Well, we are back home now and have been for a few weeks. Phil and I went to Panama to work with other Chinese Churches in Canada (and our one dear friend out of New York) to help with the annual English Camp. It is for Chinese and local kids to come to, but we here in Canada partnered with the three Chinese Churches in Panama to do the camp. Each of us who were there were part of a teaching team. I had two local helpers and one other young lady from Regina and I was the primary teacher. I had a group of Junior High kids who I taught for the week. Phil was partnered with another young lady from Regina and they taught the college aged "kids". We had a wonderful and growing time as we interacted with Panamanian Chinese people. It was a real neat experience to be there and to learn more about their culture and their life in Panama and also had a chance to share with them about our life here in Canada. We were all stretched and forced to grow in ways we wanted to and in ways we didn't want to.
For myself there were a few challenges that I had to face and attempt to overcome. I was the main speaker for one session as the speaker who was there was only there for the first couple of days. So, I had to prepare a message and then share in front of over 100 students/adults. Working with kids is one thing, but speaking to youth and adults is totally different. I did it though... I got up and spoke and hopefully someone learned something from it. I also had to travel by myself as I had to leave early to get back to Canada to run our kids soccer camp. I sort of had a bad feeling about it a few months ago. When I arrived at the airport the line was huge and slow moving. Then I noticed a memo that said the plane I was on was going to be delayed by an hour. When I got to the counter, the attendant there told me I had enough time to get my luggage, go through customs, etc. So as we are flying we hit a wee bit of a thunderstorm (not sure if that slowed up down, but boy was it bumpy). Then as we were landing the plane went down and then came up. The captain said he noticed another plane on the radar and so in order to miss a collision went back up. Fair enough, but now we were really late. By the time we landed I had one hour to find my luggage, clear customs and book it across the airport. By the time I got my luggage I had 30 minutes to clear customs and get to my gate. By that time it was too late and so was rerouted to get new boarding passes and get on another flight. The lady did all she could for me, but I was not able to make it home that day. So, she flew me from Miami to Dallas and put me up in a hotel overnight in Dallas (I am delelting many details...but feel free to ask me about them!). I spent the night at a really nice hotel on the airline with vouchers for food and everything! Then I flew out of Dallas the next morning, made it to Calgary with plenty of time to get my luggage, get to another counter, check in with a different airline and make the 45 minute plane ride to Edmonton on the smallest airplane I have ever been on... only like 20 something seats! So, then I had one hour to get from the airport, get home, get changed and get to a meeting for soccer camp which was to begin the next day!!! I knew I had a bad feeling. But all in all God took care of me and showed me that I need to lean on him more and more. I also learned not to book so many things together at one time and to also not travel internationally alone again!!! (just kidding Phil...).
But I would say, overall the trip was awesome and we are making plans to take another group of kids somewhere else next summer. Stay tuned for those details!
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