THIS SUNDAY...
1. In both services there will be time given for a short "look back at Panama". As part of the "look back" the great dictator-in-making SCOTT HOFFMAN will be sharing. Be sure to be there on Sunday to cheer widely for him!
2. After the 10:00 service we'll be heading over to the Stakset's house(4320 36th Ave NW, 98335) for swimming, eating and Bible study (here's a hint: pay attention to the sermon and you'll be ahead of everyone else going into the Bible study....plus the preacher will really appreciate it!)
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Summer Updates
Sunday, July 21 - 2nd Annual Harbor Cov Carnival
Come to the 10:00 church service and then stay to play and help other people play! Water balloon launchers, BBQ and maybe some human bowling!
Sunday, July 28 - 2nd Summer Bible Study
Come to the 10:00 church service and then we'll head over to the Staksets for lunch, swimming, and bible study (4320 36th Ave NW, 98335)
July 31-Aug 4 - OASIS IV
It is not too late to sign up for Summer Camp. Stop by the church office to fill out and turn in your Oasis registration form
August 12-16 45 ZONE
It is not too late to sign up to be on the 45 Zone staff. We'll spend the entire week helping kids have the time of their lives. Training will take place Sunday, August 11 from 11:30-4:00
Come to the 10:00 church service and then stay to play and help other people play! Water balloon launchers, BBQ and maybe some human bowling!
Sunday, July 28 - 2nd Summer Bible Study
Come to the 10:00 church service and then we'll head over to the Staksets for lunch, swimming, and bible study (4320 36th Ave NW, 98335)
July 31-Aug 4 - OASIS IV
It is not too late to sign up for Summer Camp. Stop by the church office to fill out and turn in your Oasis registration form
August 12-16 45 ZONE
It is not too late to sign up to be on the 45 Zone staff. We'll spend the entire week helping kids have the time of their lives. Training will take place Sunday, August 11 from 11:30-4:00
Monday, July 8, 2013
1st SUMMER BIBLE STUDY
This Sunday at 11:30 @ the Graffe home. Come to the 10:00 service and then we'll head over to Casa de Graffe. Lunch will be provided
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Back in the States
United Flight 1031 from Panama to Houston has landed, our crew is back in the States! Their next flight is flight 251 and leaves Houston around 7:15 Houston time.
**Remember to pick up your student tonight at church at around 11:15-11:30!!**
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Hasta Manana!
Panama- During the time we were camping in Mariato, the Panama team stayed in tents on a cliff looking over the ocean. Every night we fell asleep to the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks below us. There were palm trees surrounding us and stray dogs everywhere. The best part of the environment was the sun, mangos, coconuts and plantains that I lived off of picked fresh from the trees. The first day we got there I met about 10 kids of all ages and they let me ride their horse. I got to know all of their names and I spent most of my free time connecting with the kids of Mariato, even though there was a language barrier (I am not very good at speaking or understanding Spanish). Down at the beach we all went swimming crashing against the waves. A few of us on the Panama team got stuck in the rip tide but the locals were quick to jump in and make sure we were all okay! I visited a school with a team and shared my testimony. That night I shared my testimony again in front of all the locals and the Panama team. I was really nervous but it felt good to be able to step outside my comfort zone and to follow the nudge. Becky translated for me. There was also another translator Steven, I am very grateful for meeting him because he taught me a lot about bravery and god and shared experiences with me that changed my point of view on things. I also got closer to Jim, he is someone I now know I can always count on to be there for me. Brooke, Gabby, Jim, and I got really attached to all of the kids from the orphanage and in Mariato. We were all sobbing together and Jim prayed for us and prayed for the children. He said that god has a plan for the kids and that one day we will see them again in heaven. It was also a pleasure getting to know Don, Jim, and Steven at one of the school while we cleaned the bathrooms. Jim taught me how to fix toilets and we all bonded. I will never be the same. Those people have definitely changed me for the good on this trip. I loved getting to know everyone and leaving the campsite and some of the kids I got close to was one of the hardest things I have ever done. The last night I had with the kids I was crying and the little girl, Ruth, hugged me and wouldn’t let go and was sobbing into my shirt. It was a priceless moment and there are pictures that I am looking forward to show everyone. The next day before I got on the bus she and a couple of kids made me things and gave them to me along with kind notes. And when I said goodbye they all came up and kissed me on my cheek and that broke my heart. I have experienced Beautiful Pain. I Have learned so much from the kids and I hope that the kids have learned from all of us too. I will never forget the love and pain this trip has brought <3.
-Kaylee Overby
This entire trip to Panama has been an unreal experience. For a long time leading up to the trip, I didn’t want to go. For the past year or so, I have really struggled with my faith and accepting the presence of God. In my mind, going to Panama would force me to confront many of these struggles and I didn’t feel prepared to deal with them. However, because of the persuasion from a few of my friends who were going, I reluctantly paid the final deposit and before I knew it, I was sitting on a plane with 30 other students on the way to Panama. And wow, am I glad that I decided to come. I would not trade my experiences here for anything. A moment that particularly impacted me was during a church service Sunday morning in Mariato when the Panamanian pastor asked the people of the church to come forward if they were hurting or needed prayer. This soon developed into half of the congregation stepping forward and the Harbor Cov group kneeling before them and praying over them. After I had finished praying and took a step back, I drank in the sight that was before me. To observe people of different cultures and backgrounds holding each other and praying and sobbing and understanding one another was tov; it was good, it was beautiful, it was working exactly as God intended it to. That Sunday morning during the first real church service I have been to in almost a year consumed me with a feeling that is unable to be explained with words. Standing in that church in Panama, surrounded by strangers and people I’ve grown up with, has been the first time that I have genuinely felt the presence of God in a long, long time. Though the memories of this trip will eventually fade and in twenty or thirty years I may not remember the names of the children we served or the towns we stayed in, the feelings of love and acceptance and satisfaction that God provided me here are things that I will hold onto as tightly as I can. And I don’t ever want to forget the feeling of God’s presence again.
