Top 10 Panama

Their are a few things that make Panama a very unique missions trip. It's a great place and God is really at work in the lives of people there. But anytime you step from one culture to another, especially with 18 teenagers, you are going to have some culturally different moments. Here's my personal Top 10 "Culture Shock" unique to Panama moments.

10. Every 5 steps one of our interpreters would pick something up from the jungle, exclaim how it's edible, and ask us if we too would like to try it.

9. Training Time: Jasey wowed us with her magic knife trick. Talent. It's not really a culture shock but it is a pretty sweet video.

8. Bathing in a River. You could actually sit down and being washing your hair while simultaneously have minnows (small fish) nibbling on your legs and back.

7. The fruit track actually just came straight to you instead of supplying a store. And much like an ice cream truck came complete with it's own song and loud speaker.

6. Volleyball in a monsoon. Amazing.

5. Language can be a barrier when entering a new culture. Nice Manhart broke down the walls of communication with the kids rather quickly. He learned the word "hurt" in spanish. He then proceeded to scream "hurt" in spanish while taking a wet bandana and whipping it wildly. He chased the boys for hours and days... and they LOVED IT!

4. What's that smell? By day 4 it was growing rather pungent in the male leaders room. I wanted to personally blame Travis. Only two days later did I realize the origin of the smell was coming from my duffle bag. Seems that something had literally died in my bag allowing the smell to ripen with our time there.

3. Tarantellas. Snakes. Caterpillars with ears that shoot venom. The wildlife was crazy and some of it very deadly.

2. Sweat. Here in our culture if you are sweating you are usually working hard. In which case when you finish the job you enter into a nice Air Conditioned vehicle or room and things return to normal. Not here. You just keep sweating. More then a couple people melted away over 5 lbs on our trip.

1. Machettes. Here if you have enough muscles to swing one... you should. Manual labor was the only labor. Even when we went to the city I never saw a lawn mower but a half a million guys with weed eaters who would use them as mowers. Crazy Cultures. Makes me wonder what people say when they come here!

Lessons Learned

So after 7 Months of Marriage I wouldn't say I'm an expert by any means. In fact I'd say I'm pretty far on the other side of the spectrum, but I'm learning. Allow me to share with you the top 5 things I've learned during this short time. Hopefully these things that got me in trouble with the Mrs. will now make you laugh.

5. You can be winning 11-0 in Racquet Ball and still be the world's biggest loser. Seems that my wife didn't appreciate my forehand "crush" as much as some of the guys might. Lesson Learned.

4. Gold Bond: Well if you didn't read this original post within the first 8 hours... you missed a good story which has since been deleted. My wife has convinced me some stories are better left un-told.

3. Guns should not be one's sole purpose of entertainment. Now this may be the hardest lesson I'm still in the process of learning. My wife is helping diversify my interest. We even went to "The Theater" to see a Broadway show last month. Another couple joined us. His response, not mine, at intermission was. "Is it now over?" Nope the fun continues. More to fun than just guns. Lesson Learned.

2. Donuts served fresh, are better for wives then "Donuts" in the truck. My wife is pretty healthy but will enjoy a nice bakery donut. What she doesn't enjoy is when I surprise her with the other type. When the tires are sliding across the ground and the centripetal force is jamming her against the door... Donuts vs. "Donuts." Lesson Learned.

1. Food Groups. My food pyramid was made up of Meats, Potatoes, and ice-cream. My wife has help me make the correlation between the spare tire in my mid section and such eating habits. Ends up I don't mind stemmed broccoli........ covered in cheese! Food Pyramid. Lesson Learned

Rosebud Recap

Rosebud was Awesome! Our team did a great job of reaching out to the youth and the community. I’d love to post a few pictures and a couple stories from the Rez.

First the team. We really wanted to be a team who loved each other and were unified. The idea was that if we could see the love of Christ amongst each other it’d be easy for outsiders to see as well. For 8 days together through storms, heat, bugs, sleep deprivation, and injuries I’d say they did great. Flexibility is a key word for teams on the reservation where cell phone numbers for locals change more often than the seasons (nearly all are on pre-paid). With the “lemons” that life dealt them through the week they made a lot of “lemonade.” God gave us the most amazing rain shower, which our students enjoyed to the fullest by playing tackle football. Two different Rosebud locals were quoted saying “This is the most fun I have ever had in my whole life.” So parents with sick children this week… they did it for Jesus!

The culture. If you haven’t gone you should. You can’t begin to create an accurate picture of such a unique place. Monday night Casey, a Ballard leader, was trying to describe the place and culture to Travis Pierce. Travis at one point burst out “Ok Stop. I’m just getting confused now.” Part of our time was spent installing some new hoops at the local courts. The hoops were then used to host a 3 on 3 tournaments. Roger Wheeler was a huge help. We had 16 teams show up to compete for prizes. This looks to be a great activity to build upon seeing as it drew the community out and rallied them around a central cause. Upwards anyone?!?

