Bible Chapel Mission Trip Blog
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Slow Morning, Grateful Gabs, and Hot Showers
Today was the last day of our time here at the Word Of Life Camp. We had a slow morning of snoozing a bit before we had our last breakfast with the missionary team. The food has been so delicious here. During our time this week, the men of the camp have been in the kitchen on full duty. And goodness, they have taken such good care of us! It was such a treat to be fed by them.
We loaded up our beach gear and headed to the closest beach about 40 minutes from camp. We took in the beautiful sights, did some swimming, and had a beautiful time of reflection and gratefulness for the past six days. To say it was life-changing for all of us would be an understatement. Many of us shared about how much we learned about the Panamanian culture. Some shared the hesitation to commit to a trip of this magnitude but in the grand scheme of life, sometimes a “yes” is all you need. ALL shared of the bonds that were made on this trip within this group and the numerous memories of laughing until we cried (really, we laughed A LOT – such a gift!).
If our trip and team had an anthem it would be:
“Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them” (Psalm 126:2)
We ended our beach trip with a delicious meal on the beach and headed back to camp to pack up all our belongings. We then got back in our trusty van with our girl, Tracy, and made our way to the hotel for the evening.
We settled into our rooms at a hotel close to the airport to make it easier for morning travel, enjoyed our first hot shower in a week, and broke bread one last time.
Conference Wrap-up
The morning opened with a sweet time in worship. The worship was in Spanish, but a lot of the praise songs were well-known by our team so we were able to partake in praise in English.
We had one last conference session under Cheryl’s teaching followed by an open mic from the attendees. They came forward and shared from their hearts how the conference impacted them for God. Bianca stayed at the table with our team and translated what was being shared.
We heard how the Lord used Cheryl’s teaching and the team’s testimonies to encourage them in the LORD.
As one team member said “Satan isn’t creative he uses the same schemes everywhere on all people”
The Lord showed us how HE uses our story to help other people know of HIS grace and love.
Our experience lets others know they are not alone in their hardships and struggles. We can help others experience forgiveness and healing when we are obedient in sharing our story.
In the evening, we had the opportunity to attend a good old-fashioned pool party with the entire missionary team. We had so much fun while we spent time with them listening to their stories and hearing about the work they do. Not to mention a great time in the pool and amazing food for all!
Watching the team all have fun together was very sweet. The way they care for one another is just so beautiful. The children of the missionaries have so many people who love them, and they are surrounded by so many godly examples of how to live a life following hard after God. We were honored to be a part of such a special time with the team and we were treated like one of them!!!
It’s hard to believe our time here is wrapping up. It has been a giant blessing to us all!
A Day of Preparing & Opening Night Sharing the Gospel
Today was a full day. We cleaned the pavilion and assembled bags with all parts for the craft. In doing so we started with each person assembling one bag. But then we noticed it was chaotic, and we had to take turns grabbing each bead. Jen suggested we do an assembly line, and we knocked out the project. The process worked like a charm! It made me think of:
"Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.”
1 Corinthians 12:12 NIV
We all play different roles in God’s Kingdom, and it is beautiful. It truly is a gift from God-all our differences, unique roles, and boundaries in those that give such order and blessing.
Speaking of gifts, later in the day we were so hot, sticky, and tired, but we got such a jolt of joy when we had the opportunity to give the missionaries the donated clothes we brought. It was unexpected, not built into the schedule, but it worked out beautifully! There was even a need among some who didn’t have pink clothes, a color scheme for the missionaries to wear that evening. It was so fun to watch the missionaries find each other great finds. The team reflected on this experience, and words such as gratefulness, community, and care all came to mind.
In the evening we started the conference. The ladies checked in and we gave them their goodie bags, and they loved them! We realized there was a paper near the battery we had to remove for the flashlights to actually work. We went through every bag and fixed it quickly.
After dinner, we worshipped, and then Jill gave her testimony. All the women in the conference prayed over her and her family as she needed to head home early due to a family emergency.
Later on, the speaker opened with a teaching in Genesis about creation. She shared about Adam and Eve and God’s plan for them:
“God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Genesis 1:28 NIV
The speaker emphasized how this command was to both men and women, which was very encouraging to all the women in the room from all walks of life.
Then she shared about sin entering the world, how we all are impacted as a result, and how God provided Jesus to clean us of sin. The message was impactful to all. Helping us to understand that Christ is the only one who can remove us from darkness and bring us into the light.
“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Colossians 1:13-14 NIV
The gift of salvation was presented and we pray it was received. It was a beautiful ending to our night.
After devotions and breakfast at the hotel, we left to visit the Embera Drua village in Chagres National Park. Along the way, we stopped and bought empanadas and pastries for the tribe. Once we arrived at the park, we were greeted by a few of the tribe who helped to guide us onto their canoes. They safely and skillfully drove our boats against the current of the river to their village.
Upon arriving, there were several children swimming in the river who excitedly shouted “Traci!” when they saw their dear friend Traci Delibasich from Word of Life Panamá who is well known and dear to the Bible Chapel. We were greeted by the tribe with music and drums, smiles, and handshakes. They were happy to see us and we looked forward to learning more about them.
Tribe member Matteo told us of the origin of their village. They moved in the 1970s from an area along the border with Columbia. They were searching for a better life with more resources and safety. He explained to us how they create the items that they sell to provide their income.
They fed us lunch made of fried tilapia which they caught in the river and patacones served in large palm leaves. After we had lunch, they performed traditional dances and music and encouraged us to join in with them. We had the opportunity to hand out to each family bags of much-needed hygiene, supplies, including full-size bottles of shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, and more. Empanadas and pastries followed afterward and were available for all ages. Our gifts were very gratefully received.
We spent time viewing their wares and buying items that they have made to support their incomes. We particularly tried to buy items from the wife of Valerio who is their president and pastor. Their daughter is attending school to become a nurse and plans to return to the village to help. Also a year ago, Valerio’s house collapsed, and he is still working on purchasing the items needed to rebuild it. He and his wife are living in his daughter’s home with her family until this can be achieved.
We visited the school and the classrooms and met one of the teachers who explained the subjects that they teach. The teachers arrive on Sunday evening and stay during the week before going home on Friday afternoon. We viewed the small church and Valerio showed us where he likes to sit and spend time reading his Bible and praying. We prayed for his congregation, his village, and that God provides and moves hearts to give graciously to these beautiful people some of who are our brothers and sisters in Christ.
To finish our visit, we spent time swimming in the river Chagres. The river is almost crystal clear and very clean. Some of the children joined in with us, and we all had a blast splashing around in the cool water.
Returning to shore, we then began our journey to the camp at Chame. Traffic can be brutal at times as everyone uses the single highway in Panama to commute home from work in the city as it is much cheaper to live outside of Panama City than to live inside and many can cannot afford it. Both in and outside the city it is very easy to see the disparity between different groups. The areas that are poor often have garbage piled outside and usually, the residents will burn it. This is because garbage services are expensive and many simply cannot afford it. Dogs often run around unchained and although friendly, many or skinny and searching for food.
Arriving at camp, we were greeted by the Word of Life team who were so excited to see us. It nearly brought me to tears seeing my beloved sisters in Christ again. After dinner, we prepared 300 gift bags that will be given to the women attending the conference. We also started to prepare the craft supplies that will be used on Saturday afternoon during free time.
At the end of our day, we were very tired, but we all felt such awe at experiencing the beauty of God’s creation in the rainforest, love for the Embera people and the Word of Life team, and excitement to see what God will do over the next few days not only for those attending the conference but also for ourselves.
“And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” - Genesis 1:31
