goodbye december.

"I wasn't dreaming of a Christmas in Panama.

Not like the ones I used to know."

Christmas turned out great. Below is a picture of the Stint Team (minus Sarah who was heavily involved in a Christmas Cantata at her Church) at the V.E Christmas Party.

My sincere apology to those who have checked my blog looking for updates, and have been disappointed. This month seemed to fly by quicker than all of the rest and I still feel like I can’t catch up on it. We finished up the school year with a bang, Christmas parties, final goodbyes to graduates and planning for the New Year. I look back in awe of all that God has done and will continue to do on the campuses here and most importantly in the each moment of the lives of the students.

This month marked a very profound step in this journey away from home. I hit rock bottom the week before Christmas, emotionally giving up I should say…wanting the comforts of home and the presence of people I miss and love so much. Needless to say this was a crucial 4th month realization that I wouldn’t be returning home for the holiday and will continue to live here in Panama for many months to come. In saying that, I had an amazing time here with my friends here in Panama and my new “Stint Family”. Turkey was eaten, karaoke sung, egg-nog like substances enjoyed and Secret Santa’s investigated! Christmas here, without the romanticized chestnuts roasting, and jack frost nipping was stripped away from what I’ve grown to know…exposing that which I knew to be true. That Christmas was and is about Jesus…humbling himself to come to this World He created so that we could have a personal relationship with Him. Emanuel, God with us…do you believe it to be true? I was smacked in the face with that reality this Christmas…God…on earth? Smelling, breathing, laughing, coughing…Jesus for real? He was the ultimate sacrifice, representation of what we know to be selfless love, a reflection of God’s supreme power and strength. What a gift. What a liberating thing. What a Holy night that must have been. And Jesus re-lived that this year with me.

For those of you who are getting my monthly updates, tomorrow I will send a complete perspective on the month of December as it will be the last day…2008 still sounds very strange. But I am anticipating great things for the New Year, I know that the Lord is going before me and I am ready to fulfill that which He has laid out for me to do.