Fiestas Patrias

11-03-12

Photo credit: instagram and Esther Brunat

Panameño, Panameño

Panameño vida mia.

Yo quiero que tu me lleves

al "Tambor de la alegria".
(Tambor de Alegria)


After weeks of daily hearing this refrain sung to the beat of a bongo drum, Fiestas Patrias had finally arrived! Fiestas Patrias are Panama´s patriotic holidays, beginning the third of November and lasting the entire month.


At CCA, Fiestas Patrias is a mandatory school day (scheduled on a Saturday), transformed into an elementary-middle school assembly and family fun fair. The High Schoolers represent CCA by marching in a city-wide school parade starting in Casco Viejo.


The Spanish teachers did a phenomenal job preparing the students for their different roles in the History of Panama drama this year, and even the kindergarten kids sang their Panamanian anthems loud and proud. The sanctuary was filled until there was standing room only; it was truly a family affair.


From my vantage point, the most interesting part of the drama (done all in Spanish) involved several of my 8th grade students. The students donned these masks, like hay hanging in front of their faces, and reenacted a traditional, indigenous story about a woman and her children. It involved a lot of chanting and jumping around, and I think the 8th grade boys especially enjoyed this part.


Following the students^s talented performances, we hurried outside to set up our booths for the Family Fun Fair. From slingshots to bounce houses, there were several activities to occupy families on a warm Panama day.

The 7th grader`s booth = pie toss; total tickets earned = 120 tickets

The 6th grader`s booth = water balloon toss; total tickets earned = 420 tickets! The perfect game for a super sunny morning; plus parents had the opportunity to play and throw water balloons at their children.

Overall, it was a fun time, and things ran smoothly, even the clean up!

It was a great chance to see CCA families come together and be part of a fundraiser for our community outreach program.


After the Family Fun Fair, Mami (my housemate) and I headed downtown with a family from the school to see if we could catch a glimpse of the CCA high schoolers-teachers marching in the parade. It was quite the Panamanian experience!


Street vendors lined the sidewalks, their griddles laden with all sorts of meat on a stick or fried plantains. Families crowded the grassy medians, set up in lawn chairs or sitting on the curbs, and were decked in their proudest Panamanian colors or traditional wear. Little boys played jubilantly on toy drums or loudly blasted their trompetitas (whose sound was similar to that of a wounded duck) whenever someone walked by. And all around me was this strange popping noise.


It didn´t take me long to figure out that apparently the parade tradition was to throw what they call, cebollitas, or little white packages filled with gunpowder-something that exploded on impact, on the ground, and they sold them by the box-full to eager children, keeping them occupied during the long gaps between parade groups. Anybody and everybody could be part of the parade, even if just for a few minutes as you strolled down the street right in the middle of the procession.


Schools marched in the order that they were founded, and CCA founded in 1997, marched by us, just after we arrived. We cheered them on, as the weary students lifted their country flags a little bit higher. The students had arrived to the parade area at 8:30a, and were just now finishing the last leg of the parade around 4:00-4:30p. It was a very long day for them; they were great troopers.


Aside from CCA, I was amazed and encouraged by another Christian school, Panama Christian Academy, that chose to make their procession distinct from all the rest. They had several students at the front, playing a song on mini xylophones and three drummers (2 high school and 1 first grader) in the middle keeping the beat and entertaining all through a routine where they spun the drums around their neck. They followed this with rows of more students, who sung acapella the words to the song that had been played on the xylophones: Yo tengo un amigo que me ama. Me ama. Me ama. Yo tengo un amigo que me ama. Su nombre es Jesus.


Wow. There they were being a bold witness for Christ, and I could see the joy of who they were glorifying just radiate from their faces. I prayed a special prayer for Panama; that all would hear and believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and find in Him the hope and peace that our world is so desperately craving. That Christians in Panama would not be ashamed and would live distinctly, pointing people to Christ as the reason for their hope. And I prayed again for the students at Crossroads Christian Academy, where I teach, that they would come to know Christ deeper and fully believe they have a Friend that loves them, no matter what, and no matter where in the world they go.