- Mara Kramer
Panama has been an amazing experience for me. I have never experienced joy as much as I did while I was here. If you would have told me before the trip that I would find joy chasing kids around and carrying them on my back in the hot humid sun I would have told you that you were crazy. The first two days we were serving at a school either helping in classrooms, doing work to make the school nicer or just doing whatever they told you to do. When recess came around everyone would stop what they were doing to play with the kids. These kids had so much energy and when playing with them, their energy flowed straight to me. Kids would run up, poke me, make a face and then run away for me to chase them. When I did this the kids laughed and smiled which made me laugh and smile. Then after those two days we headed out to the Pacific side of Panama to the beautiful town of Mariato. In Mariato I was on the team that went to the community of Plantan Aires. We helped at the pastors home painting walls, cleaning floors and simply by being present with the people. There was one little girl that I will never forget, Sari. She was about two years old and was the cutest thing! She came up to me crying one day and I just picked her up to comfort her. She kept crying so I tried something to get her to stop. I would go “Uno, dos, tres!” and then throw her up in the air and catch her then while holding her drop her backwards so her head was towards the floor. When she came back up there were no more tears and in their place was a beautiful smile. She was happy to be having fun and I was happy to be causing that. This is one of the main places I saw God during this trip, through the joy in the kids I played with. I want to take that joy that I got from the kids and spread it around to everyone I know. It was the highlight of my trip and just thinking about it makes me smile. God did some amazing things on this trip and there are many more stories to be told when we get home.
~Maddie Stelle
Panama was defiantly the best trip ever and I’m so glad that I got the opportunity to come here and make new friendships with everyone on the trip. Panama is so beautiful, especially Mariato because of the ocean and rolling hills. I loved working in the school the first two days because the children just loved being held and loved because they didn’t get much of that at home. It was awesome to teach the fourth grade class despite the language barrier. I really don’t want to forget working in the school or working in the orphanage in the HIV room because it was so sad to think about what their life was like when we weren’t there and it pains me to think about what their life is right now. They will continue growing and it saddens me thinking that I can’t see them grow because they were life my own children. Mariato was so much fun. I can’t describe how much fun it was to be there and to camp with everyone. Team busted tent and team busted truck, otherwise known as team 27, were the best teams ever. I loved working at the pastors house and painting while Willieto kept tickling me and flicking my ear because his smile just brightened up my day and he was like my little brother. I know this because I ended up giving him my cross necklace because God was nudging me and telling me that he was the one who deserved it. Going to the beach was also fun with everyone and our new team dog, Randi. I felt a lot of comfort whenever Randi was around and I looked out for him as much as I could even though we weren’t here for the animals. During the Sunday service is definitely a moment I won’t ever forget because I was not feeling good at all and that church was extremely hot so I ended up sitting outside on the ground with Randi who ended up following us there and fanning him because I knew that he was hotter than me and I loved the smiles I got from the locals while I did that because I felt a little bit better knowing that Randi was treated better because of the kindness I showed him and knowing that he was happier just sitting next to me and just seeing me. I never want to forget this trip or the experience I had here. Just seeing everyone work hard to do physical work or working hard to make the children happy I could see God working through them.
~Emily Ivey aka Ohio
Panama… This has been the most amazing trip I have ever been on. Period. I have experienced so much joy, and so much beautiful pain over the entire trip. I have experienced the power and love of God like never before in so many different ways. One of the times that I experienced beautiful pain was leaving the orphanage on the 25th. I had been blessed to spend two days just playing, and caring for three eleven year old boys. Mike , Jim, Luke, Scott, Roberto and I all had the privilege of getting to know Franklin, Angel, and Loberto. Playing with these kids was very fun, yet it was bittersweet because I knew that in two weeks they were being transferred to a different orphanage just for boys, and we were told that it was run more like a detention center. Leaving these kids while knowing this was very painful because I knew that they were completely under Gods control, which has helped me strengthen my faith in him. The moment on this trip when I felt the most reliant in God, and felt his extreme power was when I was swimming to an island in the Caribbean. I was with a few other people, but I was still nervous I had never swam that far in the open ocean before, and although I am a very strong swimmer I felt an odd sense of weakness. I stopped, and looked around and I was almost halfway to the island. I had been swimming at a moderate pace for about twenty minutes now, and I knew that I had a long way to go. All I saw was open water, the waves, the island that was my destination, and the little tiny beach way in the distance where everyone was just chillin. I felt a shiver go down my spine, and it was not because I was scared, but rather because I felt how dependent I am upon God, and how extraordinarily powerful, and awesome he is. It was in the moment of my utter weakness that I felt truly invincible. This trip has strengthened my faith in ways that I cannot explain, so I thank everyone who helped me get here!!! See y’all tomorrow!
Sincerely, Jacob Willenbrock
-Kaylee Overby
This entire trip to Panama has been an unreal experience. For a long time leading up to the trip, I didn’t want to go. For the past year or so, I have really struggled with my faith and accepting the presence of God. In my mind, going to Panama would force me to confront many of these struggles and I didn’t feel prepared to deal with them. However, because of the persuasion from a few of my friends who were going, I reluctantly paid the final deposit and before I knew it, I was sitting on a plane with 30 other students on the way to Panama. And wow, am I glad that I decided to come. I would not trade my experiences here for anything. A moment that particularly impacted me was during a church service Sunday morning in Mariato when the Panamanian pastor asked the people of the church to come forward if they were hurting or needed prayer. This soon developed into half of the congregation stepping forward and the Harbor Cov group kneeling before them and praying over them. After I had finished praying and took a step back, I drank in the sight that was before me. To observe people of different cultures and backgrounds holding each other and praying and sobbing and understanding one another was tov; it was good, it was beautiful, it was working exactly as God intended it to. That Sunday morning during the first real church service I have been to in almost a year consumed me with a feeling that is unable to be explained with words. Standing in that church in Panama, surrounded by strangers and people I’ve grown up with, has been the first time that I have genuinely felt the presence of God in a long, long time. Though the memories of this trip will eventually fade and in twenty or thirty years I may not remember the names of the children we served or the towns we stayed in, the feelings of love and acceptance and satisfaction that God provided me here are things that I will hold onto as tightly as I can. And I don’t ever want to forget the feeling of God’s presence again.
