Sara's Update from 8-11-08

Another successful day here in Panama ! We are really enjoying the relationship building that we are experiencing with our readers. We have become good friends, and are getting more and more comfortable with talking about our relationship with God. The readers are very responsive and eager to learn not just about English, but about our Lord. With every encounter, we have seen God working. At the beginning it was hard for us to see it, but now it is crystal clear. Thank you Lord for making it clear for us to see your work. We feel that God is not only present in our conversations, but that he uses our voices to speak to those who don’t know him. We are so blessed to have God in our life. We couldn’t do this alone. I also would like to say how awesome it is to have a supportive team. We have become like a family. We eat together, talk together, cry together, and laugh together. Everything we do...we do it together, as a unity in Christ. Every day, we feel we have grown so much. We couldn’t do it without our Lord, and we couldn’t do it without each other. There is only 2 days left of LST, then another party on Friday. As the end is getting closer, we are all getting sad because we don’t want to leave. This is too bitter sweet. As this evening is closing, we are presently waiting for the 2nd Panama team to arrive from Miami . We have been praying that they have a smooth flight and an easy transition from the US to Panama . Church family...please continue to pray as the 2 teams work together the rest of the week to serve others and God. Soldados de Cristo signing out. Goodnight!

With Christian Love,

Sarah

Update from Terry Hoffman

It has been a week since we stepped off the plane into the 90 degree weather, with 90% humidity. I haven't written because I was unsure what to write. This trip is different from the last in several ways. This is my 3rd trip this year to Panama and it feels almost like home. The weather is pretty much the same except for the torrential downpours that occur everyday. It rains more in 1 day than we get all year. Taylor & I had the wonderful opportunity to stay with the parents of one of our readers from last January. We became fast friends and spent many late nights sitting on the couch talking and enjoying our short time together. They plan to visit us in the US in February. My favorite activity is watching Jaclyn & Sarah experience the amazing work that God performs. They both connect so well with the students here. I see the joy in their faces everyday and thank God they were given this chance to make a difference in the children's lives. I pray that they will always remember their experiences and use their talents to the fullest potential. This will be a tough week for me as Taylor had to return to work. She is a wonderful wife, and a huge asset when we get into "Spanish Trouble". We look forward to returning to Panama in the near future.

Terry Hoffman

Sara's Update from 8-10-08

Today was a reassuring day. We were all feeling great about how the day went. We had many students and teachers come in to the conference room asking if we can put them on the schedule for LST. We made a lot of connections with the students we saw. Jaclyn had one challenge today teaching a beginning English learner. She used the LST beginners book that our wonderful ESL Teacher, Lynn Richardson, has put together. We have used a few of those books and it is an amazing tool that we are blessed to have. Thank you LYNN!! Terry had an opportunity to meet a new teacher at the school and hear some of what is going on her life. We had never seen her before and she had just walked in and asked if we could fit her in for only today. Terry was very blessed with that visit. I had the joy of spending time with a couple of my readers from last week. Our relationships are growing so much and we are excited to see each other more and more every time. I am going to be sad to leave my new friends. This evening, we had so much fun talking with a group of our teenage readers. They were trying to teach Jaclyn & I Spanish after their English session, but they always laughed at us when we tried to say what they were saying because they said we had an accent. It was the most funniest time of the day. We also have good news for the 2nd team that will be flying in tomorrow. Raul and family has handed out brochures around town advertising FREE LST CLASSES. The schedule is filling up very quickly and we are all getting excited! Praise GOD! Hope all is well back at home and we miss you all!!

With Christian Love,

Sarah

Jaclyn Williams' Blog

Jaclyn Williams has been blogging about her adventure in Panama these past eight days. For more insight into the adventure of short term mission work go to her site which is in the link section to the left of the main column. You can also paste this into your brower if the the link to the side does not work for you. http://www.jaclynwilliams.blogspot.com

