Our flight was on time (if a bit turbulent), we sailed through customs and all of our luggage arrived with us. We are grateful to home safe from our week of living on mission in Panama!
Hope you will join us today as we share with our Kingsway family all that God did in us and through us during this amazing experience. THANKS so much for praying and for supporting us!
Love & blessings,
Pastor Arlena
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Prayer Focus - Saturday, October 15, 2011
Focus Topic: Protection
Focus Scripture: Psalm 91
Focus Team Member: Hector Rivera
God is such an effective Protector. His arms stretch far and wide to shelter us under His wings. His promises are sure and true. In Him, we don’t have to be afraid of any terror, darkness, evil or disease. God is our Refuge. This psalm promises that He will order His angels to protect us, wherever we go, and that He will answer all who call on His Name. What an amazing truth to cling too as our team travels home today!
Lord, watch over, guard, protect and keep safe our loved ones as they come home to us! We are so thrilled that they had this opportunity to be used by You to reach others with the Gospel. Give them rest as they come back to the States. Extend Your traveling mercies to them. Help their flight to go smoothly and to land quickly and safely here in Philadelphia. Help Hector today. He has a busy week ahead of them. They need a supernatural recharge as they jump back into life here. We can’t wait to hear all about their trip, Lord. Be with them as they plan Sunday’s service and may what You have done in their hearts spill over into ours. Give us an even greater burden for the lost of our community! We love You, Lord! Amen!
Focus Scripture: Psalm 91
Focus Team Member: Hector Rivera
God is such an effective Protector. His arms stretch far and wide to shelter us under His wings. His promises are sure and true. In Him, we don’t have to be afraid of any terror, darkness, evil or disease. God is our Refuge. This psalm promises that He will order His angels to protect us, wherever we go, and that He will answer all who call on His Name. What an amazing truth to cling too as our team travels home today!
Lord, watch over, guard, protect and keep safe our loved ones as they come home to us! We are so thrilled that they had this opportunity to be used by You to reach others with the Gospel. Give them rest as they come back to the States. Extend Your traveling mercies to them. Help their flight to go smoothly and to land quickly and safely here in Philadelphia. Help Hector today. He has a busy week ahead of them. They need a supernatural recharge as they jump back into life here. We can’t wait to hear all about their trip, Lord. Be with them as they plan Sunday’s service and may what You have done in their hearts spill over into ours. Give us an even greater burden for the lost of our community! We love You, Lord! Amen!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Prayer Focus - Friday, October 14, 2011
Focus Topic: Refreshing
Focus Scripture: Proverbs 11:25 / Philemon 1:7
Focus Team Member: Jesse Mauer
Today, the team will travel around Panama City. As their day off after a week of intense ministry, this will be their time to relax, sight see, shop, and see the infamous Panama Canal. We serve a God who understands the value of rest and replenishment. Genesis 1 tells us that He rested after He created the world. Our team has worked hard this week. Long days physically and spiritually draining times of ministry have left them needing to enjoy some fun! They have refreshed others; now, it’s their turn to be refreshed.
Jesus, we can only praise and worship You for what You have accomplished through this team over the last few days! The souls saved and hearts touched are because of Your Holy Spirit working in people’s lives. All 10 members of our team have labored, painted, done skits, spoke, prayed, loved, visited and anything else that was asked of them - just so others could be refreshed with the good news of the Gospel. So, renew their strength today. Let them enjoy everything this day holds. And, in the midst of it all, stir their hearts to a renewed wonder and awe for the great God they serve. Be with Jesse today. Touch his physical bodies; strengthen him in You. We trust You, Lord! In Your Name we pray, Amen!
Focus Scripture: Proverbs 11:25 / Philemon 1:7
Focus Team Member: Jesse Mauer
Today, the team will travel around Panama City. As their day off after a week of intense ministry, this will be their time to relax, sight see, shop, and see the infamous Panama Canal. We serve a God who understands the value of rest and replenishment. Genesis 1 tells us that He rested after He created the world. Our team has worked hard this week. Long days physically and spiritually draining times of ministry have left them needing to enjoy some fun! They have refreshed others; now, it’s their turn to be refreshed.
Jesus, we can only praise and worship You for what You have accomplished through this team over the last few days! The souls saved and hearts touched are because of Your Holy Spirit working in people’s lives. All 10 members of our team have labored, painted, done skits, spoke, prayed, loved, visited and anything else that was asked of them - just so others could be refreshed with the good news of the Gospel. So, renew their strength today. Let them enjoy everything this day holds. And, in the midst of it all, stir their hearts to a renewed wonder and awe for the great God they serve. Be with Jesse today. Touch his physical bodies; strengthen him in You. We trust You, Lord! In Your Name we pray, Amen!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Between Jesus & Uncle Bill
As you can probably tell, this team LOVES to laugh. So, tonight's blog title (which doesn't really have anything to do with our ministry today) has to do with little Malachi Kenyon. He is the 3 1/2 year old son of our host missionaries and we've adopted him as an official member of our team. He has found some special friends in Uncle Bill (Bill Lang) and Hector (who plays Jesus in our "Eternal Life" drama). So, tonight at the start of our team devotions, Malachi decides he wants to sit between Jesus and Uncle Bill. We all laughed hard and said, "That's the blog title for tonight!"
