Jennifer and Alex Cabezon

Living in another culture is constantly becoming a child again. In order to understand another's way of thinking you have to let go of the idea that you know it all. As someone who teaches God's word to others, you have to let go of the idea that you have all the answers. You have to stop talking every once in a while and just listen.  You have to stop giving answers before you really understand the questions. Last week was a wonderful opportunity to practice this.  I was teaching our students about the character of God.  Wow!  What a huge subject to cover in one week!   We got right to work digging into some of my favorite stories from the Bible. Stories are great vehicles for truth. Everyone can understand them, and one story can contain huge amounts of truth.  We spent two days on that. After hearing all those stories we felt as if we had been immersed in a deep, sweet river of God's truth. Jesus really is the answer.  He really ...

Last week we spent with our friend John Henry, talking with our DTS students about storytelling.  We talked about the church and our cultures, and how the two don't have to be enemies. It was a week of learning, and the students shared their stories with us.  Some stories were funny, other encouraging.  One student shared about how her dad was a community leader and fought for the lands of their people.  What an inspiration!  Another shared about her mother's years-long search to find her grandfather, and the bitterness that ensued.  Some tears fell, and we all stopped to pray for her family. Lina, who is always the sunshine of our group, shared this at the end of the week: "I love hearing these stories.  Every story I hear encourages me more.  My in-laws were here this week, and I shared every story that we heard.  They are so moved, and encouraged. Then when they go back to the village, they share these stories with their neighbors. ...

(photo:enjoying some  of the beautiful artwork of the Saanich people on Vancouver Island) "It's too cold here, let's go back to Chepo." our three year old daughter announced after we had taken a trip through Idaho and Montana.  I think it was the first time in her life she had encountered below freezing temperatures, so I don't blame her! I too am eager to return to our little house in Panama. Not so much for the heat, but because of our sense of anticipation for what God will do in this coming year. Many people were understandable puzzled about us taking a trip to visit Native American communities in the Northwest. Don't we work in Panama?  Are we thinking about moving to the US? No, we are not thinking of moving. We love working in Panama and don't think God will have us move any time soon. So why are we visiting Native American ministries? One reason is to learn.  As missionaries, sometimes the obstacles and challenges can seem da...

                                It was a typical day in rainy season. The air felt heavy and sticky, and it looked as if it could rain soon.  I carried my umbrella under my arm, along with a bag carrying my bible, some water, some paper and crayons. Today was our first day of the new ladies bible study.  They had asked me to go through a bible study book with them, but I hoped to teach it in a way that would connect.  I am always a little nervous before leading a Bible study.  When I arrived at the church, the front gate was locked.  I maneuvered through the mud, over to the pastor's house to ask for the key. Thankfully his son was outside and soon fetched it for me. But then the pastor's wife, Marienela, came out. She didn't think we should start the bible study today. A couple of the ladies were away, and she didn't want them to miss out. I sighed, pushing down my ...

I am writing this from my Dad's office in Oregon. The weather is cool but sunny, and a little over a week ago I was in Panama.  I love coming home, and I love to see everyone, but I don't look forward to switching cultures. When you go live in another culture, much of your energy is spent trying to learn the new rules.  Your eyes are always open, observing how people interact, and trying to learn what is appropriate in each situation. When you are in your home culture, it's all pretty automatic.  You know what is right and wrong, acceptable or unacceptable to the culture.  And you feel free to challenge those norms as you wish, since it is your own culture. The tricky part comes in when you return to your own culture after an absence. After spending so much time learning about your host culture, you find yourself back home, but nothing seems to fit anymore.  What used to be intuitive now feels uncomfortable. I find that for me, the emotionally e...

"Thanks not for putting me to sleep during the class!" said one of the students in YWAM Panama City's Native Roots DTS after we finished a week of teaching with them on worldview.   For this group of students from indigenous backgrounds, we focused on the stories that have power to change both our lives and our communities.  We chose stories from the Bible that have the power to change our worldview, and our world.  Some of the stories we simply told, others we acted out, illustrated, and applied to specific issues in their home communities. The woman who thanked me for not putting her to sleep was suffering from a bad cold and had a hard time paying attention in class. She thanked us for keeping her involved with the dramas and stories. Another student, who is very much an oral learner, and has been struggling with understanding teaching that is heavy on theory, also thanked us for teaching through stories. He was eager to comment and participate when we were sp...

Today I wanted to share moments that are snapshots of what we have been up to: Sharing with friends: A couple with their 1 year old son showed up at our house just as we were getting home from visiting another family.  We sat in our living room sharing a snack and talking about their experiences.  When we moved to Chepo a year and a half ago, Alex determined to get to know this family who had no interest in Christianity. He started visiting their home from time to time, just to chat. Sometimes we would go over as a family.  Eventually we shared some meals together, and trust was built.  Then one day we were surprised to see them in the evening church service.  We had never brought up the subject of church attendance or pressured them about their relationship with God.  They asked us to pray when the wife was sick.  Then, that evening, they shared their whole journey with us, honestly talking about their mistakes, and where they hope to go for now. ...