My feelings

I feel this team has a great potential in accomplishing what we're there for. They know to now get out without two or three guys with them. They know to not go alone anywhere or with someone else. They know to be careful with what they need. This is a very well-behaved group, for the most part (hehe). Culturaly, i think we'll survive, so to speak, but also learn more and more how to humble ourselves and work together as a youth unit. Im really exited to see what God has prepared for us there. As i read before, "The people who get affected the most in a short mission's trip is the people going there."

The Guide

For me is stuck out so much about the "taken action" section. It told about different themes, such as racism and being involved with in the solution.
However, it strucked me more that it says here in the packet that if we want to be serious in becoming a misionary after you have gone to a short term missions trip, you need to take classes, "working on a language and really thinking about coming back."
That is exactly what happened to the Galvez family, and it's awesome to see how God directed them after a succesful mision's trip. It could maybe happen to some people from our trip.
Also, i read that taking part of action means to be aware of problems or issues around the people group you're ministering to. After that, it is essential the type of ministering you do, whether to show them that in the Bible there are examples of their problems, and how they overcame those problems with Jesus Christ's help.

Do's and Don't's

You see, i think it'll be easier for most of us in the team because some of us have been following these guidelines even here in Panama, or anywhere we go.
I don't see any of us having any major problems in the Do's and Don't, but we still need to be careful in what we do there. I think our problem there will be the flies around Mancora and dehydration. That was the problem the first year we came here, and so people became sick. The second year we controlled it by covering food with mantles and constantly drinking bottled water. Another problem we might be facing is our conduct, because, sadly we're all not flexible enough, including me, and being disciplined will always be a problem (a minor problem in our case) in a teenager's trip. A dangerous aspect will be security, but we won't be going to any dangerous place at night, so that wouldn't be a problem.
My problem will be the food, since i like to eat a lot, however i know which foods i should eat and which i shouldn't. Other than that, i do not think i'll have a problem or feel uncomfortable with any of the list.

"The Planters"

The First thing that came into my mind as i was trying to think what I was going to write is that this author (the one speaking) is full of wisdom. God has blessed him with wisdom to administrate, plan to the furture. Not only that, but the passion he uses is a great combination.

The part the really stuck out for me for this group, is the "Learning esperiences" section, where we tend to want to take over in a short term mission's trip. This kind of goes with my preview post "experiencin Life at the margins." Most of the time, we want to go in a short term mission "to serve." The serving part becomes a blindfold, and we fail to see that we're not giving the church the realtionship that we need. Like the pastor said, "They say...'We're going to do A, B, C, D, and we're in charge.'" That should not be our mentality as a team, but to go there as their guest and having a servant's attitude is the real deal: if they ask you to paint with them, paint, and if they ask you to spend a day talking nad chilling, talk and chill with them. With this, another thing we as a team should do is create a Christian short-term mission's model that does not depend of money. Like Paul mentioned, a model should be depending on hospitality, not on materialistic things, such as staying in a 5 star hotel, because that says we're there carrying a litle vanity with us. Making ourselves vulnerable is principle in this. We shouldnt be taking the most expensive clothing there, neither taking 20 pairs of shoes or showing off our devices, but trying to be as low leveled as we can be, humbling ourselves. That's how we can be planters.

Jahango Fair

It was fun for me to be part of the Jahango fair. As i looked at the little village impersonation, it strucked me that these people have fun in dancing and music. They emphasize their inner joy through the music, and for me it is a connection (when praising God) from your soul, to your body, to outside, to God. The differences i saw from the Kenyan country is that most of them who are living there are not Christians. However, there's that need of God all cultures face. Also, their homes are kind of similar; the Kenyans looked less third world, but there was still that economical need.

For the Galvez, their hardest task will be to share the Gospel in French. They need to be sure their phrasing of teaching is correct, to break down that cross-cultural barrier. After that, another thing is waiting and being a servant there, for God is the one who changes people's hearts.

The Body

We (the church) are like this child, Grace. She has an arm missing from the war days in her village, and she tries to do things limited to her. We're just like that. Our church (mostly every church) has many broken pieces in unity. Some people build each other up and some people tear people down because of likings or social statuses. The truth is that we need to drop out all our differences if we want this to work. We need the true unity that binds us together: Jesus Christ. Also, to keep this trip from being a "tourism," we need to leave behind some of the things that entices us to Panama ( dropping everything might cause us to want it, or look for it), so 1) we dont show our social status, 2) we can be with people better. Along with that, just not always being idle in our tasks there, i mean, to rest most of the time will show that you are there to rest only and will not show that you are a servant. We're not just visiting.
"The poor do not need to be integrated into our community, God is calling us, rather, to identify with theirs." - David Chronic.
It is so true. Westeners think that the Christian who is poor is lacking resources. It might be they are lacking resources in today's world's views and mentality, but , in fact, it is mostly the Western Christians who are lacking the resources to know God. Westerns have many things that them from knowing Jesus, to many things in the way that satisfies momentarely. We need to identify with them.

Pastor Gary Edmonds

Here are His 5 points:

1. The world has been turning upside down: The places that are harvested belong to God, and the Gospel is at owrk today to redeem and call His cause. A movement is happening, ad unheard places are meeting Jesus ( notice that it is not just "knowing" Jesus)
2. The Gospel is About the Kingdom! It about stirring up the kingdom, a Jesus who comes to restore.
3. Social Unity is essential for Credibility! This tells us how to look like a body. To be 1 just as God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are one.
4. It's all about not only sending the right people, but sending the right people TO the right people: to identify them and guide these people.
5. You will run into pain and suffering: Asking to participate in his will(plan for missions)

For our trip, i think it will mean the Social Unity. We need it to work this out. One cannot be a blockstone for another person, which then will cause that second person to be a blockstone for other. So we need to be alert to other people's characters and behaviours; and having constant prayer for unification of the team. Also, the fifth one is valuable. We will suffer, that's part of being Christian (unless God doesn't permit u to suffer) but there will be sufferings in our life, and weneed to be ready to tackle them full on, never ceasing to depart from the Gospel so we do not fall. The book of James is full of suffering passages, so Cheer On and Rejoice!