I’m writing to you from thirty something thousand feet en route from Kona to Los Angeles CA, our first stop to the country I’ll be making my home for the next three months: Panama. We’ll have another layover in Houston TX before boarding our final flight to Panama City. We’re going to be doing a lot of work with different ministries there and we’re all very excited to be going!

If you haven’t been properly introduced to our team and what we’re doing over there check this out!

So that gives you a little idea of what we’re doing and who we are. Stay tuned for updates on what we’re doing by liking our page https://www.facebook.com/TeamPanama I’ll of course still be writing to you on here but the Facebook page will be updated more regularly.

I have some rather big news actually, my co-leader has really felt that God is calling her to do something else instead of coming to Panama so I’m now going to be leading this outreach by myself with the help of some student leaders, this means that all decision making for ministry things and the day to day rests with me. I’m feeling very much at peace about this and I’m looking at it as an opportunity to really grow as a leader. I’m just feeling my need of God to help me make the right decisions. So please pray for me as I step out in this. I’m looking forward to the next three months as I have collaborated with a number of different people on possible ministries and there’s some legitimately amazing ideas being thrown around, more information on those will be unveiled where appropriate.

The last few weeks of lecture phase have been some of the best weeks we’ve had. The students have really been able to engage and press in for the last weeks before outreach. Being on staff for a DTS doesn’t just mean I sit through classes and go to worship times, my mission field is both in other countries but also very much in Kona during lecture phase. It is the staff’s job to be discipling the students in living every day with God, to be encouraging them to bring problems to Him and to be praying for them and speaking truth into their life. As many of you know I gave my life back to God in January this year after running away from Him for the past five years and ever since then God’s completely flipped my life 180º. My walk with Him is a daily thing and is very real to me. I’m not saying I’m now somehow perfect, I’ll never be perfect, but I’ve come a long way in the past six months and I’m looking forward to staffing the DTS in September as a result.

It has been such a tremendous encouragement to see the students overcoming things that you have been praying for over the course of their time in Kona and seeing them come into a greater understanding of who they are in Jesus and starting to really live that out. Even students who prior to DTS had a daily walk with God are stepping up and taking hold of what they’re learning about a God who is greater than they ever dreamed of and are pressing further into Him and overcoming things they had struggled with their whole life. Just some of the stories they’ve been telling me about how God is revealing new things about His love for them and about them breaking off passivity and taking hold of what the bible says and applying it to their lives and seeing blessing flood their life has made all the meetings, long hours and all the extra work so so worth it.

I’ve really been learning a lot too. The more I’m giving things to God; my desires, plans, stress, ministry etc the more I find He gives me inspiration for everything I need. The transition from two to one outreach leaders, my plans to staff the September school, ideas for outreach, leading me through an amazing process to buy my guitar that’s going to be used almost exclusively to lead worship and reach out to people in whatever community I’m in, the extraordinary way he’s been providing all the software and hardware I need to properly produce great sounding music and beautiful videos (possibly music videos too hehe) so that I can assist my team to use media to reach the world for Jesus. The more I feel like I give up, the more I lay down my ideas, the more I seem to get! Makes no sense right? Its true.

Anyway I don’t to make this too long but I’d like to leave you with a few videos that two of my students who are going to Panama with me made at our beach day; kind of a celebration of completing lecture phase. They show some great dynamics between us all and I feel really capture the atmosphere that’s been around the whole time, just a sense of a big family that loves each other. We’ve laughed together, cried together, seen God do miracles together and now it’s time to take everything we’ve learned and go to the nations of the world and serve them because at the end of the day we’re called to simply love God and love others.

Don’t forget to scroll down if you want to see my prayer points!

PRAYER – for if you’re the praying type…

Answered Prayer

• We finished lecture phase! 12 amazing weeks.
• Financial provision for our team – all the students got their money in!

Prayer Points

• Wisdom and guidance for me as I lead the team by myself.
• Protection for us and our gear as we travel.
• Monthly supporters that want to join in with the work God is doing through my life and ministry.
• That God would continue to work on me so that I continue to grow in my knowledge of Him and so that I can pour into these students how much He indescribably loves them.
• Panama:
  • Our team Allie, Rachel-Joy, Sammi, JoJo, Sarah, Wes and Dan.
  • Pray God would continue to give us a heart for Panama and its people.
  • Pray for divine appointments and for the people we will minister to.

God bless you!