Psalm 136 in My Life

After Parent/Teacher conferences and busy weeks of school, I sat down for daily time with God and came across this passage in Psalm 136. The Psalmist praises God for God's faithfulness in his life and lists specific examples of God's divine hand in history. As I was praying over the psalm, I began contemplating the many ways God has been faithful in my own story. Here is the resulting rewrite of Psalm 136:

Psalm 136:10: My Life

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good

His lovingkindness is everlasting

To Him who knew before I was born

His lovingkindness is everlasting

That He’d die for me and rise Easter morn’

His lovingkindness is everlasting

With tears in His eyes and a crown of thorns

His lovingkindness is everlasting

He knew someday I would be reborn

His lovingkindness is everlasting

To Him who appointed people and times

His lovingkindness is everlasting

To invest and speak truth into a child’s life

His lovingkindness is everlasting

He prepared a legacy to inspire

His lovingkindness is everlasting

Provided shelter to withstand the fire

His lovingkindness is everlasting

To Him who provides all that I need

His lovingkindness is everlasting

His Word to guide my thoughts and deeds

His lovingkindness is everlasting

His rainbow promise in the sky

His lovingkindness is everlasting

A reminder He’s not passed me by

His lovingkindness is everlasting

Energy and strength each day

His lovingkindness is everlasting

His hand to cling to when I sway

His lovingkindness is everlasting

Protection when I live afar

His lovingkindness is everlasting

Comfort when I’m in His arms

His lovingkindness is everlasting

Communities to now embrace

His lovingkindness is everlasting

Serve as reflections of His face

His lovingkindness is everlasting

Give thanks now to the God of grace

For His lovingkindness is everlasting!

Teaching as Ministry

God's call is: "a conviction, that when faced with the facts, continues to grow until it becomes a question of obedience or disobedience" (Ron Binder, Wycliffe missionary).

Since a young age, God's question of "Will you go for me?" has penetrated my heart. Each time I gave a resounding yes, and each "yes" was soon followed with a bigger challenge to share Christ with those in my own neighborhood, the people I encountered everyday. I remember in 4th grade, befriending a classmate from Hong Kong, making up our own language, and eventually praying with her to ask Jesus to be her Lord and Savior. Ever since, then I've had a burden for people to come to know Jesus as their joy and answer, an unquenchable enthusiasm for God's work in people's lives and the desire to serve Him cross-culturally.

During high school and college, I had several opportunities to serve overseas and have just another peek into the grandeur of God and how He is continually healing and transforming, even working in the most intimate details of a person's life. Carrying these global experiences, I was able to lead and prepare my college peers for summer service trips, working alongside established missionaries in countries all around the world.

One year into graduate school, I was hired by an international school in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. God used that year to refine me, teach me more about who I am and was created to be, and how I needed to rely on Him in all situations. I fell in love with teaching overseas, the opportunity to live among another culture and learn their language and customs.

When it came time to leave, I was devastated to leave that community and the strong friendships I’d made. But God had more growth in store, as I completed my Masters of Education and was pushed to become a better teacher, more equipped for what was in store later.

During these months, I returned to my cycle of questioning, “Okay God, now what? I’m ready and willing to go. Now where?” I prayed about direction for months, and felt strongly tugged back towards Central America, but the language barrier was a deterrent for returning, as I felt I couldn’t make and sustain meaningful relationships with people there because I could not speak the language.

What was my heart’s unspoken desire? To learn Spanish.

And God provided the incredible opportunity to attend language school for 4 months in San Jose, Costa Rica: the same language school my grandparents had attended in the 1950’s before heading off to Argentina and later Panama as missionaries.

Meanwhile I was interviewing with different Christian International schools in Latin America. I never thought I would teach in Panama, since it was my Grandparent’s legacy and my mom’s childhood home, but, after sitting down with the director and sharing the same vision for the students and the school, I knew God was calling me there.

So, here I am, being stretched and renewed by God in ways I’d never imagined: teaching middle school and serving as the middle school coordinator at Crossroads Christian Academy in Panama City, Panama. I have the incredible privilege of discipling young believers and sharing God’s truth daily, as I teach students to be historically and globally aware and prepare them to be Christ-like, servant leaders in a pluralistic society.

