This is a video of the Panama City skyline from a "hike" that the team took yesterday through the natural metropolitan park (pardon the quality... I'm still working on it!). It was a gorgeous day for some gorgeous scenery... I've been praying a lot lately about what God is speaking to me. In John chapter 4:43-54 Jesus heals a royal officials son. What hit me about this was two things... 1. the man took Jesus at his word that his son was healed and departed... man I want to have faith like that and 2. Jesus said something and it was so. So I've been thinking... what is God saying to me??

Learning a lesson....

In the last post I mentioned that we had found an apartment for the girls and that we would still be looking for one for the boys. Backtracking a little though... when we had first started looking for apartments we had looked at a gorgeous building in a safe area called El Dorado, but... it was too expensive for us and only had 2 rooms. On Saturday we were supposed to move into what was supposedly the "girls" apartment. Our realtor called that morning though and said that another apartment had opened up in the identical building we had first looked at BUT that the rent was cheaper (moved into our price range), had 3 rooms AND was completely furnished. Holding our breaths we went to take a look. I was speechless... and we all know that that doesn't happen a lot...

I learned an important lesson that day. As I stepped out onto the balcony to look around I saw jungle and rainforest in the distance on my left and on my right the skyline of downtown Panama city but through the gaps in the buildings was a site that blew me away... the ocean. Standing near the ocean or even gazing at it from a distance I feel so incredibly close to God. But what I learned is that God desires to bless us more than we deserve... or even think we deserve. I wouldn't have asked to see the ocean every morning and yet He gave me that and as always more than I ever thought to ask for. Sometimes I think that God simply desires to blow us away, wherever we are, even when we think we could be satisfied with less.

The first (of many) girls nights in Panama city....

Post Saturday morning prayer... the morning we moved!

First dinner at "home"... well the boys house that is!

For more pics... check out this link....

http://ucalgary.facebook.com/album.php?aid=45277&l=f9b54&id
=523285093

Yeah!!! An apartment!!! We picked up keys for our new home yesterday and its exciting to know that we have a place to move into tomorrow. Its a 3 bedroom, 3 bath apartment halfway furnished with a washer, dryer and appliances which is a rare find down here. We´ll be taking the bus to campus, its about a 15 or 20 minute ride but it´s only one bus so we should be able to figure it out... thanks so much for all your prayers!

This morning we woke up a little after 5 and headed to the campus for a prayer walk around the campus. It was awesome to lift up the students and faculties in prayer and also pray that God would raise the level of evangelism on our campus. My hope and prayer is that the staff and our stint team really leads that way in this. I´ll be working in the science faculty along with my co'leader Jon. The Panamanian staff member we´re working with doesn´t really speak English so my Spanish needs to get better and fast! It´s awesome though because I´ll be forced to speak it so I´ll be able to learn... but please keep that in your prayers as well.

I´ve been delving into 1 Peter chapter 1 this week. I would encourage you all to take a peek at that, its such a beautiful progression within that chapter and concludes with a prayer I have for our team. I´ve been praying that we would love each other deeply and 1 Peter 1, I think vs.22 talks about this. Love each other sincerely because we´ve been purchased with something imperishable... the blood of Christ. Its an awesome chapter and one of my favorite books... there´s simply so much there. As always you´ll be in my thoughts and prayers, thanks so much for keeping me in yours!

Well well! Here's some pics for you guys now that I found a less sketchy internet connection... still in the process of apartment hunting but it's looking good at this point! More soon!

Jessica, Tricia and Sarah on the plane ride... I can't figure out how to flip this... sorry!

Our airplane row... Jon, Me and Steve!
Our Panamanian welcoming committee! Gotta run... more to come!

Well we made it! As we were landing at the airport I remember looking out the window of the plane and thinking that’s home! We had a crazy trip down, from not knowing about the embargo on 3^rd pieces of luggage and oversize bags to being delayed 5 ½ hours in Newark, from losing luggage and a minor car accident with some of the Panamanians, it was an eventful day of traveling and as we landed at 2:30 in the morning we were just happy to be back. The Panamanian air feels wonderful. I just absolutely love this country. It’s weird and yet comforting how familiar everything seems as we walk around and pick up some essentials. The last couple of days has been intense as we’ve set up cell phones (I’m feeling less and less like a tourist) and gone searching for apartments. The real estate market in Panama City is going nuts and rent is sky rocketing which means it’s extremely difficult to find apartments. But we’re looking and learning more and more about each other and about God as we do that. Rod Alm always says that he’s happy when someone says no when they ask to talk about spiritual things because it means that there’s someone else God has for them to talk too. Jessica related this to apartment hunting. As we find more and more full buildings and high priced rent it simply means God has something better out there for and us that we just need to trust him and keep searching it out in faith. We’re in staff meetings tomorrow and the apartment hunting continues until a big dinner tomorrow night in celebration of the anniversary of Campus Crusade in Panama. It’s a great time to be here and I’m blown away by the partnership we get to be a part of. As we stepped off the plane so early in the morning we were greeted with cheers, posters and a welcome song. It’s so humbling to be an answer to someone’s prayers. This nation is ready to be impacted and I believe that an eternal difference is being and will be made. I’m so excited to get onto campus in the next couple of weeks and get rolling on ministry, whether its language learning or devotional time with the girls as I lead the team along with Jon. Pics to come as soon as I can get a better internet connection... much more to come!