- Mara Kramer
Panama has been an amazing experience for me. I have never experienced joy as much as I did while I was here. If you would have told me before the trip that I would find joy chasing kids around and carrying them on my back in the hot humid sun I would have told you that you were crazy. The first two days we were serving at a school either helping in classrooms, doing work to make the school nicer or just doing whatever they told you to do. When recess came around everyone would stop what they were doing to play with the kids. These kids had so much energy and when playing with them, their energy flowed straight to me. Kids would run up, poke me, make a face and then run away for me to chase them. When I did this the kids laughed and smiled which made me laugh and smile. Then after those two days we headed out to the Pacific side of Panama to the beautiful town of Mariato. In Mariato I was on the team that went to the community of Plantan Aires. We helped at the pastors home painting walls, cleaning floors and simply by being present with the people. There was one little girl that I will never forget, Sari. She was about two years old and was the cutest thing! She came up to me crying one day and I just picked her up to comfort her. She kept crying so I tried something to get her to stop. I would go “Uno, dos, tres!” and then throw her up in the air and catch her then while holding her drop her backwards so her head was towards the floor. When she came back up there were no more tears and in their place was a beautiful smile. She was happy to be having fun and I was happy to be causing that. This is one of the main places I saw God during this trip, through the joy in the kids I played with. I want to take that joy that I got from the kids and spread it around to everyone I know. It was the highlight of my trip and just thinking about it makes me smile. God did some amazing things on this trip and there are many more stories to be told when we get home.
~Maddie Stelle
Panama was defiantly the best trip ever and I’m so glad that I got the opportunity to come here and make new friendships with everyone on the trip. Panama is so beautiful, especially Mariato because of the ocean and rolling hills. I loved working in the school the first two days because the children just loved being held and loved because they didn’t get much of that at home. It was awesome to teach the fourth grade class despite the language barrier. I really don’t want to forget working in the school or working in the orphanage in the HIV room because it was so sad to think about what their life was like when we weren’t there and it pains me to think about what their life is right now. They will continue growing and it saddens me thinking that I can’t see them grow because they were life my own children. Mariato was so much fun. I can’t describe how much fun it was to be there and to camp with everyone. Team busted tent and team busted truck, otherwise known as team 27, were the best teams ever. I loved working at the pastors house and painting while Willieto kept tickling me and flicking my ear because his smile just brightened up my day and he was like my little brother. I know this because I ended up giving him my cross necklace because God was nudging me and telling me that he was the one who deserved it. Going to the beach was also fun with everyone and our new team dog, Randi. I felt a lot of comfort whenever Randi was around and I looked out for him as much as I could even though we weren’t here for the animals. During the Sunday service is definitely a moment I won’t ever forget because I was not feeling good at all and that church was extremely hot so I ended up sitting outside on the ground with Randi who ended up following us there and fanning him because I knew that he was hotter than me and I loved the smiles I got from the locals while I did that because I felt a little bit better knowing that Randi was treated better because of the kindness I showed him and knowing that he was happier just sitting next to me and just seeing me. I never want to forget this trip or the experience I had here. Just seeing everyone work hard to do physical work or working hard to make the children happy I could see God working through them.
~Emily Ivey aka Ohio
Panama… This has been the most amazing trip I have ever been on. Period. I have experienced so much joy, and so much beautiful pain over the entire trip. I have experienced the power and love of God like never before in so many different ways. One of the times that I experienced beautiful pain was leaving the orphanage on the 25th. I had been blessed to spend two days just playing, and caring for three eleven year old boys. Mike , Jim, Luke, Scott, Roberto and I all had the privilege of getting to know Franklin, Angel, and Loberto. Playing with these kids was very fun, yet it was bittersweet because I knew that in two weeks they were being transferred to a different orphanage just for boys, and we were told that it was run more like a detention center. Leaving these kids while knowing this was very painful because I knew that they were completely under Gods control, which has helped me strengthen my faith in him. The moment on this trip when I felt the most reliant in God, and felt his extreme power was when I was swimming to an island in the Caribbean. I was with a few other people, but I was still nervous I had never swam that far in the open ocean before, and although I am a very strong swimmer I felt an odd sense of weakness. I stopped, and looked around and I was almost halfway to the island. I had been swimming at a moderate pace for about twenty minutes now, and I knew that I had a long way to go. All I saw was open water, the waves, the island that was my destination, and the little tiny beach way in the distance where everyone was just chillin. I felt a shiver go down my spine, and it was not because I was scared, but rather because I felt how dependent I am upon God, and how extraordinarily powerful, and awesome he is. It was in the moment of my utter weakness that I felt truly invincible. This trip has strengthened my faith in ways that I cannot explain, so I thank everyone who helped me get here!!! See y’all tomorrow!
Sincerely, Jacob Willenbrock
Beach Day!
Yesterday was our Caribbean beach day! We drove to Portobelo, Panama, a port city with the ruins of Spanish fortifications. The ruins were fun to explore. After that, we were then taken by 3 water taxis out to a private cove where we enjoyed the rest of the day swimming, soaking, snorkeling, exploring, and relaxing. What a beatiful day, providing exactly what we needed!
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Monday, July 1, 2013
We're Baack! : )
We have arrived safely back in Panama after a long day on the bus for our drive back from Mariato. Thank you all for your prayers and your patience... We know you have anxiously been awaiting more blogs!
Here they are!