Though the school does pay me a modest salary and provide housing for the teachers, there are several start-up costs in moving to a new country, such as buying a car. Even with being diligent with saving for an entire year, it would still not be enough to purchase a reliable vehicle here in Panama. Having a vehicle is a necessity here, as the public transportation is unsafe, as well as having a car would open up many new venues for ministry. Car prices for a quality, used car in Panama range from $6,000-8,000.

Please pray and consider partnering with me through prayer and/or financial support.

Click: “How to Give” for more information.

How to Give

Give Online

To donate securely online by credit card or bank transfer complete the simple form at:

https://www.rce-international.org/donate/credit-card-donate-page/

 

Under the “Missionaries” Tab, select “Diaz-Laura-23905”.

You may make your contribution a one-time or repeating donation.

Give by Check

To donate by check, please make checks payable to: RCE International. Please include my account number (23905) on the memo line of your check.

Mail to:

RCE International
PO Box 4528
Wheaton, IL 60189

For an anonymous gift, please indicate this clearly on an attached note.

For a personal gift not intended for ministry purposes such as birthday, anniversary or Christmas gifts, please indicate this clearly by writing on an attached note: FOR PERSONAL GIFT.

Note: Personal gifts are considered non-tax deductible gifts per IRS regulations.

Give by Electronic Funds Transfer

You can also set up an Electronic Funds Transfer option where your donation is deducted directly from your checking or savings account on a monthly basis. Please fill out and return the EFT Form to set up your automatic donations.

Contributions are solicited with the understanding that RCE International will exercise appropriate discretion and control over the use of all tax-deductible donated funds and will use them for the furtherance of RCE ministry while honoring the designation of the donor in accordance with tax-exempt laws and expectations.” (RCE Website)

You can also print this card, fill it out and mail it to the above address.

Any questions or want to know more, email me at: Ldiaz@westmont.edu

Thanks and God bless!

 

Birthday Gifts

My birthday was on September 12th. I was showered with encouraging messages, little surprises, hugs and birthday songs in multiple languages. But most special of all, I received two very unexpected gifts from God.

Gift #1

I have been praying a lot for a specific student lately, who shows attitude and really needs a positive father figure in his life. During chapel on Wednesday, this student was especially on my heart. While the chapel band was singing, I was praying that God would somehow touch him that day, as well as provide some positive male role models for him to follow. Right after chapel, I noticed our P.E. coach sitting down and talking with this student. I wondered if the reason for the talk was misbehavior, so later I asked Coach what he and the student had been discussing.

Coach told me that for some reason, God had just really brought this student to his mind and he felt a strong urge that he was supposed to go talk with him. So Coach pulled the student aside to just ask how it’s going, and talk about identity, who are you? And who do you want to be?. It was a powerful conversation, especially because this student is used to being pulled aside only for misconduct. But right then and there, God touched him through Coach’s words encouraging him to examine himself and reflect on what he believed was true. When asked the hard question of “do you believe all this?” (this meaning the gospel), the student replied with a courageously honest, “no.” Coach communicated to the student that if he ever had questions or just wanted talk that the student could freely come to him.

After Coach told me this story, I looked at him and smiled. “That was exactly what I was praying for!"

1 John 5:14-15

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.^"

Gift #2

Later the same day, I had a student be indirectly defiant in my class, where he was playing dumb about following instructions and overall having a hard time focusing in class. I tried to talk to him afterwards, but he refused to make eye contact, and I’m sure that there must have been an i-don’t-care-and-don’t-want-to-listen broken record playing in his head. So I decided we would walk to the next class together, since it was upstairs, and it would give us some time to talk and give him a transition time to let go of his negative attitude.

We stopped midway through the hallway, and I made very clear to him that these skills of listening and following instructions were skills he would need his whole life, not just in school. Then I prayed for him; I knew the words came from God, because I wasn’t sure when I started what I was going pray. But the words flowed, as I spoke truth over this student’s life, knowing especially that he was loved and cared for by a personal God. He had been avoiding eye contact with me up until this point. But when he looked up from the prayer, for one split second our eyes met, and I could tell he had tears in his eyes.

Something, really the great Someone had gotten through and, after many days of praying and thinking about this student, he was finally at a point where Love could make the first chisel blow into the walls he had built of trying to be the funny guy or misbehaving to get attention, protecting himself from the vulnerability of being the new student in a new country, feeling uncared for or unwanted. But I saw it. A tiny crack had begun at the top of that wall, starting to let in God’s Light and Truth, and I knew who held the chisel.

