The Joel and Michawn Story - Part 4

(A quick note before the story continues: I will be taking 2-3 days off after this post. This is a holiday weekend here and there is alot going on. Besides, some of you might need the extra time to just catch up with the story and all the many pictures anyway. :) See you again next week to finish up the story.)

I did NOT want to be a full-time missionary, but I always loved going on the short-term trips once a year with Life Challenge. When I say I didn't want to be a full-time missionary, the truth is that I didn't want to be one because I really just never felt like I had that calling. I was open to God using me in whatever way...I just never felt He wanted me in that way. And, personally, I was glad.

I'm from a very small town in Louisiana. Paradise is the name of it...oh, I'm sorry...Saline is actually the name. My friends heard me go on and on about it so much though, they started calling it "Paradise." :) I grew up with all my extended family around in that same town. We didn't just live in the same town...we were part of each others' lives daily. I always just assumed that I would live there with my high school sweetheart husband, preferably on the lake. I didn't live there after college...I was about 2 1/2 hours away in Longview, TX. But, that was plenty far enough away for me. I usually went home to Saline at least once a month. I had a GREAT job. I worked as a nurse and worked 12-hour shifts. I had a SUPER schedule also. It was very hard work and I worked 4 in a row (most people didn't want to do more than 2 in a row), but every other week, because of 12-hour shifts and how my schedule was arranged, I had 6 days off in a row. How perfect was that, right? Ahh, good times.

Anyway, that spring Life Challenge was taking their mission trip to the jungles of Panama. Of course I was going. There were many well-established leaders in Life Challenge. But, nobody had been set on as the accurate leader of this particular trip to Panama. By that point, we were running around 200 (sometimes more) in the weekly class. It was in February that John, at the end of class one Sunday, asked all the people who felt like they were called to missions to stand to be prayed for. Joel was one of the ones who stood (kind of strange that I was taking pictures that day...this is a picture of it). Joel wasn't very well-known among the leadership of the church at that point. One of the leaders of the church was in the back of the room. As John was praying for all who were standing, that leader (Dave Lucas) was observing. Afterward, Dave told John that Joel was his man to lead the Panama trip. He was right.

Joel was asked to lead, along with another friend of ours, Katie. As he prepared for this task, he confided in me several times that he felt a bit intimidated. Like I said, there were already many well-established Life Challenge leaders among us...and several would be going on this trip. Seemed logical that they would be the ones leading the trip. But, logic doesn't fit in with God's plans sometimes. Joel knew that God had it for him to do this. He remained faithful and clinging to God, no matter his lack of understanding in it all.

I had been on several missions trips before. I had spent a little over a month in China one summer when in college and had been involved in missions trips at least once a year since that trip. I did truly love it. But, this trip was different. I began to sense God really working something new in me. My prayer before I went was that if God had it in mind for me to be involved in missions full-time, that He would let me know, that it would be made clear...and that it would be a joy...that I would do it joyfully and not out of a feeling of obligation.

We went on the trip in March 2000. It was an amazing time. We traveled deep into the jungles of Panama to one tribe for a few days, traveled to a coastal village for a couple more days, and then back to Panama City to wrap up the trip. We slept in platforms on stilts, bathed in the river, got henna tattoos, walked with the topless women, and danced for hours in their praise and worship services. We also had medical clinics as part of our time there. We saw lots of wounds, disease, and even pulled a tooth with a pair of pliers (one tooth of the remaining 2 teeth the guy had). Obviously, there's no OSHA or JCAHO present there. ;)

Watching Joel was incredible. As someone who was his close friend, I was in awe. He seemed to come alive and really be in his element. I had never really thought of him as a leader before. But, it was proven there. He was so led by God and he just seemed to shine like Jesus in those woods of the jungle...such a servant-leadership he had, just like Jesus. It was SO incredible.