In Guelph and all together finally!!!! Here's some pics and a quick update for you guys... Panama on Friday... so excited!

Leaving at the airport in Vancouver.... 5 am... here we go!
The team all together... finally! It feels right and we've decided that from now on we travel in 6's.... Gods totally hand picked this team and its so exciting to be a part of it!

We all made it here safe and sound, luggage and guitar included! The last couple of days of training have been great, the only real word I have for it is solid. We've spent a lot of time talking about communication, conflict resolution and all that fun and not so fun stuff. Language training and financial training followed so its been a little bit of everything which had been a little hardcore but awesome overall. The team is awesome. We sat through a Birkman analysis of out team dynamics and discovered we're a high fun team... which I think I figured already! It was good though to see who needs down time away from people (not me!) and who's high challenge, high esteem etc. etc. but it was awesome, I think it'll be super helpful later on.

Tomorrow we'll be dealing with details specific to Panama, such as roles, cultural stuff and things like getting our apartments set up (yeah!! apparently it's a pretty sweet setup in a neighborhood called El Dorado). Jon Agudelo and I will be leading the team which is both exciting and scary at the same time. I'm remembering a lot of lessons over the last couple of days that I've forgotten... like knowing and believing God is good and that he has called me to do this, there's so much more than that but I'll save it for later.... as always you guys are great, our team's awesome and God's great... so I think we're pretty much good to go!!! :) More to come!

So this will be super speedy but.... I leave tomorrow morning (way too early!!) from Vancouver to Toronto to meet up with the rest of my team. From there we leave on Friday morning for Panama City and then the rest will sort itself out!! Thanks so much for all your love and support as I've been crazily getting ready to go. I've been incredibly humbled by all the support and words of encouragement that you've all been so lovingly and willingly passing onto me in the last few months. I'll miss all of you but I know that this is exactly what God's called me to do and I'm excited to see what that'll look like over the next year. I love you all but this isn't goodbye because you'll all be hearing from me soon! I'll let you guys all know my new mailing addy and phone number in Panama with the August update that'll make its way out once we get down there.... if you need anything I'm always here... drop me a line.... lindsey.davies@c4c.ca Until then, much love and I pray you'll all be blessed even more than you've blessed me!

Love and prayers... Lins.

I'm leaving Calgary August 8th en route to Panama via Vancouver and then onto Toronto for some team training. Its craziness... honestly! I'm excited for so many things and yet at the same time nervous about a lot too. Its a hard place to be in sometimes when you don't have control over circumstances but it's in those times that we have a decision to make on who we're going to trust to control the uncontrollable. I think that some days more than others its a hard decision to make to trust God but at the same time He's never let me down when I do put my trust in Him. So as the days pass by ever so quick and I'm packing and sorting, and most likely crying I choose to rest in the fact that He loves me and cares for me more than anything.

Psalm 36:5-9 (The Message)

God's love is meteoric, his loyalty astronomic,
His purpose titanic, his verdicts oceanic.
Yet in his largeness nothing gets lost;
Not a man, not a mouse, slips through the cracks.

How exquisite your love, O God!
How eager we are to run under your wings,
To eat our fill at the banquet you spread
as you fill our tankards with Eden spring water.
You're a fountain of cascading light, and you open our eyes to light.

So... I bought a guidebook for Panama a couple weeks ago and was finally perusing my way through it today. Just an interesting fact that's actually pretty sobering when you think about it;

Although Catholics are the majority, only about 20% of them attend church regularly. The religious orders aren't particularly strong in Panama either: only about 25% of Catholic clergy are Panamanian. The rest are foreign missionaries.

77% of the Panamanian population profess to be Roman Catholic and yet only 20% attend church. That's a crazy stat when you start crunching the numbers....

