¡El final de un semestre!

Este Jueves tuvimos el cierre de un cuatrimestre más de Portantorchas. 34 jóvenes que vivieron con nosotros vuelven a sus casas pronto, a siete países diferentes.

Ahora viene el tiempo verdadero de formación. Es fácil que las ovejas engorden mientras están en el corral. Si permanecieren allí por mucho tiempo terminarían con la vida el uno del otro. Pisarían toda la comida. Ensuciarían el corral. Se reparterían las enfermedades. Eventualmente tienen que alimentarse en los campos. Eventualmente tienen que dispersarse por todo el mundo.

Nuestro deseo es que ahora estos jóvenes regresen con una visión del Reino de Dios que verdaderamente marque sus propósitos y vidas. Que regresen entendiendo que todo es basura a la par del conocimiento de Jesucristo y del poder de su resurrección. Nuestro deseo es que regresen a casa a ser sal y luz en la tierra, a ser Portantorchas.

Ahora tenemos dos meses de vacaciones. Les pido oración por estos meses. En mi caso, debo participar en dos conferencias. Una para jóvenes universitarios este fin de semana. La otra es en conjunto con RAICES, una organización de capacitación del liderazgo júvenil para unos 30 líderes latinoamericanos. También tendremos un grupo de jóvenes de EEUU que vienen a servir en Costa Rica. Les pido oración por la situación de estudiantes el próximo cuatrimestre que inicia en agosto. Por alguna razón nuestros números han bajado significativamente para el próximo año.

WOW!!

This July, Leah and I will be celebrating 10 years of working at Portantorchas. There have been some incredible times. There have been some very difficult times. And most of the time, its just normal. Among those we have had some moments where we have truly been blessed by the students. Most of those have been individual, one on one situations. There have been a few intentional situations where the students have wanted to do something special for the staff.

I still remember five years ago how touched I was the first time a student let me know that they were praying for us as staff. Last semester, students interrupted our staff meeting, gathered around us and prayed for us. Then they brought us donuts. That week, unbeknownst to them, one of our staff members was making an important decision about taking a job that would pay him much more than what we could afford to pay, at a time when he could really use the extra income. I knew then, that he would choose to continue with us. Some moments truly are priceless.

This week, we had a beautiful event that I think will stay in my mind for years to come. The students prepared a wonderful meal for all the staff. They decorated the classroom beautifully. They designed personal invitations. They wrote each member a small note. They organized babysitting for the children. They prepared a great salad, a wonderful main dish, and an incredible dessert. They played a video of pictures of staff with students. Then they gathered in the room, layed hands on us, and prayed.

THANK YOU! You have been a blessing, and we will miss you all.

Why Study Abroad?

I found this at the following website, if you're thinking about coming to Portantorchas. http://www.vistawide.com/studyabroad/year_of_study_abroad2006.htm

Why the U.S. Senate thinks study abroad is a good idea

In recognition of the long-term national benefits of sending American students abroad, the U.S. Senate issued a resolution designating 2006 as the Year of Study Abroad to raise awareness and to help increase the number of U.S. students studying abroad. The resolution itself lists the 13 reasons why broad-based support of study abroad programs is important and necessary on a national level:

1. Ensuring that the citizens of the United States are globally literate is the responsibility of the educational system of the United States.

2. Educating students internationally is an important way to share the values of the United States, to create goodwill for the United States around the world, to work toward a peaceful global society, and to increase international trade.

3. 79% of people in the United States agree that students should have a study abroad experience sometime during college, but only 1% of students from the United States currently study abroad each year.

4. Study abroad programs help people from the United States to be more informed about the world and to develop the cultural awareness necessary to avoid offending individuals from other countries.

5. 87% of students in the United States between the ages of 18 and 24 cannot locate Iraq on a world map, 83% cannot find Afghanistan, 58% cannot find Japan, and 11% cannot even find the United States.

6. Studying abroad exposes students from the United States to valuable global knowledge and cultural understanding and forms an integral part of their education.

7. The security, stability, and economic vitality of the United States in an increasingly complex global age depend largely upon having a globally competent citizenry and the availability of experts specializing in world regions, foreign languages, and international affairs.

8. Federal agencies, educational institutions, and corporations in the United States are suffering from a shortage of professionals with international knowledge and foreign language skills;

9. Institutions of higher education in the United States are struggling to graduate enough students with the language skills and cultural competence necessary to meet the current demands of business, government, and educational institutions.

10. Studying abroad influences subsequent educational experiences, decisions to expand or change academic majors, and decisions to attend graduate school.

11. Some of the core values and skills of higher education are enhanced by participation in study abroad programs.

12. Study abroad programs not only open doors to foreign language learning, but also empower students to better understand themselves and others through a comparison of cultural values and ways of life.

13. Study abroad programs for students from the United States can provide specialized training and practical experiences not available at institutions in the United States.