Update # 8

Hey everyone, this is Soldados de Cristo (Soldiers of Christ) reporting from Panama! Today was a very nice day for the team. Although, our team just doesn't feel the same without one of our own, Taylor Hoffman. We are still waiting to hear that she made it home safely. Are prayers are with her during this long trip home. On the way to church this morning we were hoping we wouldn't be late, when Delores shared with us her words of wisdom, "What ever time we arrive at, we are on time." Thanks to Delores we were at peace with the time. We arrived to church this morning at 9:30am. There was class, and then worship began around 10:30am. Raul's son, Raul Jr. did a great sermon today. He is a student at Harding University, and will be leaving to Arkansas this Thursday. We had a full van today. In Delores' van was Terry, Jaclyn, Delores, Deborah (Delores' daughter), Norberto, Alberto, Manuel, & me. We had lunch at Niko's Cafe', a great place to try Panamanian cuisine. It was very filling and delicious! After lunch, we went to the ruins in Panama, which is also called the 2nd Panama City. The buildings were very old fashioned, the roads were narrow, and some people still lived in the tiny rooms there. The design of the buildings were colonial like. Very old fashioned! But, What we didn't know was that the White House was around the corner. We figured we would park and get out and walk. We made our way down a road that had a woman selling coconuts. Jaclyn & I decided to buy one for $1 and drink the juice out of the entire thing. It basically tasted like watered down milk. Not too bad. As we made way to the White House of Panama, we were so surprised to have the opportunity to walk in front of it. The guard checked our bags, and there we went. We took pictures and was so amazed that we got to see the President of Panama's White House. Did we see the President....No. But, it was still an amazing sight. We seemed to be having so much fun, that some gentleman decided to find a seat next to Delores and put his arm around her. We got a picture of that. We all laughed and told Delores this strange man had a crush on her. She just laughed with the rest of us, and said he was crazy. :D As we left the White House, we made our way back to the van. We ended up driving down the coastline and pulled over to hear one of the school bands practicing at the huge park. It was so loud and so fast. They were very talented musicians. This place seemed like a theme park, but with no rides. Just a bunch of people of all ages gathered around like a day at the park. After we decided we had enough entertainment, we decided to take everyone back to their houses and head back home. We were very blessed with the Word of God and the beautiful things that God has made. Pray for our team as we start another week of LST. Sweet Dreams.

With Christian Love,

Sarah

Update # 7

Today was a day out on the town! We began our morning at 9:00am when the Hoffman's host came to pick us 4 up at Delores' house. They were so excited to take us out and show us the ins and outs of Panama. They had 2 guests with them...my reader's (Jessica) kids. First, they took us to the Botanical Garden. There were animals we have in the US, but there were some that we've never seen before. There was one that looked like a mixture between a pig and a hippo. Ha! It was the most weirdest looking animal. There were so many animals I couldn't describe it to you. We saw tucans, vultures, jaguars, monkeys, crocodiles, and different kinds of birds. The place was beautiful. That is one thing about Panama that the teams loves; it's the amount of green and trees and mountains that there is. You always feel like you are in the tropics. So, we spent a couple hours walking around the garden. We found a beautiful bridge that went over a swamp like thing. As I went to take a picture on the bridge, I glanced in the icky brown water and barely saw a head and some eyes looking in my direction..it was a crocodile! There were no fences, no walls, no nothing to separate me from the crocodile. I then froze, yelled and said, "Ummm, that's a crocodile, I don't think so!", and took off back to the path as fast as I could. Everyone laughed and told me that he wouldn't bother me. I still wasn't ok with the fact that there was a "free" crocodile just swimming around while we walk around near it. It freaked me out. But, I toughed it out and made my way (very quickly) to the bridge and took some pictures. We also had experienced a lizard encounter. Jaclyn & I were walking ahead of the group, minding our own business, when the tiniest lizard jumped in front of us causing us to scream. As the group caught up to us, we then pointed out the tiny lizard to the 2 kids. Terry had put his arm out for the lizard to climb on. The little boy (4 yrs. old) with us wanted to touch it but was so scared. Then, Taylor got it on her arm, and the boy tried to put his arm out for the first time, but pulled away really quick. While we are trying to explain to the boy that the lizard wouldn't hurt him, the lizard darted off Taylor's arm and attached to the boy's shirt on his chest. He screamed and slung it off of him so fast, we all began laughing so hard!! It was the funniest thing of the day. The look on that kids face was priceless. As we continued the adventure through the beautiful and "hot" Botanical Garden, Jaclyn & I noticed a huge fake cow. We decided to jump on and take some pictures with the cow. It's fun to be silly sometimes. :) After that tour, we then went to the place we'd all been waiting for...The Panama Canal! We watched a movie (in English) that told the story of the canal, then we walked through a museum like tour to the top of the Locke. We then watched the ships move through the Locke from the Atlantic to the Pacific side of the ocean. It was the most amazing thing we'd seen here in Panama. We stayed there for 2 hours, then made our way down the Causeway, which is a long road down the coastline. There are many restaurants and stores along the coast. We had lunch on the Causeway, and wanted to walk down it. But, the hard rain surprised us, which kept us from walking. We had stopped at a few souvenir shops. So many cute things for such a cheap price. Once we finally got back to Delores' house, it was almost 6:00pm. We had a couple boys that go to church with us, come over and hang out with us. Terry & Taylor wanted to head back to their host's house to take a nap, as did we. We put on ET and watched that (in Spanish...which was interesting) and took a nap. Terry & Taylor wanted to come back this evening to say goodbye, because Taylor is flying home tomorrow morning at 7:00am. We will miss our teammate so much! Taylor has saved us many times because of her fluent Spanish speaking skills. It just won't be the same without her. We love you Taylor!! Well, now the day is over and it's time to prepare for a church day tomorrow. So, we are hitting the sack. Goodnight.