Today was our final day of ministry here in Panama and it was both diverse and amazing. We were up early in order to be at the school for a program at 7am. I posted pictures that Randy took during this program. We were able to do lots of fun things with the kids but after the "Eternal Life" skit (notice Larry playing the angel), Brian Josue led the ministry time and the Lord began to move among these children. Several began to weep and cry out. We walked among the aisles, praying over as many kids as we could. For several minutes, we moved from child to child but they continued to pray and cry. Gerritt invited those kids that wanted more of God to come to the front to be prayed for and to seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit. It felt like hundreds of them came forward and swarmed us. They clung to us, seeking hugs and words of comfort. We did our best to minister to them, despite the language barrier. Although we prayed for several minutes, we felt that we could have prayed for an hour more and still not "prayed through" with all of them. Yet, God met them in such a real way. We were humbled and grateful to be used of the Lord in the lives of these kids.
Then, our team split in two: (5) of us stayed behind at the school to finish up the painting projects that we had started earlier in the week. (5) of us had the privilege of going to a Men's Prison. For those who painted, we were honored to complete something that we started and that we know (because people told us again and again) meant so much to the pastors, the school staff and the community. We truly believe that God will use what we did - is using what we did - to draw people to Him. For those who went into the prison, the opportunity to testify to about 75 men (plus, corrections officers; plus, CSI trainees) was both humbling and thrilling. This was a first for some of the members of the team but they jumped in like champions and poured into those men with everything that they had.
In the afternoon, the team had originally planned to distribute flyers promoting an upcoming outreach of the Panama International Church (they are doing a Trunk or Treat, just like Kingsway). Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate; so, instead, the team trekked to the park and prayed under the pavilion there. They prayed for 300 people from the community to come; for many to be reached with the love of Jesus. Prayer continued under the pavilion for Gerritt & Tara and their ministry to reach youth here in Panama. The team is hoping that tomorrow we will be able to distribute the flyers that we weren't able to give out today!
We can hardly believe that tomorrow in our last day in country. We are doing some sight-seeing tomorrow. But, even tonight during team devotions, people prayed for opportunities to share with whomever we meet tomorrow. Will you join us in praying for that?
Thanks for faithfully reading, praying and commenting! We are so grateful and blessed for this opportunity to serve.
See you soon!
Love,
Pastor Arlena
Today was our final day of ministry here in Panama and it was both diverse and amazing. We were up early in order to be at the school for a program at 7am. I posted pictures that Randy took during this program. We were able to do lots of fun things with the kids but after the "Eternal Life" skit (notice Larry playing the angel), Brian Josue led the ministry time and the Lord began to move among these children. Several began to weep and cry out. We walked among the aisles, praying over as many kids as we could. For several minutes, we moved from child to child but they continued to pray and cry. Gerritt invited those kids that wanted more of God to come to the front to be prayed for and to seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit. It felt like hundreds of them came forward and swarmed us. They clung to us, seeking hugs and words of comfort. We did our best to minister to them, despite the language barrier. Although we prayed for several minutes, we felt that we could have prayed for an hour more and still not "prayed through" with all of them. Yet, God met them in such a real way. We were humbled and grateful to be used of the Lord in the lives of these kids.
Then, our team split in two: (5) of us stayed behind at the school to finish up the painting projects that we had started earlier in the week. (5) of us had the privilege of going to a Men's Prison. For those who painted, we were honored to complete something that we started and that we know (because people told us again and again) meant so much to the pastors, the school staff and the community. We truly believe that God will use what we did - is using what we did - to draw people to Him. For those who went into the prison, the opportunity to testify to about 75 men (plus, corrections officers; plus, CSI trainees) was both humbling and thrilling. This was a first for some of the members of the team but they jumped in like champions and poured into those men with everything that they had.
In the afternoon, the team had originally planned to distribute flyers promoting an upcoming outreach of the Panama International Church (they are doing a Trunk or Treat, just like Kingsway). Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate; so, instead, the team trekked to the park and prayed under the pavilion there. They prayed for 300 people from the community to come; for many to be reached with the love of Jesus. Prayer continued under the pavilion for Gerritt & Tara and their ministry to reach youth here in Panama. The team is hoping that tomorrow we will be able to distribute the flyers that we weren't able to give out today!
We can hardly believe that tomorrow in our last day in country. We are doing some sight-seeing tomorrow. But, even tonight during team devotions, people prayed for opportunities to share with whomever we meet tomorrow. Will you join us in praying for that?
Thanks for faithfully reading, praying and commenting! We are so grateful and blessed for this opportunity to serve.
See you soon!
Love,
Pastor Arlena
Prayer Focus - Thursday, October 13, 2011
Focus Topic: The Joy of Serving
Focus Scripture: 1 Chronicles 29:9 / Psalm 40:8
Focus Team Member: Diana Franks
David so wanted to build a temple for the Lord. Yet, his son, Solomon is the one who accomplished that feat. But, not without the help of the people. 1 Chronicles 29 tells the story of how the nation of Israel gave and gave and gave towards the cost of the temple. Offerings of gold, coins, silver, bronze and much more were given. Then, in verse 9, we read that the people rejoiced because they could give - freely and wholeheartedly. That’s what we want our team to feel today. The true joy and freedom of giving, wholeheartedly. As they minister the programs that they’ve already been doing this week, we want the sweet joy of Jesus to fill them.