I walked the student back to class, as he rubbed his eyes and blinked away the water, trying to regain his tough guy composure.

His eyes were adjusting to the Light.

Philippians 1:6

"And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you."

August/Agosto

Thank you for everyone's prayers for the start of school!

School started August 9th with two half days, and the next week we had a day off. So this past week was really our first full week of school. As everything is starting to hit full swing, I'm realizing life is very busy (in a good way).

I'm teaching 6th grade Ancient Civilizations, 7th grade Medieval Modern History, 8th grade Geography, 7th grade Earth Science, and serving as the Middle School Coordinator at Crossroads Christian Academy (CCA) in Panama City, Panama. It is a little bit of a whirlwind, jumping in and balancing these different roles, getting used to 45 min periods, transitioning between subjects, and trying to memorize 58 students' names. But with each new morning, I give thanks to God for this incredible opportunity!

I get to work in this amazing, encouraging community of teachers and staff that makes prayer the central and driving force behind everything they do. I get to pour into young lives, whether sharing Scripture each morning with my homeroom class or getting to talk about questions of worldview and what the Bible says in response with my 6th graders. I get to help make positive changes for the school and work alongside a supportive team of parents. 

Not to mention, I get to live in tropical and beautiful Panama!

Here are some other highlights from the month: 

*Meeting the other new teachers: Everyone shares that deep love of traveling and living cross culturally, and I am continually enriched through hearing their perspectives on the world. Plus, they're a super fun bunch!

*CCA staff get-togethers, birthday parties, game nights: The CCA staff is mostly made up of families plus some singles; so there are always young children running around and babies to hold. The families love to host us, and we often share meals. It makes me feel welcomed and part of a family, when my family is a plane ride away. Especially in the apartment where I live with two other single teachers, the rest of the apartments in the building are families with young kids. So there are always imaginative and giggling children playing in the cul-de-sac parking lot outside our window.

*Extra adventures: 

-Joined a women's Bible Study; which takes place in our apartment. Our little living room is PACKED with women every other Tuesday night. It's a good place to get to know people outside the school community.

-Found a work-out group after school on T/Th; it's intense, taught by a former marine. But the other members and I just grin over at each other between sets and give a feeble thumbs up; talk about a bonding experience.

-Many loong grocery store, pricesmart (costco), or mall runs. Right now, I don't have a car, so I'm depending on families to take me everywhere. It gets a little tricky, but I'm extremely grateful for people's generosity and consideration of the stranded single teachers. This also gives me a chance to get my bearings and learn how to navigate my way around.

-Last Wednesday was a holiday, so a bunch of us headed over to the Amador Causeway for dinner. It was a beautiful, cool evening with a clear view of Panama City's skyline. Probably my favorite place in all of Panama City.

Story 1:

Secondary Open House was last week, and it was wonderful to connect with some of the parents. And there was a large turn-out! I also was able to translate my presentation in Spanish, as well as talk with parents in the hallway in Spanish, which I never could have done before my time in language school this year! What an opportunity! I'm definitely still learning the language, but I'm already seeing how knowing Spanish opens doors to build new relationships and a mutual trust. PTL.

Story 2:

Two Fridays ago, Mami (my housemate who is from Japan) and I decided to attend a Talent Show at another school. We were completely blown away! We had seen mobs of these Colegio Javier students practicing late into the night in our parking lot, choreographing dance moves to pulsing music. But when we arrived at the school's outdoor gym, their performance was way more impressive than we ever expected. 

The show was scheduled to start at 7p, but following typical Panamanian time, it actually began at 8:30p. The hour-and-a-half pre-show was LOUD and incredibly entertaining. People were seated in the bleachers, sectioned off by team color (each team representing a different grade level), and wearing corresponding color t-shirts. There were arches of balloons, and it seemed everyone had either: a) boom sticks, b) air horns, c) whistles, d) a band instrument, such as the trumpet, trombone, or drums, or e) all of the above. Parents/families showed their school spirit with ear-splitting fervor. Then, when the show began, each grade level performed a 45 minute drama, complete with lip-synced dialogue,  dramatic movements, and perfectly in-sync choreographed dance moves. Think Bollywood, Panamanian style. Increible! Talking to some parents sitting nearby, we learned that the talent show was a fund-raiser for the school's annual mission trip out to the interior of Panama.