With Christian Love,

Sarah

Update # 6

Hello everyone from Davis Park! Today was a long day for Soldados de Cristo. Our morning started very encouraging with a devo that Terry led, and then we got to experience the hard rain pouring on us during our drive to the school. Our team had a lot of time to do some thinking. Taylor had 1 reader, Terry had 2 readers, Jaclyn had 3 readers, and I had none. The part that is difficult about LST is that there are many readers who don't show up to their appointment, or that we have so many open slots in our schedule that we get a lot of down time. The last readers of the day were 2 teachers that never showed up for their appointment. That topped it off for us. We just shook our heads in disappointment as we left the school for the day. During the quiet car ride home, we all felt a spiritual reminder of why we are really here. We all thought about how we need to be more like Jesus in these difficult times, so we asked ourselves, "What would Jesus do?" We began discussing that it's not how many we have on the schedule, but the importance of those hearts we do touch. We are grateful for the time we have here in Panama, and for the many opportunities to build new relationships. Being reminded of that, it was then time for a party with those new relationships we had made this week. The party began at 7:00. We had pizza, colas, and brownies with ice cream for dessert. After the food and socializing, we started a fun game of Pictionary. Boys vs. Girls! There were about 14-15 of us all together! in Delo res' house for 2 1/2 hours. May I say, the girls ended up beating the boys by 10 points! Yeah!! There was so much laughter and excitement as the night continued. One of the teen boys that was here played the guitar and sang us some songs. A very talented teenager he is! As the night ended around 10:00, we helped clean up the house and are now settled down for bed. Thinking back to how the morning began, to the thoughts we were having in the mid-day, we are finally at peace. Thank you God for guiding us back to you when we drift away! Goodnight church family.

With Christian Love,

Sarah

Oops! Forgotten Blog

Hola Davis Park Family!

