January Update

 

Monkey in Panama

Embera Village in Panama

It's almost the end of the month, which means its time for another update. I'll start updating more often as the trip goes closer, but for now, once a month seems about right. As I sat down to write this, I took a minute just to think back over the past month. Looking at things from a day to day, or even from a week to week perspective, it seemed like there hadn't been much going on. However, when I took a minute to look back over the whole month, and give myself a broader perspective, I realized that a lot had changed since I last wrote on here. :)



On the San Blas Islands

First, the original plan was for me to travel to Panama for two weeks. Around the beginning of December, I looked into an extended trip option that the Never the Same Trip was offering, for an optional third week to the San Blas islands. I really wanted to go. I prayed about it, and thought about it, and I finally decided that I needed to go on the extended trip. So I am now heading to Panama for three weeks next July. The first two weeks we will spend in Panama City, and the third week we will spend on the San Blas islands, ministering to the people and kids there, and also doing some work projects for them, much like what we'll do the first two weeks. I am super excited to be able to have this opportunity. It will cost an extra $1480, but I am praying and trusting God to provide - and I'm working on new fundraiser ideas. :)



San Blas Islands



Another bit of progress I've made is I've been able to purchase the plane tickets from here to Miami! I bought them tonight - It took me awhile to find a flight that was compatible with the flight schedules Big World Ventures (the place that organizes the trip for us) had given us, but eventually I did. The airline websites had also been super jumpy, with the prices of the flights changing almost hourly. The cost of the tickets were already up almost $100 more than when I had checked in December, so when I saw they were down this afternoon, I jumped on them. :)

Those are the two  biggest things that have happened over the past month. Hopefully I can get some info. up on Panama and their culture soon.

 156 days to go! :)


**All photos courtesy of Steve Goley (Big World Ventures).

Fundraising.

So I have officially been fundraising since..... September. And it has been coming pretty slowly. Which is kind of sad. However, I know that God will provide all the money I need to go to Panama. :)

My main fundraiser that I have been doing so far this year is selling photo greeting cards I made. I took all the pictures myself (ok, Mom took a few ;]) and I had them printed... they actually came out better than I thought they would! :)

Here are a few of my most popular pictures:

Card #022.

Card #035

Card #036



Card #042




Card #010.




Card #016




Card #019




Card #040.
















Each of the cards are blank on the inside and cost $4 each. I have a Facebook page for them, and I am trying to get more pictures up. Check it out: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Photos-for-Panama/272793342761709

Let me know what you think! :)

Panama, here we come! :)

Ever since I came back from my mission trip to Quito, Ecuador last summer, I'd been thinking about what God wanted me to do. The Never the Same trip for 2012 was going to Panama, and I began to pray about going. Long story short, I got accepted to travel to Panama near the end of August.

Last summer in Ecuador changed my life. (You can read about it here.) I am so excited to see what God has in store for me in Panama.

We'll be doing a bit of the same thing in Panama as what we did in Ecuador. The two week trip begins on July 2nd. We'll all fly to Miami for two days to meet up, learn the drama that we'll perform in Panama, and also do some language and cultural training. Then, we'll all fly together to Panama City.

Once in Panama, we'll minister to people through our drama in parks, schools, churches and neighborhoods. We'll also have the opportunity to do work projects for them.

I am so ready to see what God has planned for all of us going, and for the people of Panama as well. I hope you'll enjoy following along with me.