THANK YOU

Thanks to Connie Ross and Hill Country Fellowship Church, SSOL, received a heart warming donation! A box filled to the brim with Spanish bibles, puzzles, daily devotionals for children, books and the list goes on! I can't thank them enough for what they did.

Below is one of my favorite pictures. Verhilio, Ediliberto and Mario, with their new bibles thanks to Connie and her Church.

LETS LEARN WITH MRS. PERLA!

Perla working with the women

I want you to try and picture this... You are thirty, forty, fifty... years old, and you have never been taught how to read, write or count. Heartbreaking right?

Education is a gift we as westerners' often take for granted. Part of our mission at SSOL, is to give women and mothers the opportunity to learn. To give them the chance they never had as children. Thanks to an amazing woman and friend, Perla, we have started offering classes to these women. She educates the women on health and hygiene, followed by a reading, writing and basic math class.

It has been great for Perla and I too experience and see the women eager to learn. As outsiders looking in, the joy they express when they write a letter or say a word is worth a million bucks!

Side note: For me personally it is amazing to see this coming into fruition. Everything with Sowing Seeds of Love is really falling into place beautifully. But to see these women learning and excited to learn, I can't help but smile. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity God has given me but also blessing my life with Perla,  she is a real answer to a prayer!

DAILY INSPIRATION

Just what I needed to read!

Daily Inspiration
It is not always easy to step out in faith and believe that God will be there to catch us. And, frankly, it's not always advisable to ignore the warnings that come through what seems like common sense. But there is a difference between "not always" and "never". There is a difference between being cautious and shutting the Lord out, a difference between exercising hopeful discernment and living in a state of constant doubt. Most of the time, the difference is just a matter of letting down our defenses and givng the Lord a chance to provide himself. Try it today, and see what happens. Lord, right now I lay aside my doubts and hesitances. I ask you to come into my heart and speak to me. Give me a renewed faith in you and your power to work in my life.

Random Daily Inspiration
We all will face challenges to test our faith. When these situatioins arise, our best response is to hold fast to the truths of the Lord; his love, his wisdom; his faithfulness, and his justice. Our best strategy is to face these challenges using all the tools at our disposal; our natural tools of logic, experience, and imagination, and our supernatural tools of faith, the promises of Scripture, and the teachings of the church. Lord, help me to come to you for salvation and the gift of the Holy Spirit - especially your Grace - taking me out of my darkness so that I might enter into your glorious light.
 
By Elizabeth Columbus

DENTIST, FLUORIDE AND SSOL

 Dr. Mario a retired dentist, and his wife Linda, have been in Boquete, Panama for three years providing free dental care for children and families in our area. They also have a great ministry reaching out to the local school children and helping them with any dental needs and teaching the importance of dental hygiene. Right now, they are in the process of providing free fluoride treatment to all of the surrounding schools. SSOL, has been apart of helping them provide the treatments. It is a great way to build relationships with more children and help support their ministry.

Dr. Mario

Linda filling the fluoride trays

The first group lining up



My job, holding the trash can while they spit their trays in.

VITAMIX

Though Christmas is not about receiving gifts, this past Christmas I received one of the best presents ever, a VitaMix! It has changed my life. I am obsessed with it, I might even try to be the next VitaMix spokesperson! The list is never ending of the possibilities you can create in one machine. From smoothies, to salsa, to hot soups, to baby food, the list goes on and on.

Sowing Seeds of Love {SSOL} wants to be able to provide a healthy snack for the children who attend our project. The VitaMix as allowed me to turn "ordinary" food into excitement for these children. Last week I surprised them with a healthy version of an "ice cream" sundae. To make the "ice cream," I only use frozen bananas. You put the bananas in the VitaMix and slowly start pressing it all together. After about 30 seconds, you have "ice cream"! For an added treat, I had chocolate and sprinkles for the topping (not as healthy)! You would not believe how delicious this version of "ice cream" is. There is NO dairy, soy, preservatives or added sugar, JUST BANANAS! Lets put it this way, the children went crazy, we had chocolate everywhere, and they keep asking when we can have it again.

Side Note- Not only do I use the VitaMix for personal use, SSOL, but I have started selling the banana "ice cream" and freshly made hummus at the Boquete Tuesday Market. The market happens every Tuesday from 9:00AM-12:00PM. It is a place where people come together to socialize and buy anything from food to jewelry. There are about 30+ vendors and for the last four weeks I have been one of them. Being a vendor at the market gives me the opportunity to meet new people, plus helps bring in a little grocery money every week. I'm very grateful for the opportunity and I have a ton of fun!

My table at the Tuesday Market

Perfect example of the Tuesday Market and the social aspect of it, last week I met a great couple, Patrick and Jackie from North Carolina. They asked what a young person could possible be doing here in Boquete, Panama. I explained to them about SSOL and their eyes lite up. They asked if they could come to the project and volunteer. They came and volunteered and had a great time. We made banana "ice cream" for the kids, read a bible story, worked one on one, reading with the children, played kickball, and Patrick and Jackie taught an English class. It was a wonderful day filled with the Lord bringing people together and as a result helping His people!

Patrick generously giving out chocolate!