Today, I was sent with my team to go down to a church and paint. We walked about 300 yards down the road and found the unfinished walls, with it’s cement structure. Michaela and I were pulled aside and we sifted dirt for a little bit. Then, we went inside the church and began to help out there. After several minutes of scraping the walls to make them smooth for p ainting, we began to paint the walls with the base paint. There was a limited amount of rollers, so a lot of the group went out on a walk to meet the people living around the church and to pray for them. But I stayed behind and painted with the village men that were there. Cassidy and I met a really cool guy named Isa. We had a lot of fun painting with him. We couldn’t speak Spanish very well, and he couldn’t speak English very well, but we communicated through actions. It’s really cool to be able to talk to the people without words. Sometimes it’s difficult to speak to them, because neither one of you know what the other is saying, but when you finally understand, it’s really exciting. Isa laughed when Cassidy and I got in a water fight. When the rest of the group got back, they swapped out, and the other group went out. But Cassidy and I still stayed back. I didn’t want to leave the relationships I had formed, and Cassidy wasn’t feeling her best. But the group that had just returned commented that I had been painting for a long time. They didn’t ask to paint, but I knew they wanted to. So I put aside my “if I don’t do it, it won’t get done” attitude, and let them paint. By then we had started painting the crème color on the walls, and it looked really good. I went outside and found Kaylee surrounded by ten children. We brought them all back to the camp and gave them stickers of the good Samaritan story. I suggested that we acted the story out for them, so Daniel, Kaylee, Cassidy, and I acted out the story, using the very little Spanish that I knew. That was my favorite part of the day. I learned all of the children’s names, and we talk quite well together, although it is kinda difficult with the language barrier. God is ever-working in and through us here in Panama, and it is amazing to see what he has done, and what he is doing, with this village. I love the people here, and I cannot wait to see what will happen tomorrow. Whatever it will be, I know God’s hand will be on it all. ~Diana Dvorak
Panama is by far the most beautiful place I have ever been. My time here has been filled with laughter, tears, smiles, friendship, love, and joy. Over the passed few days I’ve seen so many amazing things that I hope I will never forget. Today, I was blessed with the opportunity to paint the inside of a church and go on a prayer walk through the village. Our prayer walk entailed us going around to people’s homes and asking if they needed help or prayer for anything, all but one lady allowed us to pray for them. The lady while she was thankful that we came, she said she would go to church if she needed prayed for. While that was a very humbling experience, it didn‘t weaken our spirit as we kept going to other homes. Later, a group of little village children joined our group. We decided to walk down to the pier, my little girl Ruth told me she had to go put her sticker story away. As she ran off, I realized she was going to the house of the lady I mentioned earlier. And while the memory still stung, I realized that I had a purpose there when Ruth came running out of the house toward me with the biggest smile on her face laughing for no reason. As I spent my time at the pier with Ruth and her brother Josue, I couldn’t help but love them as we laughed as we struggled to communicate. As I’m sitting here writing, Ruth and Josue are around playing with other students here in our base camp. Ruth, Josue, and many others, I will never forget their faces, smiles, and laughter. But most of all, their joy. Their joy for living life, because it’s beyond contagious, and you can’t help but feel this joy when you’re around them. This is only one memory of many that I will take away from this trip and I can’t wait to see what God will do in the hearts of all of us on the rest of the trip. Love, Amy Chadwell
Today my morning coffee was made in a pot 300 yards away at a local church kitchen. This same pot was walked over slippery grass and leaves in the pouring rain by our translator, Steve. Vanilla milk was offered as the perfect addition. It was poured into a navy blue (my favorite color) 8oz plastic cup--too hot to touch except the rim. It is perfect. I’m sorry for all the non coffee drinkers who are missing out. There is no coffee like Panamanian coffee sipped outside, under a tin roof, out of the rain, with the ocean waves crashing in the distance, contemplating the creation of God. Wish you were here, Pattie Graffe I’m sitting here listening to rain thump down on the tin roof of the church we’re helping remodel. There are no side walls, only a front and back, and half of a concrete floor. Our plan was to fill the other half with concrete, but bad weather has halted many of our efforts. Bad weather is also a cause for most of us being more tired today than usual. We were awaken abruptly last night by rain blowing into tents and thunder and lightening disrupting the silence of sleep. I kid you not, the rain was so loud on the tin roof of our camp last night that you wouldn’t be able to hear a conversation with a person two feet away from you. Although it was an inconvenience for many, having to get up and put the rain flies on, not being able to sleep with the noise, it was a great reminder of God’s power. Now we are dealing with the aftermath of last nights chaos. Usually I would complain; we get enough rain back home. Yet this rain is welcomed on my burned neck and blistered hands. It is cool to see my fellow teammates, and the Panamanians working through this rain as well. God’s strength is flowing through all of us, giving us that second wind to shovel rock, pound ground, pour concrete, and share His love with the people around us. We have three more days, including today, for organized serving. I’m excited to see how God will continue to appear and impact lives. Karen se dice hola a mis amigos en los estados. (Karen is the little girl sitting next to me as I type this, she says hello to my friends in the states). Jorge se dice hola tambien. Tambien David.
~Michaela Nelson
And I thought I could escape the rain by going to Panama…well I guess God has some serious plant growing to do here. Yesterday, we took the rain fly off our tent to allow more air to get in. Woops. At about 3:30 this morning, the rain pouring through our tent woke us up, so we had to get out and put the fly back on. Although the rain has been inconvenient, it has served as a reminder of God’s presence wherever I am, whether that may be Gig Harbor, Panama, or anywhere in between.
This morning, we read Psalm 29 for an optional prayer time. The Psalm talked about God’s voice thundering over the waters and coming down in flames of fire. That is exactly what happened last night and this week, both physically and spiritually. Up until last night, I didn’t feel God’s presence as I usually do. I had many distractions that pulled me away from Him such as being tired, hungry or wet from the pounding rain. Last night, I asked God to rid me of these distractions blocking me from effectively serving Him, and He delivered.