We had such a great trip and experienced some amazing things. By the end of the trip, I was totally changed. I knew 2 things:
1. I was meant for full-time missions
2. I would either marry Joel or someone just like him

So...continued in Part 5.

O.K., a LOT of pictures to come...some of family, some of friends, but mostly of Panama...couldn't skimp on the Panama pictures.

The only girl cousins amongst a bunch of ole boys (a couple more have since been born).
Me and my brothers (do you love this picture, Tucker?...truly, I know you don't care)
The brothers.
The traditional Jello egg picture at Easter.
We had a great Christmas party at our house. This is a picture of when we decided to leave the house to go downtown and play there for a while.
Rachel Warnock, me, Brian Boyle, and Joel.
Having a little Christmas get-together with the guys.
The guys showing off their presents...new shirts.
Christmas with my roommates...such a great night.
Christmas with my wonderful accountability group.
Taken that January by my friend and roommate Stephanie. She was supposed to leave that day, moving out to go plan a wedding and get married in March (to my good friend from high school...in fact, he'd been my "boyfriend" in 5th grade...so funny). :) Anyway, it started snowing and she was stuck for the night. The guys (Joel and his roommates) came over and we all stayed up all night playing games, talking by the fire, and going outside at 2 in the morning to play in the snow. That morning the guys made us pancakes for breakfast. Good times.
Saying goodbye to Steph...sending her off to get hitched.
And...PANAMA! We got to Panama City and took a bus through the night to a "port" where we boarded this boat. We then traveled on this boat for a few hours into the Darien Jungle.
We got there and practically the whole village was at the riverbank to greet us. We all hung out there for a while before the hike into the village. I personally never was one to pass up a chance to swim (esp. when hot), so when the little naked kiddos got in, so did I.
We hiked a mile or two into where their village was and...
...our living quarters, complete with a nice "welcome" banner. So sweet. You walked up a ladder (a tree with steps carved in it) to get in.
Our "house" inside. It was SUCH a great place to sleep...so breezy.
A typical house for a family.
One of the medical clinics. Iliana (the girl in white) was a doctor from Panama City that went with us.
Joel tending to a wound.
The missionary chicas...Carrie May, Jen, and me.
Getting the henna tattoo.
Bathing in the river.
The 2nd place we went...the coastal fishermen's village.
We were SO glad to have some soda again. In fact, in the jungle we had run out of water and had to treat the river water so that we would have water to drink. Yeah...not so good tasting after the treatment. We had tried to mix it with koolaid just to be able to stomach it and get fluids down. It wasn't so easy. Again, SO GLAD to have something else to drink once we got to this village. We found out they had a little store and we were just wide-eyed. :) I always thought this picture would make such a great ad for Pepsi.
Carrie, Jen, and kids.
Me giving this guy about the 40,001st shot of Lidocaine...he never did get numb. He was so funny...he kept saying, "Just pull it out, just pull it out."
Jen doing the honors of yanking it out. She had once worked in a dental office, so she was obviously highly qualified. ;) She really did know her stuff, but it was all a little funny and crazy.
We gave Joel a paddle as a gift of appreciation for being such a great leader. It was pretty cool...and we still have it.
This little girl was really special and just won my heart. We had a fast connection. Funny how that happens sometimes with people, even when you don't speak the same language. She even walked really far one day just to give me something (and cut her foot in the process)...it was really sweet. Notice the boy behind me. He's cute huh? :)
Again, with my girl.
Our room at the fishing village. At one point in the middle of the night, a chicken flew in our window. Fun times. :)
Back in Panama City. We were SO GLAD to have just taken a real shower, have on clean clothes, and be on our way to a nice supper in a restaurant...to eat something besides tuna(!!...long story).
Our last day, one of our contacts there took us to the beach. SO FUN! What a great lollipop from God. And, sugar cane to boot! Yes, I was sitting all alone with the guys...but, they had the sugar cane (I am a huge fan!).
The whole group on our last day, at the beach.