Jennifer and Alex Cabezon

I moved to Panama from Portland, Oregon when I was 18 years old. The lush green of Panama’s rainy season reminded me of Oregon, although I never really knew what rain was until I experienced my first tropical downpour.  I loved the green, the rain, and the thunder storms. But I didn’t love my first dry season as much. The rain totally stops for 3-4 months. Everything that was a lush green dies.  I was shocked by the change in the landscape, the dryness and dead grass, and disliked dry season from the very beginning. We are nearing the end of dry season now.  The grass is almost totally dead. The trees have sparse leaves, some have lost their leaves entirely.  Others, like our neighbor’s mango tree, are getting new, fresh green leaves and blooming.  The air is dry and hot, and yet surprisingly fresh feeling after the mugginess of rainy season. You can count on it being sunny every day. No reason to worry about a torrential downpour ruining your p...

After arriving back from two months of traveling, the last thing I wanted to do was to leave home again. Sometimes it seems like my life is a constant series of packing and unpacking suitcases.  Although I am a missionary, and traveling is a part of my life, there is no denying that it can be pretty stressful at times. We were supposed to go to Panama City this week to teach in their Leadership and Pioneering school.  While I knew I would enjoy immensely the chance to teach them on the subject of discipling others, I did not look forward to mobilizing our family again.  Especially since we had just gotten back into a good rhythm with home school. But we went. And as I expected, we had a great time.  Alex and I got to share with a great group of 6 students a bunch of lessons that God has taught us over the last few years about how to mentor others in their relationship with God.  We also got to reconnect with fellow YWAMers there and rekindle friendships...