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Last Sunday we went into the church in Gamboa. The worship was in English/Spanish. The whole service was really good. Pastor Bill introduced us and the entire church prayed for us. Pastor Bill also told a story that happened to a group of Medical missionaries going into the Darien not long ago with our director Richard Tracy. They went up the river and then walked for about 8 hours carrying supplies through the jungle to the village they were reaching out to. When they got there they set up clinic and began seeing people. They saw over 1500 in 3 days and gave out medication to 1200 of them. While all this was happening a man stood watching them for two days. This man was a well respected witchdoctor for that village. Other witchdoctors went to him as a mentor or for help. Finally, after 2 days he went up to the leader of the group and asked to address the entire group. After giving permission, the witchdoctor began. I saw you coming from the river. You were not in human form, but you were lights (luz) walking the 8 hours through the jungle. We used all our magic to stop the light to curse the light, but it would not go out. Your light is stronger than our darkness. What an awesome story that was as we were reminded of how much greater the light of God is. In fact, God is light. We carry the light inside of us. Darkness cannot put it out. After church we went to the mall in Panama City. THAT was an experience. The mall itself was extremely busy, very much like our American malls; but it was the bus ride home that was most memorable that day. The bus drivers WAIT for their buses to fill up before leaving. Unfortunately, we were some of the first people on the bus. It was so hot outside and inside the bus it was 10 degrees hotter at least. We sat there sweating even more than we thought we had ability for. Tommy, one of the guys on our team, had hot coffee which he was drinking. That made the rest of us hotter just seeing him do that. Sweat was dripping off of him like he had just stepped out of a pool. Just when we thought the bus was as full as it could get, an extremely obese black woman dressed in a yellow suit and black hat came in and sat next to Tommy and Eisleen. Then finally the bus took off after 45 minutes! When we got off at the stop we walked about 15 minutes back to the base. I can’t remember being sooooo hot in all my life!!

This week has gone by in such a blur. I will try to list things that stick out In my mind as memorable:
1. Rising at 5:45 every morning to help get breakfast.
2. Killing a centipede next to my bed.
3. Fighting off bees and spiders.
4. Playing soccer (had a lot of fun, in better shape than thought)
5. Fatigued the day following soccer/ dehydrated I think.
6. Classtime/God is teaching me as much as the teacher Kenneth
7. Going into the city on Wednesday to worship/pray
8. Going into city on Friday unexpectedly for prayer walk. (prayed for pink/white/turquoise building used for adult movies) Spirit of lust reigns strongly in this place.
9. Learning not to complain about things, but viewing it as discipline God is using to grow me. I asked for increased discipline before coming. I am making my bed every morning in response to the fact that it is important to be obedient and disciplined (faithful) in the little things before God can trust us with the bigger things.
10. God is asking me to stop walking on the high beam and prepare to learn to fly. He gave me the example of how an eagle learns to fly. So exciting!
11. Everything is for the first time this week. Trying hard not to be too nervous. I just don’t really know what to expect. I need to learn to stay in peace in all things.
12. Taking showers (cold) but never being able to get dried off because of the humidity.
13. Spent time with a fellow YWAMer. Praying for her (anxiety).
14. My own worship time when I get away from “practicing” and just worship.
15. I’ve developed a regular time to play my guitar right after dinner. No one is in the dorm so it is quiet.
16. A man came and asked us to hide his girlfriend/child because the gang he was trying to get out of was trying to kill him. Richard, our director, gave him some money and resources to help and sent him on his way. We can’t afford to risk the young people’s lives here for that reason.
17. Monday morning I was so worried about being late for breakfast duty that I arose early. My cellphone was stuck on eastern time and is an hour ahead. I forgot it was the wrong time. I showed up for duty at 4:45 am. I could’ve slept a whole extra hour. Tried to, but was afraid I wouldn’t wake up.
18. Thursday morning woke up to lightening and thunder. The rain fell hard. Sol (lady who works in kitchen) said it’s not good for the fishermen (unsafe conditions) or the villages (mudslides). The base parrot, Squirt, absolutely loved the rain and wouldn’t stop talking.
19. Because of Thursday’s rain we comfortably wore jeans and then a sweatshirt in class. Very nice.
20. Chris, one of the base leaders has a passionate heart for Panama City. He is especially concerned for the human trafficking and wants to get involved in dealing with that. He wants to start a base in the city as well. We went to the city Wednesday night to worship and intercede for the city and the human trafficking issue.
21. Be careful not to jump ahead of God. Listen for His voice, leading, giving specific direction.

The classtime this week has been phenomenal. The focus was “Hearing the Voice of God.” The teacher sends us out at times to get quiet with God and listen for Him to speak to us. I’ve gotten as much from those times as I did the classtime. God spoke specific things to me that have drawn me ever more closely to Him. God’s guidance should always draw us closer to Him. Satan will challenge that and cause us to question whether or not we heard from God. Insodoing, he challenges God’s character. Therefore, it is even more important to know God’s character to allow us to be able to filter. Additionally, it’s important to note the character of Satan as a liar, thief and murderer. To recognize when He is trying to steal the Word of God spoken to us. God will speak to us anytime, anywhere. We do not have to be doing anything spiritual for Him to speak. It could be in the middle of washing dishes, etc. Because we are all different, God will choose to speak to individuals in different ways. Please read the book by Loren Cunningham, “Is That Really You, God?” I found myself pressed down into my bed by the presence of God as I finished reading it today. I wanted to just stay there and visit with God and listen to Him talk to me. I also have been struggling with just “being” this week as God is working in me. I know that that is an important prerequisite to what’s ahead. “Doing” comes out of “being.” Be with God and rest in Him, put the Word of God into me and out of that time flows God’s purposes in touching the lives of others.

This next week the YWAM Director from San Francisco will be teaching us about Urban Outreach. I’m looking forward to that. Keep us in prayer as God pours more of Himself into us this week in preparation for the doors of ministry that will be opening to us. Please also pray with us direction for where God wants us to go the last 2 months and what He wants us to do specifically.

Shalom!

Monday ….. Sound of the night jungle…frogs, crickets, ketydids, etc….becoming the white noise that lulls me to sleep. = ) Good night y’all!

Lesha Cambra Check out my friend the tarantula under “Panama #1″ by Laresa Sprik under my photos. There is a hill right behind the guys dorm with several tarantula holes. I couldn’t restrain myself by checking it out one night in my first week here. = ) (I had a dream the other night that tarantulas invaded the women’s dorm while we slept.) 

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