Fall also means the hatching of spiders!

Need I say more!

Today was my day off and I decide "well to feel like I've done something I will mow the yard"! I love fall and all the colors but I forget about all the floating spider webs and all the spiders...everywhere! I saw at least 10 today! I saw 5 on the lawn mower itself. Yuck! black little furry suckers! I really don't have a phobia but when it comes to seeing so many at once I get a little creeped out..like they are going to be crawling all over me.

I have some puffy hair and yes bugs get stuck so I decided to where a hat. I chose my dads Panama hat that I got in Panama! Also I grabbed an old croquet stick that I was going to use to ward off floating cob Web's that get stuck around my face. I use a riding lawn mower that's a lot of fun to use but to work it can be a bit odd....so I only ran into one rock:). That's good for me! I got the job done with just one cob web around the face and my nephew came and sat on the mower with me and held the croquet stick to keep Cob webs at bay! So all in all once I got going It went OK and hopefully I ran over the rest of the spiders on the yard!

London to South Africa!!!!

Its been a while but here it is.....Now I have been home and the internet is less expensive I will give you a big update.

Well I left Miami and headed for South Africa. I traveled with my friend Brittany and we had a 12 hour layover in London and boy, we were excited, but tired. We had about 6 hours in downtown London and got to see the sights like the London Eye, Big Ben, St. James Park, Buckingham Palace and my fave, a local Fish and chips pub! It was a great time and it made it easier to sleep on the 11 hour plane flight to Cape town! We walked a lot which helped me stay awake! But Brittany manned the underground transpotation map and got us to the places we needed to see! I manned the street map which was fun but sometimes a little confusing! The weather was definitely cooler than Panama! We had some sun but a cool wind that blew all day! It felt like fall. Luckily Brittany had an extra sweater because guess who didn't even think to grab hers! Ya you guessed it, me!

On to South Africa........we arrived in the morning which helps you go about your day to try to defeat good ole Jet lag! We were met by two of our friends and they had picked some beautiful flowers to make us welcome. S.A. was a change from Panama in sights and weather, not to mention they drive on the other side of the road! We got to stay a couple of nights with the rest of our team that was in South Africa while we were in Panama. Jon showed Brittany and I around some of the coastal towns and especially to see the penguins. That was Brittany's firts goal was to see the penguins! Not your ordinary Penguins, they live in the sand! We arrived in there begining spring months and you pretty much were always cold and then if the wind died down you were hot no in between!

Our plans in SA were to go to a YWAM conference at a Spa/resort. This Resort had little round houses that we stayed in with a kitchen and a bathroom and three beds. They call them Rondowels (ron-dov-als) they were kind of fun but cold.....they don't have indoor heating. The resort had a nice natural hot springs that we got to swim and realx in. It was nice to have hot water in general since in Panama we had cold water.

Then after the conference we headed off over the mountain to a retreat center to debrief. Debrief was to get us ready to return home and know that as we have changed so had home and just some ideas to prepare us for that return! I had a great time and experience. I met wonderful people and formed lots of great friendships and it really was a familly! Not to mention the living in community which makes it feel like family but it was a christ centered family, focused on each other and learning not to just focus on ones self!

I am missing a lot of these people but its great to know that I will see them all again on day, here on earth or in heavan!

Its all about Jesus!

One of my leaders talked about how they had a word form God for us. It was about a field and how we were planting the field and after our work was done we looked back and saw that it was still dry and nothing was growing yet. But that if we were to come back in time we would see growth. That word seems so true for us. We thought we would come in and help make a publication to get the word out on Human Trafficking and prostitution, and encourage the church in Panama to rise up and help in this need. Isn't it sooooo like God to have another plan and much better. After a month of being here and things moving in a slow pace, we had the opportunity to talk about this topic to some churches here in Panama. We realized we had already a publication in a 30 day prayer booklet for the Voiceless that has just been translated into Spanish.

Then God opened up doors to meet with prostitutes at a medical clinic every Wednesday morning. We passed out pieces of paper so that they can write down prayer request that we come together and pray for later. Also people asked for prayer personally or for family members. Prayer is an opportunity to break down a language barrier that many of us have. The Holy Spirit moves in prayer and thats the amazing part, that God chooses to use us. It becomes all about Jesus his plans and how each day he brings something new to show us and to be apart of. We want these women to know Jesus personally and also to know his huge love for them. I saw my friend Rachel almost in tears telling these women how much Jesus loves them.

Thats what matters to us! Some of these prayer request were to get out of prostitution. I can't imagine the horror of having to sleep with men for money and men who don't care about you, they are just there for themselves. The guilt and the shame that satan fills these women with is disgusting. Jesus first loved us and knows everything that we have done and never once does he take his love away. He loves these women and has given us the opportunity to share it with them. Lord it has been a blessing and a privaledge to be apart of what you are doing in Panama.

Papas

Here in Panama I have noticed one thing with the food chains, food comes with fries! I enjoyed a Quizno Sub yesterday, and found out it came with fries or papas as we say in spanish!!! They were great fries as you can see by the picture! So you might be thinking that doesn't sound so far off but a week or so ago I had fries with Taco Bell, not tator tots but french fries! As I realize this appears more different when it comes down to american chain resturants that usually you don't find fries with. But oh well, by this story you can tell that I ordered them and ate them! Papas for everyone!!

Time

So time here is coming to a close. I have a week and a half left and today is my day off and I am off to get some gifts for the family!!!!
Being here has been a great experience but a long one. As being a part of the twelve hearts team, I have daily walked with each one of these wonderful people. There is coming the day where we will go our separate ways. Its an honor that God has brought us together for this time. These folks are family to me and I know I will see them all again either on earth in Heaven. Thanks God for this time in Panama....and a little time, coming soon, in South Africa!

Cappabera "Pig dogs" or "Pig Rats"

This animal was first introduced to me by my leader Susi. Susi told us a story of these "Pig dogs", as she called them. Their real name is Cappabera. To me they look more like a big "pig rat" that has no tail! This creature is very unique to me, I watched this "pig rat" digging in the ground and burying some sort of food.

I see them a lot in the little town of Gamboa, where my group and I are staying. They come out of the bushes right as your walking past....not so fun to hear the bushes rustle right by you!
I do enjoy Gamboa its a nice quiet town where you can watch the boats drift by...literally!