Today, the main thing my group did was visit a school and go into classrooms with kids of all ages. At first we did ice breaking games and introduced ourselves and then shared testimonies. After that, we had someone share the gospel message with the group and pray for them. Throughout the whole day, God answered my prayer because I had energy, wasn’t hungry, and because of that, I was able to follow the nudge and share my testimony multiple times. When I was watching people share their testimonies and the message, I couldn’t help but smile. I smiled because this is what it’s all about. This is the main thing. Experiencing God’s love and sharing it with others. Yes, we’ve been pounded with rain and thunderstorms, but also have been showered and enlightened with God’s love and the plans He has for us. I am definitely excited to see what God has planned for the rest of the trip! Oh and special shout out to my family if you can even figure out how to get to this site on the internet…. J
-Daniel Johnson
I have literally had my mind blown more times than I thought possible during only the first half of this trip. For one, I thought that I would be escaping the rain when I come here, obviously I forgot the definition of a tropical place. But it is different because although it is warm, the wind blows it sideways, into our tents. The humidity and heat have taught me the value of AC and the climate back home. And the thunder and lightning have kept me up much longer than I would have liked. But it is in these things that are “bothersome” and much much more that I have also seen God. Yesterday, during morning devotions, we read Psalms 29, which says that the Lord’s voice thunders over the ocean, and causes lightning to flash. The very things that were keeping me up was actually the voice of God.
The people too have shown me a new side of God’s love I had never experienced before. There is something simply beautiful about the generosity and love that these people have shown to us, even though they do not have much at all to call their own. They embody the generosity and spirit of Christ way more than even we as a church have. They help each other not because they will get paid, or because the other person will return the favor, but because it’s the right thing to do and it’s just how they live. I was blown away by how happy they are with the little they have, especially when I compared it to how unhappy people back in the states are because of the excess we have. Through these people, God has taught me the importance of simplicity, and although I am not exactly so keen on embracing the same kind of simplicity of these people, I will most definitely me making a change to my lifestyle.
A big hello to all my family and friends back home. Mom, dad, and yes, even you Nick, I miss all of you a lot! But not enough to be homesick yet. The jungle juice works wonders, thank you, and the broad shorts dry out incredibly fast. I also lost and found my camera in the ocean one day, and found it the next day, but that’s a story for another day. I love you all and I cannot wait to share everything else with you, because I do indeed have a lot to share!
-Christopher Thomas
So far this mission trip has been so eye-opening. When we went to the orphanage the first two days of ministry I was so surprised. I went to a house with girls ages 8-16. They were so happy we were there, even though they had no idea what we were saying and we had no idea what they were saying. Just being with them was enough. They were so excited to see us come back the second day, and were waiting at the gate for us to get off the bus. Leaving them was so hard after the bonds we created after two days being with them. Knowing that we would never see them again, we lifted their names up to the Lord the night we left Casa Paraiso. Since we’ve been in Mariato, I have done two prayer walks. We cant understand the people, but Crist translates our prayers so they can understand and so we know what to pray for. The experience is amazing because everyone wants prayer and is so thankful. I never would have thought that I would be able to pray out loud for someone I met right before I prayed for them, but God gave me words. I hope that the people we have had fellowship with and have prayed for remember us and experience the light of God through us. We only have one more full ministry day, but I know God has a lot more in store for us! The camping isn’t that bad, but I’m excited to have a bed soon J
-Megan Eberhardt
Hola! Wow! This mission trip has been so amazing and unforgettable! J I’ve met some of the most wonderful people that love the Lord, and make it very clear they follow him with their whole entire heart! So far the trip has included visiting a school of such fun, encouraging children! We were there for two days, which was definitely not enough. Those two days also included visiting an orphanage full of loving kids and adults that have such patience and compassion towards the kids. The specific part of the orphanage I visited was full of HIV kids, which were so much fun and entertaining, and was also so heartbreaking knowing the awful disease they were born with that they had no control over. Today was also youth group, which was really neat because we got to lead it. We performed skits and games and testimonies. I gave my testimony in Spanish, which was really encouraging and really opened my eyes to all the amazing opportunities God has for me in my life! Rachie also gave her testimony as well, which was such a blessing listening to!! It was also so great seeing new friends we’ve made since we’ve been here in Mariato. Sadly, tomorrow is our last day in Mariato, and we will have to say adios to all the gracious people here in this loving and blessed town, but I know they’ll be in our hearts forever!!!! This trip has been indescribable and the words I’ve written cannot even begin to describe how incredibly blessed, loved, united, and inspired I feel. These people and places will forever be in my heart!
> With Love, Olivia
Being in Panama is an unforgettable experience. I have experienced and seen things that I never could have imagined if I had stayed in the United States. I knew God was everywhere, I grew up believing that but actually being here and seeing the mysterious and wonderful ways God works is mind blowing. For example, the second day we were here, our group went to a orphanage and were split up into groups of three. In my group I had Brooke and Chris and we were assigned the toddlers room. Each building at the orphanage had a different age groups. Within ten minutes there, the three of us had kids crawling all over us. I will never forget the moment when I saw a little girl sitting by her self on the ground. Honestly I was nervous because I knew there was a language barrier between us and I had no clue what to say to her but I had the nudge to go over there and before I knew it I was sitting on the ground by the little girl. It was quiet for a few moments until I got another nudge to say something. What was I suppose to say? What Spanish words did I know well enough to say without it being random? I quickly said a breath prayer “ speak now lord, your servant is listening” and instantly I knew what to say. I looked at her and smiled, she smiled back and I pointed to her smile and said “ muy bonita” meaning very beautiful. About a half an hour later, I was sitting on the couch, watching the movie Rio with the kids when the same little girl came over and sat on my lap. She and two other girls were playing dress up with my hair when she looked up at me, moved the hair out of my face and pointed to me and said “ muy bonita” and the hugged me. I was completely caught off guard but the smile she put on my face was something that I have never felt before. That night, back at the house that we were staying at, Mike and Kristen led our whole group into a discussion about what we experienced at the orphanage and then we had worship time. Aaron led us in worship and I was in tears. My heart was broken, I knew we weren’t going back and had made a connection and love with those kids and I didn’t want to leave them. I got up and saw that Brooke was in tears to. We both walked over to Jim, sat down and started to pray for those kids. I didn’t understand why they couldn’t have family who loved them, I couldn’t understand why I could take them home with me when I knew I could love them and take care of them, I didn’t understand why God would let something like this happen. I looked at Jim, in tears asking why and he said to me “ you have to trust God, he has something planned big for those kids and this is part of this plan. You loving them for two days was apart of his plan.” and then he said “ you just have experienced beautiful pain”. Never in my life, at that moment have I felt God’s presence more than I did. I don’t know what God has planned for those kids or that little Girl, but I trust God and I know only he can love them more than anyone. I don’t know what God has planned for me, but my gut feeling says I will be back in Panama very soon. God is good all the time and only he knows what lies ahead of us.