(Mami took some video clips; so I'm hoping to post that soon!)

Please continue to pray as the adventure continues:

-For wisdom as I juggle different responsibilities, make decisions, and learn how to clearly communicate a Biblical worldview in light of what we're learning.

-For the students, again that they would ultimately come to know Christ or continue to deepen their walk with Him, understanding their identity is in the World but not of it.

-For energy and wellness; as usual, I half-lost my voice after the first week of school--not used to so much talking! But also when you're surrounded by students all day and pouring out a lot energy, you're more susceptible to illness.

-For continued opportunities to learn and practice Spanish and patience in that process.

-For continuing to press on, even when there may be tough days ahead.

Gálatas 6:9

No nos cansemos, pues, de hacer el bien; porque a su tiempo cosecharemos, si no nos desanimamos.

Galatians 6:9

⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Last Weeks of Summer

I can't believe it's been over a month since I arrived in Panama!

Here's what I've been up to:

• Volunteering in the school office: classroom inventory, matching keys, putting together teacher supply bins, answering telephones, etc. It's been a great way to get to know the school and some of the key people that keep it running.

• Apartment-sitting: The majority of teachers headed to the U.S. for the summer, so I took care of the apartment building and helped prepare for the teachers and families to return.

• Returned to Boquete for a week: I volunteered for a friend's company with some data entry projects; the Spanish practice was incredible. People there speak even differently than those in Panama City. Que interesante! It was also a great time to pray, relax and enjoy some peace and tranquility before school starts. 

• Exploring Panama City: I was blessed to be able to borrow someone's car for the month, which made it much easier to see other parts of the city. Little by little, I ventured further out beyond the typical route from Clayton to the school or to the Rey grocery store, or to the mall (all on one long street paralleling the canal locks). I've gotten to know the Young Professionals Group (YAP) from church, and they have helped introduce me to new places, like where to rent bikes on the Amador Causeway and a Christian bookstore in the mall. Some people in the church have hosted me for dinner, so already I've felt warmly welcomed into an amazing community.

Recently, families that teach at the school have returned, and, now car-less, I've been extremely thankful for their invitations to take part in their daily errands. I've learned where they unlock smart phones (Mall Gran Morrison, in El Dorado) and been introduced to Panama's version of Costco (PriceSmart). I've even had the chance to visit UltraCom (teacher store), Discovery Center (like home depot/walmart), and the Centennial Mall. Now that the families are back, the reality that this is my new community is sinking in and I am incredibly grateful for everyone I've met so far. Ciudad de Panama is starting to feel like home!

Please be praying as Crossroads (CCA) prepares for the quickly approaching school year (Thursday, August 9th)! Pray for wisdom in making policy decisions and planning lessons, and pray for the new and returning teachers that have just arrived in the country (each one an answer to prayer!). Pray especially for our students that they would learn more this year who Christ is and how He has called us to live.

The school's theme this year is: Digging Deeper to Reach Further.

It is based out of:

Luke 10:27  First, we are digging deeper; learning to love the Lord our God with ALL our heart, soul, strength, and mind and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

James 3:13 Then, experiencing and demonstrating this love leads us to serve others-anywhere, anyway. Essentially this is proof of God's LOVE, proof we belong to Him.

Philippians 1:27 And finally, bonded together in this love and service, we need to remember living a life worthy of the gospel is not accomplished on our own. We are meant to do God's work TOGETHER. It means ditching our personal rights and desires, putting on the work gloves, and linking arms, knowing it is Christ that cements us to one another and this unity of prayer and mind solidifies the walls so the enemy cannot break through. 

Pray that we, as teachers, can model these verses and take them to heart. Pray that students grow in these areas: "digging deeper" and learning to love God with ALL or "reaching further" by taking this Love and sharing it with the local community and beyond through service together. Pray for peace as many details need to be ironed out before Thursday, and when it's easy to get overwhelmed, that God would provide daily reminders of why we are at CCA in the first place.