An update from Mike. . . . . . . . . .
WOW !!
We are having an amazing time seeing God work on the hearts of people. Every day brings a new humbling experience. We are helping people practice their English by using the Bible. People here are open to new friendships and find the Bible very interesting. In fact, the Panamanians that we meet believe in God, fervently believe that the Bible is His Word, and typically have no idea what it says. These factors plus an eager desire to learn more English creates a beautiful opportunity to talk about Jesus.
It has been unseasonably hot. We are melting as we swelter in our classrooms, waiting anxiously for the sun to set and our air conditioners to catch up with the humid heat. It may sound like we are really suffering when in fact we are having a wonderful time. We are constantly laughing, learning new fascinating things, and enjoying a front row seat to God’s miraculous work. Yesterday a family came into the lobby of Edwin Garcia’s preschool and starting asking questions about the school in Spanish. I readily jumped to the rescue with my broken Spanglish and answered their questions. Things were going very well. I was excited about signing up a whole family for English classes when Edwin arrived just in time to prevent them signing up their preschool son for free! Oh well…
We are eating like kings! Veronica is making us gourmet breakfasts and lunches and stacking some amazing sandwiches for supper, she even bought us a can of bacon flavored spam. JOY! We scheduled Veronica with a few gaps so she would have time to make sure the rest of the team is well fed and hydrated. Once our schedule kicks in, we literally go from student to student for hours at a time. It’s amazing how fast time flies when you are having so much fun!
We even had our very own Panamanian “campfire!” Andrea needed about thirty pencils for her beginners’ class, so Edwin and I ran out and bought three boxes of pencils. I noticed that Edwin had also insisted on buying these three little tiny metal cubes with an enclosed razor blade. I never suspected that these tiny little objects were fancy pencil sharpeners. As soon as we got back to the school, I called the team together and we began sharpening pencils for Andrea’s class as fast as we could!
We are not only having a fantastic time laughing, exploring, and having great fun; we are also humbled to see the Spirit do amazing things through our meager effort. Monday night I met my last reader of the day, Juan Carlos, at 10pm. He is a newlywed of eight months to one of Veronica’s readers, Janice. He is a new manager of an auditing firm. After we finished our first reading session of Matthew 1, he wanted to ask a personal question. He wanted to know if the rest of the lessons these two weeks were going to be from the Bible. It’s funny how that is the very reason why we are here and yet I felt a tremor of nervousness. What if he is offended? Should I “tone it down” a little…?
I said gently, “Yes, all the lessons are from the Gospel of Matthew, the first book in the New Testament.”
“Ah,” he said and was quiet for a moment. That was one of the longest moments of the trip so far for me, at least as long as waiting for our lost luggage to be found!
Finally he looked up at me and began to explain the reason for his question. He said that this is a very, very busy time of year for him and his firm, that he has no free time available. When Edwin had invited him to take this English curse, he declined because he really did not have the time. He and his wife did not attend last Sunday night when we scheduled everyone for a class. However, he said Monday morning he felt such a strong urge, and nagging need to sign up that he phoned Edwin Monday morning and took the only remaining time slot available to him, 10 to 11pm.
He continued to explain how he grew up in the Catholic tradition but has no real knowledge about God. He has wanted to learn more about the Bible, but just didn’t know how, or even where to begin. He was stunned speechless to discover that the nudge to make the phone call to sign up was God arranging for his very need!
I explained how we had originally planned to come in January but felt delayed by God to do some things at home in Modesto (the “To Save a Life” movie outreach event) and so we rescheduled for March. If we had come in January, Edwin’s new school would not have been opened, we would not have met Juan Carlos, and he wouldn’t be spending two weeks studying the Bible every night! Didn’t Jesus say if we seek we will find! I can’t wait to show him that verse tonight!
Juan Carlos has been so amazed at the things that he has been seeing in the Bible that he went home and talked his wife into coming also, she is reading with Veronica now! We are going to move our schedule around to be able to study with them both from 9:30 to 11pm. You should have seen Juan’s face when he realized that the Bible doesn’t contain the “three kings of Orient.” He even sang part of the song and gave me their names, yet nowhere does the Bible name them, call them kings, or tell us how many there were.
He said, “So this is just a tradition of men?” You should have seen the excitement in his eyes!
Please join us in praying for our readers.
Wait till I tell you about Jack and Veronica’s readers! Have I told you about the difference between a grasshopper and a lobster? Have you heard of Christine’s amazing gift? Would you believe me if I told you Andrea has a new nickname? Stay tuned…
Friday, March 19, 2010
Our day begins at about seven o’clock, and continues until we sweep and mop the School before heading home to shower and collapse by midnight.
Sounds restful, doesn’t it?
Some readers come only once, which satisfies their curiosity. Others get into intense discussion of scripture and life that run over the allotted time. We have given Bibles to those who neither have nor can afford one, and have also given ten copies of People of the Park to advanced readers. Who knew that this would turn out to be an evangelistic tool? When we hand out a copy, we tell the reader, “These are true stories about real people. When you know these people, you will know there is hope for you.” Readers who have finished my story look at me differently. I hope this is a Good Thing.
Tomorrow is Turista Day. The plan is to wade in both the Atlantic and the Pacific on the same day. If all goes well, we will see historical landmarks and end the day out on the Causeway for supper, watching ships enter and leave the Panama Canal.