Our team has come up with a team name: Soldados de Cristo, which means Soldiers of Christ. Isn't that great!? Well, anyway, just thought that would be fun to share with you. On Monday, we showed up to the school where we are doing LST at 9:00am, and the school was not prepared to have us start that day, so we had a free day. When we realized we had a free day, we weren't sure what we were going to do. But, Raul, which is Delores' son-in-law, found something fun for us to do. So, here is where our adventure started. Raul needed us to come pick him up because his car broke down on the freeway. Does he call anyone from Panama? No, he calls us to go find him and his mother. By the way, listening to Taylor talk to Raul on the phone trying to get directions to where they are stranded was so funny to hear. Terry of course was driving us, and being very patient with the whole thing. Jaclyn and I were in the back seat of Delores' van just having too much fun. :) Once we figured out we were lost, the laughing and frustration kicked in. Besides the fact we were all hungry and just wanted to go home and rest, we couldn't leave our lost friends stranded. I can't tell you how many time Raul called Taylor, and Taylor called Raul to find out where we were and if we were headed in the right direction. During the adventure, we seemed to notice a funny thing about Panama. We noticed, the more hungry and tired we are, we don't pronounce words correctly. For instance, I decided to say "roller sockey" instead of roller hockey. Ya...I don't know what I was trying to say there, but everyone thought it was a hoot. While we were sitting in Panamanian traffic, Taylor was on the phone with Raul, when all of a sudden she pulls the phone away from her ear and looks at us (with Raul still talking like Taylor was listening), she then says with a very serious t! one, "I can't understand what he is saying and I'm getting aggravated." Between the tone in her voice and the look on her face, we all began to laugh. This could not have been happening! It was so hilarious! She laughed about it moments later. I know what you all are thinking...Why didn't you ask for directions? Well, we finally did and they all told us we were headed in the right direction. THEY WERE WRONG!! Once we realized we had been going the wrong way for 1 hour, Raul finally figured out some landmarks that we could see to help us find him. So, once we found those landmarks (McD's & Pizza Hut), after another 45 minutes, Taylor called Raul again, and told him we were here. One thing that Raul never shared with us was that he had already caught a taxi to pick them up. Can we say this trip was a waste of time...sure...but we had a great time doing it all together. Before returning to the "great" traffic in Panama, we parked ourselves at Pizza Hut for lunch. Oh but wait...that's not the end...Terry decided to lose his phone. He said, "I can't find my phone, Taylor, what did you do with it?" Taylor was almost sure she had given him his phone back. Just then, Terry looks down and realizes he had his phone in his hand. This ride was a fun adventure for all of us. :)

With Christian Love,

Sarah

Update #3 from Team #1

I honestly can't tell you all how much fun we are having here in Panama ! We have come across so many interesting things. I'm going to share a few with you. Every day we get into Delores' van and wonder why there is a spoon wedged in the window. Terry decided to take it out once and the window almost dropped through the door. It was so hilarious! Now we know how they hold up their broken windows...with the magic spoon. Our team also gets a kick at Raul. Every time we see him, he gets Terry and Taylor backwards. He will come in and say "Hi Taylor," to Terry, and then say "Hi Terry", to Taylor. He can never get it right. :) We have also come to the conclusion that Taylor cannot keep her eyes open to take a picture. Almost every picture we take of Taylor, we have to try again because she closes her eyes every time. We make fun of her because of it. (Love you Taylor!) One of the cool things about having a one on one session with the students at the school, is that you build relationships.
Jaclyn had a reader today that shared his life story and all the struggles that he and his Mom are going through right now. Jaclyn felt so honored to have been chosen to be the listening ear for her reader. He made it clear that he had never told anyone the true story about his life. When he left, Jaclyn felt a calling to invite him to church with us on Sunday. She tried to go find him to give him the information he will need, but he was no where to be seen. She came in and I told her that hopefully we can see him tomorrow. Well, just then here he comes back in the door, telling Jaclyn, "Hey, I have your pen, Jaclyn," Praise God for directing this special reader back to us. I know this wasn't the power of the pen...this was the power of our great and almighty God. Jaclyn and I decided that wasn't just coincidence. We thanked the Lord after the reader left, again. During one of my sessions I worked with 2 students. Our topic was about believing what we don't see or hear. It was focused on prayer. We said that sometimes it's hard to pray when you don't see or hear the answer, or at the time we want it. Following that great conversation, the teens needed to go study for exams they were about to take. They seemed really nervous and unsure about the exam. So, I offered to pray with them at that moment and they said yes. Because one of the teens probably wouldn't have understood my words during the prayer, I had the other teen, who was more fluent, translate for him. They seemed very thankful and a lot more relaxed about the test. I thanked the Lord for putting it on my heart to pray with those teens. Today, again was a successful day for our team. Our morning was busy, but once we hit 2:00, we come to a 3 hour gap in our schedule. During that time, Taylor made a relationship with one of the teachers, while Terry relaxed. Jaclyn and I watched a movie on her laptop, when we all decided to go to the quick stop across the street from the school. As we walked across the street a man stopped us, and in Spanish, asked us if we taught English classes at the school. We told him we did, and then we connected that he has a son that reads with Jaclyn during the week. The father said that his son comes home and talks about us and all about the sessions and the Bible stories we read together. It was a very neat time for us to hear that the teens do report to their parents what goes on during the English classes. Praise God for that assurance that we are making a difference in the teens and their parents' lives! Tonight was another one of those nights where we got to experience more of Delores' cooking. There was chopped up chicken, mixed with veggies, and delicious red rice. Mmmm! Well, I'm in the mood for popcorn and a movie, so Jaclyn and I are going to bed early tonight. We miss you all! Sleep tight.