Father, fill our team with the joy of serving! Let them know, in their heart of hearts, that they simply can’t “out-give” You. As they pour out themselves into others, You fill them with more of Your presence. Foster in our team camaraderie, laughter, and joy as they travel from place to place sharing the Gospel. Give them extra strength as this is their last full day of ministry. Lord, be with Diana today. As she serves You, give her such a sense of peace, contentment, trust, and joy. We commit our team and this day to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
Focus Scripture: 1 Chronicles 29:9 / Psalm 40:8
Focus Team Member: Diana Franks
David so wanted to build a temple for the Lord. Yet, his son, Solomon is the one who accomplished that feat. But, not without the help of the people. 1 Chronicles 29 tells the story of how the nation of Israel gave and gave and gave towards the cost of the temple. Offerings of gold, coins, silver, bronze and much more were given. Then, in verse 9, we read that the people rejoiced because they could give - freely and wholeheartedly. That’s what we want our team to feel today. The true joy and freedom of giving, wholeheartedly. As they minister the programs that they’ve already been doing this week, we want the sweet joy of Jesus to fill them.
Father, fill our team with the joy of serving! Let them know, in their heart of hearts, that they simply can’t “out-give” You. As they pour out themselves into others, You fill them with more of Your presence. Foster in our team camaraderie, laughter, and joy as they travel from place to place sharing the Gospel. Give them extra strength as this is their last full day of ministry. Lord, be with Diana today. As she serves You, give her such a sense of peace, contentment, trust, and joy. We commit our team and this day to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Power and Love
Today we experienced a rainy day and therefore a FLEXIBLE team day in Panama. Due to the rain we could not complete the painting project at Templo La Felicidad. But we had the awesome opportunity to minister at two schools. In the morning we went to an elementary school and had a program including skits and drama. Kely, Jesse and Ivette did a fantastic job with an "icebreaker" skit and then Pastor Arlena, Bill, Ivette, Jesse, Kely, Diana and Hector performed a drama titled "Vida Eterna" (Eternal Life). After the drama, Tara gave her testimony and then offered an opportunity for the students to come forward for prayer. Gerritt had told the team to choose one student during the program and intercede for that student, asking the Lord to stir their heart. Well, the kids almost ran to the front when Tara asked if any wanted prayer. There were students who raised their hands when asked if they experienced problems in the home. It was a great opportunity to serve by demonstrating God's love through prayer for these kids....and by every team member being willing to be stretched.
Between the school programs we did a "Prayer Drive" through Panama City, specifically driving past large public high schools where Gerritt and Tara have been praying for open doors. Pastor Arlena prayed that just one student would have the boldness to step forward and take a stand for Christ in each school. While we were interceding in prayer we also drove through areas that were the epitome of contrasts. We drove through a "community" that was obviously desperate in almost every imaginable way.....and it was literally two blocks from very high end stores like Cartier.
In the afternoon we ministered at a secondary school to a group of approximately 100 seventh grade students. Every team member sensed the spiritual heaviness of these students as they filed into the room. Again the team did a skit and drama (with Randy added to the drama team) and Brian Josue spoke to the students and the room was silent with every student's head bowed. We went throughout the room praying and laying hands on every student. Bill had a word from the Lord for one young man. With the help of an interpreter, the young man revealed that it was the second time he had been told that God had big plans for his life. Our Panamanian interpreter, Kieko, told the young man that God loved him so much that he sent a missionary from the United States to speak to him. It was an awesome day demonstrating the power and the love of God at work in us and through us.
Thanks for praying for us. We have one more day of ministry here; we want to spend every ounce of our energy pouring out His power and love into everyone we meet.
Until tomorrow,
Elaine
P.S. Sorry I didn't have a chance to post more pictures. Will do so tomorrow! - Pastor Arlena
Between the school programs we did a "Prayer Drive" through Panama City, specifically driving past large public high schools where Gerritt and Tara have been praying for open doors. Pastor Arlena prayed that just one student would have the boldness to step forward and take a stand for Christ in each school. While we were interceding in prayer we also drove through areas that were the epitome of contrasts. We drove through a "community" that was obviously desperate in almost every imaginable way.....and it was literally two blocks from very high end stores like Cartier.
In the afternoon we ministered at a secondary school to a group of approximately 100 seventh grade students. Every team member sensed the spiritual heaviness of these students as they filed into the room. Again the team did a skit and drama (with Randy added to the drama team) and Brian Josue spoke to the students and the room was silent with every student's head bowed. We went throughout the room praying and laying hands on every student. Bill had a word from the Lord for one young man. With the help of an interpreter, the young man revealed that it was the second time he had been told that God had big plans for his life. Our Panamanian interpreter, Kieko, told the young man that God loved him so much that he sent a missionary from the United States to speak to him. It was an awesome day demonstrating the power and the love of God at work in us and through us.
Thanks for praying for us. We have one more day of ministry here; we want to spend every ounce of our energy pouring out His power and love into everyone we meet.
Until tomorrow,
Elaine
P.S. Sorry I didn't have a chance to post more pictures. Will do so tomorrow! - Pastor Arlena
Day 4 Pictures - Part 1
I will blog more later (after our team devotions) but wanted to share with you some of our pictures from an amazing day of ministry. And, I hope to add some pictures that other team members took; hence the "Part 1" on the blog title.
