Catching up

It's snowing outside. Finally! 

To find ourselves here in Colorado without any major winter storms at the end of February is not a good thing. In fact, Jody and I tried to go snowshoeing last weekend. We drove all the way up to Echo Lake at the "base" of Mt. Evans... and there was no snow. Ok, maybe an inch or two, but not enough to make snowshoeing a reality. Seriously? We had to turn around and come back home. But thankfully we've had two storms in the past week, and it's helping a bit. We had 4 inches of snow on Wednesday, and today's storm 'Rocky' is expected to dump 6-12 inches by the storm's end. When I look at the steady snowing outside, I'm thinking we'll hit the higher end of that estimate. Praise God. I hope it only continues!

So, church has been cancelled, Jody is asleep in bed, and the pups and I are relaxing out in the living room. Finally I have time to process all that has gone on in our lives the past few months.

Forgive me for my silence on the blog. It's not because a million blog-worthy experiences or thoughts haven't crossed my mind. It's just that I have not had the time. Seriously.

But so much has happened that I must finally sit down and write about each of these special events.

1. Big News.

My youngest sister, Anna got engaged on December 28, 2012! Yes, to Mr. Nate Clarke - a special young man that she met in youth group several years ago. They have been dating for a few years now, and so this development is not a total surprise. :) Nonetheless, we are so excited for them both. Since they're both still in college, I think the wedding is set for May 2014. 

Then... while I was in Panama, I found out on Facebook some other big news.

2. Other Big News.

My brother Chris proposed to his girlfriend Rebekah Millian. Yay! After traveling all over the US in sales, Chris has finally landed back in Richmond, and he met Rebekah at our home, when she was hanging out with my family. They're a perfect fit, and we are all celebrating this new development. We love Rebekah, and we're thrilled she's officially becoming a Clementson. So, we now have two Rebekah Clementsons. Hahaha.

This wedding is happening a little sooner. They've got the date set for May 18, 2013. Yay! Just this week I purchased airfare for Jody and me to fly out to Virginia for the big day.... which leads me to news development #3.

3. Mark your calendars. We're coming to VA. 

We'll be in Virginia May 16-21 for Chris & Rebekah's wedding, so if you're nearby, we'd love to see you! Yes, you W&M friends... I would love to see you. :) I miss you. God has brought wonderful people into our lives here in Colorado, but nobody will ever replace my dear college friends. I miss each of you dearly.

4. Panama was great.

I had a great time in Panama. In fact, I couldn't have asked for a better experience. For almost four years now I have been preparing teams to head out of the country, and it was truly worthwhile for me to make the trip myself. We had no trouble getting the medicine crates through customs. We served 500+ people at the Mountain Indian Conference, where Indian Christians gather together once a year. Then we traveled out to the Chirique Bay and served 5 different villages. 

We traveled by plane, bus, car, boat and foot to serve these precious people who are made in God's image, and here's what I learned.

1. There are still people today who spend their days subsisting. [Clean water and a balanced diet is not available. Education is a unavailable and - in some villages - unwelcome. Outside influence is viewed with suspicion. Trust must be earned. Slowly. ]
2. But you and I can do something about it.
3. Juan's ministry is doing something about it. I should invest in ministries and organizations that are doing something about it.
4. There are lots of cool people who step out in faith and offer themselves and their skills to serve. I met 10 new friends (my teammates). I like each of them. We ALL (yes, all) enjoyed spending time together in close, hot quarters. That's saying something. :)
5. I'm still very American. Personal space matters to me. 
6. Panama is hot and humid.
7. I'm still an introvert. I love my alone time.
8. Panamanian coffee is really good. :)
9. Even though I had a headache, it mattered to me that I got to see the Panama Canal. Yay for seeing one of the Wonders of the World!
10. My husband loves me very much. When I came home from Panama, I came home to this:

I am so blessed!

Panama: Another Adventure!

I have the wonderful privilege of working in the Missions department of a church that values true transformation. In the past almost four years (!) that I have been at Southeast Christian Church, I have grown in my knowledge and understanding of the work that it takes to "pull off" a short-term mission trip, as well as to build healthy relationships with missions partners all over the world. 

Another aspect of my job has been to learn what a healthy, solid missions partner looks like. I have seen how many non-profit organizations there are "out there" and most of them are not solid enough that I would support them financially, nor is their program strong enough that I'd want to send teams to come alongside them to help fulfill their long-term goals. In one word, I've developed more discernment. I have learned that well-meaning and well-intended organizations can often cause more harm than good by creating dependency. And I've learned that truly healthy missions partners work to give the native peoples all the tools they need to succeed, in short, to work the 'foreign missionary' out of a job. With that lens, I have become more critical (in a good way, I think) of potential mission partners, and I've become even more appreciative of those partners that have a healthy program.

One of those missions partners that we do love and fully support at Southeast is David's Well (La Fuente de David), at work in the country of Panama. The past few years I've helped get so many teams ready to head south to help this organization - healthcare teams with doctors, RNs, dentists and non-medical assistants, construction teams full of people who come alongside Panamanian construction workers to assist them in building homes, schools, churches, etc, and even our first youth team last year that was such a smashing success. It's been so good and so rewarding. Of all the missions partners we've had as long as I've been on staff, David's Well has been one of the most stable and consistent in being a good investment - always. They are about the business of equipping, empowering, and releasing the people they are reaching, the Ngöbe Indians, to their full God-given potential. They are unabashed about their ultimate goal: to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Along the way, they provide healthcare, build schools & churches, and ultimately show the people of Panama the love of Jesus in tangible ways.

But now... I get to go! I'm so excited. My boss, Steve, has asked that I go with the healthcare team that will be heading out next month, and I'm truly looking forward to it. I will be a lowly gopher (yay!), helping in the 'pharmacy' as we hand out the medicines that the docs prescribe. I can't wait to be part of this trip. I hear the insects and rodents are huge (lovely.), it's incredibly hot and humid, that it's remarkably similar to the backpacking/camping Jo and I already do, and that it changes you from the inside out. I'm so ready!

The trip is January 17-25, 2013, and I'm just getting ready to go. Please be praying for me, for the team, and for the Ngöbe Indians in Panama whom we are going to serve. Pray for our health, for all the traveling that we will be doing, for God to move mightily in their midst. If you want to help me get a few things I need for the trip, feel free to support me here.

For an overview of the ministry of David's Well, check out this video!