With Christian Love,

Sarah

Update #2 from Team # 1

Another good day in Panama! Soldados de Cristo was successful again. Today, there were many students who came in to schedule sessions with us. They seemed very nervous but excited about learning English. Some students who came in spoke great English, and some could barely say English class. It was so cute and exciting for us that they want to learn a foreign language. For Jaclyn, today was a busier day. She felt very rewarded to just be with the teens and experienced a lot of laughing and smiling. Terry had 2 readers, but on his down time he relaxed with Taylor, outside on the bench, watching the rain. By the way, today, the rain looked just like California rain. So, nothing different there....YET! Taylor had 1 reader this afternoon with a girl who was very quiet and spoke little English. It was a great time for Taylor to open her heart and show compassion with this shy reader. Surprisingly, I had no readers today. But, I was sure busy. I had everyone's schedules and was working with the coordinators from the school to fill up our schedules. I guess you could say I am the team organizer. Today, I was very thankful to have the skill of organization. By the end of the day, it had all come together. Some of the moments today were slow paced. But, sometimes a little relaxation never hurt anybody. After leaving from the school, we went to eat and did some grocery shopping. We have planned our party and are ready for Friday to be here. Speaking of parties...we were invited to one of our reader's(Jessica)daughter's 14th Bday tonight. So, after our last session from 7-8, we went to the Bday party. They had some great lasagna and a delicious cake! We sang happy birthday in English first, and then in Spanish. It was very cool! Well, I am a little tired and am ready to hit the hay. I hope you all are enjoying the updates on Davis Park's team in Panama. Please continue praying that God blesses our time here. Goodnight.

With Christian Love,

Sarah

Update from Panama

Team #1 reporting from PANAMA!



Well church family, we have made it safely to the hot and humid Panama! Although we had a couple delays in our flights, we finally arrived at 9:00pm. Terry, Taylor & I were welcomed at the airport by our wonderful chauffer, Elio (who waited 2 hours for us to arrive). We had a warm welcome from Delores and her daughter, Deborah. Delores is so sweet you just want to squeeze her every time you see her. Jaclyn and I have the wonderful privilege of being Delores’ company for 2 weeks in her home.





Terry & Taylor have a very hospitable host, also. The Hoffman’s are so happy to be staying with a family they met at the last LST visit. During a late night snack at a McDonald’s restaurant, Terry & Taylor’s hosts showed interest in why we were here and what we are about. It is so exciting to see God working with us and through us, and we haven’t even begun the LST program yet. This family is already planning to attend church with us next Sunday. : ) Our first evening in Panama was blessed.




Sunday morning, we had our first experience at church, which takes place in a high school classroom here in town. We had the honor of meeting new Iglesia de Cristo families, and reuniting with the old. Following worship service, we went to pick up our last team member, Jaclyn, who made it safe and sound. Finally, the team is all together! Definitely taking advantage of the little free time we have, Deborah took us to do some sight seeing, and shopping while Delores cat napped in the passenger seat. Awww! Finally, our grocery shopping is done for the week, and we are ready for some rest. Pray that God gives us wisdom & patience as we begin LST tomorrow. Goodnight!




With Christian Love,

Sarah

Team # 1 in Panama Right Now . . .

We currently have a team from Davis Park in Panama. Terry and Taylor Hoffman, Sara Scott and Jaclyn Williams. Pray for them as they serve God teaching English through the Book of Luke. I know they are excited to be there. The work continues despite the significant loss of our dear brother Walter.

Team 2 leaves in nine days. Keep the Panama Project in your prayers.