Prayer Focus - Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Focus Topic: Effectiveness
Focus Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:6-8 / Matthew 7:6-8
Focus Team Member: Pastor Arlena
We typically measure effectiveness by results - and with good reason. How many did we produce? What did we gain? Yet, in the kingdom of God, the results of sharing the Gospel aren’t always immediately apparent. We have to persevere. We have to keep at it, trusting that God is the one who makes the seed of the Gospel grow in human hearts. As our team serves today, we want them to be effective; deployed strategically and used for maximum impact. God will order their steps so they are exactly where He wants them. We can’t control the end result but we can trust that it will, in the end, glorify Jesus.
Lord, maximize our team’s effectiveness today! Let every conversation be led by Your Spirit. May every prayer prayed result in saving faith. Whatever is done today, let it be done with the love of Jesus. Put our team in the neighborhoods and schools that You desire them in. And, if they encounter roadblocks or obstacles, may they see it as part of Your plan. Be with Pastor Arlena today. I pray she will especially sense Your Holy Spirit using her to lead others into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. For Jesus’ sake, I pray. Amen.
Focus Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:6-8 / Matthew 7:6-8
Focus Team Member: Pastor Arlena
We typically measure effectiveness by results - and with good reason. How many did we produce? What did we gain? Yet, in the kingdom of God, the results of sharing the Gospel aren’t always immediately apparent. We have to persevere. We have to keep at it, trusting that God is the one who makes the seed of the Gospel grow in human hearts. As our team serves today, we want them to be effective; deployed strategically and used for maximum impact. God will order their steps so they are exactly where He wants them. We can’t control the end result but we can trust that it will, in the end, glorify Jesus.
Lord, maximize our team’s effectiveness today! Let every conversation be led by Your Spirit. May every prayer prayed result in saving faith. Whatever is done today, let it be done with the love of Jesus. Put our team in the neighborhoods and schools that You desire them in. And, if they encounter roadblocks or obstacles, may they see it as part of Your plan. Be with Pastor Arlena today. I pray she will especially sense Your Holy Spirit using her to lead others into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. For Jesus’ sake, I pray. Amen.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Jesus (Almost) Dropped the Lamb
I'll get to the bizarre blog title in a moment.
What we thought would happen today - maybe some school programs; maybe a visit to a prison; maybe a few other things but what really happened...another day of painting at the church.
And, the cool thing is, prayers were answered; people were touched.
Once again, team fence and team wall were back in their respective portions of the building. Bill, Randy, Jesse & Ivette continued to paint the fence (yes, it would be quicker to paint the wrought iron fence with spray paint; however, that is not what they were asked to do). And, they also completed painting the offices of one of the associate pastor's. They worked so hard, humbly, and doing whatever was asked of them...even though the task was tedious. I am proud of them (even if I am "officially" a part of team wall!)
Larry, Hector, Elaine, and myself (with some help from Brian Josue - a staff member who works with Gerritt & Tara) conquered the back wall. A graffiti covered wall now looks brand new. Diana continued to paint, up on a ladder, the lettering on the side wall (I joined her later in the afternoon) while Kely tackled the difficult task of drawing and then painting the school logo. We all applauded Kely's willingness to take on this difficult project.
Which is where we came up with the title for the blog. Near the end of the day, it began to rain. And when I say rain, I mean - thunder, lightening, and pouring rain. We had finished everything that we could do for the day except Kely was up on the ladder finishing the logo. The logo, FYI, is of Jesus holding a lamb because the school name is Good Shepherd. Just as she was putting the final touches on Jesus, a huge crackle of thunder and bolt of lightening almost startled Kely completely off of the ladder. She joked with us tonight that she was so frightened that the last few strokes were probably a little shaky; so much so that...well, you guessed it, Jesus (almost) dropped the lamb.
This team loves to crack jokes and laugh so, forgive us, if too much of our lame humor makes its way into this blog (it doesn't help that I'm a sucker for lame jokes). However, I would be remiss if I only told you of what we did (or how much fun we had doing it) and didn't mention what the Lord did today.
We've been praying - because Gerritt & Tara asked us to - that our willingness to serve would encourage those in the church to serve. The Pastor shared with us that he struggles in getting people to volunteer to serve the church in any way. So, our hosts told us, the fact that a group of "gringos" would travel from the US to do something as simple as paint...well, that might stir up others to serve. Today, we learned, that very prayer was answered. Two men from the church - inspired by the "mighty women of God" on the ladder - came around and began to help. Somehow what we did made the prospect of serving in some way achievable to them. So many people who passed by us as we worked commented on how good the building looked. Carmen Maria, a 76-year-old neighbor to the church whom Hector, Diana & Elaine prayed for yesterday, returned to chat with us.
We know that God is working and we're thrilled to be used in any way that pleases the Lord.
Tomorrow...our plans aren't finalized yet but it's definite that we will doing at least one school program (we hope to do a second) and we know we will be back at the church painting, putting the final touches on what we have done over the last few days. Keep praying. We need the Lord to continue to strengthen us and as Larry shared in team devotions tonight, to give us a tender, responsive heart to Him.
Love to everyone back home!
Pastor Arlena
What we thought would happen today - maybe some school programs; maybe a visit to a prison; maybe a few other things but what really happened...another day of painting at the church.
