DTS OUTREACH TO PANAMA: Week One

All the DTS students are alive and well. It was quite a trip to arrive to Panama. There were problems with the tickets, then problems with the plane but all in all, we arrived safe and sound.

To start off our stay in this new country, we went to church on Sunday, and Renzo share his testimony, it was quite amazing. It is always good to hear others testimonies and see the response.

We didn't start going out and doing ministry until Wednesday; Wednesday we had the privilege to go to two different schools. The first school was a ministry for the Chinese, there is a high population of Chinese people in Panama. The Chinese school affected a lot of the students. The highlight of that ministry was when a guy from the other DTS was preaching and afterwards he had the kids raised their
hands to accept Christ and the response was amazing.  In the afternoon we went another school that is a ministry of the base, the kids had so much energy!

Thursday we were very blessed to go minster to a male prison, this too  was one that affected a lot of the team. we performed some of dramas and had a time of worship, the men were completely enthralled in the moment. It was a really enjoyable experience to reach out to those who do not have access to the outside world.

Friday was another  day full of impact , we went to a neighborhood that wasn't the safest, in fact it is known for crimes due to gangs and prostitution. It was such an honor to be able to go there and see the kids react to what we had for them. The joy of the Lord is in every environment.  After we finished the with the kids we went on a prayer walk around this neighborhood. It is very different then most prayer walks because we had to escorted by the police for safety reason.  God really blessed our time on the walk.
That evening some of us went to a skate park to minister to the guys there.
Like none of us can skate board or at least not that well, but it didn't matter because God used us in a powerful way, one of the students was able to sit down and evangelize to two of the guys there, using the tracts that were given to us. It was just so cool to see their reaction.
Another student was given the opportunity to pray another of the guys there and the guy's friend. Many seeds were planted that night.

On Saturday, we as a whole group went and toured the Panama Canal, it was such a beautiful sight, we were able to watch a short documentary on whole it was built and go through a four level museum.

I  think I can speak for everyone on this team and say God did a lot this week and changed lives of not only others but ourselves as well. 

EDE CRUZADA A PANAMA SEMANA 1

Fase de la Cruzada en Panamá

Octubre 19 al 26

Estamos muy agradecidos con el Señor por su gran cuidado y protección sobre todos los estudiantes de la EDE de JUCUM, Antigua 2013.   Después de haber tenido un largo y divertido viaje de Guatemala a Panamá el 19 de octubre, finalmente llegamos a Panamá con alegría y dándole gracias a Dios por su cuidado y dirección de nuestro viaje.

Nuestro ministerio dio inicio el primer domingo en la iglesia en Gamboa, en la cual Renzo Lopez compartió su testimonio

 y  lo que Dios está haciendo ahora en la vida de Renzo en YWAM.  El día miércoles, la EDE de Antigua, juntamente con la EDE de Panamá, estuvieron ministrando juntos en la Escuela Cristiana de Panamá dirigido por Chinos, se hicieron varias presentaciones como, dramas, testimonios, cantos, y compartiendo con los niños, pero lo impactante fue que después del mensaje compartido por uno de los alumnos de la EDE Panamá, varios niños aceptaron a Jesús como su único Salvador.   Asimismo, se visitó una Academia Cristiana Doulos, una escuela apoyada por YWAM Panamá.  En esta escuela, también los niños se gozaron con los dramas, cantos, testimonios e historias bíblicas que compartieron ambos equipos, pero sobre todo, el propósito fue mostrarles el amor de Dios y compartir la palabra de Dios a los niños.

Otro ministerio impactante que se llevó a cabo en Panamá el día jueves por la mañana, fue haber visitado una de las cárceles de Panamá.  Mientras se desarrollaban las actividades en la cárcel, los presos que asistieron a la actividad programada por los estudiantes de YWAM, mostraron el impacto de las diferentes presentaciones que se hicieron.   El jueves por la tarde, se visitó un orfanato de niñas entre 8 y 14 años, de igual forma mostraron mucha alegría y deseo de escuchar la palabra de Dios.  Las mujeres de la EDE, tuvieron el privilegio de compartir con las niñas y ellas quedaron muy agradecidas e impresionadas por la palabra de Dios compartida con ellas.   El día viernes,  se visitó una escuelita en Curundú, en la que se hicieron presentaciones para niños, como cantos, dramas con la participación de los niños, cantos, juegos y testimonio.  Luego se hizo una caminata de oración en el área de Curundú, fue necesaria la compañía de la policía por seguridad del grupo ya que esa área es una zona peligrosa, pero Dios es grande porque cuido de todo el grupo que estuvo orando por el lugar y por las personas que viven en esa área roja.  Confiamos y creemos que Dios hará su obra en ese lugar.     Por la noche, el grupo de estudiantes fue a un parque de patinaje en el que se tuvo la oportunidad de hablar con algunos de ellos de la palabra de Dios y animarles  a permanecer en los caminos de Dios.

Después de haber tenido una semana bendecida y larga, tuvimos la oportunidad de ir a conocer el Canal de Panamá y la importancia que tiene por las embarcaciones que entran y salen a diario.

Estamos ansiosos de lo que Dios seguirá haciendo durante las próximas semanas de Cruzada, y pedimos sus oraciones por todo nuestro equipo, para que Dios nos siga usando y se alcancen más almas para su reino.  

October update

October Update

Our DTS class is now on outreach in Panama.  We are working with YWAM in Chilibre for a week and them move on to another YWAM base in Quirique, close to the Costa Rica border.  We have been ministering in schools, churches, orphanages, prison and will be doing some open air presentation.  We also will be visiting some indigenous groups and will be working with YWAM as well as a church in the area.  After our ministry in Panama we will be going to Costa Rica to work with YWAM San Jose and YWAM Heredia for 3 weeks.  We will be partnering with them in the ministries they conduct in their areas.  Our final destination will be Yulmacap, Guatemala, where we will spend a week ministering to all age groups.  This is the area in which several have a rare form of cancer caused by ultraviolet light.  A previous DTS group went to this area 2 years ago and we have great ministry experiences.
Our next DTS will begin on February 16, 2014.  We already have students enrolled and are looking forward to the 5 months working with them.  We have not determined our outreach location but are looking at staying in Belize, Southern Mexico and Guatemala.  Our present plans for the July DTS is to return to India for our outreach.
Our base staff is growing and we are looking to buy land and possible building a structure that will house DTS students and have a classroom along with a larger dining area. Please pray for us as we seek the Lord's guidance and provision.