Officials in the federal government are becoming increasingly cognizant of the dire need for citizens who possess the skills to communicate, negotiate, and do business in diverse regions of the world. This Senate Resolution is one in an increasing number of initiatives to train Americans to cope successfully with the globalization, migration, increasing economic interdependence, communication, and travel that are increasingly bringing cultures into ever closer contact with one another.

The Life of Christ!

This week, we have had the priviledge of the teaching of Dr. Dann Spader, with the message of the Life of Christ.  Dr. Spader is the founder of Sonlife ministries (now Sonlife Classic), and Global Youth Initiative.  Both these ministries have the task of training youth, pastors, and leaders to develop disciples by studying the Life of Christ, knowing Him, and following in His footsteps.  Over the years, Sonlife has reached out to more than half a million leaders around the World.  GYI has the goal of being in 100 different countries by the year 2020, training and mobilizing youth leaders around the World to fulfill the Great Commission.  He has been sharing with our students this message, as he walks through the Gospels teaching on the Life of Christ.

¡A Panamá!

La mayoría de los estudiantes salieron para Panamá el sábado en la mañana. Van a pasar cinco días fuera en Bocas del Toro para disfrutar de las vacaciones y cumplir con un requisito migratorio. Oren que tengan un viaje seguro y que logren descansar. Otros de los que quedan van para la Isla Chira el Lunes, adonde fue el viaje misionero el semestre pasado.

Marketing Campaign

Have you noticed the Portantorchas Ad on facebook?

Some people have already contacted us about it. Most of our advertising is done through Word of mouth, where somebody who has been to Portantorchas in the past, or a Torchbearers school tells somebody else about it. They look up one of the websites, and then decide to come to Portantorchas or another Center around the World. This has and continues to work great. After almost 70 years of existence, Torchbearers or Capernwray have enough recognition for people to look us up, without spending any money on marketing.

For many Christian organizations marketing is taboo. Believing that the Lord will draw whom He chooses, when He chooses, and how He chooses, they will avoid marketing. This has and continues to work for many organizations. Some would argue that if the numbers begin to fall, perhaps it is the Lord saying that it's time to say goodbye to the organization.

I personally don't have any problem with marketing. I am thankful for the people who press on their friends or family the urgency of them attending a Torchbearers Bible School. Nonetheless, I believe so much in the message of Christ in you, as taught in our Bible Schools, in the value of community life as experienced in our centers, in the preparation for full-time Christian ministry no matter what our occupation (ie. preach Christ ALWAYS), that I think every young Christian around the World should have an experience like Portantorchas. I'm not kidding. I really, truly believe that every young Christian around the World can postpone one year or one term of their life plan and invest it in Spiritual growth. But there are millions of young people out there who would long for an opportunity like Torchbearers offers, but they don't happen to know anybody who has been to, or will ever be to a Torchbearers Bible School. They may need to be the first.

So I have started advertising on facebook. Unfortunately it is a limited form of adverstising, since I have to guess key words that will help me target an audience. Christians don't have common key words. For instance, you need to target musical preferences. I can pick Christian bands (since I'm so hip on what's going on in the Christian music scene.) But some Christians don't listen to any Christian music or at least don't want to mention it on their facebook profile. Either way, there are about 3,000,000 people who may one day see our ad. If you see it, let us know. That way we know it's getting around. You'll have to put a Christian band in your profile, or perhaps a Christian author, or a Christian book.

If you don't see it, and you've been to Torchbearers, then consider letting others know about your experience.

El principio de clases de Biblia.

El lunes pasado (2 de marzo) iniciamos las clases de Biblia de este semestre. Tenemos 34 estudiantes en total. Tenemos estudiantes de Costa Rica, Cuba, Estados Unidos, Canadá, Perú, Honduras y Noruega.

El primer curso fue de Gálatas. Este curso es escogido específicamente por el hecho de que se presentan los principios de la fe crisitana a través del libro de Galatás. El libro nos recuerda de que debemos estar tan familiarizados con el Evangelio auténtico, que nadie nos podría desviar con un evangelio falso. El evangelio verdadero nos explica que nada en nosotros mismos podría ameritar la salvación, sino que esta es un resultado de la obra de Dios en la persona de Cristo Jesús. Cualquiera que crea merecer la salvación por medio de sus obras, aún si son obras maravillosas, está creyendo en un evangelio falso.

Este curso fue seguido por un curso de Introducción a la Biblia. En este curso se estudia la Biblia como un libro. Temas como la inspiración, revelación y autoridad Bíblica son importantes de entender para poder darle el lugar a la Palabra de Dios que este se merece.

Acompáñenos en oración por nuestros estudiantes. Nuestro anhelo es ser partícipes en lo que Dios está haciendo en la formación y desarrollo de nuestros jóvenes.