And, the cool thing is, prayers were answered; people were touched.
Once again, team fence and team wall were back in their respective portions of the building. Bill, Randy, Jesse & Ivette continued to paint the fence (yes, it would be quicker to paint the wrought iron fence with spray paint; however, that is not what they were asked to do). And, they also completed painting the offices of one of the associate pastor's. They worked so hard, humbly, and doing whatever was asked of them...even though the task was tedious. I am proud of them (even if I am "officially" a part of team wall!)
Larry, Hector, Elaine, and myself (with some help from Brian Josue - a staff member who works with Gerritt & Tara) conquered the back wall. A graffiti covered wall now looks brand new. Diana continued to paint, up on a ladder, the lettering on the side wall (I joined her later in the afternoon) while Kely tackled the difficult task of drawing and then painting the school logo. We all applauded Kely's willingness to take on this difficult project.
Which is where we came up with the title for the blog. Near the end of the day, it began to rain. And when I say rain, I mean - thunder, lightening, and pouring rain. We had finished everything that we could do for the day except Kely was up on the ladder finishing the logo. The logo, FYI, is of Jesus holding a lamb because the school name is Good Shepherd. Just as she was putting the final touches on Jesus, a huge crackle of thunder and bolt of lightening almost startled Kely completely off of the ladder. She joked with us tonight that she was so frightened that the last few strokes were probably a little shaky; so much so that...well, you guessed it, Jesus (almost) dropped the lamb.
This team loves to crack jokes and laugh so, forgive us, if too much of our lame humor makes its way into this blog (it doesn't help that I'm a sucker for lame jokes). However, I would be remiss if I only told you of what we did (or how much fun we had doing it) and didn't mention what the Lord did today.
We've been praying - because Gerritt & Tara asked us to - that our willingness to serve would encourage those in the church to serve. The Pastor shared with us that he struggles in getting people to volunteer to serve the church in any way. So, our hosts told us, the fact that a group of "gringos" would travel from the US to do something as simple as paint...well, that might stir up others to serve. Today, we learned, that very prayer was answered. Two men from the church - inspired by the "mighty women of God" on the ladder - came around and began to help. Somehow what we did made the prospect of serving in some way achievable to them. So many people who passed by us as we worked commented on how good the building looked. Carmen Maria, a 76-year-old neighbor to the church whom Hector, Diana & Elaine prayed for yesterday, returned to chat with us.
We know that God is working and we're thrilled to be used in any way that pleases the Lord.
Tomorrow...our plans aren't finalized yet but it's definite that we will doing at least one school program (we hope to do a second) and we know we will be back at the church painting, putting the final touches on what we have done over the last few days. Keep praying. We need the Lord to continue to strengthen us and as Larry shared in team devotions tonight, to give us a tender, responsive heart to Him.
Love to everyone back home!
Pastor Arlena
Prayer Focus - Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Focus Topic: Empowerment for Witness
Focus Scripture: Acts 1:8 / 1 Peter 3:9
Focus Team Members: Ivette Garcia & Kely Knowles
Today, it is likely that our team is ministering in schools, possibly conducting and outreach in a prison or perhaps, visiting an orphanage filled with teenagers. Pray for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to be with each and every team member. Let them be used by the Lord to see many, many people come to know Christ. We can pray with confidence, knowing we are praying His will when we ask Him for souls to be saved!
Holy Spirit, fill Your servants today! Empower them to proclaim the good news of the Gospel in everything they do. Draw people to them; direct each team member to the person You have ordained for them to minister to. I pray especially Ivette & Kely: they each have a story to share. Use them and their lives as a testimony to Your faithfulness and goodness. May our team experience Your presence and see many make a decision to follow Christ!
Focus Scripture: Acts 1:8 / 1 Peter 3:9
Focus Team Members: Ivette Garcia & Kely Knowles
Today, it is likely that our team is ministering in schools, possibly conducting and outreach in a prison or perhaps, visiting an orphanage filled with teenagers. Pray for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to be with each and every team member. Let them be used by the Lord to see many, many people come to know Christ. We can pray with confidence, knowing we are praying His will when we ask Him for souls to be saved!
Holy Spirit, fill Your servants today! Empower them to proclaim the good news of the Gospel in everything they do. Draw people to them; direct each team member to the person You have ordained for them to minister to. I pray especially Ivette & Kely: they each have a story to share. Use them and their lives as a testimony to Your faithfulness and goodness. May our team experience Your presence and see many make a decision to follow Christ!
Monday, October 10, 2011
Team Fence vs. Team Wall
Today has been a great day of serving!
Gerritt & Tara (our host missionaries) asked us to help them bless the church that has given them so much support since they arrived in Panama over a year ago. Templo de la Felicidad (where we attended on Sunday) loves Gerritt & Tara's heart for the students and young adults of this country; so, the Kenyon's wanted to bless the church in some way while we were here. They asked the Pastor - how can we bless you? Well, he said, our church needs some painting done. Would your team be willing to paint? We told Gerritt, "Absolutely!"
And, that's how team fence and team wall were formed. Bill, Randy, Ivette & Jesse were assigned the wrought iron fence in the front of the church to paint black. Hector, Elaine, Diana, Kely, Larry & myself were assigned to the side and back walls to paint. There is an ongoing debate about who worked harder and faster (of course, offering a purely objective opinion, I have to say the wall team did) but regardless of opinions, the important thing is that we were able to complete most of the work we were asked to do.