Gabby Frazier
Today was pretty relaxed just went to church then the beach. It has been a great week and a amazing experience so far. The people of Marioto are so nice and welcoming and I will never forget them.
Luke Bonnell
This morning we went to a local church service, it was three hours long. I thought it was going to be miserable. Sitting in a hot room full of people, listening to someone preach in Spanish. And the first two hours were. But towards the end of the service everybody went up to the front of the church and started praying. During that time Mike had each of us go up to a local and pray for them, and that was nice, I liked that. It ended up being a good service. After church we came back to our campsite and ate sandwiches, then went down to the beach. The rest of the day will be spent sitting and thinking back at camp.
Lauren Gillette
As you have probably heard already - our theme for the week is “follow the nudge”. The nudge - the tap - the still small voice of God. I’ve felt it in a word, in an idea, in a thought.
A word - Lord. Lord, Lord. As I meditated on the word, God gave me a verse to go with it. “Why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me an hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house who dug down deep and laid a foundation on a rock….” (see Luke 6:46-49)
An idea - Sing. As I was washing windows in the house where we were working, I realized that it was quiet. At home I’d have music playing. I felt nudged to sing. I sang. The singing has opened doors to precious relationships with the women. I speak very little Spanish, and they no English, but we can sing to each other, hug, and pray. It has opened doors to friendships here that I could have never dreamed of. When I sang at first, I had no idea of the significance of the song…
A thought - Go. Yesterday, at the home where we were working, there were 4 women in pink - Moms in Touch. They were on their way over to the church and I decided to go with them. As I’m walking over to the church, I was talking to the coordinator - Diana De Fouler - in English! They had come for the morning to give a seminar to the women of the community and church of how to pray for their kids, their schools, and their teachers.
I know that you are praying for us. God is doing great things with the people of Panama and our children. Keep following the nudge in the states and we will keep following the nudge here.
I am proud of our kids! They are working hard and serving well. They are trusting God and following the nudge. They are building their foundations upon the Rock and He is blessing them
Gloria a Dios! Renee Dvorak
Today, I was sent with my team to go down to a church and paint. We walked about 300 yards down the road and found the unfinished walls, with it’s cement structure. Michaela and I were pulled aside and we sifted dirt for a little bit. Then, we went inside the church and began to help out there. After several minutes of scraping the walls to make them smooth for p ainting, we began to paint the walls with the base paint. There was a limited amount of rollers, so a lot of the group went out on a walk to meet the people living around the church and to pray for them. But I stayed behind and painted with the village men that were there. Cassidy and I met a really cool guy named Isa. We had a lot of fun painting with him. We couldn’t speak Spanish very well, and he couldn’t speak English very well, but we communicated through actions. It’s really cool to be able to talk to the people without words. Sometimes it’s difficult to speak to them, because neither one of you know what the other is saying, but when you finally understand, it’s really exciting. Isa laughed when Cassidy and I got in a water fight. When the rest of the group got back, they swapped out, and the other group went out. But Cassidy and I still stayed back. I didn’t want to leave the relationships I had formed, and Cassidy wasn’t feeling her best. But the group that had just returned commented that I had been painting for a long time. They didn’t ask to paint, but I knew they wanted to. So I put aside my “if I don’t do it, it won’t get done” attitude, and let them paint. By then we had started painting the crème color on the walls, and it looked really good. I went outside and found Kaylee surrounded by ten children. We brought them all back to the camp and gave them stickers of the good Samaritan story. I suggested that we acted the story out for them, so Daniel, Kaylee, Cassidy, and I acted out the story, using the very little Spanish that I knew. That was my favorite part of the day. I learned all of the children’s names, and we talk quite well together, although it is kinda difficult with the language barrier. God is ever-working in and through us here in Panama, and it is amazing to see what he has done, and what he is doing, with this village. I love the people here, and I cannot wait to see what will happen tomorrow. Whatever it will be, I know God’s hand will be on it all. ~Diana Dvorak
Panama is by far the most beautiful place I have ever been. My time here has been filled with laughter, tears, smiles, friendship, love, and joy. Over the passed few days I’ve seen so many amazing things that I hope I will never forget. Today, I was blessed with the opportunity to paint the inside of a church and go on a prayer walk through the village. Our prayer walk entailed us going around to people’s homes and asking if they needed help or prayer for anything, all but one lady allowed us to pray for them. The lady while she was thankful that we came, she said she would go to church if she needed prayed for. While that was a very humbling experience, it didn‘t weaken our spirit as we kept going to other homes. Later, a group of little village children joined our group. We decided to walk down to the pier, my little girl Ruth told me she had to go put her sticker story away. As she ran off, I realized she was going to the house of the lady I mentioned earlier. And while the memory still stung, I realized that I had a purpose there when Ruth came running out of the house toward me with the biggest smile on her face laughing for no reason. As I spent my time at the pier with Ruth and her brother Josue, I couldn’t help but love them as we laughed as we struggled to communicate. As I’m sitting here writing, Ruth and Josue are around playing with other students here in our base camp. Ruth, Josue, and many others, I will never forget their faces, smiles, and laughter. But most of all, their joy. Their joy for living life, because it’s beyond contagious, and you can’t help but feel this joy when you’re around them. This is only one memory of many that I will take away from this trip and I can’t wait to see what God will do in the hearts of all of us on the rest of the trip. Love, Amy Chadwell
Today my morning coffee was made in a pot 300 yards away at a local church kitchen. This same pot was walked over slippery grass and leaves in the pouring rain by our translator, Steve. Vanilla milk was offered as the perfect addition. It was poured into a navy blue (my favorite color) 8oz plastic cup--too hot to touch except the rim. It is perfect. I’m sorry for all the non coffee drinkers who are missing out. There is no coffee like Panamanian coffee sipped outside, under a tin roof, out of the rain, with the ocean waves crashing in the distance, contemplating the creation of God. Wish you were here, Pattie Graffe I’m sitting here listening to rain thump down on the tin roof of the church we’re helping remodel. There are no side walls, only a front and back, and half of a concrete floor. Our plan was to fill the other half with concrete, but bad weather has halted many of our efforts. Bad weather is also a cause for most of us being more tired today than usual. We were awaken abruptly last night by rain blowing into tents and thunder and lightening disrupting the silence of sleep. I kid you not, the rain was so loud on the tin roof of our camp last night that you wouldn’t be able to hear a conversation with a person two feet away from you. Although it was an inconvenience for many, having to get up and put the rain flies on, not being able to sleep with the noise, it was a great reminder of God’s power. Now we are dealing with the aftermath of last nights chaos. Usually I would complain; we get enough rain back home. Yet this rain is welcomed on my burned neck and blistered hands. It is cool to see my fellow teammates, and the Panamanians working through this rain as well. God’s strength is flowing through all of us, giving us that second wind to shovel rock, pound ground, pour concrete, and share His love with the people around us. We have three more days, including today, for organized serving. I’m excited to see how God will continue to appear and impact lives. Karen se dice hola a mis amigos en los estados. (Karen is the little girl sitting next to me as I type this, she says hello to my friends in the states). Jorge se dice hola tambien. Tambien David.
