Who are LifeBridgers?

Meet Ruth. Ruth is a perfect example of the transient nature of the people of Panama City. Ruth arrived eight weeks ago and her last Sunday at LifeBridge was her last week. You got that right, for less than two months she called LifeBridge home. However, she did not let her short time here keep her from getting involved.
Within her two months here Ruth served on our worship team, established relationships with many and was a regular on Sunday morning and throughout our weekly activities. She truly exhibited what we see in the expat community: a desire to connect and get involved. 

Being transient is hard. It involves putting yourself out there, but the community that is so quickly established in the expat community is so sweet and life-giving. 

Ruth is from Maryland and was staying in Panama City for two months as part of an internship program. 

We had the honor of hosting our IBC Latin America LEAD Team.  This is the team that Nate has been leading for about a year now. We gathered in Panama City for a few days to learn, encourage, and strategize together.  It was a productive and encouraging time. We had representation from Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, Bolivia, Brasil, Texas and Minnesota. 

We continue to be encouraged by the work of the International Baptist Convention (IBC) and the network they provide for international, English-speaking churches all over the world.  Our Latin America region currently has the smallest team, but has the greatest potential for growth. We are excited to see how our team might grow and for the potential to connect with more churches and pastors in Latin America. 

This month I (Jendi) had the incredible opportunity to go to South Africa. A friend and past colleague asked me to help lead the Cairn University Outdoor Action group on their international trip which was headed to Johannesburg and the Drakensberg Mountains (Dragon's Mountains).  

We spent five days in the Drakensberg mountains, having the unique opportunity to hike into the country of Lesotho. The views were incredible, but the time with friends and students even better. Our group consisted of 5 university students, 3 friends from South Africa (always good to have locals with you- to warn you of the Baboons), and 1 friend from Egypt.  The culture was rich and created a group dynamic for learning alongside one another.