We go back tomorrow to finish and to take care of any other projects they may have for us.
Everyone is in good spirits, is healthy, and enjoying the opportunity to minister wherever and however we are asked. Even while painting today, several passersby stopped to talk to us and we had the privilege of praying with a few of them. We are believing that our service will be an example to those in the church of how to serve and to the community of how the love of God can stir a heart to give and help another.
Thanks for your prayers and comments! We love hearing from home and truly sense your prayers every moment we are here.
Blessings,
Pastor Arlena
Gerritt & Tara (our host missionaries) asked us to help them bless the church that has given them so much support since they arrived in Panama over a year ago. Templo de la Felicidad (where we attended on Sunday) loves Gerritt & Tara's heart for the students and young adults of this country; so, the Kenyon's wanted to bless the church in some way while we were here. They asked the Pastor - how can we bless you? Well, he said, our church needs some painting done. Would your team be willing to paint? We told Gerritt, "Absolutely!"
And, that's how team fence and team wall were formed. Bill, Randy, Ivette & Jesse were assigned the wrought iron fence in the front of the church to paint black. Hector, Elaine, Diana, Kely, Larry & myself were assigned to the side and back walls to paint. There is an ongoing debate about who worked harder and faster (of course, offering a purely objective opinion, I have to say the wall team did) but regardless of opinions, the important thing is that we were able to complete most of the work we were asked to do.
We go back tomorrow to finish and to take care of any other projects they may have for us.
Everyone is in good spirits, is healthy, and enjoying the opportunity to minister wherever and however we are asked. Even while painting today, several passersby stopped to talk to us and we had the privilege of praying with a few of them. We are believing that our service will be an example to those in the church of how to serve and to the community of how the love of God can stir a heart to give and help another.
Thanks for your prayers and comments! We love hearing from home and truly sense your prayers every moment we are here.
Blessings,
Pastor Arlena
Prayer Focus - Monday, October 10, 2011
Focus Topic: Peace / Strength
Focus Scripture: Isaiah 26:3 / Philippians 4:13
Focus Team Member: Larry Briggs
The Lord promises in Isaiah 26:3 to keep in “perfect peace” those who trust in Him. Peace will look different for each member of our team; that’s why this promise is so beautiful. Perfect - complete - ideal - tailored for - peace is available to each team members (& their families) as they minister this week. And we know that God supplies His strength, enabling us to do anything He has called us to do. Our team needs the strength of the Lord to sustain them through all of their activities this week. I’m grateful God is more than up to the task of giving them His strength!
Father, we thank You for Your perfect peace and Your abundant strength! We have experienced it so often in our own lives. We pray for our team right now. May your peace and strength flow through every fiber of their being. Touch Larry today. Let him know how sufficient You are to be there for him when he feels tired. Remove any anxiety that our team may be experiencing; provide courage and boldness for whatever tasks they are asked to do this day. We trust You to give them exactly what is needed throughout the day! For Jesus’ sake we ask these things, amen!
Focus Scripture: Isaiah 26:3 / Philippians 4:13
Focus Team Member: Larry Briggs
The Lord promises in Isaiah 26:3 to keep in “perfect peace” those who trust in Him. Peace will look different for each member of our team; that’s why this promise is so beautiful. Perfect - complete - ideal - tailored for - peace is available to each team members (& their families) as they minister this week. And we know that God supplies His strength, enabling us to do anything He has called us to do. Our team needs the strength of the Lord to sustain them through all of their activities this week. I’m grateful God is more than up to the task of giving them His strength!
Father, we thank You for Your perfect peace and Your abundant strength! We have experienced it so often in our own lives. We pray for our team right now. May your peace and strength flow through every fiber of their being. Touch Larry today. Let him know how sufficient You are to be there for him when he feels tired. Remove any anxiety that our team may be experiencing; provide courage and boldness for whatever tasks they are asked to do this day. We trust You to give them exactly what is needed throughout the day! For Jesus’ sake we ask these things, amen!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Day 1 - Possibly the Best Food Ever
Hey friends and family!
OK...so our first post isn't going to be all about food (although it could be). We attended two services at Templo de Felicidad (the church we are working with this week), met the wonderful pastors there, hung out with our missionaries, Gerritt & Tara Kenyon (who fed us a great chili meal with a spectacular dessert), and attended Panama International Church's Fellowship Night (which included worship, a short devotional by missionary Nelson Lugo, and yes...food). We've had two amazing meals already and it looks like the ladies of the church are cooking for us tomorrow. So, that's why the title of this post is what it is. Alright, enough about food!
Here are some highlights from our day (as told by various team members):
Ivette met a little old lady (Catalina) who over 20 years ago received some booklets - what we would recognize as copies of Our Daily Bread. Ivette was so moved by Catalina's request for more because those booklets not only helped Catalina in her spiritual walk but also helped her learn to read and write. The opportunity to meet this sweet, sincere lady was the highlight of Ivette's day.
Diana thanked the Lord for her encounter with Gabe, a member of the Panama International Church worship team. For her, it was great to hear his testimony and be able to pray with him. She believes this meeting with Greg foreshadows the coming week of ministry for us. She's excited about being able to meet and simply love on others.
