Missions Blog

We spent a lot of our day prepping for the conference. The Palabra de Vida (Word of Life) staff had many tasks to complete. We found so much joy working alongside the kitchen team as helping hands shredding chicken off the bone. It’s amazing even the detail and time that takes!  We have a new appreciation for the work that goes into preparing home-cooked food for over 300 people!  

We eagerly awaited the arrival of all the guests.  It was powerful to see bus after bus pull up with all the women excited to be coming to the conference.  We helped welcome each guest as they arrived and had the pleasure of giving them gift bags full of the items our supporters helped us gather. Even with our limited Spanish, a universal smile and hug went a long way to make everyone feel welcome. It was obvious the Lord was in this place when we came together, representing 9 different countries,  with the multitude of voices singing as one, worshipping God! Our night finished with food, prayer, worship, and a lesson on our emotions and how God uses them all for his good and our sanctification.  

John 14:1” Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 

On our second day here in Panama, we continued to have fellowship with Tracy from Word of Life as well as the woman who will be the main speaker at the conference. We were blessed with the opportunity to visit Curundú which is one of the poorest areas of Panama City. Violence and broken families are abundant in this area, and so for many children, a good education means hope for a better future.

At the Christian school managed by Juntos Podemos, they can find this hope. Juntos Podemos currently manages 3 schools that educate 275 students, teenagers, and adults. They also have a community dining room that feeds 525 people, a Saturday program for kids of the community with moral and recreational purposes, and a feeding program designed for the homeless. “Together We Can” being their motto, they are striving to rebuild their community with Christ as their foundation. 

The children we met were overjoyed to meet us, and there were many hugs, high-fives, and smiles. They were proud for us to see their school. Later in the day, we were saddened to learn that just this past Saturday, a 10-year-old girl lost her life to gun violence. While she was not a student at the school, she was an attendee of the Saturday program, and this is an example of the dangers these children face. Word of Life is striving to raise funds so that the children at the school can attend the upcoming camp. For many families, $30 is just not able to be spared on a minimum wage income of about $400 a month. As a team, we desire to help as many students as possible have the opportunity to attend camp and learn about the gospel.

The rest of our day in Panama City was spent in the old part of the city. Here is where the original city was founded and at one point was destroyed by pirates. There are still the ruins of churches from the time of the Spaniards. The streets resembled many old European towns, and there were many shops and a market area where people sold their wares. 

We have safely arrived at the Word of Life camp in Chame where we will support the women’s conference. The staff are so excited for us to be here and help. We have prepared just over 300 goodie bags to pass out to the attendees. It is such a blessing to give our time, small gifts, and support to our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are family, and “together we can” bring glory to the Lord and be His vessels to minister to the Panamanian women that we will be meeting.

Please pray for the community and children of Curundu, and please pray for us as we all prepare for the conference which starts tomorrow evening. Muchas gracias! 

God provided us with a perfect day to travel to Panama. We arrived safely and so did all of our luggage and supplies.

We were met by Word of Life staff who took us to see their office & meeting space in Panama City and had the privilege of meeting additional global workers. It was a blessing to fellowship over a meal with them and to be shown the Panama Canal. What a wonderful sight to see!  

We ended our day gathering together as a team, thanking the Lord for his provision and for our unity.  

We can’t wait to see what the Lord has for us tomorrow!

We spent time with the children in the school today, teaching classes and doing special activities. Karen and John helped the 1st-3rd graders make paper airplanes and do a measurement activity with them. Cindy worked in the preschool classes using a book, song, and props to teach about the five senses. Tiffany, Matthew, and Cody taught the older classes about constellations and then built constellations with beads and pipe cleaners. Ellie, John, Tiffany, and Karen, taught students in various classes about light, and Jesus being the light of the world, and then handed out mini flashlights as a reminder.

Jonathan was a traveling minstrel today, stopping in each classroom to lead the children in songs- which they absolutely loved. Jonathan and Tiffany also visited a student's home with one of the teachers, to offer support and prayer. Karen spent a long time sewing and patching up students' clothes, a much-needed blessing for the children. Most of our team participated in a Kenya versus United States volleyball game during recreation time: Kenya won game 1, U.S. game 2.

We spent the morning at AIC Zion doing activities in the classrooms. We participated in another round table discussion with the teachers. It was difficult to hear some of the struggles the teachers face each day: too many students, too small classrooms, no materials, 1 textbook for an entire class, having to teach technology to meet education guidelines but not having any computers that work, and one teacher talked about having a sewage trough running through her classroom.

We also went into the slum area again to visit students' families. One group encountered a single mom of five, who requested prayer for finding a job and having their basic needs met. Another group helped a mother understand her need for a savior, and she prayed for salvation.

We ended the day with a leadership seminar, led by John. Several men and two women attended, listening carefully to John's presentation, and asking many questions.