...) the western half of our team (Jessica, Steve and I) returned from a vision trip to the interior city of David. Before we left I really had no idea of what we were doing or going to do. Sure I had a list of smart sounding questions and concerns to be addressed but I really wasn't sure how it was going to play out. But we had an amazing trip!
One of the things that we really focused on was what we called the "current reality": whats really going on with the campus ministry, who's involved, how many are involved, on what campus etc. etc. etc. Quickly it became apparent that the current reality is really quite simple, there's no campus movement. But (!!!!) it doesn't end there, because more than anything I was encouraged by what we did find, a framework for the future campus movement. 3 young men, students on the 2 public universities that have a heart for reaching their campus and are committed to being a support if we're able to send a team of canadians there this summer. A dedicated group of volunteers that desire to see a movement started. A super friendly dean at the tecnologica university and seemingly open doors at Unachi, the other public and priority university. Both of the public university campuses are great and the atmosphere there is so similar to what it is in Panama city at the national campus.
It really took me aback and excited me when I realized something. What the campuses look like in David now is what the Universidad de Panama looked like 2 or 3 years ago. And yet look what God's doing, I get the blessing of seeing that day after day as I step onto campus and work with the students. And so the groundwork is getting set, the framework laid out and the campuses waiting for the Canadian team, but more than that, waiting for God to move and a movement to begin.
Tuesday night after a freezing cold bus ride (seriously, I had 2 shirts and a hoody on and still froze...) the western half of our team (Jessica, Steve and I) returned from a vision trip to the interior city of David. Before we left I really had no idea of what we were doing or going to do. Sure I had a list of smart sounding questions and concerns to be addressed but I really wasn't sure how it was going to play out. But we had an amazing trip!
One of the things that we really focused on was what we called the "current reality": whats really going on with the campus ministry, who's involved, how many are involved, on what campus etc. etc. etc. Quickly it became apparent that the current reality is really quite simple, there's no campus movement. But (!!!!) it doesn't end there, because more than anything I was encouraged by what we did find, a framework for the future campus movement. 3 young men, students on the 2 public universities that have a heart for reaching their campus and are committed to being a support if we're able to send a team of canadians there this summer. A dedicated group of volunteers that desire to see a movement started. A super friendly dean at the tecnologica university and seemingly open doors at Unachi, the other public and priority university. Both of the public university campuses are great and the atmosphere there is so similar to what it is in Panama city at the national campus.
It really took me aback and excited me when I realized something. What the campuses look like in David now is what the Universidad de Panama looked like 2 or 3 years ago. And yet look what God's doing, I get the blessing of seeing that day after day as I step onto campus and work with the students. And so the groundwork is getting set, the framework laid out and the campuses waiting for the Canadian team, but more than that, waiting for God to move and a movement to begin.
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