Elaine talked about how she really wants us to be bitten by the "mission" bug. "Everyone on Mission" isn't just nice words on a poster; we have the opportunity to live this out - everyday and in every way. Just like we say weekly at Kingsway, Elaine talked about how we are not where we are by accident. God has us here for a reason and wants to use us to reach others for Him.
Jesse loved the message that was shared this morning regarding how much God has for us. He appreciated so much the passion and fire for the Lord that the minister demonstrated.
Larry shared that he felt the Spirit so strongly today, even though he didn't understand a word of the message spoken in Spanish. Larry expressed awe towards God who understands us all, loves us all and unites us all by His Spirit. We may speak a different language but we all serve the same God. We are different but the same!
Bill is rejoicing over the opportunities that we will have in the next few days to help Gerritt & Tara build relationships with the national church. We are going to do some simple tasks; some "little things" but he wanted us to remember that in whatever we do - how we handle ourselves, how we serve and relate to others - God will use us to demonstrate His love to people out there who don't even know Him.
Hector mentioned that God really touched his heart to embrace the calling God has placed on his life. And, he feels a peace that God will work out the details of him going into ministry.
Randy joins me in thanking those who shared their testimony today. They planted a mustard seed, many people were moved and encouraged. I was super proud of each of them: Hector, Elaine, Jesse, & Kely all spoke from their hearts, testifying to God's goodness, faithfulness, and great love.
So, that's a snapshot of what we experienced today. Thanks for praying for us! Thanks to those who have left comments. They mean so much to us.
Keep praying! Talk to you soon!
Pastor Arlena
OK...so our first post isn't going to be all about food (although it could be). We attended two services at Templo de Felicidad (the church we are working with this week), met the wonderful pastors there, hung out with our missionaries, Gerritt & Tara Kenyon (who fed us a great chili meal with a spectacular dessert), and attended Panama International Church's Fellowship Night (which included worship, a short devotional by missionary Nelson Lugo, and yes...food). We've had two amazing meals already and it looks like the ladies of the church are cooking for us tomorrow. So, that's why the title of this post is what it is. Alright, enough about food!
Here are some highlights from our day (as told by various team members):
Ivette met a little old lady (Catalina) who over 20 years ago received some booklets - what we would recognize as copies of Our Daily Bread. Ivette was so moved by Catalina's request for more because those booklets not only helped Catalina in her spiritual walk but also helped her learn to read and write. The opportunity to meet this sweet, sincere lady was the highlight of Ivette's day.
Diana thanked the Lord for her encounter with Gabe, a member of the Panama International Church worship team. For her, it was great to hear his testimony and be able to pray with him. She believes this meeting with Greg foreshadows the coming week of ministry for us. She's excited about being able to meet and simply love on others.
Elaine talked about how she really wants us to be bitten by the "mission" bug. "Everyone on Mission" isn't just nice words on a poster; we have the opportunity to live this out - everyday and in every way. Just like we say weekly at Kingsway, Elaine talked about how we are not where we are by accident. God has us here for a reason and wants to use us to reach others for Him.
Jesse loved the message that was shared this morning regarding how much God has for us. He appreciated so much the passion and fire for the Lord that the minister demonstrated.
Larry shared that he felt the Spirit so strongly today, even though he didn't understand a word of the message spoken in Spanish. Larry expressed awe towards God who understands us all, loves us all and unites us all by His Spirit. We may speak a different language but we all serve the same God. We are different but the same!
Bill is rejoicing over the opportunities that we will have in the next few days to help Gerritt & Tara build relationships with the national church. We are going to do some simple tasks; some "little things" but he wanted us to remember that in whatever we do - how we handle ourselves, how we serve and relate to others - God will use us to demonstrate His love to people out there who don't even know Him.
Hector mentioned that God really touched his heart to embrace the calling God has placed on his life. And, he feels a peace that God will work out the details of him going into ministry.
Randy joins me in thanking those who shared their testimony today. They planted a mustard seed, many people were moved and encouraged. I was super proud of each of them: Hector, Elaine, Jesse, & Kely all spoke from their hearts, testifying to God's goodness, faithfulness, and great love.
So, that's a snapshot of what we experienced today. Thanks for praying for us! Thanks to those who have left comments. They mean so much to us.
Keep praying! Talk to you soon!
Pastor Arlena
Prayer Focus - Sunday, October 9, 2011
Focus Topic: A Willing Heart
Focus Scripture: Colossians 3:23 / 2 Timothy 2:10
Focus Team Member: Randy Bridgewater
The apostle, Paul, writes to the young pastor, Timothy that he is willing to do anything if it will bring salvation to people. As our team prepares for their upcoming week of ministry, they will be trained to do many things that won’t be comfortable or natural to them. The question is: will they do it willingly? It’s hard being away from the norms of home. It’s harder still to serve when you are tired and hot. Instead of inconvenience and frustration, may our team experience an overwhelming sense of God's love, making them ready & willing to serve!
Lord, I pray for Randy right now. He has already demonstrated a willing heart - just in going to Panama. Yet, that willingness to serve will be tested as the week goes on. As the team serves may they remember that people will come to salvation in Christ; may they keep in mind that they are not just serving others - they are serving You; working for You. I know that you are able to help him and our team. And, as they willingly give of themselves for the sake of others, draw them closer to You. In Jesus’ Name, I pray!