For the longest time, well the last year anyways Panama has been so far in the future that it almost didn't seem real. For months it was a year away, 9 months away etc., etc. and now the wheels are spinning away and I'm actually getting set to leave. My plane ticket out of Calgary is bought for August 8th which means that in less than a month I'm potentially gone for the next year. There's still a lot of "ifs" and "buts" and so so many details to get sorted out and yet I know I'm exactly where I need to be right now. So whether we leave as a team straight from Toronto or I'm back until sometime in September I still know and trust completely that all this details, all the things that could potentially stress me out are nothing in the face of a larger and ever loving God.

Just a brief glimpse of home...
I was at home this weekend for Canada Day. I went for a walk and came to the place where I shattered my leg a couple of years ago. The last time I was there is gave me the chills but the sun was shining and I was so thankful to be home that it didn't matter this time. So I just wanted to post some pics from this weekend and wish you all a belated Canada Day... Enjoy your summer!
This was the fence that broke my leg... notice the post on the right still standing... stupid post... haha oh well. I broke the one running horizontal... one point for the good guys!

The sunset... there's no place like home, it's still home to me!

I couldn't help but think of Panama this morning as I stepped out onto my porch. It was overcast and in Calgary that generally means snow. But yet instead it was warm and surprisingly humid. It reminded me of Panama and the rest of the afternoon I couldn't stop thinking about being back. I am so so excited and looking forward to being back in Panama City. In many ways I still don't think that it's completely sunk in that I'm actually leaving and yet I'm ready to be on that plane. Well not quite... but soon enough!

The first of the good-byes...

So last night a friend of mine came over for dinner and some hang out time. He's headed to Europe for a couple of months which is awesome... the only down side is that I won't be in the country when he gets back here. It was weird to say good-bye and realize I won't see him for over a year. But that's okay and that's how it'll be with everyone as I prepare myself to leave.

I was thinking about it last night as I was doing my devotional time (in the book of Acts again... good times!) but wondering how Jesus prepared his disciples for him being away. Then I realized that Jesus was in a completely different situation. He left the disciples physically yes but not spiritually and that's cool. The disciples still had his presence but I bet it was rough in those first days when Jesus was dead and buried. They had known something was coming but it was not at all the "kingdom" that they thought Jesus would be leaving behind. Interesting, its definately a thought in process but it'll come in time... and I'll learn how to say good-bye in my own way too!

Yesterday was my convocation from university and it was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and I didn’t trip on my heels going across stage so altogether the whole things was a major blessing. So that combined with the beautiful piece of paper that means I officially have my Bachelors of Science degree. Four years and it all comes down to that. Crazy when it all comes into perspective that’s for sure. I’m sure I’ll have more to say on that as the summer gets on but right now something else is up;

We have one of those tear-off calendars that has a thought or quote every day by an author called Max Lucado. The one below is from a couple of days ago but really hit me one morning in my pre-fully awake phase:

“We have all wandered away like sheep: each of us has gone his own way”
Isaiah 53:6

How could a loving God send people to hell?... God does not “send” people to hell. Nor does he send “people” to hell… The word “people” is neutral, implying innocence. Nowhere does Scripture teach that innocent people are condemned. People do not go to hell. Sinners do. The rebellious do. The self-centered do. So how could a loving God send people to hell? He doesn’t. He simply honors the choice of sinners.

Max Lucado

Interesting hey??? I’ve never really heard it put that way but I think that it challenges an old idea that God sends people to hell. Yes we have a just God who judges us but does he choose to send us to heaven or hell? I don’t think so. I’m still mulling this over because its a new thought for me, but it made me think for sure.

I was at a youth conference a couple of weeks ago with my church youth group and a band called Delirious? played a killer concert. This song really blew me away and I've been listening to it over the last couple of days. It's just such a beautiful song of surrender and I wanted to share the lyrics with you guys.

Take Off My Shoes

I’ll take off my shoes, I’m coming in,
Untie this rope, I’m staying with him,
Love of my life, I’ll live and die,
Just for the moments for my king and I.

Why did you call, why did you wait,
For someone so guilty, someone so fake.
There are no words for my beautiful song,
Now I’m in the arms of my beautiful one.

Hold me, blow all the pride from my bones, with your fire.
Hold me, breathe on this heart made of stone, keep it pure.
Hold me, saviour of heaven and earth, King forever.
Hold me, love of my life lead me on,
Through the fire, lead me on...

I’ll take off this crown and fall at your feet,
The secret of joy are the moments we meet.
How could a man with all of your fame,
Pull me from darkness and call me by name.

So hold me today, as I carry your cross,
Into the desert to find who is lost.
Look at my hands, they’re still full of faith,
God keep them clean till we finish the race.

Written by Delirious? ©2005 Curious? Music UK

So for those of you who have been following along with me as I get ready to go back to Panama this is just a thought I was thinking about last night. I tend to journal a lot, especially as part of my devotional time and when I was in Panama this became an area to tease me (all in good fun of course!). My friend Jordi especially always wanted a journal reading of what was happening and what I had written down. So here's a snapshot of what I was thinking about last night, just something I had quickly written and wanted to share with you guys;

Romans 4:20-21 "Yet he (Abraham) did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what he had promised."