Jackie, reading with her group





"SOME JUST CAN'T SEE IT"

“Some Just Can’t See It”
Taken from: The Journey From Success to Significance
By John C. Maxwell

Sometimes even an accomplished leader with a compelling vision has trouble getting everyone to buy into his dreams. That was true in the early 1950s when a friend of television pioneer Art Linkletter tried to convince him to buy some land. His buddy, a movie executive who had been a close family friend for years, drove him out into the country to look at some property. After driving for more than twenty-five miles, they turned off the main road and drove through fields and groves of trees. There wasn’t a person for miles. They saw grazing horses and the occasional abandoned shed.Art’s friend began explaining his next bold venture, an amusement park unlike anything the world had ever seen. It would be its own little world and it would contain areas with names like “Fantasyland” and “Tomorrowland.” Art’s friend said it would be called Disneyland.Art Linkletter thought his friend Walt Disney was crazy.Who in the world is going to drive twenty-five miles to ride a roller coaster? he thought to himself. Linkletter later wrote, “I had such admiration for his business acumen and his show-business savvy that I hardly knew how to tell him I thought he was making the biggest, most ruinous mistake of his entire life.”After painting a verbal picture of his vision, Disney said to Linkletter, “Art, financially I can handle only Disneyland itself. It will take everything I have as it is. But the land bordering on it, where we’re standing now, will be jammed with hotels and motels and restaurants and convention halls to accommodate the people who will come to spend their entire vacations here at my park in just a couple of years. I’ve bought all I can afford. And I want you to have an opportunity to get some of the surrounding acreage because it will increase in value several hundred times in the next five years.”Walt Disney had no agenda with his friend other than to add value to him. He wanted to share an opportunity. But Linkletter just couldn’t see it. He made excuses and said he would look into it later.“Later will be too late,” responded Disney. “You had better move on it right now.”Disney was right of course. And Linkletter never forgot his walk back to the car because he later figured that it probably cost him about a million dollars per step.Art Linkletter and Walt Disney never let this incident get in the way of their friendship. They remained close up until Walt’s death. As you seek to enlist people into the fulfillment of your vision, don’t be discouraged when people can’t see what you do. And don’t despair if people you respect won’t take the trip with you-even if you’re inviting them to do it for their own benefit. Celebrate when people choose to join you. And keep loving those who don’t. That, too, is significant.The world steps aside for those who know where they're going!!!

When your vision is clear enough YOU are UNSTOPPABLE!!!
 
Thanks to Teresa Nitti for sharing this inspiring story!

VIDEO UPDATE SOWING SEEDS OF LOVE {SSOL}

If you would like to learn more about SSOL, check out this short video from a talk I did at my home church in Florida. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBAnQgJkNZE&feature=share

If you want to read about everything going on down here in Panama please continue reading!
I have teamed up with, Panama Christian Evangelism, a local Christian Church and medical clinic. SSOL utilizes three classrooms in the church and implements the following projects, geared toward the indigenous children and families of Panama:



1. Teach fundamentals for ages three through six, taught in Spanish and English.

SSOL curriculum includes numbers, colors, letters, shapes, manners, and reading. Our hope is to provide the children with a chance to comprehend the basics and gain a head start before entering National School.


2. Develop a reading and writing program for women and mothers, taught in Spanish

Most indigenous women are not given the opportunity to learn to read and write. SSOL believes every woman should be given the gift of reading and writing, and plans to develop a curriculum that will teach the basics.


3. Create an After-School Program

SSOL has created a voluntary After-School Program for children. Children have the opportunity to come to the project to receive a nutritional snack, sing Christian songs, and attend a short bible study. The program continues with “Brain Power Hour”. Brain Power Hour is designed to help and assist children with school subjects, one-on-one reading, exam study sessions and more. SSOL wants to establish an educational foundation that encourages learning and growth.


4. Administer English Classes

SSOL offers basic and intermediate English classes. Classes are open to all community members interested in learning English. Panama is a thriving country that continues to grow, largely due to tourism. SSOL hopes that English (as a second language) will help create job opportunities for the indigenous and Panamanian people.


5. Team Sports and Creative Activities

SSOL has added this aspect of the project because every child involved in our ministry has chosen to participate. SSOL wants each child to explore their talents, whether it’s baseball or art, in a fun and safe environment.

6. Bed Time Stories at the Local Orphanage (off site)

One of Lindsey’s favorite memories as a child was cuddling up with her family and reading bed time stories.

Though orphanages do their best to create a loving environment for the indigenous children, they are often overcrowded and understaffed. SSOL provides the love and nurturing that these children want and need. SSOL assists during the bedtime process, helping children brush their teeth, put on pajamas, and cuddle while reading bedtime stories.



Sowing Seeds of Love has created these six separate programs that allow the indigenous children and community to grow and excel – each program is designed to provide the resources that encourage growth, with the gifts God has given each individual. Most importantly God has allowed SSOL to start each program and build loving and trusting relationships with the children. Out of the relationships and programs, He presents the most beautiful bridge SSOL is able to share about Jesus, His gospel and creating disciples.

We want to raise up “seeds” that will honor Jesus Christ, live for Him and continue His work!