~Michaela Nelson
And I thought I could escape the rain by going to Panama…well I guess God has some serious plant growing to do here. Yesterday, we took the rain fly off our tent to allow more air to get in. Woops. At about 3:30 this morning, the rain pouring through our tent woke us up, so we had to get out and put the fly back on. Although the rain has been inconvenient, it has served as a reminder of God’s presence wherever I am, whether that may be Gig Harbor, Panama, or anywhere in between.
This morning, we read Psalm 29 for an optional prayer time. The Psalm talked about God’s voice thundering over the waters and coming down in flames of fire. That is exactly what happened last night and this week, both physically and spiritually. Up until last night, I didn’t feel God’s presence as I usually do. I had many distractions that pulled me away from Him such as being tired, hungry or wet from the pounding rain. Last night, I asked God to rid me of these distractions blocking me from effectively serving Him, and He delivered.
Today, the main thing my group did was visit a school and go into classrooms with kids of all ages. At first we did ice breaking games and introduced ourselves and then shared testimonies. After that, we had someone share the gospel message with the group and pray for them. Throughout the whole day, God answered my prayer because I had energy, wasn’t hungry, and because of that, I was able to follow the nudge and share my testimony multiple times. When I was watching people share their testimonies and the message, I couldn’t help but smile. I smiled because this is what it’s all about. This is the main thing. Experiencing God’s love and sharing it with others. Yes, we’ve been pounded with rain and thunderstorms, but also have been showered and enlightened with God’s love and the plans He has for us. I am definitely excited to see what God has planned for the rest of the trip! Oh and special shout out to my family if you can even figure out how to get to this site on the internet…. J
-Daniel Johnson
I have literally had my mind blown more times than I thought possible during only the first half of this trip. For one, I thought that I would be escaping the rain when I come here, obviously I forgot the definition of a tropical place. But it is different because although it is warm, the wind blows it sideways, into our tents. The humidity and heat have taught me the value of AC and the climate back home. And the thunder and lightning have kept me up much longer than I would have liked. But it is in these things that are “bothersome” and much much more that I have also seen God. Yesterday, during morning devotions, we read Psalms 29, which says that the Lord’s voice thunders over the ocean, and causes lightning to flash. The very things that were keeping me up was actually the voice of God.
The people too have shown me a new side of God’s love I had never experienced before. There is something simply beautiful about the generosity and love that these people have shown to us, even though they do not have much at all to call their own. They embody the generosity and spirit of Christ way more than even we as a church have. They help each other not because they will get paid, or because the other person will return the favor, but because it’s the right thing to do and it’s just how they live. I was blown away by how happy they are with the little they have, especially when I compared it to how unhappy people back in the states are because of the excess we have. Through these people, God has taught me the importance of simplicity, and although I am not exactly so keen on embracing the same kind of simplicity of these people, I will most definitely me making a change to my lifestyle.
A big hello to all my family and friends back home. Mom, dad, and yes, even you Nick, I miss all of you a lot! But not enough to be homesick yet. The jungle juice works wonders, thank you, and the broad shorts dry out incredibly fast. I also lost and found my camera in the ocean one day, and found it the next day, but that’s a story for another day. I love you all and I cannot wait to share everything else with you, because I do indeed have a lot to share!
-Christopher Thomas
So far this mission trip has been so eye-opening. When we went to the orphanage the first two days of ministry I was so surprised. I went to a house with girls ages 8-16. They were so happy we were there, even though they had no idea what we were saying and we had no idea what they were saying. Just being with them was enough. They were so excited to see us come back the second day, and were waiting at the gate for us to get off the bus. Leaving them was so hard after the bonds we created after two days being with them. Knowing that we would never see them again, we lifted their names up to the Lord the night we left Casa Paraiso. Since we’ve been in Mariato, I have done two prayer walks. We cant understand the people, but Crist translates our prayers so they can understand and so we know what to pray for. The experience is amazing because everyone wants prayer and is so thankful. I never would have thought that I would be able to pray out loud for someone I met right before I prayed for them, but God gave me words. I hope that the people we have had fellowship with and have prayed for remember us and experience the light of God through us. We only have one more full ministry day, but I know God has a lot more in store for us! The camping isn’t that bad, but I’m excited to have a bed soon J
-Megan Eberhardt
Hola! Wow! This mission trip has been so amazing and unforgettable! J I’ve met some of the most wonderful people that love the Lord, and make it very clear they follow him with their whole entire heart! So far the trip has included visiting a school of such fun, encouraging children! We were there for two days, which was definitely not enough. Those two days also included visiting an orphanage full of loving kids and adults that have such patience and compassion towards the kids. The specific part of the orphanage I visited was full of HIV kids, which were so much fun and entertaining, and was also so heartbreaking knowing the awful disease they were born with that they had no control over. Today was also youth group, which was really neat because we got to lead it. We performed skits and games and testimonies. I gave my testimony in Spanish, which was really encouraging and really opened my eyes to all the amazing opportunities God has for me in my life! Rachie also gave her testimony as well, which was such a blessing listening to!! It was also so great seeing new friends we’ve made since we’ve been here in Mariato. Sadly, tomorrow is our last day in Mariato, and we will have to say adios to all the gracious people here in this loving and blessed town, but I know they’ll be in our hearts forever!!!! This trip has been indescribable and the words I’ve written cannot even begin to describe how incredibly blessed, loved, united, and inspired I feel. These people and places will forever be in my heart!