Buddy

Keaton's Candles

Alicia Root wrote this on Facebook:

Keaton's Candle started as a memorial for my baby, Keaton Joshua Root. He died due to Hellp Syndrome on July 27, 2006, and I needed something to do for him on the day of his death a year later. As I went through the grief process, I realized I was not alone and that this happens a lot, no warning, no cure.

Keaton's Candle is more than a memorial for me now. It is a memorial to all of lost babies. It is a prayer for all expecting mothers that they will deliver a healthy baby through a safe pregnancy. It is a prayer for a warning, a cure for the unexplainable deaths that happen daily to mothers. New this year is that there will be candles lit in praise to God for babies born safe and healthy.

Keaton's Candle started because I needed something else to think about than Keaton or myself and now I think of all of my friends and others I do not know. I think of my dear friends who are about to give birth. I worry about them CONSTANTLY. I think of mothers who know my pain and I pray that God eases their pain and I pray they know He is with them every moment.

This July 26, 2009 will not just be the day before the 3rd year anniversary of the death of my son. I will not be plagued with thoughts about how my son is supposed to be 3.

It will be Keaton's Candle.

I will be thinking of all the mothers out there I have yet to hug and new babies I have yet to hold. My thoughts and my heart will be with those who have lost and those who are expecting.

If you or someone you know is pregnant or has lost a baby, please message me with the name or child's name so that I can light a candle for them. It would be an honor to remember them at Keaton's Candle.

If you would like to join me, my family and friends, I would be honored with your presence:

Davis Park Church of Christ
901 W. Rumble Rd
Modesto, Ca 95355

Sunday, July 26th at 4pm

Grief . . .

This past month has been a month of grief. Howver I would say in the midst of it al it was good grief. All of those who passed were saints and went on to their reward. Kirk Lindsey, Walter Leonard and Bonnie Chism each made a significant impact on my life. Kirk a world class christian businessman, Walter a world class warrior for God and Bonnie a world class mother and mother-in-law. All three have left deep voids that need to be filled and all three will be greatly missed in my life. To all three I congratulate you on a job well done. Enjoy your new eternal home.

Walter Leonard passed away . . . . . .

My fellow christ warrior Walter Leonard passed away on Friday. Grief has set in and the reality that I have said my earthly good-bye to him is near. On Wednesday we will have a congregational good-bye for Walter. Forty years of minitry, numerous congregations planted, hundreds if not more new Christians baptised and nurtured. Walter will be missed.

New Babe in Christ . . . . Old Friend passing away

Ministry is a lot like a rodeo. The bull comes out of the gate and you do not know which way its going to jump twist or turn. My good friend Kirk Lindsey is in his final hours of life as we write this. He has lived a full life, but is still quite young by many standards,but cancer has defeated yet another strong person. He and his family have bravely fought the fight, now it it a time to celebrate and remember the blessings he passed out along the way. More on Kirk in a later post.
Last night I had the blessing of baptising Barbara E. what a blessing she will be to our congregation. I was blessed talking with her and discussing her life and teaching her about her new life in Christ.

Rejoice! and again I say rejoice!

Buddy

Texas Fuenral

Just beginning to get over a three day jaunt to TX. A friend from high school mother passed away and she asked me to fly in and do the funeral. It was great to be allowed to work with the family for a few days and reaquaint with Karole Kieth. Krole was a part of our infamous championship swim team at Brazoswood High School in the 1970's. Karole did a great job of honoring her mother with the service we were a part of. My hope is that Jesus was seen in the midst of the grief.

Wildfires in Santa Barbara.

Pray for the folks in SB. There are many lives turning upside down as we speak. DRT is working on a response as we speak.

Swine Flu Post # 2

So far the swine flu is creating a large buzz but not having a lot of bite. It appears according to many sources that it is a mild viral diease. We will wait and see. Our local popualtion is about 40% hispanic many of which travel to from Mexico frequently. We will have to wait and see what happens as the virus hits the general population as to what kinda of emergency develops and what kind of response is needed. Pray for God to mitigate this outbreak and let it not be much of a problem.

The threat level for the swine flu phenom seems to be ratcheting up. We will stay updated and take action as necessary. Our role is cooking for medical staff.