you have something to give...

If there's one thing I am constantly reminded of it's that although Panama and Canada are so dramatically different, at the root level and at the basis of everything, we all have the same needs. The need to eat, breathe and importantly to be loved.

I was having lunch with two of my disciples in a food court on Wednesday when we were approached by 3 little boys asking for money for food. I think we had given 2 out of 3 boys some change to buy lunch when the 3rd boy came up to us. Andrea started asking him questions about where he lives, his name and age when suddenly she looked at him and asked, "do you know who Jesus is?" Andrea explained the gospel in one of the most beautiful and yet simple ways I had ever heard.

I keep coming back to the story of Peter and John in Acts where they heal a beggar outside the temple gate called Beautiful (in Acts 3). The beggar is asking for money but Peter says, "silver or gold I do not have but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth walk." The beggar was expecting money and he gets something so much greater. I thought about that on Wednesday. Because even though I had bought the three of them lunch and they were asking for food, I think what Andrea gave them was so much more. Because she told them God loves them, and has a plan for them, even if they don't see it. But it also made me realize how absolutely blessed we are. I had spent something like $12.00 on lunch for the three little boys. For me it wasn't a lot of money, but for them it was... one of the little boys I think had never been told he could pick off the menu whatever he wanted... and he just looked at me and said, "I just want a hamburger please." We have so so much to give. Sometimes its our money and sometimes its simply our time.

There's a man named Victor that is always on the university campus, I think he lives there. Yesterday as I was waiting for two of my girls to finish up some homework Victor approached me asking for help. He started mumbling something about a bible and as I asked him more I realized he was asking for a bible. I grabbed my Spanish new testament that was in my bag and as I handed it to him he looked at me and said, "this has the words of Jesus in it." We sat and talked for probably 15 minutes and honestly I didn't understand all of what he was telling me. But what I did understand broke my heart. He had been orphaned at a very young age and had worked until he got into an accident which ruined the use of his right hand and leg. And now he's unable to work and has no choice but to live homeless and relying on others for help. But I think Victor just wanted to talk. He wanted someone to see him and listen to him. And so I sat, and listened and even though I didn't understand everything, the smile he gave me at the end meant more to me than anything.

There are always opportunities to give of yourself. Of you time, your talents or your treasure. But we all have something as at different times it may be something else. But you always have so very much to give, wherever you are!

links to pics...

Alrighty... so if any of you are non-Facebook people, as promised here are the links to the pictures from project! Have fun!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=177850&l=f2c45&id=523285093
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=177840&l=54bce&id=523285093

so we've been back...

The project to the Dominican Republic last week was awesome! Every time I stopped and realized that we were actually there and that is was actually happening I was blown away. On one of our training nights two of the students shared a little bit about their experiences raising support. I had never heard the full stories before and so hearing them there was amazing. Isaac, one of the students had only had $165.00 of the $1500.00 raised less than one month before the trip, and yet there he was fully funded and on project. God has acted in the last weeks to bring him up to full support. And then there was Lorenzo who had months and months in advance been passing out support letters to everyone he knew. But then he didn't hear anything back and ended up telling God, "if you want me to go you'll bring in the finances because I don't know what else to do." The money started to come in and Lorenzo was one of the first students done support raising.
Everyone one of the students on project had an amazing story even simply to get them to the point of being on the project. But their stories didn't stop there. They continued to grow throughout the week and even now as we've been back in Panama. The project was made up of a little bit of everything and even though we had had a set schedule before we got there nothing ever stays the same. And so opportunity after opportunity came up as door after door opened up for our team to do things I never thought we would be doing. One of my favorite nights was Sunday evening when we had a chance to show the Jesus film in a rougher area of the city. We were told it was a slightly more dangerous area and to be careful. But as we stepped off the bus and looked the church there was in the process of setting everything up. We ended up shutting down a street and showing the film at a crossroads in the middle of the neighbourhood. More and more people kept coming and as the students shared testimonies and as we watched the film I was really encouraged. I had been really sick on the first couple of days and was under orders to rest which meant I wasn't able to go with the team to invite people, or help set up, or really do anything much at all. But as I waited in the church for my team to come back, more and more children came into the church. There was all of a sudden 7 or 8 little boys that broke out into band practice and later in the evening I simply sat with a little girl on my lap as we smiled and pointed at the movie together. That was really special to me. Because a lot of times when I'm sick I feel like I can't do anything. I can't do the things that everyone else is doing, and that's really difficult for me to handle. But as I was sitting there with these children I realized how much we are simply called to love those that God places in our paths. It was just another aspect of an amazing trip!