I love that verse, fully persuaded of Gods power and Gods character. Realizing and acknowledging God for who he is, so loving and so far beyond any idea of human capability. Abraham's body and Sarah's too was beyond the human capability to bear children and yet Abraham was fully, completely and wholeheartedly convinced of Gods capability to reach beyond that. He was strengthened throughout this process. Sometimes I want things to be easy, my relationships, my job, my future plans, and yet God doesn't work within these expectations. Beyond human capability, without God I can't do anything, especially that which he calls me too. And yet through him I'm made strong and capable but not at all own my own. Gods the capable one.

I love and I mean absolutely love the timing that God has. Now thats not everyday because sometimes I get frustrated but when it comes down to it his timing is always the best. Now here's the story;

In my third year of university I went sharing on campus (out talking with students about spirituality) and Jill and I met this awesome girl. I ended up meeting up with her the next week and we talked about faith and Christianity for like three hours until both of us were late for class. The following year (my fourth) I would run into her a lot and we'd chat and grab coffee and somehow the conversations always would come back to Christianity and her thoughts on the whole thing. It was like she was always so close to meeting God but there was something holding her back, she needed God to show himself to her. She left for Australia right after Christmas and was gone but still totally on my heart. Tonight I signed into msn for a completely different reason and she found me online. She's back in Calgary and the typed line that meant so much to me was this, "I found God in Australia Lindsey." This blew me away. The seeds that God had planted so long ago and had been being watered through prayers over continents finally sprouted. But as we plan on reconnecting this week for lunch and catching up I'm just dumbfounded by how gently and patiently God works on our hearts no matter where we are in our walk with him.

So my friends, be encouraged. We never know where and when God is at work but he is and he desires to blow us away with his timing. Seeds take time to grow, some quicker and some slower than others. But they grow.

Alrighty, so tomorrow morning our MET (Ministry Essentials Training) Team will be getting comissioned at headquarters in Langley. That's really exciting but in a way it feels like it's happening too fast. My roomate relates the whole thing to being on a reality show. We get faced with challenges and deadlines and she keeps thinking that someone is going to get voted off the island. But she states that's good because she doesn't really want to lose anyone... me either. But honestly it has been a crazy 8 days and the whole thing culminates tomorrow morning. Cool.

Staff, servant leadership, BBQ, and realizing something new;

As of the Thursday coming, I will be a fully comissioned staff member of Campus Crusade for Christ. That is something that I never ever would have thought would have happened. With going to Panama I was given (with a whole lot of grace) permission to go as an intern even though I'm a full staff member. It's definately a little confusing. Actually it technically means I'm a clergy member which is kind of nuts but more later....

Tonight all of us here at MET (Ministry Essentials Training) had the invitation to go the president of Campus Crusdae for Christ Canada's house for dinner. As he BBQ'd burgers for us and sat with us and heard testimonies from our own lives I was blown away again by the type of organization that I am going to work for. It was such an example of servant leadership. The first night we were here, our president cast vision to us on a large scale. I totally agree with him 100% and am so so excited to be a part of something so much larger than me. But the next morning he talked to our group about the importance of keeping your relationship with God a priority in our lives. He said something to the extent of "guys, you can throw all the vision out the window if our walks with God is not where our priority is." It was such an encouragement to hear that coming from our leader and bascially my "big boss man," or as he states it the "big servant man." It's really hard to put this all into words but it's coming slowly.

Time and time God is completely humbling me. This is such an amazing group of people that I am blessed to be here with and they blow me away day after day. I'm realizing that although national campus ministry may not be where I see myself for the rest of my career, I am fully committed to the fulfillment of the Great Comission and I'm here until God calls me somewhere else. I think that might just make me a lifer but really who knows??

Today for me it was the realization that this is what I want to commit my life to. There is no greater thing than seeing people come alive in the love of Christ, its such a beautiful thing and there is nothing worth more than that. All the pain, stress and worries that I may face pales in the comparison of seeing someone come into a knowing relationship with Christ. Its simply worth everything.

With all my love,

Lins

My bad.... its been a while and this one will be short. But (!!!!) last day of classes which is awesome, it's been a crazy four years and its nuts in that my degree is finally over, well other than finals I guess. So... Happy Bermuda Shorts Day everyone, its a U of C thing!! On that note, I had surgery on Tuesday so I am no longer a bionic women, no more titanium in my leg and hopefully that will be the last surgery.... but it'll be weird not to set off metal detectors at the airport anymore..... :)