What I Do On My Free Time in Panama

As I mentioned in my previous post, there are many things to do in Panama. At times I feel that I am being pulled in many directions all at once and the problem is that I want to be in all these places at once, but there is only one of me!
As a saxophonist, I've had the privilege of getting calls to play with many talented musicians over here in Panama. I really like this because the musicians I am playing with want to spread the word of God to people through music. Sometimes we play at the Universities in Panama and at other times we play at churches or big conferences. Popular music in Panama is different than the popular music in Canada and because of this, I get many more opportunties to play my saxophone with groups here, because popular music over here can incorporate the saxophone, unlike the majority of popular music played in Canada which is mostly guitar and keyboard driven. Now I do want to say that I am only speaking of popular music within the christian circles in Canada and Panama. In other words, popular praise and worship music, whether it be christian "artist" music or christian "worship" music for those who like to make that distinction. I did also bring my guitar, to Panama, but I haven't had too many opportunities to play it outside of campus ministry time. I was really hoping I would get more time to play my guitar on my free time, but that just hasn't been the case. The saxophone has taken it's prominent place in my musical endeavors. A big highlight for me this past month was the Coicom conference. I got to play in the opening show with some great musicians here in Panama including David Choy, a great Composer/Pianist who has shared the stage with the likes of Miami Sound Machine, Juan Luis Guerra and many more. This was an amazing opportunity for me because I do not often have the chance to play with such an amazing musician as David. You can check out David's story and see the way God has changed his life at: http://www.cbn.com/700club/features/Amazing/David_Choy051206.aspx

When I'm not playing my saxophone, I like to connect with my new Panamanian friends. I've made many great friends here in Panama. Abraham, shown in the picture, is one of my good buddies. He plays the electric guitar and performs whenever he can with his screamo band. There is never a dull moment when Abraham is around. He is a super duper high energy guy and he never stops acting in a way that is out of the ordinary. He is one of the students going to the Dominican Republic next week with us on the short term missions project. He has raised all of his support now, so I give thanks to God for that. I know that God will use him and the other students to reach out to other lost students who are in desperate need of a Lord and savior.

One more thing that I do on my free time is Youth Ministry. I am volunteering with a youth group at a church called Crossroads. The youth ministry is called Crossfire and so far it's been an amazing time of building into youth in Panama. There are many Panamanian and American youth at Crossfire, so it's all bilingual teaching, which is something I find to be very awesome, because they are all united there to learn and worship God, despite differences in language and culture. I can definitely see the hand of God moving in the lives of these youths.

If you want to know more about what I am doing on my free time, don't hesitate to ask and just email me at juanqui_dtj@hotmail.com

Blessings

Busy Living

Life in Panama has been surprisingly busy. There are so many opportunities to do things. Music, meetings, events, talks, sharing, evangelizing, making friends and studying are things that you can do here, but there is so much to pick and choose from. At times, it is tough to choose between things and to prioritize them, because help is always needed everywhere.
The last couple of weeks have been really tough because I had to take a systematic theology class. It was required of all the Campus for Christ Panama staff to take this two week intensive course. Lots of people were very tired and stressed out from it all, but the course was awesome. Our Professor's name was Eric Schlottman and he did an amazing job. He is an American, but he taught the whole course in Spanish, and his Spanish was excellent. The course is over now, but I still have to do a lot of assigned reading.
Life with my roommates has been alright. This is really my first time living away from home, so having the opportunity to share a house with other guys has been a very good and helpful experience. It's not always easy living with people you don't know that much, but I thank God for my roommates, who are also my teammates. They are great guys and Christ centered. Living with them hasn't been a problem for me at all so far, so I am grateful for that.
Now that I have more time, I will be writing in my blog more regularly, so if you are reading this, you can check up on this blog at least once a week, and you'll find something new. If you have any questions about anything, don't hesitate to ask me. :)

Blessings