The Ministry. Too many sweet stories to share so you’ll have to ask those who went. It seemed like everyone was getting into great spiritual conversations. I was so encouraged by the leaders on the trip who really set an example. The guys really got the guys to open up and the same for the girls. It was amazing in how short of time the depth at which many of these relationships were able to get to.

Look forward to future efforts. Right now we’re praying and asking for host families to house some of the teens our teens connected to. The idea would be to give some of the students there a chance to get a great education in a great environment here. Away from the gangs and violence which are often found on the rez. Anyone looking for another life?!

Car Wash! Recap

So we've all had those overwhelming experiences. Maybe it's a kid tugging on your coat while

you're on the phone in the check out line. For m

e this past weekend it was our car wash. Let it be said on the front end it all turned out great! Cars

got washed and our e22 missions teams certainly got supported by an awesome church body. The amount brought in was nearly $1,750. That was an average of over $30/hr for the students to apply towards their overseas trips.

Saturday

10pm. Making a last minute run to the church to get things in order.

Sunday D-day

7:00am. Arise and run to Walmart to get last minute supplies

7:34 Meet Cameron Lewis (THANK YOU) and unload his huge pressure washer.

7:50 Begin to allign hoses and hook up the pressure washers.

8:00 Sit and wonder when the fun will start

8:04 Fun starts

8:10 Cars begin going through our barricade's to park

8:20 MORE CAR's 40 mins before church. Be made aware of these people before you invite them to a dinner party!

8:34 Assemble the students and tell them the plan that's already been spun into motion

by default! ahhhh.

8:54 "Stan we've got to start washing these cars or they'll never get done!"

9:03 "Haven't we already washed this one?!?" haha as the HUGE black truck with dried soap re-enters the pressure wash bay.

9:08 Remix the soap so it's not SOOOO strong.

9:10 Everyone at the point officially has a station

9:50 Mike McVicker calls a meeting to order with teens explaining what should be happening... that hasn't been.

10:10 Early people begin to exit the church doors. No pressure.... only a line of unwashed cars.

10:30 Last people exiting last car's being washed.... Perfect timing!

10:31 Water Break

10:32 Water Break over for some who need to meet cars already trying to enter for 2nd service

10:40 Water Break OVER

10:41 Start on 2nd Service Cars

10:43 Realize that we haven't been using the heat option on the power washers. that explains.......

10:58 Realize we've only got about 6 cars left

11:04 The last car

11:06 Ok this is the last car

11:08 Last CAR!

11:10 Students, STOP BRINGING YOUR OWN CARS THROUGH.

11:25 Thanked God for the adults who helped make things possible.

12:00 Thanked God for the chaos and tension.

Car Wash!

CAR WASH!!!

@ Cornerstone Church

This Sunday from 9-noon. Bring your dirty car and have it cleaned. The donations will help all the high-school students going on overseas missions trips!

Also if you'd like to help or you have a student who will be helping it's going to be great. Suppose to be great weather. Help needs to plan on 8:30-12:30. If you need to duck out and go to one of the services that'd be fine. We'd love to have a few more adults for quality control and drivers. If you'd like to help please respond to this email. stanhayek@gmail.com

Leaders BBQ

*The Fun Picture

These are some of the fine folks who work with our High School Students. We had a BBQ at Brookside Park on wed. and as you can see we had fun. A few stray children made it into our picture can you count them all?

*The Professional Pic

Bridge Night!

Last week was the last e22 of the semester. We have a short break and start up again JUNE 9th. 6:30pm in the Equipping Room.

We closed the identity series and the semester with the Gospel. It was a simple message from scripture using Luke 15 the story of the "Prodigal Son." Many know the story of the son who leaves the father and goes off and lives like a rebel, and many high school students often venture out in rebellion so it's easy association. Prostitutes, parties, and whatever money could buy. The turning point for the son is in Luke 15: ¹⁶He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. Feelings of remorse follow but don't change his position with the father... He is still at that point distant.

The parrellel (but not the main point) is that "feeling bad" doesn't change your standing/position with God. Knowing you've done wrong doesn't bring you home it just hopefully leads to that. Those feelings need to be followed by actions.

¹⁷"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' ²⁰So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

We used the bridge illustration of the cross. It's through Jesus and the cross that we can "come home." Jesus said in John 14:6 "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." We can "come home" by...

1. Admitting we have sinned / we are lost / and deserve to be punished.

2. Believe in Jesus. Put your trust in the cross as payment for your sins

3. Confess and Commit. Confess Him as your Lord and Commit to living for Him!

The next step was to writing your name on a post it note and stick it to the bride you were to walk as kind of that visual sign that you were "home." The bridge was nothing special, just a big plank between two buckets, but the responses were. 12 new students stood up to profess for the first time that Christ was Lord and Savior. it was so great to have the stand and be prayed for. At one point one of the students who stood created such a rush of joy that his friend and prayer warrior just burst out in applause. His friend had "come home!"

This is a stack of all those who are a part of e22 who claim to be Christians. You can be in prayer for these and the dozen new believers. It's our desire to partner with parents and the rest of Cornerstone Church to help these students to be deeply rooted in Christ!