Focus Scripture: Colossians 3:23 / 2 Timothy 2:10
Focus Team Member: Randy Bridgewater
The apostle, Paul, writes to the young pastor, Timothy that he is willing to do anything if it will bring salvation to people. As our team prepares for their upcoming week of ministry, they will be trained to do many things that won’t be comfortable or natural to them. The question is: will they do it willingly? It’s hard being away from the norms of home. It’s harder still to serve when you are tired and hot. Instead of inconvenience and frustration, may our team experience an overwhelming sense of God's love, making them ready & willing to serve!
Lord, I pray for Randy right now. He has already demonstrated a willing heart - just in going to Panama. Yet, that willingness to serve will be tested as the week goes on. As the team serves may they remember that people will come to salvation in Christ; may they keep in mind that they are not just serving others - they are serving You; working for You. I know that you are able to help him and our team. And, as they willingly give of themselves for the sake of others, draw them closer to You. In Jesus’ Name, I pray!
We've Arrived
Hey everyone!
Thanks for praying! We had a wonderful flight - a little skip & hop on landing - but we are all safe (a little tired) and settled into our hotel here in Panama City. Gerritt & Tara (our host missionaries) welcomed us with pb & j sandwiches, bottles of water, and cookies! The bottles of water were handy since it is very hot and humid here!
We are thrilled to be here and excited about the full day of ministry that we have tomorrow (it looks like we will sharing testimonies in the service tomorrow morning).
We'd love to hear from you. Keep praying for us; we can already feel them.
Blessings,
Pastor Arlena
Thanks for praying! We had a wonderful flight - a little skip & hop on landing - but we are all safe (a little tired) and settled into our hotel here in Panama City. Gerritt & Tara (our host missionaries) welcomed us with pb & j sandwiches, bottles of water, and cookies! The bottles of water were handy since it is very hot and humid here!
We are thrilled to be here and excited about the full day of ministry that we have tomorrow (it looks like we will sharing testimonies in the service tomorrow morning).
We'd love to hear from you. Keep praying for us; we can already feel them.
Blessings,
Pastor Arlena
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Prayer Focus - Saturday, October 8, 2011
Prayer Focus: Safety
Focus Scripture: Psalm 16
Focus Team Members: Bill & Elaine Lang, Team Leaders
God is able to keep our friends and family safe as they travel today. This Psalm tells us that the Lord guards everything that we claim as our own. David reminds us that we have a good God, who guides us, is always with us and fills us with joy in His presence. We can trust Him to watch over our team as they make their way to El Salvador.
Jesus, we commit our friends and family to You. We know that You are able to keep them safe; You are their refuge. Guard them from all harm. Let them arrive safely so that they can be used for Your glory in whatever ministry You have for them during the next week. We will bless You, Lord, because you will guide our team, instruct them, and be with them. They will not be shaken! We lift up Bill & Elaine to You, as they carry the weight of leadership for this team. Let them rest safely in Your hand, confident that You will supply all that is needed to lead this team well. We praise You, Jesus, for this team; watch over them as they travel today!
Focus Scripture: Psalm 16
Focus Team Members: Bill & Elaine Lang, Team Leaders
God is able to keep our friends and family safe as they travel today. This Psalm tells us that the Lord guards everything that we claim as our own. David reminds us that we have a good God, who guides us, is always with us and fills us with joy in His presence. We can trust Him to watch over our team as they make their way to El Salvador.
Jesus, we commit our friends and family to You. We know that You are able to keep them safe; You are their refuge. Guard them from all harm. Let them arrive safely so that they can be used for Your glory in whatever ministry You have for them during the next week. We will bless You, Lord, because you will guide our team, instruct them, and be with them. They will not be shaken! We lift up Bill & Elaine to You, as they carry the weight of leadership for this team. Let them rest safely in Your hand, confident that You will supply all that is needed to lead this team well. We praise You, Jesus, for this team; watch over them as they travel today!
Friday, October 7, 2011
New Adventures - Same Mission
On Saturday, October 8, 2011, 10 people from Kingsway are traveling to Panama City, Panama for a week of ministry. We're excited about the opportunity to be used of the Lord. We don't know all that we will be doing - it will certainly be a new adventure for us. But, we know that the God we serve wants us to live on mission there, just as He's called us to live on mission there.
We invite you to spend the next week with us, via this blog of course. Our goal is to update it daily; however, that will be solely dependent on our ability to connect to the Internet. Lord willing, you'll hear about our daily activities, some funny stories, and lots of pictures.
You'll also see a daily Prayer Focus as well. Join us in prayer. You are a part of our team - you are our home support! We look forward to sharing with you all that God does through our efforts and your prayers, when we return home next week and share in the Sunday service, Oct. 16, 2011.
Hope you have a great week serving Him! I know we will!
Blessings,
Pastor Arlena
We invite you to spend the next week with us, via this blog of course. Our goal is to update it daily; however, that will be solely dependent on our ability to connect to the Internet. Lord willing, you'll hear about our daily activities, some funny stories, and lots of pictures.
You'll also see a daily Prayer Focus as well. Join us in prayer. You are a part of our team - you are our home support! We look forward to sharing with you all that God does through our efforts and your prayers, when we return home next week and share in the Sunday service, Oct. 16, 2011.
Hope you have a great week serving Him! I know we will!
Blessings,
Pastor Arlena
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