> With Love, Olivia
Being in Panama is an unforgettable experience. I have experienced and seen things that I never could have imagined if I had stayed in the United States. I knew God was everywhere, I grew up believing that but actually being here and seeing the mysterious and wonderful ways God works is mind blowing. For example, the second day we were here, our group went to a orphanage and were split up into groups of three. In my group I had Brooke and Chris and we were assigned the toddlers room. Each building at the orphanage had a different age groups. Within ten minutes there, the three of us had kids crawling all over us. I will never forget the moment when I saw a little girl sitting by her self on the ground. Honestly I was nervous because I knew there was a language barrier between us and I had no clue what to say to her but I had the nudge to go over there and before I knew it I was sitting on the ground by the little girl. It was quiet for a few moments until I got another nudge to say something. What was I suppose to say? What Spanish words did I know well enough to say without it being random? I quickly said a breath prayer “ speak now lord, your servant is listening” and instantly I knew what to say. I looked at her and smiled, she smiled back and I pointed to her smile and said “ muy bonita” meaning very beautiful. About a half an hour later, I was sitting on the couch, watching the movie Rio with the kids when the same little girl came over and sat on my lap. She and two other girls were playing dress up with my hair when she looked up at me, moved the hair out of my face and pointed to me and said “ muy bonita” and the hugged me. I was completely caught off guard but the smile she put on my face was something that I have never felt before. That night, back at the house that we were staying at, Mike and Kristen led our whole group into a discussion about what we experienced at the orphanage and then we had worship time. Aaron led us in worship and I was in tears. My heart was broken, I knew we weren’t going back and had made a connection and love with those kids and I didn’t want to leave them. I got up and saw that Brooke was in tears to. We both walked over to Jim, sat down and started to pray for those kids. I didn’t understand why they couldn’t have family who loved them, I couldn’t understand why I could take them home with me when I knew I could love them and take care of them, I didn’t understand why God would let something like this happen. I looked at Jim, in tears asking why and he said to me “ you have to trust God, he has something planned big for those kids and this is part of this plan. You loving them for two days was apart of his plan.” and then he said “ you just have experienced beautiful pain”. Never in my life, at that moment have I felt God’s presence more than I did. I don’t know what God has planned for those kids or that little Girl, but I trust God and I know only he can love them more than anyone. I don’t know what God has planned for me, but my gut feeling says I will be back in Panama very soon. God is good all the time and only he knows what lies ahead of us.
Gabby Frazier
Today was pretty relaxed just went to church then the beach. It has been a great week and a amazing experience so far. The people of Marioto are so nice and welcoming and I will never forget them.
Luke Bonnell
This morning we went to a local church service, it was three hours long. I thought it was going to be miserable. Sitting in a hot room full of people, listening to someone preach in Spanish. And the first two hours were. But towards the end of the service everybody went up to the front of the church and started praying. During that time Mike had each of us go up to a local and pray for them, and that was nice, I liked that. It ended up being a good service. After church we came back to our campsite and ate sandwiches, then went down to the beach. The rest of the day will be spent sitting and thinking back at camp.
Lauren Gillette
As you have probably heard already - our theme for the week is “follow the nudge”. The nudge - the tap - the still small voice of God. I’ve felt it in a word, in an idea, in a thought.
A word - Lord. Lord, Lord. As I meditated on the word, God gave me a verse to go with it. “Why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me an hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house who dug down deep and laid a foundation on a rock….” (see Luke 6:46-49)
An idea - Sing. As I was washing windows in the house where we were working, I realized that it was quiet. At home I’d have music playing. I felt nudged to sing. I sang. The singing has opened doors to precious relationships with the women. I speak very little Spanish, and they no English, but we can sing to each other, hug, and pray. It has opened doors to friendships here that I could have never dreamed of. When I sang at first, I had no idea of the significance of the song…
A thought - Go. Yesterday, at the home where we were working, there were 4 women in pink - Moms in Touch. They were on their way over to the church and I decided to go with them. As I’m walking over to the church, I was talking to the coordinator - Diana De Fouler - in English! They had come for the morning to give a seminar to the women of the community and church of how to pray for their kids, their schools, and their teachers.
I know that you are praying for us. God is doing great things with the people of Panama and our children. Keep following the nudge in the states and we will keep following the nudge here.
I am proud of our kids! They are working hard and serving well. They are trusting God and following the nudge. They are building their foundations upon the Rock and He is blessing them
Gloria a Dios! Renee Dvorak
How Your Student is Getting Home Thursday Night!
Hello Everyone!
Right now the team is en route back to Panama City. I can't wait until they update us with stories from the past few days!
Here is the plan for when the team flies home Thursday night:
Flight Numbers:
UA 1031U 04JUL TH PTYIAH HK20 9:55A 2:06P
UA 251U 04JUL TH IAHSEA HK20 7:16P 9:47P
**Please be checking the status of these flights in case of delays**
The team will be picked up by a wonderful group of parents/drivers who volunteered to carpool the team back to church. If their flights are on time, plan on picking up your student from Harbor Covenant at 11:15 - 11:30 p.m. We'll be encouraging the students to borrow cell phones to get in touch with you about exactly what time they'll be back at church.
If you have any other questions about how your student is getting home, please call the church office:
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